miniThor Posted January 31, 2019 Posted January 31, 2019 hello all I'm looking for some advice and ideasWhen starting this road cycling malarky, I bought a 2nd hand Battaglin for R3000. It has served me (till I upgraded), relatives and friends well, but is now worn out. The chain pops off the big ring under any real power, bearings are tired, etc. What should I do with her?There's no way I can replace the 9 speed campag drivetrain for sensible money.Is the only option a single-speed commuter conversion? Fetching blue and yellow painted, oval aluminium framework and bombproof wheels are already present.In which case, any ideas about money in vs the final value of the machine. I'll post some pics of the machine a bit later.
Butterbean Posted January 31, 2019 Posted January 31, 2019 Yeah go fixie or single speed.. They're Hella fun and worst case can always be converted back and restored if you hunt for parts over time, if the classic bike market suddenly explodes in value... Plus, it'll be Hella fun and a great bike to have in the paddock.
FirstV8 Posted January 31, 2019 Posted January 31, 2019 Convert to a single speed with decent gear for commuting or just playing in your area . . I had a 80's Colnago which i sold to a collector and am now sorry about . Good classics frames go for ever if well maintained . Dont let bearings , headset come lose or bolts strip .
DJR Posted February 22, 2019 Posted February 22, 2019 hello all I'm looking for some advice and ideasWhen starting this road cycling malarky, I bought a 2nd hand Battaglin for R3000. It has served me (till I upgraded), relatives and friends well, but is now worn out. The chain pops off the big ring under any real power, bearings are tired, etc. What should I do with her?There's no way I can replace the 9 speed campag drivetrain for sensible money.Is the only option a single-speed commuter conversion? Fetching blue and yellow painted, oval aluminium framework and bombproof wheels are already present.In which case, any ideas about money in vs the final value of the machine. I'll post some pics of the machine a bit later. If you decide to build a fixie or a single speed out of it, keep the hanger and all braze on bits so that some day you can restore it again to a geared road bike. If you decide to keep it geared, go and speak to Niels Hansen at Woodstock Cycle Works about replacement parts. Often you can find good used replacement cassettes and chainrings for not much money. Even Campy bits. Headset and BB doesn't have to be expensive either. Same for wheel bearings.
Patensie Posted February 22, 2019 Posted February 22, 2019 If you decide to build a fixie or a single speed out of it, keep the hanger and all braze on bits so that some day you can restore it again to a geared road bike. If you decide to keep it geared, go and speak to Niels Hansen at Woodstock Cycle Works about replacement parts. Often you can find good used replacement cassettes and chainrings for not much money. Even Campy bits. Headset and BB doesn't have to be expensive either. Same for wheel bearings. listen to DJR, even Armpies do. When it comes to vintage bikes. Sometimes.
B20 Posted February 23, 2019 Posted February 23, 2019 The bike in the pic is also a Battaglin. I had a similar problem, so I decided to go "hybrid" between old and new. The entire group set was replaced with a Campagnolo 11 speed. The wheels are Shamal's. She weighs 8.4 kilos with pedals. The ride is super smooth and climbs well. A Hub member (EvenB) in Jhb polished up the chrome and did the build. I finished the fit in Cape Town. Surprisingly, the build did not cost much and I have yet to have a ride where someone does not come and chat to me about the build.
DJR Posted February 23, 2019 Posted February 23, 2019 ............... She weighs 8.4 kilos with pedals. .............Beautiful! People totally underestimate how light a top quality old steel (or aluminium) frame can be built. On some makes and frames, like yours, a seven-point-something-kilo bike is totally possible. The retro-mod builds open up a new lease on life for many an old frame and it also gave many people a new appreciation for the quality of the ride the old frames offer. Sometimes a restoration to original is the way to go, and I like that, but I also sincerely believe that bikes should be ridden, not just gather dust hanging from the wall. That's why I like seeing these old gems out there with their brand new running gear and racing the newby plastic bikes. Come to think of it, I better take one old girl off the wall and clean her up a bit for a run tomorrow morning - poor thing hasn't been out for fresh air since late last year!
miniThor Posted February 23, 2019 Author Posted February 23, 2019 If you decide to keep it geared, go and speak to Niels Hansen at Woodstock Cycle Works about replacement parts. Often you can find good used replacement cassettes and chainrings for not much money. Even Campy bits. Headset and BB doesn't have to be expensive either. Same for wheel bearings. That's great advice - I'll get in touch with him.Thanks
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