Firenze GL5000 [15spd to 10spd] conversion




Firenze GL 5000 / 57cm / ?
switched out for crappier bars / stock
stock / stock
27" from my stock pile of parts
stock rusty wobbling piece of 27" shit
sugino off a 10speed / sugino bb off the same 10speed
stock / stock
switched out for the exact same pedals, but cleaner / same one that was on it when I found it
stock / stock
stock / stock <--original brake pads, need new back brake pads
was a 15speed, now a 10 speed
- found in residential street corner leaning against a tree near Golden Gate Park on a sunny Tuesday afternoon.
- judging from the original condition, I concluded the bicycle was in someone's bushy/jungle-ish backyard for a long while until the owner decided to just leave it outside, hoping someone would take it away.
- converted into a 10 speed because I do not know how to put back on the original triple chainring cottered crank.
- original everything except front wheel, dropbar/tape, pedals, & some wires.
- was a post-apocalyptic POS when I found it (lots of cleaning/scrubbing).
- found a big-ass spider and its webby lair inside the original dropbar (lots of stomping afterwards). [found a total of 5 spiders of different sizes in between the two days of bike cleaning, around the bike cleaning area]
- very ugly bike when seen close-up.
- surprising light compared to other old 10spds (but then again, I took off the non-working kickstand)
- sprayed painted each end of the bike with a little bit of silver color to make the bike look better.
- rides pretty smooth and quiet now.
- contemplating converting it to a beater fixed gear when have time/money.
- I've looked online to find out more info on the Firenze, and found sparse detail of it back in the day being giving away with each new car purchase in Daly City somewhere. Can anyone who knows anything about it expand or give me more detail of the history of the Firenze?
update jan/2010: just sold on craigslist to some fellow straight from the U.K. Hope he rides it well.