http://www.flickr.com/
Here are some shots of the nearly finished Cinelli, whose bottom bracket hole was the subject of much discussion on the list. Thanks to all of you whose enthusiasm, knowledge, parts & photographs made it possible for me to get this lovely bike back to some semblance of its former glory.
The frame when I got it bore no trace of its original finish, with the big exception of the chrome. The lugs, drop-outs & fork crown were in very good shape, but the paint was awful and the BB, of course had been mutilated. No treasured patina anywhere other than the chrome, so a paint job was required. After I got the frame back from Bilenky's, who repaired the BB, I stripped it chemically. I didn't want to blast it because of the chrome, and I wanted to see if there were any traces of original paint under the top coat. There was not, but happily it hadn't been sandblasted and there was no trace of rust anywhere. The few dents were shallow and easily filled with lead. Next, off to the body shop. After many on- & off-list communications, I decided not to do it in silver because of the difficulty in getting a modern metallic finish that would closely resemble the original. Black seemed a better choice, and (since I live in New York) the classiest color of all. It would make the colors on the badging pop out, which is pretty cool.
The components had to be N.R. for three reasons. First, that's what was almost certainly on the bike when it was new in 1967 or thereabouts. Second, I have an almost complete unused gruppo that has been in boxes for 32 years, and I'll never have a better frame to hang it on. Finally, no bicycle parts have ever been made which, as a group, are more beautiful and look as well together. Don't even try to argue with me on this. Its a fact, Jack.
The bike as built has a few anomalies. It must have had center-pull brakes originally, as the steering tube needs two washers between the headset adjusting cup and lock nut. I used Campy brakes because they are beautiful, and I justify this by imagining the owner would have upgraded from the functional but graceless mod. 61s as soon as they became available. The cranks & rear derailleur are from 1974 & 1972 respectively. The stem, a Cinelli 1A with the old logo, is also newer. I modified the pinch bolt to secure with a hex nut like the original 1A. The spokes are DT, not Stella. The tires are modern as well.
There has been lively discussion on the board about restoration. I deal with old cars on a daily basis, and many of the same concerns: original vs reproduction, patina, anomalies, e.g. come up regularly. This has been a fascinating project because it has let me in on a similar but distinctly different field. Again, I want to thank you for your help.
Michael Shiffer
EuroMeccanica, Inc.
114 Pearl Street
Mount Vernon, NY 10550
(914) 668-1300
euromeccanicany.com