TEST RIDING THE PROCTOR

"As found", the Proctor was in excellent mechanical condition, having served as a daily rider for its previous owner.  The test riding of the bicycle occurred before the bicycle became mine.  If I liked the ride feel, I would give my early eighties Marinoni Special frame set, in even trade the Proctor frame and fork set.  And that was fine with me, since the rear derailleur on the "as found" Marinoni happened to be a first generation Campagnolo Super Record offering in very nice shape.  I had no intention of letting that component go at the time.

Lud and I stripped our respective frame sets and completed the trade in short order.  The Proctor sits in storage, at the moment, waiting for an opportunity to assemble the bicycle.  The traded Marinoni, when I last saw it, was hanging from the ceiling in Lud's workshop.  Since then, it has been all boxed up and is on its way back to the Marinoni factory for a full paint job.  Lud even managed to score a set of original and period correct decals for the bicycle.  Knowing Lud, the bicycle will be spectacular when he finishes building it.

The Proctor remains partially assembled, at the time of this writing.  With the busy riding season sucking up much of my bicycle time, I rarely take the time to build bicycles, for myself, in the Spring and Summer, of each year.  I might get into a restoration in early Autumn, but most likely will leave restoration projects until mid Winter.

The Proctor will be a snap to restore.  The paint and art are in excellent condition, sporting only a very few paint blemishes.  There is some minor oxidation damage on the inside of the chain stays very close to the bottom bracket and all but impossible to see.  A careful cleaning and coating will handle that one cosmetic issue handily.  Other than that, the bicycle needs only to be built up with a Campagnolo Super Record grouppo and just such a grouppo sits waiting in The Old Shed for just such a project.  Next Spring will see the true test riding of the Proctor take place.

NEXT - BUILDING THE PROCTOR