Thanks slowster for pointing it out. Maybe I'll go back and try to untangle it sometime, but I'll just move on for now. I've read 531colin's setup advice, and I'll try working through from saddle position first principles - it's likely I just need a shorter stem to fix the reach issue, as has been said already. I think most of my criticism of the advice was due to the mix up.I'm a relative newbie to the theory, although I've been tweaking riding positions on all my bikes for the last 45 years, and I take a great deal of notice of what's happening with my body and can therefore do most of the adjustments by trial and error. But I'm probably making a mistake in trying to shorten the reach by moving the saddle forward - it is, of course, a cheap (zero cost) method of doing so, but changes the position of my body over the cranks.
Sorry I've also used this thread to talk about two different bikes (ironically, with very similar names
) and for any confusion that's caused. I bought a Marin Eldridge Grade 1985, which I'm over the moon about despite bits of rust and other issues, and I've had a Marinoni Special (actually about the same age, maybe 1983) in bits since the bottom bracket died.To add even more confusion, I mentioned that I was worried the BB might be worn on this "new" bike, which I'm hoping is just my paranoia that the bubble will burst and something awful is in store (although changing a BB wouldn't be anyway).
As for the seller - this is from Resurrection Bikes of Harrogate, a not-for-profit community organisation that accepts donated bikes and parts and sells them at very reasonable prices, supporting a couple of charities with the proceeds and attempting to waste nothing at all, keeping old bikes out of landfill, making it easy to move bikes on, and cheap to find a second hand bike. They are open about the fact that they don't do full repairs to everything, but check that bikes are in good working order and safe, and they're happy to fix anything within the first month that isn't right. I discovered one of the individual wires of the rear gear cable had snapped low down under the down tube (but not on the guides) as I was locking it up the day I got it home, phoned them, and they apologised for missing that and someone made a point of coming to the shop to meet me when it was meant to be closed to replace it (including cutting new outers) and check other issues I had with the cable routing. They aren't necessarily trained mechanics, but clearly are very used to working on bikes - he did this like I'd fit a new set of brake blocks, while I watched.
As far as I can tell, the bike - a triple-butted cromo frame - is fitted with all original parts other than maybe the saddle (not sure - I sold that anyway) and obviously tyres, weighing in at around 11 kilos. They'd fitted new brake blocks and the setup seemed almost perfect (I think one was just in danger of rubbing on the tyre as it closed, so I tweaked it). After the rear gear cable was changed the guy set those up, which I thought might be slighly off, but I've only just got used to the changers (two down on the rear with a full push?), and the out-of-true sprocket (the largest) might be contributing to that too. There's no noticable play in the BB, so it's not wobbling so much that the sprockets are off, it's obviously just been dropped on the outer cog and not been straightened.
I've had a lot of comments here about how great these bikes are, and it cost a grand total of £65. I'm not sure how much wear there might be left on the Bontrager front tyre - it's bald, but I don't know if it had much to start with. The rear has some, but it's not got a lot of life left and the sidewalls are beginning to develop very fine cracks, so another £26 has seen me with two new (cheapo) tyres. It's not rotting with steel worm, it's got superficial rust on the frame, no big deal.
I think the combined brakes and shifters are also original, but I'm not sure.
I can see that the removal of the Marinoni BB is an odd subject now - I did in fact abandon the project, but people keep giving suggestions on how to remove it. I suppose someone might buy the frame - after all, it's hand built by a very highly esteemed bike builder - and it's more likely to sell without a bit of stuck BB in it, so I'll probably have another go.
Sorry again for the confusing thread!
