# My first fixie build: restored 1987 Atala



## otherself (29 Apr 2014)

Greetings CC. This is my Padova-made (Italy) 1987 Atala. Made from sturdy Columbus Aelle plain gauge tubing with long horizontal dropouts it was what I was looking for to build into a fixie. I paid 30 pound for the frameset off ebay. I believe it was shipped from Slovenia. I was gonna ride it how it looked originally but it clearly needed a respray, so then had it professionally bead blasted and powdercoated RAL 6021 'pale green' for a cost of 50 pound total. It's my first fixie in donkey's years and my first road fixie. Pretty happy with it apart from the fact it would not take allen key brakes! (old nutted style.) I had the front fork drilled to allow this, but the rear could not be drilled for allen key fit brake as it would weaken the bridge. I ended up not installing a rear brake (I think that's normal in fixie circles anyway.) Not ridden fixed since 1989 as a kid on a gold Mongoose BMX.... so it's taking some time to get used to after 25 years! It's maiden run was at 6am in the morning to give me breathing space for error. Its a bit of a mish mash of period-correct and modern parts. I love the old 80's Suntour cranks. I'm running 42:15 which is a good 'starter' gear and gives me a little over 19mph average speed at the ideal cadence of 90RPM on flat roads. Built into a pretty light machine at 19lbs. Go's like the clappers.




















































- 1987 Atala Corsa GS Columbus Aelle frame & fork 56cm c-t (1987)
- Suntour 'Sprint' cranks (1987)
- Tektro dual pivot 'R520' front brake
- 'Strong' of Japan seatpost 26.4mm (date stamped 1987)
- Kalloy quill stem, silver, 100mm (date stamped 1991)
- Unbranded bullhorns 25.4mm, silver, 40cm (modern)
- Bar tape: Deda cork 'Jaguar green' (modern)
- Cane Creek '200tt' time trial brake levers (modern)
- Neco alloy 1 inch threaded headset, black, ISO fit (modern)
- San Marco 'Concor' saddle, black, replica (modern but introduced 1989)
- Stronglight 'JP400' bottom bracket, 110mm, Italian thread (modern)
- Stronglight chainring 42t (parts bin, modern)
- MKS 'Sylvan' pedals with 'Rapid' toeclips and leather straps (modern)
- Rigida 'Chrina' rims, silver, 36h (modern)
- System X track hubs, high flange, 36h, 'flip flop' rear, silver (modern)
- Budget Schwalbe 'Blizzard' tyres, all black (parts bin, modern)
- Taya 3/32" chain (NOS 1990's. Very smelly out the box...covered in thick gunk)
- 'VeloSolo' 120mm > 126mm hub spacers (modern)
- Fixed Cog 15t 'Formula' brand (modern)
- Freewheel: 16t 'Dicta' (modern)


----------



## Roadrider48 (29 Apr 2014)

otherself said:


> Greetings CC. This is my Padova-made (Italy) 1987 Atala. Made from sturdy Columbus Aelle plain gauge tubing with long horizontal dropouts it was what I was looking for to build into a fixie. I paid 30 pound for the frameset off ebay. I believe it was shipped from Slovenia. I was gonna ride it how it looked originally but it clearly needed a respray, so then had it professionally bead blasted and powdercoated RAL 6021 'pale green' for a cost of 50 pound total. It's my first fixie in donkey's years and my first road fixie. Pretty happy with it apart from the fact it would not take allen key brakes! (old nutted style.) I had the front fork drilled to allow this, but the rear could not be drilled for allen key fit brake as it would weaken the bridge. I ended up not installing a rear brake (I think that's normal in fixie circles anyway.) Not ridden fixed since 1989 as a kid on a gold Mongoose BMX.... so it's taking some time to get used to after 25 years! It's maiden run was at 6am in the morning to give me breathing space for error. Its a bit of a mish mash of period-correct and modern parts. I love the old 80's Suntour cranks. I'm running 42:15 which is a good 'starter' gear and gives me a little over 19mph average speed at the ideal cadence of 90RPM on flat roads. Built into a pretty light machine at 19lbs. Go's like the clappers.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You've made that into a nice looking machine. Good job!


----------



## AndyRM (29 Apr 2014)

That's a thing of beauty. I particularly like the colour.


----------



## Rooster1 (29 Apr 2014)

For the love of cycling, that is a thing of beauty. Your restoration is going slightly better than mine - trying to strip the paint off, section by section.


----------



## raleighnut (29 Apr 2014)

If you did want to fit a rear brake you can do this without drilling by fitting a front caliper, the only difference is a longer bolt which will accept a nylock nut. Nice looking bike, though I'd want gears on it.


----------



## Nigel182 (29 Apr 2014)

Looks good like the colour......bet it took a while to choose ??


----------



## otherself (29 Apr 2014)

Nigel182 said:


> Looks good like the colour......bet it took a while to choose ??



Most Atala's of the period were either red, blue, silver/blue, black/red, white and a bright green. I got the pale green idea from the colour of a 1960's lathe I saw in workshop.


----------



## kloeshuman (30 Apr 2014)

That is one fine looking bike


----------



## otherself (28 Nov 2014)

kloeshuman said:


> That is one fine looking bike



Thanks. Been riding it for a few months now. Been stopped by a few fellow cyclists inquiring about it - younger folks who I would guess were not brought up on skinny steel tubesets like me. I've changed the green tape to black and it looks better.


----------



## 3narf (28 Nov 2014)

Lovely! I think I would have ridden it with the original patina for a while, but it does look superb.

Tbh I'm using my Falcon with its original paint and stickers and it looks pretty ropey now, so I might follow your lead and take it down.


----------

