Replacing the cassette on a vintage bike

My wife and me have completed a few Eroica rides on unmodified vintage racing bikes. By unmodified I mean that the bikes still had the original rear cassettes, which are really meant for racing on mostly flat asphalt roads. The biggest sprocket would be a 23 or a 26. This makes it almost impossible to climb some the steep Eroica white roads ('strade bianche').

Strade bianche uphill on the Eroica Montalcino course

After doing the medium route of the Eroica Montalcino in 2017 (2000m elevation on a 100km course) I decided to modify our Eroica bikes so that we would be better prepared for the next Eroica rides.

Replacing the cassette on  the Koga-Miyata Gent's Racer 1984

The original cassette on this bike was a Shimano Uniglide with 7 sprockets (23-21-19-17-15-14-13). The sprockets seem to be made out of titanium, which might actually be the case for a Dura Ace series.

At first I could not understand how to disassemble this cassette, but I found this very useful video that explains how to go about it. If you prefer text, try this page on the well known Sheldon Brown web site.  You need 2 chain whips to perform this operation.  If you are lucky, you own one yourself, and you can borrow a second one from your neighbor.  If you cannot get your hands on 2 chain whips, you might try the procedure explained on this page.  I used 2 chain whips, and it worked fine.

Shimano Uniglide with 7-sprockets. There is no lockring with notches.

The smallest sprocket (13) is threaded, you can unscrew it using one chain whip.
You need a second chain whip around the largest sprocket (23) to stop it from rotating.

The smallest sprocket has been removed

All sprockets have been removed. Notice the thread on the top of the hub.
Good news is that this hub is compatible with Hyperglide, one of the notches is wider.

I my collection of spare parts (collected over many years from parts discarded by bike shops) I found a Shimano Hyperglide cassette with 6 sprockets: 32-28-24-21-18-15.  This cassette fits perfectly on the Uniglide/Hyperglide compatible hub. I screwed the original 13 sprocket to the hub, using a chain whip.

Replacement Hyperglide cassette

New cassette composed of the replacement Hyperglide cassette and the smallest sprocket (13) from the original cassette

After fitting the wheel back on the bicycle, a small adjustment of the screws that control min and max position of the rear derailleur was necessary.

Koga-Miyata Gent's Racer (1984) with the new cassette: 32-28-24-21-18-15-13.

Identifying features of the GIOS Torino bicycle frames

This is a translation of the material on this GIOS Torino web page, which is available only in Italian.
I completed the description with pictures taken from commercial web sites like Classic Steel Bikes and Steel Vintage Bikes.

If you own an original GIOS Torino bicycle, make sure to register your bike on the Registro Storico that is maintained on the GIOS Torino web site.

GIOS Super Record

The GIOS Super Record frame is most probably the most well known frame of the GIOS production.  The model was created in 1973, corresponding to the foundation of the Brooklyn cycling team. The model did not evolve until 1977. This first series has the following characteristics:

• Gt logo pantographed under the bottom bracket shell. The size (for example 53) is usually engraved on the bottom bracket shell as well.
• Campagnolo cable guides above the bottom bracket shell
• "Gios torino" written on the seat and down tubes, white on blue background
• Chrome-platte fork, with Gt pantographed on the crown.

In 1978, there are only minor changes to the graphics: the text becomes "GIOS torino" in black on white background, and the "Super Record" on the horizontal tube uses a more modern font.

In 1979, the design of the fork crown changes, featuring the coin-like inserts with the text 'CREAZIONI GIOS ITALIA'. The pantograph underneath the bottom bracket shell becomes 'GIOS' (instead of Gt). The text on the horizontal tube becomes "Super Record GIOS".

GIOS Aerodynamic

In 1981 GIOS introduces the Aerodynamic model:

• frame assembled from Columbus 'Air' tubes
• gear levers are mounted on top of the down tube
• fork with aerodynamic crown (no pantographs)
• "GIOS torino" written in black on metallic grey background

GIOS Professional

From 1983 the design of the original Super Record is enhanced to become the 'GIOS Professional':

• brake cables are led inside the frame, with rubber joints to make it waterproof
• 'ponticello' that reinforces the frame between the chain stays is integrated into the bottom bracket shell
• aerodynamic fork crown and seat post tightening screw
• 'GIOS Professional' text on the horizontal tube
• More colors become available every year:
• 1983: Gios Blue
• 1984: Gios Blue and White
• 1985: Gios Blue, White, Black and Chrome
• 1986: Gios Blue, White, Black, Chrome and Red

GIOS Compact

In 1986 Aldo Gios invents the GIOS Compact, a system that allows fast and easy adjustment of the position of the rear wheel (vertical and horizontal).

The overall look of the GIOS bicycles becomes more modern.

Encounters at Eroica Montalcino 2017

I was working on my Chesini Criterium on the public parking in Montalcino, cleaning it up before the Eroica ride.  Two old men stopped, looked at my bike, and asked me if I was from Verona (because that is where Chesini bikes are built). I answered that I was from Luxemburg.
One of the guys tells me that he has a friend in Luxemburg, which he used to cycle with. His name is 'Edy Schütz'.
"But Edy Schütz was a professional cyclist", I say. "Were you also a professional rider?"
"Yes, I was on the Molteni team with Edy Schütz. We used to share the same room quite often when we were racing together."

He recalls that Edy wanted to win the Tour de Luxembourg in 1970. He remembers that Edy mounted a 11-tooth rear sprocket on his bicycle, for the time trial... and he won!
The guy told me his name, but I forgot it. I need to check out this story and find some documentation about it.
"Edy Schütz, né le 15 mai 1941 à Tétange, est un ancien coureur cycliste luxembourgeois.
Professionnel de 1964 à 1971, il remporte six fois le titre de champion du Luxembourg sur route de 1966 à 1971. Il a également remporté la 18e étape du Tour de France 1966, à Chamonix."

Another interesting encounter was with a private collector who had some incredible bikes on display.  Pinarello's, Willier-Triestina, and a beautiful gold-plated Montagner. I asked him about that one, because I did not know this brand. He explained that Montagner was a frame maker working for Pinarello. Pinarello was very good at designing frames, but he was not good at actually building frames. He worked with local framemakers in Treviso. When Montagner was not building frames for Pinarello, he built frames for the Polish and Csechoslovakian national teams, which he shipped in containers, that he filled up with his frames and wheels assembled by another local craftsman.  One day la Guardia di Finanza found some narcotics in the frames, and Montagner was arrested. Again, a good story to check-out...

• According to Steel Vintage Bikes and VeloBase: "Montagner frames were built by Luigi Montagner, who was also the frame builder for the Czech and Polish national teams back in the 1980s."
• cicli MONTAGNER - Passarella (VE). This fits: Passarella is very close to Treviso, where Pinarello bicycles were built.
• A Montagner owner wrote this on a forum: "Montagner frames were built by Luigi Montagner, whose claim to fame was being builder to the Czech and Polish national teams for the 1987 season... I was told the brand petered out after Luigi got busted for importing drugs."