Steel bike porn

[motochick]

There of some of you out there that like the old, lugged, steel bikes, so this is for you. I just got this 1982 custom Medici with full campy super record for not a lot of money. I also bought the husbands bike because it too was decked out in Campy SR and I will be building another frame up with these components.
I almost put the frame up for sale here because it is too small for me, but because hubby has a Medici, I decided to give it a try. The compact frame is actually quite comfy. I installed the new sew-ups on it last week and it was not as hard as everyone makes it out to be.




Here is the other bike I bought for the parts. All I did was wash it! The frame is a Miyata build, very high end Univega. It is stunning in person.




Here is my husbands Medici that he bought brand new in 1987. I have showed this one before here, but it is just so pretty!




This one is my hubby's commuter bike. I paid $40 for it. It has been powder coated and I did the lug work.




This was for pure enjoyment only, if you did not enjoy this, then you must be too young! Any other beautiful, 80's, lugged riders out there?

Brenda

[Tuckervill]

Love them all! Especially the chrome forks. I would pass out if I found a bike around here with ANYTHING Campy on it.

Here's my lugged steel beauty, taking me for a ride in Vermont. Not a great picture, but I liked the place!

[twin]

your bikes are beautiful!

[madscot13]

Those are quite nice! I especially love the first one. You let me know when you are feeling too cramped on it.

[smurfalicious]

This isn't a recent picture but she does look extra cute in her panniers. She has pink bar tape now and I just ordered some new Vittoria Open Corsa Evo CX tires that have white sidewalls. I'll post pics when we get those. Should be hotness.

Funny how many Centurions have come out of the woodwork. My girl was and is still a giant work in progress that used to be a Diamondback Centurion. I guess they were one on the same like Plymouth/Dodge.

[HillSlugger]

That Univega may have the longest head tube I've ever seen on a bike!

All are gorgeous!

[badgercat]

What lovely bikes! This thread reminds me that today was the first time I saw (or maybe just the first time I noticed) someone riding a Surly. It made me want some kind of rad steel bike... not that I don't love my aluminum hybrid.

[channlluv]

I just want to say how much I'm enjoying reading these boards. I have no idea what most of you are talking about, but I'm soaking in the language and learning every day.

Aren't steel bikes heavy? I'm guessing they're sturdy for commuting, though. I love the green tires on the pink and black bike, and the other bikes are really nice, too. The blue one is pretty.

What does "lugged" mean? I'm guessing it's something to do with the wheel attachments - a lugnut?

Thanks!

Roxy

[Tuckervill]

The lugs are the curvy parts that hold the various tubes together. Sometimes they're beautiful and sometimes they're plain.

My Centurion is not a heavy bike, maybe 5 lbs heavier than my aluminum Trek 1000. My son's John Deere Racer probably weighs close to 35 lbs. It all depends on the quality of the steel in the tubing.

Karen

[motochick]

Karen, what kind of stem is that? Quill? Pretty neato. Roxy, some steel bikes can be heavy, but the ride is very smooth and comfortable. If you look again at smurfalicious' bike, she has been so kind to point out her beautiful lugs with pink paint. My black bike (medici) weighs 21 lbs. It is a pretty heavy frame for what it is (columbus SL). The peugeot I am building next will be much lighter.

MD, yes, that head tube is a freak! You should see the fork. There is enough tubing there for me to build two bikes in my size!! I am off to do my first ride on the Medici. Wish me luck!

Brenda

[sfa]

Beautiful! I really need to get a picture of my Miyata to post here. it's not *quite* 80's steel, but just barely beyond that--I got it in May 1990.

And I don't know about actual weight, but I find it much easier to ride than my aluminum POS hybrid. It could just be that it's built much better, but it certainly feels lighter!

[HillSlugger]

My Jamis Coda is steel but it has no lugs. With racks and all it weights about 28 pounds. Still, that was almost a 10 pound improvement over the aluminum hybrid it replaced. It makes for a very stable commuter bike.

[smilingcat]

I'm a feelin old... vintage bike '80s? '80s bike is vintage?? gee whiz. When I moved here to california back in '84, I bought a brand new Panasonic bike equipped with shimano 600 components. 6 cogs in rear and 2 chainrings. Frame was made from Tange #1 steel, good as columbus tubing some said. I was wee bit old fashioned so I had them take off the elliptical chain ring (called bio-??). It was a beautiful bike. I thought it was really expensive at around $700 if I remeber right. Rode smooth and weighed in around 17-18 pounds. I ended up throwing away the frame when the bottom bracket cracked. and you could see rust down there. It was beautiful white with red lettering. Rode smooth, and all that.

Medichi bike is beautiful. And Centurians were the ticket back then.

smilingcat.

[motochick]

I started cycling in the mid-80's, right when index shifting was coming out. My parents could never afford to buy me the kind of bike I wanted back then, so I guess I am doing just that now. I always wanted a Medici, cuz that is what my boyfriend (now hubby) rode. I would love to see that Miyata, SFA. They are VERY well built bikes. Those are on my wish list!

Brenda

[sundial]

Gimme the bike with the yellow bars.