Hi All,
Thanks to those who replied to my question about rust yesterday.
I'll take just a moment to introduce myself, which I should have done earlier perhaps.
I'm living in Boston now with my family, having recently moved from London, where I was for 15 years or so. Having 2 small daughters, much of my riding is limited my 12-mile commute, family jaunts on the Minuteman bike path (which is generally delightful), and the odd pre-dawn excursion on my own. The current utiliarian flavor of my cycling explains the residents of my bike shed now - my German town bike, a 3-wheeled Christiania cargo bike, and my steel Rohloff-equipped commuter (which yearns to be taken on off-road expeditions).
But before you draw and quarter me for mentioning these blatantly off-topic velos, I am also a big vintage enthusiast, and (as you may remember) am embarking on the restoration of an all-French Motobecane for my wife. She also has a German city bike, but I started looking for something lighter and more suitable for longer rides that still has a step-through frame. I decided on a Rivendell Glorius, but until I come into $3000 to spend on it, I'm honing my mechanical skills by putting this other one together for her.
My great cycling-related regrets: Selling off my 1978 Zeus and my 1982 Bianchi due to lack of space and need of funds. My great cycling-related ambition: Going to Derby England to have a Mercian Vincitore built for me.
In the meantime, I am methodically reading through my collection of back-issues of Bicycling (1978 to present), which I came across on ebay last year, reminiscing about the Mercian Vincitore I was so in love with at Maplewood Cycles in St Louis where I grew up...
Ciao,
Andrew Conway
Arlington MA
http://www.velofellow.com