Igor's New Go-Fast Bike

by Igor

"Restomod" is a term that is thrown around among vintage internal combustion enthusiasts quite a bit. It involves the blending of old-world design with modern-day features to create a vehicle that is more reliable, safe, and comfortable. This mid-90s retired racer is just on the cusp of vintage, so I decided it was ready for a proper spruce up with a bunch of modern and a few not-so-modern components for a speedy restomod interpretation.

This is a mid-90s Team Mack issue Waterford 1200 road bike. It's built from Reynolds 753 tubing and Henry James lugs. In order to be able to employ this tubeset, builders had to go through a certification process to prove they know how to handle and fabricate using this super-thin, heat-treated tubing. You can't use use long-pointed, ornate lugs as the tube could crack over time, so the lugwork is short and simple.

This is where I'd put my race number - if I raced!

The Ventana fork uses carbon legs, alloy dropouts, 1" steel threaded steerer, and a very neat-looking CNC'd fork crown. It seems fine according to my eyeballs and the coin test, but I might replace it with a steel fork down the road.

Three-cross wheels lacing is tried-and-true, but I wanted to do something special for this build, so I employed the master wheelbuilding knowledge of Baltimore's own Tommy Barse of Cutlass Wheels to build up a set of 32 hole PBP Rims to a Grand Cru 11speed Touring Hub and a High-Flange Front Hub. Here's Tommy's take on the wheels and the nitty-gritty of the build:

"There was no hesitation when Igor approached me about building a set of wheels for his Waterford. Igor mentioned that he wanted a sporty, responsive design for more spirited riding. My choice of spokes was easy - Sapim D-Lights in the front wheel with their 2.0/1.65/2.0mm butting; Sapim D-Lights in the rear wheel on the non-drive side and Sapim Race (2.0/1.8/2.0) spokes on the drive side. The nipples selected are Wheelsmith silver brass - their finish is unparalleled in quality and longevity. I have not seen their Duristan finish fade, corrode or mar unlike other manufacturers’ nipples. I stock bulk 310mm uncut spokes from Sapim to cut to the proper length for each build. My Morizumi spoke cutter has been an extremely valuable tool to build quality wheels with just the right thread purchase between spoke and nipple.

The Velo Orange PBP rims measured very round in the four sections that I measure ERD for spoke calculation. The 2-cross spoke pattern for the front was selected for the wider bracing angle to provide better cornering and climbing stiffness for the shallow box section rim. The radial non-drive side and 2-cross drive side were selected for a little less weight and increased lateral stiffness. Being in the mid-Atlantic, especially Annapolis, I incorporated high quality DumondeTech MR grease on the nipple shoulders and Loctite copper anti-seize on spoke threads for ease of maintenance. Wheels turned out wonderful in terms of lateral and radial trueness. Several rounds of stress relieving proved the wheels are stable, allowing for confident riding in all conditions.

The neo-classic aesthetic is eye-catching and a nice balance of classic silver components with a less classically styled approach to semi-tangential spoking. These will serve Igor well for years to come!"

The wheels are all wrapped up in Fairweather Traveler Tires in the 700x28c sizeway. While the Rust color would have been cool, I think the black and tan combo looks superb.

Onto the drivetrain! The shifters are Campagnolo's 11speed Athena. They're all metal, silver, and have a very light actuation. They also fit exceptionally well on our upcoming Nouveau Randonneur Handlebars. The cockpit is held in place by our Removable Faceplate Quill in a classic Chrome finish. Once the fit is dialed in, I'll cut the excess quill to save dozens of grams.

The dangler is also Athena and is quite handsome. I swapped the unit's stock plastic pulleys with our 10T Alloy Jockey Wheels for two reasons: 1) since these replacement wheels don't float, shifting is super crisp and 2) they're red. Very red. 

The crankset is our 110bcd Drillium paired with an Athena pusher. While our rings aren't technically rated for 11speed drivetrains, I haven't experienced any issues with this group or Shimano's previous generation 105. Needless to say, if you want to run 11 speed on our cranksets, I'm very confident you'll be fine. All that said, Shimano and Campagnolo recently released their 12 speed drivetrains. So there's that...

The perch is our Smooth Touring Saddle. It's my go-to nowadays for all new builds. The seatpost is an interesting one. The seatlug requires a 27.4mm size and a 27.2mm would commonly crack the binder's ear over time. Luckily, this one is in good shape minus a bit of paint flaking.

All that speed needs to come to a stop at some point, and it is handled by a pair of single-pivot Dura-Ace caliper brakes. They're exquisite.

While clipless pedals would look great, I have found Sabots to be my pedal of choice.

To accentuate the gorgeous fade paintjob, I wrapped Grand Cru Leather Bar Tape over Red Tressostar Cotton Tape. When you're riding, you can see the red tape through the perforations. Details matter!

Finally, a bit of storage handled by a Day Tripper Saddle Bag and Road Runner's Burrito Supreme Handlebar Bag. It's a great combo for a camera, rain shell, tools, cell/wallet/keys, and a rolled up slice of pizza.