Mission Successful

This weekend I went looking for parts for the 1200. After going to a few bike shops previously, I figured that the group I wanted to put on it, shimano 105, would cost about $900. While this might sound like a lot, it's actually less than I would have paid if I bought the group online rather than through the shop. In addition, my family gets a discount because we are Potomac Pedalers. 

However, when we went to The Bike Club, we were surprised to learn that we could get some older parts for less, a lot less. We were able to pick and choose what we wanted, and we bought parts that were a little worn, but still good. In fact, we got shimano 600, the predecessor to ultegra, for $240, including labor. 

There is an important caveat. We got a $100 credit for the parts that came off the 1200 and two wheels that we no longer had any use for. In the end, we paid $200 cash along with the $100 credit. 

The mechanics at The Bike Club were extremely helpful, and they let me help mount many of the components on the frame. They were knowledgable and I recommend them to anyone trying to restore a bike. They have many, many older components collected over the years by their owner. 

Looking for parts in the shop is like a treasure hunt and a history lesson all in one.  

Oops

Alright. After spending almost $200 on that beautiful paint job, I learned that we made a mistake. If you take a close look at the fork, you can see that the race for the ball bearings in the headset is still attached and slightly painted over. This is a problem because even if we found a headset that would fit, the ball bearings that allow the steerer tube to steer would literally be ripped apart by the unevenness of the race. Unfortunately, with the age of the frame, the steerer tube is only 1 inch, while most today are 1 1/8 inch. In addition, the steerer tube is threaded. Essentially, make sure you have the race removed before paint; good luck finding a 1 inch steerer tube and a headset for it.