[CR]Cool then, but not so cool now.

(Example: Racing:Jacques Boyer)

Content-class: urn:content-classes:message
Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2005 10:24:04 -0800
Thread-Topic: Cool then, but not so cool now.
Thread-Index: AcTyipJ1dOVAkLGJT9an7LPul/pUKQ==
From: "KO Kevin" <kko@ci.springfield.or.us>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR]Cool then, but not so cool now.

Being my second post to the mail-list, a little background: I was a co-op partner in a second hand bicycle shop in Eugene, OR during the late 70's through mid 80's. Dealing in mainly used bikes and parts, we became quite proficient at "rebuilding" an old bike to meet the demands of the current market. Some things that we did (cool then, but not so now):

Replace every Mafac or Weinmann centerpull with DiaCompe or Weinmann sidepulls. We threw away buckets of Mafac and Weinmann brakes.

Replaced virtually every cottered steel crankset with alloy Sugino or SR cranksets. We threw away buckets of cottered cranks.

3-piece Campagnolo hubs were rubbish, so they were tossed, as was Valentino and Velox derailleurs

Simplex stuff tossed and replaced with Suntour VGx derailleurs.

We took many an old frame and "rattle-canned" a new paintjob.

On really nice older Italian and British frames, we added braze-ons for watterbottles, BB cable guides and brake cable on the top tube.

Personalized a few really great frames by doing a custom BB cutout for the customer. There is a 22" Strawberry Racing Cycle frame with a "diamond K" BB cutout out there somewhere.

Using a steel punch to "dimple" the fork crown-race seat in order to tighten up a loose fitting crown-race.

Threw away buckets of reflectors and safety levers.

Some other fond memories:

Challenging the other workers and customers to a game of darts while I did a trackstand on my 1973 Raleigh Pro Track bike.

Building my first frame for racing, and then having the rear triangle come apart when a Fred stuck a pedal in my rear wheel halfway through the season.

Building frames for the State Masters Road champion, the State JR pursuit champion and one of the top women road races in the state.

Lusting after a Blue/Mink Raleigh Pro and an Austro-Daimler Ultima.

Winning my first (and only) matched sprint race at Alpenrose.

Making a 9 speed rear wheel for my commuter with a SA 3 speed hub and a 3 cog freewheel. I threw a triple on the front and had the first 27-speed in town!

Doing the Thursday-evening 26 mile loop in under 1 hour.

Taking great pride in blasting up Gimple Hill in 42-19 gearing, out of the saddle all the way.

Buying all my Snap-On tools during that period and writing them off as a business expense, even the timing light and ¾ ton floor jack!

(Sigh), those were the good-ol' days....

Kevin Ko

Eugene, OR