I got the frejus up and running and it's quite a lovely ride. I replaced the chain, which was not a problem after taking out two links. The other thing that had to be changed were the brake pads. I had some older shimano blocks laying around so I used those but they just didn't work very well. I decided to ride it over to a local shop I hadn't been to before to see what options they had. Well I rolled my frejus into the shop and inquired about some pads, they said the only thing they had were kool stops, but the modern kind, no blocks. One mechanic snickered and said, "Yeah I don't know if it's worth it to you to put 25.00 pads on such an old bike." What? I sneered at him and pulled out my credit card. I'm not exactly sure what model they are but I checked the website and they kind of look like dura ace pads, came with the holders as well. They're dual compound, red and black. they look a bit funky but actually they don't look too bad on the bike. I took it for a ride in the alley and applied the front brake and nearly did a header over the bars. The pads were definately an improvement.
I've struggled with the pad issue for a while, what does everyone think is an appropriate replacement for our vintage rides? Although they are pricey, these kool stops seem to be quite worth it. My favorite feature being the swivel stem which easily allows for toe in. I know some would say it's heresey too put such pads on a bike like my frejus but if you ride your bicycles alot, isn't peformance more important than looks?
How about chains? I bought a Z chain for the frejus, seems to be decent, again I had to shorten it a bit, but that could have to do with the gearing on the bike more than the original chain length. What do all of you tend to use in terms of chains?
thanks
marc garcia
chicago IL