Tag Archives: bicycle restoration

Zunow KYGM 650B Randonneur

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Two years ago, as the COVID pandemic was sweeping across the country, I began searching Yahoo Japan auctions daily, purchasing items via their Buyee proxy service as a way to distract myself and pass the time.  I’d done this before, from 2011-2016, stopping after I began a new job that left no time for bicycle collecting and restoring.  In April 2020, I was working from home for the first time during the scariest, and at times surreal, period of history I have ever lived through.  The daily treasure hunt was a welcome respite, and soon I found a twin of my “Zunow grail bike“.  Read on to learn more about it.

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1950s Bianchi Sport City Bike

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It’s been a few years since I’ve restored a bike older than the 1970s, and this Bianchi Sport was the perfect candidate.  With a timeless, classic design and high quality details, it was born to cruise the streets in style.  Mechanically simple, it retains a few distinctively Bianchi features that set it apart from the rest.  Read on to learn about this lovely ladies’ bike and the restoration process.

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Early 3Rensho Show Bike with Gold Suntour Superbe

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This 3Rensho Cyclone is one of the rarest and most valuable bikes I have ever restored over the past sixteen years of collecting vintage bicycles. The story began for me on the docks of Red Hook, Brooklyn, but the story of this bicycle goes back much further in time. After extensive research, I’ve confirmed it was made by Mr. Koichi Yamaguchi in 1978 for the NYC Bike Show. This article relates the story of how it came into my hands, the restoration process, and some 3Rensho history. All images in the article are hi-resolution – click them to view the large version. Read on to learn more and check out the gallery of photos.

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Nagasawa Special NJS Track with Dura Ace 7500

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The Nagasawa marque sits at the apex of Japanese Kierin bicycles, recognized worldwide for impeccably designed and executed frames, each hand made by master builder Yoshiaki Nagasawa. This particular Nagasawa, built in May of 1985, came to me as a frameset by way of Yahoo JP auctions. It has a 53cm seat tube (center-to-top) and a 54cm top tube (center-to-center). It has a beautiful, but hard to photograph deep green / blue paint scheme with rainbow sparkles and yellow highlights. I built it up with a period-appropriate Shimano Dura Ace track group set. Read on to learn more about this bike and the back-story of Nagasawa bicycles.

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3Resho Super Record Export Aero Road Frames – Complete Restorations

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In 2014, I acquired two San Rensho (also written as 3Rensho; “san” is Japanese for “three”) road frames.  One, pictured above, was a 53cm and the other 58cm.  While they came from different sources, they were both Super Record Export versions.  3Rensho, which translates to “triple victory,” was a highly regarded bicycle manufacturer from Japan in the 1970’s-90’s.

Founded by Yoshi Konno in 1974, 3Rensho bikes were made by a team of Konno, Koichi Yamaguchi, and Masahiko Makino.  While 3Rensho made both road and track bikes, they are most widely known for their track bikes which were custom made for Japan’s Keirin racing sport.  Tragically, in 1995 Konno was responsible for a drunken car crash that killed five people and left him paralyzed from the neck down.  3Rensho closed down shortly thereafter.

Despite this ignoble end for one of Japan’s most prestigious bicycle brands, Yamaguchi and Makino went on to great success building frames under their own names.  Yamaguchi has made frames for the U.S. Olympic Team, and continues to make custom frames as well as running his own frame building school in Colorado.  In addition, Cherubim Bicycles, founded by Yoshi’s brother Hitoshi, continues to create amazing bicycles under his nephew Shinichi Konno.

Read more to learn about these frames and the restoration process!

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