I knew when I decided to build up vintage rides rather than getting bikes off the shelf that it would be a long and sometimes frustrating approach. The payoff for all that time and effort was threefold:
1) Being able to build each bike to suit each rider
2) Having on outlet for my obsessive nature as I read about components and tracked them on ebay
3) Knowing exactly how each bike functions from the ground up, because I put them together (with the help of my mechanic-in-law...)
Along the way, I've relied on local bike shops for parts, repairs and advice.
First up is Full Cycle in Fort Collins; they have two Boulder locations too, but the local shop has helped out with tasks like facing the head tube, cold setting the rear drop outs, and ordering in spokes for my wheel build. Dewayne and his crew always provide friendly and knowledgeable service….
Second, the Fort Collins Bicycle Co-op, a city-supported non-profit. People can schedule time to work on bikes at the shop with guidance of an expert mechanic and purchase parts taken from donated bikes. I’ve gotten all kinds of little stuff here—freewheels, stem, shifters, etc.
Last but not least, Vecchio’s Bicicletteria on Pearl St. in Boulder is the ONLY place to go when you need obscure vintage parts and repair. They had the early-80s era Mavic bottom bracket chamfering tool I needed to put my Fuji together—probably the only shop in a thousand miles that could do the job.
Plus, this is what a bike shop is supported to look like.
Peter, the owner, was wearing a different vintage jersey the day I came in, but he looked just as stylish as in the pic below.
So, big thanks to Full Cycle, Vecchio’s and the FC Bike Co-op.
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