Help With Vintage Road Bike

[Dave W]

Right, rather large update with a few photos.

Initially I was doubtful as to the condition of most of the bike. However it turns out that apart from all of the cables and a couple of screws at the rear hangers it's in fantastic condition.

I'm trying to strip it back to the frame as the frame and forks are going to need respraying, which brings me to my first few problems. I've had a quick look at the bottom bracket and am struggling to find out how to remove it. I've got a photo below if anyone can point me in the right direction. I can't get the crank arms off, though have undone a bolt either side.

I'm also wary of removing the forks having never done it before, is it an easy job and do I need to watch out for anything?

There are also the shifter lugs on the frame, does anyone know how and if these can be removed?

The only bit that's broken are 2 tiny bolts which I assume are to adjust the rear wheel in the hangers, these both sheared off when I tried to remove them. Is this likely to be a huge problem?

Any help gratefully received and here's a couple more pics showing where I'm at and the pile of bits.

 

[jugglingphil]

Stem signature is definitely GIOS
Campag bits would also fit.

GIOS official website
http://www.gios.it/bikes/
UK dealer
http://www.racescene.co.uk/

The Torino was an iconic bike so you will find lots of pics of the frame on the internet to compare.

 

[compo]

Taking the forks out is a doddle. Undo the bolt on the stem about quarter of an inch or so, then give it a good tap with a mallet or hammer and lump of wood. This will free the stem from the forks and you can remove the stem and handlebars from the frame. Undo the headset locking nut then undo the bearing cone, unscrew it right off the steerer. Not an entirely bad idea to do this with the bike on it's side on some rag as if the headset has loose bearings they will escape and between the top and bottom races there are an awful lot of tiny balls! Once the bearing cups are off the steerer the forks will just pull out.

Cranks can be a problem. Once the retaining nuts or bolts are removed screw your extractor all the way in then screw in the centre bolt. You can go fairly tight with this as long as the thread in the crank is good. If a good handfull of spanner doesn't loosen the crank keep it tight and give the end of the extractor a good rap or two with a hammer, the retighten the extractor bolt and repeat with the hammer. This will normally shock the crank off the BB spindle.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Right, rather large update with a few photos.

Initially I was doubtful as to the condition of most of the bike. However it turns out that apart from all of the cables and a couple of screws at the rear hangers it's in fantastic condition.

I'm trying to strip it back to the frame as the frame and forks are going to need respraying, which brings me to my first few problems. I've had a quick look at the bottom bracket and am struggling to find out how to remove it. I've got a photo below if anyone can point me in the right direction. I can't get the crank arms off, though have undone a bolt either side.

I'm also wary of removing the forks having never done it before, is it an easy job and do I need to watch out for anything?

There are also the shifter lugs on the frame, does anyone know how and if these can be removed?

The only bit that's broken are 2 tiny bolts which I assume are to adjust the rear wheel in the hangers, these both sheared off when I tried to remove them. Is this likely to be a huge problem?

Any help gratefully received and here's a couple more pics showing where I'm at and the pile of bits.

Again it is a little hard to see for sure from the photos, but I think a correct C spanner should fit the slots on the lock rings of the bb.

But before that the crankset is a classic so try not to strip the threads by the extractor tool (very very very very very easy to do, remove spring mounted tip of tool before use), which you will need to remove and which I am practically certain is square tapered.

It is most likely that the bb is Italian thread, which you can more or less confirm by just measuring the bb shell width since Italian is unique at 70mm, and possibly the diameter. If so both lock rings have right-handed threads.

Removal of forks is relatively easy by loosening the stem bolt removing the stem followed by loosening the headset locknut and threaded race, it is the removal of the headset from the frame that can be a little challenging. See this although ime one does not really need special tools for removal, but a headset press (even an el cheapo homemade one) is useful for installation. Personally I would replace the Stronglight with a Campag threaded headset, preferably a period correct one in this case.

Regarding the shifter lugs, they are generally welded and integral to the frame, but I think a couple of bits (the silver and black bits) that are part of the Campag downtube shifter are still there in the photo.

It is unfortunate that the alignment bolts at the rear dropout sheared. They might have shifted if you had let WD40 or such like does its work overnight first, which I would advice for any fixing that looks rusty. Anyhow you have a choice of either drilling it out without ruining the threads AND dropout (quite tricky I think given the size of these bolts) and replace, or if they look symmetric just leave them.

If you have limited experience, which I suspect is the case from your questions, I would suggest you undertake this project slowly, and do as much research and ask around to clarify before progressing each step. It seems to me you need to take time to get the right tools in any case, and weather is likely to remain lousy for a few months.

Close-up photos and details if any of bottom of bb, rear dropouts, fork crown etc. may help confirm model/date which you might want done before respraying.

If I were you I would certainly ensure the frame is stripped and sprayed with the absolutely correct hue of blue...

 

[Nantmor]

The dropout adjusters should have a screwdriver slot at the axle end. It's worth perservering with penetrating oil and a screwdriver.
The head bearings are probably caged rollers, so unlikely to escape, but always take care.

 

[Dave W]

Thanks all, managed to get the forks out and the other bits off the shifter lugs. Got to nip to halfords in the morning for the tools to do the BB.

Just cleaning up the brakes which haven't come up too bad, one question though is why the thumb lever on the left hand side? It's obviously there for a reason but I can't for the life of me figure out what for.

 

[HovR]

The thumb lever opens up the caliper so you can easily take the wheel out without having to disconnect the brake cable, or deflate the tire. My calipers don't have them, and it is a complete pain.

 

[Nantmor]

Its a quick release lever. It puts a little slack into the cable so you can get the tyre past the blocks.

 

[Dave W]

Also, just had a look at the screws at the rear drop outs and they have both already sheared off prior to me getting it by the look of it.

 

[Dave W]

The thumb lever opens up the caliper so you can easily take the wheel out without having to disconnect the brake cable, or deflate the tire. My calipers don't have them, and it is a complete pain.

Thanks for that, very clever.

 

[uphillstruggler]

This is a great thread.

Really enjoying this one.

Best of luck and don't forget the pictures.

 

[porteous]

Dave, read this before doing your BB, some very useful stuff. http://sheldonbrown.com/tooltips/bbcups.html If you need a puller for your cranks you may be able to get something like this: http://sheldonbrown.com/tooltips/cotterless.html But ant good LBS will have one and should do the job in a jiffy for not very much, just haul the stripped frame down to them.

By the way, alloy bits polish just fine with wire wool. Use normal to start the 00 grade or finer as the last polisher. Good Luck

 

[raindog]

This is a great thread.

Really enjoying this one.

+1
in fact this new vintage section is brilliant. Wasn't it pubrunner who asked for a section like this ages ago, and it was refused on the grounds there wouldn't be enough interest or something?

 

[alecstilleyedye]

i was initially sceptical, only because there are excellent forums elsewhere that specialise in vintage stuff.

happy to have been proved wrong, and enjoying it as much as everyone else.

 

[uphillstruggler]

i was initially sceptical, only because there are excellent forums elsewhere that specialise in vintage stuff.

happy to have been proved wrong, and enjoying it as much as everyone else.

What? you venture off the good ship CC?

hang your head.