Jim’s vintage inspired 753 road bike

March 20, 2019

I like keeping it new and fresh by taking on projects that make me step outside my usual comfort zone. With this bike I was stepping out of my comfort zone and into a time machine. This bike may look like it’s from 1980 but it was just finished in 2019. The biggest challenge with a bike like this was finding the vintage parts in excellent condition. Jim is a cycling aficionado who had a LOT of vintage Campagnolo Super Record parts ready for this project.

Jim is also a discerning bike owner so I was sure to document the setups on his current bikes before embarking on this build. We worked together on certain aesthetic decisions including which parts got black anodizing and the paint scheme. We made a trip to the paint store together to make sure he got the exact green he wanted. I suggested the black detail on the head tube but then I decided to do the seat stay caps and fork crown while in the booth. I was a little nervous but he was definitely into it.

Our mutual friend Tom did the machining on the chainrings and seatpost and they came out great. Gold accents on the levers, brakes, chainrings, downtube logo, Regina Oro chain and freewheel, cable housing, and lug lining bring it all together. The classic Reynolds 753 decals also complement the green and gold nicely.

The gearing is aggressive as is the riding position but this is a road racing bicycle inspired by the classics. It has been a long time since I’ve built a bike with such skinny tires (tubulars even!) but it rides like a dream. There is a feeling of instant acceleration when the rotating weight is dramatically reduced and that just makes for fun riding. After having built this, I’m even tempted to get back on my racing bike again!