I now own two very nice vintage steel frames. One is my Gazelle Champion Mondial, 531c steel frame, currently build with a mix of 8sp Shimano and Campagnolo 10sp, which is slowly being converted to all Campagnolo 10sp. And now I have the Serotta Nova. This frame, currently being painted, is built of Columbus SL tubing, and has a complete Campagnolo Super Record group.
The question I keep asking myself is, which bike is better suited for the modern Campagnolo group, and which will look best dressed in the vintage Campagnolo gear. The Gazelle has a very classy and vintage paint job. Pearl white with blue seat tube and downtube panels, and was probably originally equipped with either Super or Nuovo Record. The Serotta is going to have a much more modern metallic red color on it, with silver decals. It looks the part of a modern bike much more than the Gazelle. So should I reverse course, rebuild both bikes with each other’s gear? That is the question I keep posing to myself. And in all honesty, I really don’t know.
Part of me wants to keep the Gazelle as my primary distance rider. I love the look of the frame, its uniqueness here in the US where very few Gazelle’s were imported. Not saying that I couldn’t use the bike for a long distance ride with friction downtubes and vintage parts, but I can certainly see choosing which ever bike has the modern Campagnolo group on it over the vintage gear for a good number of longer rides.
There’s also the ‘new paint’ factor. Which is both playing for and against the Serotta. On one hand it’s going to look fantastic when it’s completed. David emailed me saying it was ‘the best red he’s ever seen’ and I certainly want to show off that color and the bike. But I also don’t want to mess it up either. All my bikes are riders and not wall queens, but I still look after them and want them to look good for as long as possible. If I build up the bike with the Super Record group now, and then change my mind, there’s a good possibility that the derailleur clamp will leave a mark in the paint that the new derailleur won’t hide. So in short, I’d like to make the decision once and not risk marring a new paint job.
Then there’s the headsets. I just had a modern Campagnolo threaded headset installed on the Gazelle, and David is putting the S.Record headset back on the Serotta. Granted, with the history of S.Record headsets developing indexing rather easily, it’s probably a given that both bikes will eventually run the new model. But the fact remains that if I’m going to build a bike with ‘fully campagnolo super record’ that it should include the headset, since I do have one.
Decisions, decsions…
March 14, 2009 at 6:01 am
I own several classic rides also a Gazelle champion mondial from 73.
equippe the gazelle with vintage stuff from the same era: campa super or nuovo or shim. dura ace or 600. or Suntour V Luxe. This were the topgroups in the 70’s and early 80’s. You can also use brakes from dia compe or grancompe (very rare and hard to find) and chainwheel/ cranckset from Sugino.
When repainted: use a real classic color scheme and new decalls (can be bought on ebay).
maximum: 2×5 or 2×6. when it’s a late 80’s, 2×7.
clincher rims are accepted but use old style ones. Tyres: idem dito so classic: meaning white or brown at the sides. NEVER those modern tyres with red blue yellow etc in it.
because only idiots put modern stuff on a vintage ride.
it’s a sin and a disgrace to the old bike. if you want modern go buy a modern bike.
if I see an old styled frame with modern stuff (or a modern styled paintjob) I’m experiencing HORROR and find myself witness of a rape.
Don’t expect any respect from vintage enthusiasts when you go modern on a vintage, they will hate you for it…