I had an interesting experience yesterday.
I finally started working on a bike I lucked into some time ago, a very special piece. It's a Swiss Condor, purpose-built pathracer from about 1958. What's special about it, aside from its relative rarity, the fact that it's my size, and the fact that it is extremely elegant in the Mondia/Allegro fashion (I'll post some pics sometime--it's black, with an elegant silver head-badge, and elaborate gold pinstriping on all the tubes, in a style similar to Mondia specials, but not quite the same, and it has a white seat-tube panel, with smoked crimson accents...just killer.), is that it is in the most flawless original condition I have ever seen a bike in. It truly does appear to have been purchased, taken home, and put away for 40 years. Except for a little bit of dust and grit, and a bit of soiling here and there, it is perfect. With all the parts it had the day it left the shop.
I must confess, I've never seen a bike this old in that kind of condition. It's quite extraordinary.
However, the bearings were all dry as a bone, and tight, and needed to be overhauled. I'm not quite done with it, since I ran into a little problem with the cottered crank last night, since resolved. I should have the bike ready for the Huntington Beach Concours d'Elegance this Sunday (hear that Jay? You have some competition this year!. ;> )
Anyway, I'm sitting there taking the wheel bearings apart, and realizing that this is what's left of the grease that was put in the hubs at the Campagnolo factory a couple of years after I was born, and I had a sudden surge of regret. I actually realized that I might well have been happier with the bike if I had left it *exactly* as it was before I touched it. It would not be ridable. It would be a wall-hanger and show-bike only. But, you know, that would have been ok. There is something very attractive about a bike in that kind of perfectly preserved condition. Not useable as a bike, yes...but as enjoyable for its extreme mo jo? Most definitely.
However, by the time I realized all this, I had the rear-hub in pieces (and I managed to distort the grease-caps in the process of putting it back together...that is SO *&^%() annoying, you know?)...so, that untouched originality was gone. I'm going to overhaul the rest of the bike, clean it up a little, and maybe ride it. I dunno about that yet.
One thing I do know. They'll have to pry this one out of my cold, dead, hands, as they say..<grin>
Charles "original, original, original" Andrews SoCal.
PS: this bike came with an incredibly cool, original inch-pitch drive-train, Durax steel cranks with one of those double-roller inch-pich chains. The chain could use a good cleaning..but I can't figure out how to get the master-link off..it's not the usual spring/clamp-type, but some kind of fitted plate...anyone have any ideas how to get it apart? Otherwise I'll clean it and lubricate it in place...
old bikes are so cool...working on this thing makes me feel like a kid again, with all my wonder at lovely, functional art.