I have started some time ago to restore and recompose bikes. This is however by far the neatest project to date.
It is an old F. Moser Leader Ti-PRO evolution I got second (probably more like third/fourth) hand. The bike was used a lot and had some modifications to make it work in everyday-urban-commute-life. The two main points were a Richey gravel handle bar and the single-side SPD Shimano pedals (M324) - a very good choice for comfort and practicality, but breaking the style of the bike. But considering its daily use, it was in excellent shape.
First I stripped the bike down and brought it to the nearest sandblaster and second, I spend some time online ordering a few parts.
One week late I got the frame back. It then took about two more days to do the finishing of the frame and assembling the bike.
The result is deeply satisfying to me. I tried to have a silver theme on my last new bike I bought, but I had to find out that cranksets and wheels are almost exclusively black these days.
This time is turned out beautifully: rotating parts are silver, the frame is an elegant titan-gray and contact parts (saddle, bar-tape, pedals and tires) are black.
Besides the seat post, stem and handlebar, I also changed the Mavic wheels for some old but very beautiful Camagnolo wheels that we had lying around in our workshop and I fitted some Rene Herse 28mm tires on them (old meets old-new).
You know, you are riding an old nineties frame, when fitting a wheel with 28mm tires needs some watchmaker precision.
Look at this old steal cranksets! Simple, timeless... just gorgeous!
The bike on the photo above weights 9.2kg.
The first ride was amazing! It was very smooth!
It amazes me that this bike with a classic optic (horizontal top tube and thin tubes in general) is so very stiff compared to the steal frames of the same period. Titan bikes today are lighter, that back then... I guess in the nineties they were after stiffness for the same weight.
The freewheel made so little noise, that I will have to consider adding a bell to the bicycle. This is by far the most silent (fast) bike in my possession at this point.
The old Campagnolo record group-set (2x8) won me over. Ergonomically the newer shifters are more comfortable but the thumb-shifter, that lets me go down 3 gears at a time allow very agressive riding. Also the bolt in the break-leavers that allows to open the breaks for tire changes, are a neat little detail (instead of having a leaver on the breakes). I start to understand the hype around these group-sets now.
This machine is not as responsive and quick as my full-on-carbon race machine (7.4kg), but it is fast and super comfortable and smooth.
