Hi folks at Mercian,

I recently finished putting together the new Vincitore Road/Path Racer. My plan is to ride it primarily on local bike paths, including an old canal towpath, which has a surface that ranges from asphalt to hard-packed limestone gravel.

I used the Campagnolo Record Pista crank and bottom bracket, Croce d'Aune track pedals, Record headset, and vintage Nuovo Record seat post (I favor the old 2-bolt mechanism, even if it is harder to set up). The cantilever brakes are from the long-defunct Campagnolo Croce d'Aune tandem kit, and the levers are Campagnolo C-Record. I removed the rear-brake lever but mounted the body to get a good, symmetrical grip on the bars. The hubs are Electra Ticino, which look a lot like the old Campagnolo C-Record large flange "sheriff star" hubs (which sell nowadays on eBay for $500 or more!), but have modern sealed bearings, and the rear hub is a two-sided "flip-flop" design with fixed on one side and freewheel on the other. The stem is from Velo-Orange in the USA, but has the classic look of a vintage fillet brazed stem. The stem also comes drilled and tapped to accept a brass bell. The bars are Soma Portola, which look a lot like the old "Dirt Drop" bars from Wilderness Trail Bikes. The bars are wrapped with cotton tape and coated in shellac to match the brown Brooks Swift saddle. The tires are Challenge Grifo XS cyclocross tires. I also mounted Honjo fenders and a Velo Orange front rack to support a handlebar bag.

The workmanship on the frame is fantastic, and that enameled head badge is gorgeous. The cream with flame red paint has a great vintage look. One of the things I love about this bike is that it seems timeless. One would have a hard time pinning down exactly when this bike was made -- it could be modern, or it could 30 years old or more.

 
Pictures are attached, but are also posted to Chris's Mercian group on Flickr.
Kyle

Akron, Ohio, USA