Coventry Eagle

[stinaV8]

Evening All .
Been on the look out for a new ride for a while , something interesting , quality , and vintage 80's
Today i struck a deal on this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111411191940?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
I can see the few scratches and marks on the frame , but overall i think it's made up with quality parts and 531 tubing , it's being courier'd in the next few days , i'll put some pics up when it arrives ,
Hoping the ebay link still works !
Going to set it all up how i like , and do some 30 odd mile Saturday rides ( when we're not mountain biking , or car showing )
What do we all think ?

 

[Cycleops]

Very nice, bit of rust but nothing that can't be sorted. The canti's mean it must be quite a late one.

 

[stinaV8]

It's advertised as 1986 or there abouts , I wonder about those brakes ! They look interesting if nothing else !

 

[biggs682]

looks good to me and glad you got sorted without to much aggro , go and enjoy it

if you are worried about the brakes get some Koolstop Continental pads , i try and use them on all my retro bikes where poss

 

[sittingbull]

........if you are worried about the brakes get some Koolstop Continental pads , i try and use them on all my retro bikes where poss

Are these "fixed" or can you get toe-in adjustment to prevent squeal?........They look "fixed".

 

[biggs682]

Are these "fixed" or can you get toe-in adjustment to prevent squeal?........They look "fixed".

fixed position i am afraid , after a bedding in period they dont normally squeal

 

[stinaV8]

Or filing them to shape in the vice i guess !

 

[stinaV8]

Hi all , The eagle has landed ! Oh God sorry , just thought of that , i'll get me coat !
It was packed up well , assembled it in a few mins just to check it over . I'm pretty happy with it , tyres need replacing ( ordered ) Their are some lovely components on it , most original i would guess . It will need a complete respray for me to be happy , and i had planned on that any way . What sort of job can be made with rattle cans ? I plan to bare metal it first , and do it while the weather is hot .
Looked on ebay for lever hoods , but i'm not sure what will fit , Any pointers ? The ones on it are totally perished , and i want to do the bar tape black .
Also the rear cassette is a screw on mailard , i'd like to remove it but none of the removal tools i have fit it , any ideas what i need to remove it ? I want to clean it all up and generally have a look .
Had an hour greasing the front wheel bearings and polished the rim up , comes up a treat with a bit of autosol .
A few pics .

 

[sittingbull]

Nice bike
Spray can finish depends on the preparation and spraying technique. It's time consuming and not easy to get a good finish (but not impossible either). I'd look at powder coating or approaching a car body shop, it may not cost much more than a DIY job. Also, if stripping to bare metal, I've found it difficult to get a base coat to adhere, possibly because I should have been using etch-primer or something similar.
There are plenty of brake hoods on eBay for "vintage" or "non-aero" brakes, try to find some matching your brand.
Likewise there are Maillard freewheel removal tools on eBay, and no doubt elsewhere.
Those chain-rings look superb!

 

[stinaV8]

Hi Thanks .
That's what i was unsure about , weather non aero hoods were what i wanted . I have rattle can sprayed smaller items before and my Husband says i seem to have a knack for it , just a bit unsure about a bigger item , i guess what's the worse that can happen ! ? The chain rings are stronglite .

 

[sittingbull]

The worst that can happen is you wont be happy with it. On the other hand if you are happy with it, it will be immensely satisfying
Check the availability of decals/transfers first. Don't underestimate the difficulty of stripping the paint, If using power tools keep them moving to avoid flat-spots and if using chemical solvents do some research to find what works best. Some have changed composition. Frames have numerous nooks and crannies which are difficult to strip and to paint. Good luck

 

[stinaV8]

I've seen the correct decals for it on ebay , Had an afternoon on it , striped and re greased the crank & rear wheel , also polished that up , Looking it over closer i might just deal with the rust spots rub it down etch prime then top coat it . I think i can achieve a good finish without bare metaling it . Was tempted to go out on it tonight , it's mechanically where i want it to be now but i don't trust the tyres for more than round the block , new set ordered . So i took the Falcon for a spin and we stopped for fish and chips by the river , perfect !

 

[biggs682]

love that crankset

paintwork doesnt look that bad

 

[stinaV8]

The paint is reasonable , but what we call in the classic car world a 10 foot car , this is a 10 ft bike , as in it looks good from 10 ft but doesn't bare up to close inspection . The crank set and other components wheels hubs ect are really nice . I think it will be a bit under geared , the highest ratio is 48/14 but i'll just use top more , and it'll be good for the hills around the Swanage area where we ride quite often .

 

[stinaV8]

Ordered some bits , bar tape , brake hoods , bridge cables for the brakes , frame decals , And went into the local motor factor for paint , had a chat with a guy in there and came away with high build primer and a silver top coat , I couldn't resist flashing a bit over the original paint , and you can't see a difference between old and new .
Had a ride out on the Falcon yesterday and we ended up doing 52 miles through the New Forest , Wonder why people think you need to spend over a grand , then buy a load of lycra and have a bike fit before you can get out and have a good time