Italvega Overhaul
Somehow, I neglected to post any photos or write anything about the bike I have been riding for the past two years. As nerdy as it may be, I like to document these things; bicycles come and go and I would like to have something to remember them by.
I was in a smidgen of an accident a few weeks back that unfortunately left my front fork a bit out of shape. Still rideable, but far from ideal. Perfect excuse to get another bike. I found this old Italvega — Italian made, but imported and sold stateside in the 70′s — on Craigslist and bought it from a nice gentleman who was moving and couldn’t take it with him.
It needed some love, so I stripped it completely, painted the head tube and two stripes on the seat tube white, finished the whole thing in a few coats of polyurethane, replaced the stem, handlebars, seat post, saddle, pedals, and wheels. Luckily, I had almost all of these parts around my basement. The only things I had to buy were the seat post, half clips, new housing and cables, grips, and brake levers, all of which I found on eBay at very reasonable prices. All said and done, the bike cost me just over $100, (if you don’t count the saddle, which I have had and moved from bike to bike for years) and I am pretty pleased with the results. My new neighborhood isn’t as fast paced as downtown, so I appreciate the more relaxed riding position and geometry.
The bike is a tad small for me, but this is the compromise of buying dirt cheap things on Craigslist.
Bonus shot of me stripping the frame, courtesy of the ever-foxy Dan Martens.
Before
This is a photo of the bike in the condition that I got it. Thanks to Erik for the picture and the bike!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
4 Comments
Andy, I respectfully disagree!
Just kidding. Killer wheels. I love the red brake cable tubing.
Hahaha I love this, it’s so simple and yet super-creative. :)
What a beaut.
Great work Andy. It was hard to see her go, but this makes it all worth while. Glad to see she’s back on the roads. Tailwinds!