Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2001 14:33:14 -0500
From: "Daniel Artley" <dartley@co.ba.md.us>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR]Frame question from someone new to the list
Since this is essentially my first post, I'll give a brief intro: I've been riding since I was four. My first lightweight was a PX-10 that I bought in 1968, when I was fifteen. I wrenched in shops in the early '70's, first so I could work on my own bike, then, just 'cause I loved it. I ended up with a Woodrup road bike in '73, replaced by a Woodrup crit bike shortly after, having being run down by a van driver after flashing the bird at him for honking while next to me. Shattered my elbow on the crit bike in '75 (no crit bikes for me ever again!), went touring on a modified UO-8, and then in '78 lucked into having a Richard Sachs tourer built for me when I couldn't get the Witcomb of America that I'd wanted. E-ritchie has a couple of photos of it at his website. I've got couple more at: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u86166&a338969&f=0 I was a little gun shy of road bikes at the time. Shortly after that I got the hankerin' for another road bike, something classic, stable and comfortable for the Campy groupo, and later in '78 got a '71 Colnago Super (blue) that a guy named Kline replaced with a Klein. I've since gotten a few other bikes, the only older classic? is a Raleigh 3 speed. But the Colnago is the bike my questions are about. It was just a very comfortable, nice handling bike. Unfortunately I endo'd it into a hedge years ago to avoid a car, which bent the head tube back to about 75 degrees. A local frame builder cranked it back, but a little too far. The original 74 degree head tube was now at about 73 and a half. The builder told me that was a more reasonable angle and I should just see how it worked. The bike didn't handle as well. When I returned, instead of adjusting the head angle, he took some rake out of the fork. Now the bike is way stable, but just doesn't have that great quality it once had. Now for my questions. I want to crank this head angle back to 74 degrees and try to get the fork back to what it was. The lugs were pinned when they were originally brazed and I think it'll go back fine. Can someone give me a good number for the amount of fork rake to get this just about perfect for handling based on a 74 degree head angle? Part of the question might be is it worth it? It could certainly use a repaint. I really like this old bike; we've had a lot of miles together. It's got decals I've never seen on another Colnago. Brian from Fresh Frame years ago told me I'd probably be forced to have them made if I wanted to do a repaint. Unfortunately it picked up some more rust last year while riding around on the top of my car at the outer banks for a week. I'll be doing the retro ride this Saturday on the Sachs, though the call went out for road bikes. I'd love to get this baby back up to snuff now that this list is getting me psyched.
Dan Artley, Parkton, Maryland
lots of steep hills around me with a rail trail next to the house.