Trek Soho

Hello!

My dad had been corresponding with someone out of Rockford, Il who was selling a Trek Soho frameset. I didnt know anything about them, not even what they looked like but my dad seemed excited to be buying it. The seller was a friendly guy who had stripped the bike down and was selling the parts from it before he moved to Chicago. He told us he mainly used it to get around town and after doing more research on Soho’s, thats exactly what they are meant for.

This is how they look like stock:

Sort of a stylish light weight city commuter, stripped of gears. I like the idea of their intended use but wanted to flare the bike up a bit so I decided to use pair of Ritchey ergo bars and stem wrapped with sleek silver carbon wrap.

We used a set of aero 700c wheels that were laced to heavy duty mountain bike hubs, making the bike very appropriate for hard city commuting.

Overall we put a lot of new components in the bike and definitely gave it a brand new look.

The evening we finished the bike, a couple friends of mine (one who did not have a bike) went out riding. My bike-less friend was a perfect fit on the Soho so we were all able to have some fun riding around Chicago. I was able to sell the bike the very next morning.

Very attractive bike and definitely appropriate for the city.

Cannondale 3.0

Hey!

I was garage saling with a friend a couple weeks ago and didnt find much. We only checked out the sales on Elgin’s west side because we only had about an hour and a half to spare. One of the first stops was a sale that had several bikes lined up for sale on the driveway. They were mostly low end mountain/road bikes from the 90s ranging from $30-$40. I immediately overlooked them all and focus in on this bike that was hanging upside in the garage.

It belonged to the an older lady who bought the bike brand new in 1989 for $500. The emphasized hot great the condition was and she wasnt lying. Her husband worked on bikes as a hobby and always kept her bike in tip top shape. We worked out a very fair price for both parties and I brought it home, overhauled it and gathered new components.

What a fun bike. I have been blessed with these high performance vintage road bikes this last month and have definitely enjoyed putting miles on them. This bike initially seemed like it was a little bit too big for me but since it had such a small stem, it was a good fit.

I didnt put this bike on the market because I honestly wanted to spend sometime with it. I was also invited to join a team for Tour De Farms in June but needed an appropriate road bike for the event. If I still have this bike by that time, Ill definitely use it.

Originally, the bike had Maillard Hubs laced to Alesa Rims but I found a good deal on some Alex DA16’s and decided to switch over after a week. The wheels in the photos are the original Alesa Rims.

Ill definitely miss the bike when its gone. I got to do some good semi long distance rides with it and had some fun in Chicago over the weekend on it.

Who ever winds up with this bike will definitely be pleased.

Centurion Sport DLX

Hey Hey!

After riding the Trek 1000 entry level road bikes from the mid/late 80s definitely grew on me. After the Trek sold I had a few other emails about buying it and so I wanted to try and fill the vacancy of the Trek with something semi similar. Another bike seller a few cities over had posted this Centurion on Craigslist and wasnt asking too much. Here is what she looked like before rebuilding:

I knew only very little about Centurions upon buying the bike and I only know a very little bit more now, after selling it. Most of the information I garnered was from Sheldon Brown and even his entry on Centurions was admittedly slim. Seems as if there arent too many Centurion experts out there.

Anyway, the bike initially had a bent rear rim so we used a Mavic CXP21 7 Speed wheelset we had that was originally on a Schwinn Premis that has a seized stem. The Centurion’s original wheelset was sent off to our wheelbuilder George to have the hubs relaced for another project.

After the stripping, overhauling, and bathing it the bike turned out sweet. I definitely got some mileage on it and that early index shifting worked with such ease. Like the Trek, I really debated holding on to this one but reminded myself about the Langster sitting at Lucky Brake.

I ended up selling it to a nice girl in Lakeview who actually owned a Sport DLX years prior. It was heavily damaged in a traffic accident and since then she has been looking for a replacement. She loved this Centurion and was thrilled to have found another in her size.

Very classy/sexy bike. Ill definitely be on the look out for another.

Trek 1000

Hello!

My father had bought this bike from a retired mechanic in Crystal Lake, Il. It had belonged to his wife but was not ridden for nearly 10 years. It was still properly maintained and well kept, so when we brought it home it needed very little work.

After going through the bike, we rebuilt it, gave it new tubes, tires, and a new saddle and that was really it.

The bike is beautiful but that goes without being set. It was light as ever really. The componentry was all stock but in great working condition. The Shimano Lite Action Derailluer shifted like a charm and I was able to rip through the trails swiftly.

Before selling to a girl in the loop who was going to use it for light touring, I probably put 60 miles on the bike. It really considered keeping it but I still have my Langster on layaway and I really need to pay that off…

The buyer was very happy with the bike but thats to be expected with a ride that pretty.

Vuelta

Hey!

Well, this bike was actually built sometime ago for a good friend. I just have been so busy lately with other involving projects that I havent been able to post this build.

This project actually took awhile to complete for no particular reason. Started out with ordering a 56cm Vuelta frame from Nashbar. My friend, Kati, just wanted a solid black frame built up as a light/uncomplicated bike that she could ride around with her young son with. At the time, I didnt have a reliable powdercoated lined up so I just decided on ordering this frame.

For the price, it was an alright frame. What took me awhile was getting the bottom bracket and headset, as well as the wheelset. Kati wanted a blend of black and red but red is always a difficult color to get right. I decent to just use subtle hints of red, the headset, bottle holder, chain, and housing.

The handlebar set up was bought as a package deal (stem, bars, wrap, and lever). I just went with some George’s 700c single-walled Weinmann’s, bought new tubes/tires, and bought a lightly used caliper and called it complete. Id really need to install a rear for her since she is just riding single speed.

All things considered, it was a very simple build. I wouldnt mind doing taking on another.