SPECIFIC PIPEAGE

Its fairly ridiculous that I’ve had that DeRosa pista frame for so 3 years and its still not built. MattT donated it to the Permanent Collection. I mean you know what that frame is worth right? In terms of team devotion Mat’s #1. You will not find someone who reps harder for us.

To stop this affront to the cycling gods I have created I started cleaning my Record track group. I prepared a mental build sheet and realized I still didn’t have a complete bottom bracket. The heart of the track bike. I have the axle, thanks to GS Guccilife, but I need cups and bearings.

I remembered one cup was stuck in my Paramount frame…and that seatpost is seized dude. Here’s some pictures of it. I’m proud of the patina.

This is why winter projects suck, and why I said I didn’t want to do any. No, its cool its all part of the fun.

I broke the bottom bracket shell on the Paramount in Brooklyn around 2005. There wasn’t anything spectacular about how it happened. I was pedaling and felt like I had a flat tire but didn’t. I got off and looked at the vast number of track bike components and finally noticed the crack. It goes all the way around. I rode back over a bridge and went to Bike Works to see if they had any track frames in my size. The didn’t. I saw Minok and he hooked up me up with a messenger that was selling a 59 c-c Matsuri.

Matsuri had a connection to 80’s NY messengers. An old head me and Mat met at the swap told us that “A” Bicycle Shop that was at 14th and 8th in Manhattan was the only shop to sell the track frames in the city. They were more affordable than Italian models and looked fresh. He told us there was two levels, Gold and standard. (We need to talk about old NY bike shops more.) You know they had Dondi’s bike hanging up at A Bikes?

So now that I’m into the stupidity of a winter project I realize that before I get to work on the DeRosa I want to see if Simon can replace the Paramount’s bottom bracket shell and remove the seized seatpost and cup from it.

While thats happening I have to find some rims and a rear hub, cog, and lockring.

I guess I’ll need to get a complete bottom bracket and another pista crank set to have both frames fully assembled.

Two saddles. Wait no check this out missing contributor BrianSF donated his old unicanitor to the Permanent Collection. That would go on the Paramount nicely.

Maybe two seat posts, at least one.

Another set of pedals? Maybe, its cool when you switch your pedals around between bikes.

Oh yeah two chains.

I have the steel Cinelli bars and stem from the Paramount. I bought a black ITM set a few years ago on eBay. It showed up and had cable routing on the bars. No good feedback for that. The bars are fresh for a single speed. Track bend on the bars, they look nice. If you want them email me. I think I’m going to keep the stem. So Bars. I’m going to get 3T or modolo or something, no Cinelli.

I’m only worried about one wheelset for now. Just to keep this out of insane levels.

But wouldn’t it be fresh to have two fully running track bikes? A rugged messenger in 531 and some Gucci Italian Steel. That’s complete.

(Hey look at how nice that 531 decal stayed stuck on the Paramount. What’s up with that? Columbus sticker would be gone!)

(At some point I popped off that paramount head badge so thieves wouldn’t creep. Its been misplaced.)