Protecting Society

So people ask me all the time "Ron" they ask "why do you keep this large and disreputable looking pile of bike parts?" Well, actually nobody has ever asked exactly that. And to the extent anyone has discussed my pile of parts at all it has been family, neighbors and clergy in varying degrees of concern, disgust and fear (respectively, more or less).

What they do not know is that I provide the valuable public service of keeping unsafe bicycle parts off the street and out of the hands of the unscrupulous who would sell these on eBay or put them on a bike they're flipping on Craig's List.

Meet the scariest stems ever. At least one member of this gang, their leader "Icon" was the subject of a nationwide recall. He was bad in the way of all insert tab and tighten screw devices. Except toy trains and battery covers don't take your teeth out when they break.

The middle one was just born bad. No hope of gripping a headtube in the way that is expected of a stem in this modern world he just wandered the internets in piles of assorted bicycle parts being sold from one bike monger to the next until I incarcerated him for the duration and saved his future victims.

The last member of the gang, the guy with the "S" tattoo to prove he's in with the tough crowd had the option. He could've been a decent stem. A bit short of bar bolts for a modern MTB stem, but solid and able to grip. Until someone just had to save a couple grams and drilled him out. A sad fate, but one he could do nothing about. Once a bike part is drilled there's no going back for them. Ever.

So that's why I am the Curator / Jailer of these parts. There is no hope of their ever changing their ways so they will not be released upon the streets ever again. And that is why I have an ever growing pile of parts.

Oh, And Another Thing ...

You guys cracking wise about my seemingly unseeming enthusiasm for a new seat post. This is the old one. Photographed in its most appropriate context.

Yes, that's a galvanized steel clamp on that clunky and graceless aluminoidal cylinder. It's ugly and heavy and I'm glad to not have it on a bike anymore. Of course I won't actually throw it away. It's a bike part. There is no throwing away bike parts.

Proteus Parts

Original Gear List:

Hubs - Ultegra 600

Rims - Mavic Open 4CD

Shifters - Shimano 105 Downtube

Derailleurs - Shimano 105

Crankset - Shimano 105

Bottom Bracket - Shimano Dura Ace

Headset - Shimano 105

Brake Calipers - Shimano 105

Brake Levers - Shimano 105 with white hoods

Handlebars - Cinelli Giro d'Italia 40cm

Stem - Cinelli

Seatpost - Something heavy and ugly

Pedals - Original Look

As far as I can tell this is how the bike left the shop when new. The Date codes on the brakes, bottom bracket spindle and cups, cranks and derailleurs all go to 1989 and range from January through September. So we have a late 89 or early 1990 bike and group here.

I don't recall the saddle, it was damaged. The handlebars were severely grooved and gouged from a set of loose aero bars. They were bad enough that even I questioned their safety and replaced them immediately.

Present Gear:

At the beginning of this blog we are starting with all the above components, except for the bars, stem, levers and pedals. The levers were replaced with Sora Brifters in this bike's brief turn introducing me to cyclocross. Along with the brifters went an "ergo" handlebar and of course another stem because the Cinelli was the wrong size.

Here's the plan:

Clean up and reinstall all the original Shimano group. The brake levers have some damage and I don't think I will ever find the broken little plastic piece that fits between the rubber hood and the lever. The white hoods are trashed. I will probably replace them with some other aero lever. Possibly the Tektros because they're comfortable or something period correct that looks good. I'm a bit torn.

The Headset will need to be replaced. It has almost never been adjusted correctly, or stayed in adjustment and has a center detent. It will probably get a Tange Levin unless a nice Dura Ace or similar falls my way.

The brakes were my first dual pivot caliper brakes. I was immediately impressed by their bionic crab claw looks and bionic crab claw grip. I'm not sure if I'm going to like that look for the future, but they are on there now and they still work great.

The ugly and heavy seatpost will be replaced with an "Aero" seatpost that is on its way to me now. It will get the full polish treatment as well.

The wheels are true. The hubs and bottom bracket only need cleaned and greased. The old D/A 7400 Bottom Bracket is a marvel. I've got two of them and both have run perfectly for many years.

The components that are in rough shape will be stripped and/or de-anodized and polished. I'll have some progress photos of the cranks, handlebar and stem tomorrow.

The Frame:

The frame will be the subject of a future post. So many possibilities and limitations. Some decisions I'll have to make as I clean it up and evaluate just what is possible.