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Repairing an vintage racing bike

restoring retro glory with some help from the Internet

Sep. 3, 2016 -

Almost a year ago I bought an old steel racing bike from 1978. I wanted to figure out if using a bike to commute worked for me. It did! I used it to ride more than 1000KM before I decided to get a modern road bike. Now, almost a year later, I decided to put the powers of the internet into good use: to bring the bike back to its retro glory!

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The Hurret rear derailleur (which was flown in from the other side of the world) fits nicely
The Hurret rear derailleur (which was flown in from the other side of the world) fits nicely
The big ding-dong bell is an overstatement and the tiny Garmin Edge 25 is a touch from the modern era I added to the bike to GPS-record my rides
The big ding-dong bell is an overstatement and the tiny Garmin Edge 25 is a touch from the modern era I added to the bike to GPS-record my rides
Retro bike pumps are available in different colours and sizes - I found an fitting chrome one from Italy!
Retro bike pumps are available in different colours and sizes - I found an fitting chrome one from Italy!
After cleaning and degreasing the bike, its retro glory became visible
After cleaning and degreasing the bike, its retro glory became visible
Batavus Champion bike from 1978 - ready for a ride!
Batavus Champion bike from 1978 - ready for a ride!
The pump fits well and I also managed to find a period correct plastic drink bottle
The pump fits well and I also managed to find a period correct plastic drink bottle

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