My latest bicycle project, ca 1975 Viscount Aerospace GP.
Oct 22, 2020 17:02:30 GMT
triitout likes this
Post by ks1u on Oct 22, 2020 17:02:30 GMT
I have just completed a rebuild of a ca. 1975 Viscount Aerospace GP (#2779 EA). The only thing I’m waiting for are the Nitto half toe clips. Before you look at the images on Flickr, I would like to present an acknowledgement and a caveat. I truly do appreciate those who rebuild any vintage item and keep it as true to original as possible. However, with a few nostalgic exceptions, I have always adopted the “build it to suit my needs” approach since I use the items I rebuild regularly. My rebuilds of electronics, optical equipment, automobiles and bicycles is typically done with this approach in mind. Therefore, I recognize that purists may not appreciate the choices I make. I don’t use the word “purists” in a pejorative sense, if I had more room here I’d probably have a few more original condition items myself. I look at this Viscount rebuild as the bicycle version of an automotive hot rod. Having rebuilt two Viscounts numerous times during the period when they were being produced and the bias I have from being an age-group triathlete for decades, influenced my decisions. The end result is a more comfortable and pot-hole resistant version of my actual triathlon bike.
I owned a couple of Viscount Aerospace GPs beginning in the mid 70s, the first of which was destroyed by a drunk, hit and run driver with me on it. I faired a bit better than the frame which proved no match for a Ford pickup truck. I put over 50,000 miles on those two Viscounts after I sold my car in 1978 (a heavily modified 1972 Datsun 240Z). When I recently decided I needed a bike somewhere between my 19 lb. titanium triathlon/TT bike and my 45 lb.trainer/tourer/commuter, I wanted the nostalgic look from the 70s for the basis but felt the blank canvas of the frame only, afforded me the opportunity to use modern components.
The Viscount frame I started with was in rough aesthetic although good structural condition. I bought it on eBay from a guy in NY, but it had the original sticker on it from a CA bike shop. I won’t detail the obvious changes others have made in their rebuilds, but will give the choices I made along with my reasoning. In prepping the 57cm frame, one thing I did after cold setting the frame to 130mm spacing, which I haven’t seen mentioned elsewhere, was to clean out the chain stays and other tubes with narrow brushes and compressed air. I then sprayed the interior of these tubes with Spray Bike’s zinc metal prep. Perhaps this was overkill, but oxidative damage isn’t restricted to outside surfaces.
I don’t know if the pressed bottom bracket bearings stress the BB shell and associated tubes, but I felt going the route of threading the BB with Italian threads in order to use Shimano’s Hollowtech II cranks was appealing. After filing down the tubes entering the bottom bracket shell, I ordered a Cyclus threading tool that was described as intended for chasing threads, but which proved capable at cutting deep and precise threads easily in the Viscount without issue.
I tried a couple different fork combinations before settling on a NOS 700c Girordana made by Dario Pegoretti. The first fork I ordered (a Tange 700c threadless) had the brake hole mounted too low and I couldn’t get any of my inexpensive Tektro brakes to mount without rubbing the front 32c Specialized Infinity Armadillo Reflect tire by about 1mm. If I had kept the original 27 inch fork, I may have been able to get a 35c tire on, but I wanted a threadless headset. The wheels have 700c Velocity A23 rims with Shimano 105 hubs. The rear has the same substantial 32c tire with plenty of room. The brakes are Paul Component Engineering, Racer and Racer M. I feel better with these brakes on since some of the rolling hills here on the coast often see me hitting speeds in the upper 40 mph range. Initially I thought I had made a humorous miscalculation a few years ago when I gave my set of Weinman brakes from my second Viscount away to a friend who was collecting Lamberts. I didn’t think after 40 years I’d be using them, but then thought it would have been nice to use that set. Fortunately, the Paul brakes are very robust and I have much more stopping power with this modern brakeset and I am back to feeling good about passing them on. The second Viscount, from which the brakes I gave my friend came, was sold in about 1985 and had been rebuilt several times. The last time with top end Campagnolo equipment.
The frame was painted with Spray Bike, Whitechapel and Bomber Blue. Velocals vinyl decals provided the look I fondly remember and the several coats of Spray Max 2-part clearcoat sealed everything nicely. The front derailleur is a Dura Ace 9100, which allowed me to use a cable housing right up to the derailleur and avoid using the under-BB plastic guides which are now so common. The rear derailleur is an Ultegra R-8000 matched to an 11 to 34 cassette. The 53-39 Shimano 105 crankset and rings complete the front drive train along with a Wipperman Connex SX-11 chain. The Nitto S 83 seatpost holds an ISM seat and the Nitto pursuit handlebars are held in place by a Paul Components stem. The Nitto pedals and toe clips allow me to train without being locked into the bike. The rough roads and belligerent drivers here in SE CT cause me occasional anxiety when I’m locked in with difficult to walk-in shoes. That is pretty much the main stuff. If anyone has any comments, questions or critiques I’ll be happy to read and reply to them. Thanks for looking. For a view go here:
www.flickr.com/photos/190494906@N04/50517249507/in/dateposted-public/
I owned a couple of Viscount Aerospace GPs beginning in the mid 70s, the first of which was destroyed by a drunk, hit and run driver with me on it. I faired a bit better than the frame which proved no match for a Ford pickup truck. I put over 50,000 miles on those two Viscounts after I sold my car in 1978 (a heavily modified 1972 Datsun 240Z). When I recently decided I needed a bike somewhere between my 19 lb. titanium triathlon/TT bike and my 45 lb.trainer/tourer/commuter, I wanted the nostalgic look from the 70s for the basis but felt the blank canvas of the frame only, afforded me the opportunity to use modern components.
The Viscount frame I started with was in rough aesthetic although good structural condition. I bought it on eBay from a guy in NY, but it had the original sticker on it from a CA bike shop. I won’t detail the obvious changes others have made in their rebuilds, but will give the choices I made along with my reasoning. In prepping the 57cm frame, one thing I did after cold setting the frame to 130mm spacing, which I haven’t seen mentioned elsewhere, was to clean out the chain stays and other tubes with narrow brushes and compressed air. I then sprayed the interior of these tubes with Spray Bike’s zinc metal prep. Perhaps this was overkill, but oxidative damage isn’t restricted to outside surfaces.
I don’t know if the pressed bottom bracket bearings stress the BB shell and associated tubes, but I felt going the route of threading the BB with Italian threads in order to use Shimano’s Hollowtech II cranks was appealing. After filing down the tubes entering the bottom bracket shell, I ordered a Cyclus threading tool that was described as intended for chasing threads, but which proved capable at cutting deep and precise threads easily in the Viscount without issue.
I tried a couple different fork combinations before settling on a NOS 700c Girordana made by Dario Pegoretti. The first fork I ordered (a Tange 700c threadless) had the brake hole mounted too low and I couldn’t get any of my inexpensive Tektro brakes to mount without rubbing the front 32c Specialized Infinity Armadillo Reflect tire by about 1mm. If I had kept the original 27 inch fork, I may have been able to get a 35c tire on, but I wanted a threadless headset. The wheels have 700c Velocity A23 rims with Shimano 105 hubs. The rear has the same substantial 32c tire with plenty of room. The brakes are Paul Component Engineering, Racer and Racer M. I feel better with these brakes on since some of the rolling hills here on the coast often see me hitting speeds in the upper 40 mph range. Initially I thought I had made a humorous miscalculation a few years ago when I gave my set of Weinman brakes from my second Viscount away to a friend who was collecting Lamberts. I didn’t think after 40 years I’d be using them, but then thought it would have been nice to use that set. Fortunately, the Paul brakes are very robust and I have much more stopping power with this modern brakeset and I am back to feeling good about passing them on. The second Viscount, from which the brakes I gave my friend came, was sold in about 1985 and had been rebuilt several times. The last time with top end Campagnolo equipment.
The frame was painted with Spray Bike, Whitechapel and Bomber Blue. Velocals vinyl decals provided the look I fondly remember and the several coats of Spray Max 2-part clearcoat sealed everything nicely. The front derailleur is a Dura Ace 9100, which allowed me to use a cable housing right up to the derailleur and avoid using the under-BB plastic guides which are now so common. The rear derailleur is an Ultegra R-8000 matched to an 11 to 34 cassette. The 53-39 Shimano 105 crankset and rings complete the front drive train along with a Wipperman Connex SX-11 chain. The Nitto S 83 seatpost holds an ISM seat and the Nitto pursuit handlebars are held in place by a Paul Components stem. The Nitto pedals and toe clips allow me to train without being locked into the bike. The rough roads and belligerent drivers here in SE CT cause me occasional anxiety when I’m locked in with difficult to walk-in shoes. That is pretty much the main stuff. If anyone has any comments, questions or critiques I’ll be happy to read and reply to them. Thanks for looking. For a view go here:
www.flickr.com/photos/190494906@N04/50517249507/in/dateposted-public/
