A couple of months ago, I wrote a 3-part series on the subject of 3Rensho’s various forays into aluminum bicycles. Their earliest product remains their most well-known, a collaboration with Sakae Ringyo to sell their Litage aluminum bike under the 3Rensho brand. You can learn all about them in this article. Today’s entry is a brief update to show off the finish build of the 3Rensho Litage I restored. Read on for more details and photos!
I built up the frame set with a Dura Ace 7410 seven-speed group set that I had stashed away. The 3Rensho catalogs show the Litage built up with the same group, so it was the obvious choice. The remaining components (seat post, stem, handlebars) are all SR (Sakae Ringyo) to match the frame. I had originally gone looking for Sakae FX parts, which I think are contemporaneous with the Litage frame. However, they proved to be both very rare (especially the seatposts) and fairly expensive if you want one in good condition.
Instead, I got an SR “Custom P-3” seatpost, an SR stem, and SR “Road Champion” handlebars that have been custom-drilled for aero routing of the brake cables. I put in more time carefully restoring and polishing these components than I did on the rest of the restoration! The seatpost and stem had some deep nicks and scratches, so I gently worked them over with jewelry files and sandpaper, followed by 3M pads in different grits, and then finishing with Simichrome polish until both had a scratch-free surface with a deep shine.
I was impressed with the ride quality of the Litage. It was fast and nimble without exhibiting the unforgiving stiffness I associate with thick-tubed, welded aluminum frames. I could immediately understand why the “screwed and glued” method of frame construction hung on as long as it did; despite being more complex to manufacture, they yield a lovely ride. This is a bike I could ride all day, like any good steel road bike.
Ultimately I didn’t get to ride it much, as it sold within hours of my listing it for sale locally. I’m hoping the new owner is enjoying it even more than I did, and would recommend one of these bikes to any collector of 3Renshos, vintage Japanese bikes, or folks just interested in trying out something a little different.
