New (old) bike day? An Eroica bike

[Bill Lindsay]

There's a category and a classification for everything in the bike industry now, making it really easy for an N+1 guy like me to invent new slots in the stable that need (NEED!) to be filled.  The latest for me is an Eroica bike.  An Eroica bike is an old road bike, kept period correct, for use in Eroica events.  Reviews of these events are glowingly positive, mainly for the social aspects of them.  I'm a social guy, so if I can get another bike, and use that as my admission fee to a fun social event, I'm in! 

I found for myself a 1983 Univega Gran Premio.  There are many many little reasons why this particular bike appealed to me, and I was able to get an OK price on it.  It came in last night, and it was in such great shape that I was able to overhaul and service everything I wanted to overhaul and service and render it completely road ready.  So, here's new bike day:

Riv content:

--I upgraded to Riv Rolly Polly tires

--lugged steel

--Eroica celebrates beausage over restorations, particularly repaints

--great, legendary Suntour, SR and DiaCompe parts

--once I finalize stem length, I'll re-do the bars with Newbaums

I have not ruled out trying to get 200 miles in on this bike before October ends, which would be bike #11 in my 10x200 challenge.

I have not yet signed up for Eroica California 2018, but I think I might

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[Ed Carolipio]

Very nice.

I first heard about L'Eroica via BikeSnobNYC - Brooks sent him on a junket to Italy - then found out about Eroica California when I was researching the Great Western Bike Rally. (Bianchi sells an Eroica specific bike - $4K MSRP ouch.) I'm looking forward to living vicariously through your updates and photos.

--Ed C.

[Bill Lindsay]

Thanks Ed

More bike photos should be viewable in my flickr:  Photostream

BL in EC

[Bob B]

Awesome bike. Can you fit on it Bill? Looks so much bigger than your other bikes. I love the univegas of this period. Tend to have really understated but pretty colors.

[Bill Lindsay]

Bob B asked whether I can fit on it. 

Yes, I definitely can.  In the photo, the saddle height is set correctly at 75.5cm.  The standover is around 84cm and my PBH is around 86, so I've got a bit of room.  The top tube + stem length is about an inch shorter than any of my other road bikes, so I'm on the lookout for a SR Custom model stem in 100mm extension. 

The seller of this bike had no clue how to determine frame size, and kept giving me measurements that I was sure were wrong.  This model came in a 57cm and a 60cm, and when I pulled the trigger I still was not certain which it was, but I hoped it was a 60, and it is.  This is really one of those "they don't make them like they used to" bikes.  I'm really happy about it. 

Bill

[Evan E.]

Beautiful bike, Bill! I love old Univegas and Miyatas. Often underrated, I think. And any Univega with "Gran" in the name is especially nice, with lug windows and the like. Sweet Suntour bits, too.

[Ryan Fleming]

Yes it does look like one of those bikes they don't make like they used to. Nice find!

[Ty Graham]

Thanks for the post. Nice bike.

Reminds me of a Univega I really wanted in the 70s, maybe 80. A Univega with the sweetest pantographed stem. I wanted that bike bad when I was in high school. Hadn’t thought about the brand in a really long time.

[Bill Lindsay]

Thank you Ty

Two things I had forgotten about bikes of this era were:

1.  Q-Factor.  These SR Aerox cranks have a Q-Factor of 138mm by my measurements.  That's like an inch narrower than most road cranks today.  

2.  Suntour Symmetric Shifters.  These things are so darned clever.  I remember as a teenage mechanic working on my Sportour and 'kind of' understanding what they were supposed to do, but now that I have a lot more respect and appreciation for how clever they are.  The two friction shiftlevers are mounted on top of the downtube as a single assembly.  The two shiftlevers are connected to each other through that assembly.  When you shift the right hand shifter, it causes the left hand shifter to slide up or down the downtube.  What this gets you is that when set up correctly, the left shifter trims the front derailer automatically for you anytime you shift the right side shifter.  So you get a drivetrain where the front derailer has a nice flat narrow cage for super precise shifting, AND the chain never rubs on the front derailer.  There's never been another drivetrain where the front derailer trims itself in reaction to a rear shift.  It's borderline genius, and I'm really happy to have an example in-use again.  

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[Surlyprof]

This really makes me miss my old Bertoni Corso Mondiale. One of the Italian-made frames from Ben Lawee. He brought some nice bikes to this country.

John

[Mark in Beacon]

I bought a similar Eroica-worthy bicycle last week myself. Also has SR stem and Cyclone derailleurs and the Suntour Symmetric shifters--though mine are strapped on. Not sure what the Q is on my crank, but it's another evolutionary dead end--the Dyna-Drive. Mine is I believe first or second year Deore touring triple (just before mountain bikes took off) with Dura Ace pedals. (Trouble posting, apologies for the deletion.)

[KenP]

Hi Bill,

    Nice N+1!   My 1984 LaTour came with Symantec shifters like yours.  I like the way they trim, though they took some getting used to and some finesse getting them adjusted.  The rear shifter loosens up when the front gets shifted to the smaller ring.   I sourced a Riv Nitto Dirt Drop and had a machine shop turn the stem to fit the smaller headset.   I was used to upright bars, but the higher drop bar position inspired me to try drop bars on the Appaloosa and found that that arrangement works for me.  Took the Appaloosa on the Seagull Century comfortably all the way.

here are links to pics; I havent posted pics to the list before, do these work?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/9730557@N07/37767382712/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/9730557@N07/37083284313/in/dateposted-public/

KenP

[Bill Lindsay]

I got my hands on a stem of the identical model (SR Custom) but with a longer extension (100mm vs 80mm).  So now the fit is much better.  This means wrapping the handlebars.  I had KHAKI Newbaums on-hand, but the shade is not right for this bike.  I visited Riv HQ so I could view the three shades of BROWN in-person.  The BROWN was too light.  The DARK BROWN is perfect to complement the brown lettering on the decals.  The CHOCOLATE is too dark.  CHOCOLATE is more like "BLACK COFFEE".  The only way to tell it's not black is to hold it up next to a roll of real BLACK.  

So, PSA, know your browns:

BROWN -->  milk chocolate

DARK BROWN -->  normal 60% chocolate

CHOCOLATE --> black coffee

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

On Wednesday, October 18, 2017 at 12:51:16 PM UTC-7, Bill Lindsay wrote:

[Steve Palincsar]

Newbaums has three shades of brown?

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[Bill Lindsay]

They have earth tones galore. Three shades of brown plus khaki, maroon, copper and burnt orange. Add to that the other browns you can make with lighter colors and amber shellac, and there’s more like eleven shades of brown.

[Bill Lindsay]

Here is my Eroica bike, now with a 100mm extension stem, with Dark Brown Newbaums with two coats of clear Bullseye shellac

The Chocolate would have been much darker, but Dark Brown is pretty darn dark.  I have brake lever hoods on order, that I hope will fit.  I also have brown brake cable housing on order.  Then, it's just riding.  

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[Mark in Beacon]

I'm a big fan of brown tape. I almost went brown for my new silver Eroica, but I went with Newbaum's maroon instead; though brown goes with almost anything, I may put some black Bluemels on this bike, and the maroon will look better with the silver/black combo. Also picked up some new VO gum hoods. But alas, I am not as diligent, and it all is still in the shipping boxes! What's your source for the dark brown housing?

[Bill Lindsay]

Mark asked where I ordered a brown brake cable & housing kit:

I ordered it from Velo Orange. It should arrive today along with the lever hoods

and also fender stays for the Hillborne

[Brian Campbell]

I was curious if you knew what it weighed, as built?

[Bill Lindsay]

Brian asked the weight of my 1983 Univega Gran Premio.

I don't know for sure.  We don't have a bathroom scale at home, but there is one at my office.  Maybe I'll ride it to work next week some time.  I'm guessing it's in the 23-24 pound range.  

Bill

[Bill Lindsay]

I did remember to do the bathroom scale reckoning of the weight of my Univega Gran Premio.  

24.8lbs

Great news, the contemporary Gran Compe brake lever hoods from Velo Orange fit my vintage Gran Compe brake levers perfectly.  It's dialed.

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA