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The 1979 Peter Mooney
Last Post 07/08/2022 11:58 PM by 79 pmooney. 11 Replies.
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79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 11/16/2021 04:47 PM |
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The Mooney's getting spiffed! Right now the diamond is at Ticycles for a 3rd set of WB bosses and have the RD cable housing guide rotated from the chainstay side to underneath. (I hit it with the Pedros Trixie fix gear wrench when I flip the wheel unless I pay close attention.) I've talked to both Peter re: decals and Ben (?) at Black Magic Paint who I am going to see tomorrow with the fork to pick a color and get in line.
Well, I looked at Peter's photos. (Nice work!) I'm almost certainly going the gold outlined black PETER MOONEY lettering. Thinking of adding his wings just below where a 531 sticker would be on the seattube (to stay well clear of the pump). "Pete", the bike's name, in black script on the TT forward right.
That leaves one issue if I ever go back to derailleurs. I love the SunTour DT shifters that came out in the early '80s that sat in the top-mounted box. Both the auto-correct ones (ingenius and wonderful to use) and the Superbes that are just traditional shifters; as good as any ever made and that wonderful access. (Plus both are knee-knock free! I have vivid memories of climbing hills like Boston's Summit Road in my 13-19 FW and knocking the chain onto the 13.)
But ... this bike has the then, fairly new under the BB cable guides. Cables run from the top-box shifters to underneath guides drag on the paint and decals. For the past 35 years I've had a turks head knot like we made in camp between the WB bosses to hold the cable off the paint. Micky-mouse but it works superbly. I could do it again. Second but ... this is the nicest craftsmanship anything I've ever owned. This bike has seen me through the hardest years of my life, been my link to sanity. I've spent 50,000 miles and a lot of hours in its saddle. It has done this on a real budget. The cost of the frame to me was about 1/7th of what it would cost now. The beautiful Ed Litton paint job I'm replacing a smaller fraction. (Single color, no clear coat. OMG has it held up well!)
So I've been toying with splurging. Clearcoat - a given. Black or gold pin stripes for head and seat lugs? And I just had an idea - how 'bout a metal wrap in copper (brass or bronze) or gold (!!) around the DT between the WB bosses so if I ever go back to derailleurs that's done. No more turks head, just a neat band standing out from the paint. Put a nice round on the corners and it will look like a man's wedding ring. Yes, cables will scratch it but they will also draw the eye away. If they come off, the scratches will buff out easier than titanium.
Another approach would be to use a velodrome style TT protector if I can get around the DT being bigger diameter but that has little class. Yes, cheap like the bike has seen so much of but no.
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 11/16/2021 08:04 PM |
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Shifting with the knees... loved pulling off that trick. Stand up on a climb, swing the right knee in a bit and tap the DT shifter just enough to nudge it down a cog, and *BAM power away! We had a little road race series back in the day and I used that move to get into the minds of more than one guy.
Good memories  |
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79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 11/16/2021 11:05 PM |
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| Dale, that's cruel! (I wouldn't have the touch to get just one cog.) |
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longslowdistance
Posts:2886
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| 11/17/2021 09:33 AM |
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| Or, reach over and drop your buddy's chain to the small rear cog on a climb. Dumbass kid stuff, but good for a laugh. |
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mondonico
Posts:158
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| 11/17/2021 04:17 PM |
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| I want to see pictures before and after please. |
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79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 05/22/2022 08:20 PM |
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So 6 months later, the Mooney is snazzed, painted and decalled, the triple chainring back on and fully spiffed. Working super! Well, the HS adjustment is a tiny bit loose. I have a stiff Shimano brake hanger on it with rolled down edges (for that stiffness) and it's not easy to get the HS wrench in and after I sock the locknut down, I cannot get it out! I have a probably not quite so stiff brand new DiaComp with no roll down which I am going to try. (Heavier but with a nice QR.)
It is currently set up 46-13, 42-17 and 36-21 (hills) or 42-17+, 42-anything for the flat. (17+ because that cog is flipped around. At 17t, the chain hits the spokes but since there is zero speed difference between the two, there is no wear, friction or noise, just a little denting. I've been riding my flat routes on the 17 and 18.
Well today I took it out to do what that gearing was made for. Bald Peak Mountain by the tough approach. I knew this was going to be way, way past anything my body is ready for! Completely mosied the 14 miles to the climb base. Stopped and moved the chain onto the 36-21 and started up. 4.6 miles and 1400'. I've never seen a gradient breakdown but the first 600 feet are a bear. Then its easier to the ridge saddle. Follow the ridge to the high point with a short steep, then a longer steep that is cruel. When I was 8 years younger, it was August, not May and I was doing the work for a hard Cycle Oregon, I rode that on a 42-21 fixed. Hard! but doable. Today? I loafed as best I could. Made absolutely no effort to go any harder than I had to. That final steep was hard! And just kept going. Yes, the grade was coming down but my legs were gassed. The final trivial pitch my breath broke down to almost sobbing.
Long stop at the mountain top. Felt much better when I got back on. Mosied the ridge as best I could on the flat ground gear, then put it in the big one for the way down. Just "coasted" in a nice big 94" gear. Nursed the gear over a couple of rises after the bottom to stretch that fast and few RPMs as far as possible. Stopped at a farm market for two shots of espresso (I went up on three!) and chocolate covered cherries (drugs!) Started the last 11 miles home and reality hit. Like doing so many bench presses that I couldn't get 20# off the stand, my legs had nothing! 20' climbs at 4% were killers. 10'ers - out of the saddle and breathing hard.
The bike! It's a keeper. This is the best configuration its seen (and that includes club riding on sewups, mountain climbs, weekend self-contained touring, off-road, off-road fixed. As a road fix gear it is simply a sweet ride. The mountain gears means it can go almost anywhere its paved. And soon, it is to be sewupped (sewn up?) and another notch more versatile. The 30c Vittoria Corsa on the GP4 front wheel is ready to go. The bike's fit is right on! I, never thought about it once today. (Medium drop pistas, Tekro V-brake levers - big! my hands love em, "14" Nitto Pearl - quotes because this is center to perp. of HT centerline, not top of bar to top of bolt, so a very long 15" traditional measurement. My position is open, very comfortably stretched so deep breathing is very easy. Likewise hard pulls on the bars feel natural.
A long, hot shower, blue corn chips, hummus and garlic chile sauce, 90 minutes sitting down compoosing this post and I feel much better. Think I'll wander to the kitchen and peruse the next course (now that I am recovered enough to stand that long!) |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 05/23/2022 09:10 AM |
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For the love of god....somebody teach Ben how to post pics so we can finally see all these bikes!!!
😝😝😝 |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 05/23/2022 10:22 AM |
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The Mooney's gonna get ridden to the painter for photos so you will see it.
I have a great photo of Jessica J in action at Cycle Oregon taken by the CO photographer. JPG on my computer. How do I migrate it to a post?
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79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 06/29/2022 11:00 PM |
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Haven't made it to the painter yet but Pete, the Mooney is getting ridden! Just did close to 70 miles riding west to the base of the coast range and the 8 mile loop around the reservoir.
In yet another fix gear configuration. The 17/21 on one side, the 18 tooth flipped so outside face next to the spokes in place of the usual 12 or 13 tooth. (Flipped puts it on the same chainline as the 17 tooth.) Only used the 36 inside ring and the 42 center.
Totally falling in love with this new ride! Bike fit as on! Pretty aggressive, bars far forward on a Pearl 14 which is basically a 155 and the bars are long reach, moderate drop, V-brake Tektro levers for more reach. Saddle's on a lugged Nitto and now pushed forward to go with the bars. (No, this isn't locating the seat to accommodate reach. This is rotating my entire position forward and down in front to reflect that this is a fix gear and I may spend real time going upwind in too high a gear. Long, low and a good aero angle to my forearms while in real comfort - at times priceless! That long reach is also very good for long out of the saddle climbs.
And the ride! Sublime! The Peter Mooney front end and long chainstay fix gear rear works really well! Yes, I am sure the light rear end limiting cornering speed on rough surfaces is still there - but who cares! I've already hit the pedal hard and crashed! At fix gear cornering speeds, everything works really well. The wheels! GP4s that laced themselves basically without my help. Corsa Control G+, 28c. My all-time favorite ribbed tread. Glued them up last night, put 100 psi in to lock the glue. Pressure was down to a firm squeeze this morning so I did nothing. Couldn't have asked for better! (Well the half-way-to-flat crowd would have toasted my buns if they knew) Hubs are Miche Pista rear and a well used Campy LF front that I picked up somewhere with the right number of holes (32). Spun the axle. Not new, but felt ready to go the next 1000 miles so I stuffed in more grease (to very clean grease in there)and laced it up. (I'm guessing Tipo. No oil hole and a more satin finish. Silver cones.) I've had such good luck with Tipo fronts that I'm not complaining. And while it doesn't match the rear, it does look the part.
I mentioned the seat being slid forward. On the big setback lugged post, that leaves little enough rail behind that I cannot mount the Ortleib attachment on the rails. (I just got the fairly big triangular seat bag to fit two sewups easily with room to spare. The other two good bikes will get the attachments. Pete's now got a custom wood piece between bag and post and a long toestrap. Discovered a neat trick to making wood parts and getting them to look the part on a bike. Leather black! The dye that comes in a bottle with a cotton ball dispenser on a wire. Takes about 20 seconds to make that wood really black. One coat. Dries in minutes.)
Today's ride was a shakedown of both the bike and body. Sunday I'm joining some Bike Forums C&Vers for an out and back on a 21 mile rails-to-trails path. Well over 100 miles if I ride from home; 80 if I use the light rail. Shakedown was a success. Yes, I have to honor my age and not even think about doing any of that stuff I used to do. Stopping to flip the wheel 3 times for hills seemed barely necessary but boy, am I glad now that I did! (And the folk I'll be riding with just aren't that fast.)
And the bike - oil the chain, fill the WBs, air up the tires and it's ready to go! |
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longslowdistance
Posts:2886
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| 06/30/2022 08:02 PM |
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Ben, you are an inspiration
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79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 07/01/2022 12:24 AM |
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The schrader to presta adopters arrived today. (Fast!) Screwed its counterpoint on, making a barbell shaped unit that secures nicely to the rubber banded clutch of Allen wrenches. Stitched on velcro and loops to secure the Pedros Trixie fix gear tool under the bag for quick access. Chain is oiled.
Slept well last night. Body feels like it did something yesterday but no issues today. |
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79pmooney
Posts:3189
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| 07/08/2022 11:58 PM |
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More Mooney stuff. Just went to TiCycles and had a slot machined into the steerer threads for nibbed HS washers and brake hangers. (I have many filed down of both. Just go a new DiaComp hanger with QR, first ever for the front. Step up on two counts, step down on one. First ever front QR for this bike. This hanger doesn't have rolled down edges so I will be able to slid the HS wrench in properly. Nice! The step down - that same lack of rolled edge so it will not be as stiff. I'm running V-brake levers which feel so stiff this set down might be a benefit. And needing just two hands on the two wrenches to adjust the HS instead of three or four? Yeah! He did that slot in about 20 minutes while I waited.
And talking to Dave Levy afterwards I mentioned I'm kicking myself for not having him braze on a ball bearing pump peg to the head tube when he had the frame last winter. No problem! He can drill and tap for a SS cap screw! (And next paint job, the locating hole for the proper brazed peg is already there!)
Also mentioned needing to order an asymmetrical BB from Phil (or send this one back) to get more asymmetry. Dave can simply slide the spindle and re-Loctite it! Used to do that routinely 20 years ago when many tandems ran multiple Phil BBs. So the Mooney goes back again, probably next week after a new Zephal HPX 4 has arrived so Dave has it to locate the peg. I'm not even putting this fork back in until after it comes back.
I'll also meet Dean from Bike Central there. He'll bring over a pile of tubular rims! Looking for Mavic GL330s to build up as very fun new race wheels. I've got some Vitt. Corsa Speeds for really clean roads! He wants to clean out so I may be paying very little for those rims. (Dean was my fix gear connection for many years. Also the track mechanic at the sadly no longer Alpenrose Velodrome 2 miles from home. Turned me on to the Miche Pista hubs, then the double-sided version.)
Fun having allies as bike mechanics and more. |
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