Re: [CR] A newbie's Observations on Restoration v. Preservation

(Example: Framebuilders:Masi)

Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:21:47 -0500
From: <chasds@mindspring.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: Re: [CR] A newbie's Observations on Restoration v. Preservation


Thanks for your post, Jeff.

Since I post occasional cranky notes about restoraton, I thought I'd point out that--at the risk of speaking for others--no-one on this list would object to getting a bike back on the road.

Conflict arises when claims are made for restorations that are perhaps not supported by the result, whatever it may be. Or changes are made to a frame that cannot be easily undone. Or value is claimed for a restoration that may not, for various reasons, have much value.

All the rest is simply personal taste, and as I have to remind myself from time to time, hard as it is to accept "de gustibus non est disputandum" --although I continue to maintain that some taste is at least more informed than others-- ;>

So, whatever you did, however you did it, if you're enjoying the bicycle, then it's all to the good. I doubt anyone here would argue with that.

One interesting thing I've noticed about cinellis over the years: because they were finished in such a simple way, doing even an "in the spirit of" respray usually results in something entertaining.

Not exactly apropos of which, I recently acquired a very cool bike from a friend, a Royal Nord Commander (one of Sheldon Brown's favorite bikes, and I can see why), probably from the 1960s, with a very peculiar paint job. I'll try to get some pics up at some point...it's all original, right down to the over-the-top graphics package. The problem is that the translucent silver paint that is the primary color, more or less, has oxidized badly. So badly that if I really try to polish it out, I remove too much of the actual paint, and begin to expose the candy red underneath (don't ask, you'll see eventually). I'd never repaint it, but I'd love to get it looking a bit more spiffy...what is the consensus about thin, badly oxidized paint? Leave it, try buffing it out, very lightly, or what?

Charles Andrews
Los Angeles