TEST RIDING THE BOTTECCHIA GIRO d'ITALIA

"As found", the Giro d'Italia had a bent fork set, which needed, and received, repair.  There was, however, an additional issues associated with the fork set.

The steering tube seemed to be a little bit too short for the bicycle.  With the frame set checked and trued, it was time to build up the bicycle for test riding purposes.  At that time, I was still thinking of building the bicycle up as a Professional.  That decision has been changed, but the bike pictured here is a mix of components that would be found on the Pro.

Once built, I took the bicycle out for a spin and found that the head set would loosen off in fairly short order.  This was a serious problem and one that could not be ignored if the bicycle were ever to be road worthy.  With that in mind, I set about the task of reducing head set stack height.

The first thing to go was the center pull brake set.  The center pulls require that a spacer/bracket be included in the head set stack.  The presence of this bracket was causing problems.  It was too thick and, when the brakes were applied, that action helped to loosen off the head set lock nut.  Something had to change...

I replaced the Universal 61 center pulls with a set of Universal Super 68 side pulls.  In place of the head set mounted brake bracket, I used the thinnest head set tabbed washer that I could find, gaining an extra millimetre, or so, in the process.  I assembled the bicycle, with this modification, and now wait to see if the repair is acceptable.

It is mid winter, cold and miserable, as I write this page.  The streets are salt strewn, hoping to control the ice and snow conditions that plague Thunder Bay roads and sidewalks, during Mother Natures long sleep.  With that in mind, and after waiting about three weeks, for decent riding weather, I give up.

I am putting the Giro d'Italia away until Spring, and riding season.  I do not want to go to all the trouble of restoring the bicycle, only to find out that the fork set must be seriously repaired, at the considerable expense.

So, for now, the Bottecchia Giro d'Italia, shares space in my Best Bikes Room, waiting for the nice weather.  If the bicycle proves road worthy, then, I will implement a full restoration and report back.  For now, however, the Giro is...

UNDER CONSTRUCTION