Tag Archives: bicycle

IF Mode Folding Bicycle with Upgrades

Posted on by
2

Many of the bikes I collect, restore and write about are many decades old, and often require extensive research for me to even to accurately identify their model and year of manufacture.  The IF Mode is not one of those. It won a Eurobike award when it debuted in 2008, followed by iF Product Design GOLD Award in 2009, where its designer Mark Sanders was honored alongside Steve Jobs, another winner that year.  Manufactured by Pacific Cycles, it is described as “the Aston Martin of folding bikes.”  I picked up this one in 2020 and gave it a series of upgrades to make it a perfect urban commuter.  Read on to learn more.

Continue reading →

Zunow KYGM 650B Randonneur

Posted on by
4

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.

Continue reading →

1950s Bianchi Sport City Bike

Posted on by
1

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.

Continue reading →

Italian Steel in the Eighties: The Gios Compact

Posted on by
2

The Gios Compact debuted in 1986, and has since been considered by cyclists and collectors to be one of the best frames Gios ever produced. The most revolutionary technical innovation introduced by the Gios Compact was its adjustable dropout system.  The wheelbase can be lengthened or shortened by 8mm, to create an aggressive hill-climber or a more sedate roadie, depending on the terrain and the rider’s preference.  This example from 1987 was recently restored in my shop with a period-correct mix of Shimano Dura Ace and 600 components.  Read on to learn more about the Gios Compact and the Gios story.

Continue reading →

A Masterpiece from Torino: 1977 Benotto 2500

Posted on by
Reply

Sometimes a bike just radiates warmth.  It invites your eyes to dance over its curves, linger on the finer details, and imagine the wind rushing by as you ride it on a sunny day.  This 1977 Benotto 2500 is that kind of bike, and was a pleasure to restore.  Equipped with a Campagnolo Nuovo Record groupset, it exemplifies the ideal of the Italian racing bicycle as envisioned by its founder and former racer, Giacinto Benotto.  Read on for more photos and background on this bicycle and the legendary brand behind it.

Continue reading →

Raleigh Competition MK. II Restoration

Posted on by
2

The Competition joined Raleigh’s lineup of racing and sports bicycles in 1969 as an affordable alternative to their top-of-the-line Professional and International models.  This one is from 1976, built by Carlton and featuring a Reynolds 531 frame & fork with Huret dropouts.  It came equipped with Huret Jubilee derailleurs, which set world records as the lightest production derailleur ever made and which are now rare pieces of kit.  The derailleurs, matching Specialities T.A. Professional crankset, bottom bracket and headset are all original to this bike, which I recently restored.  Read on to learn more about the Raleigh Competition MK. II!

Continue reading →

Lucky Penny – My Handmade 3Rensho Tribute Fixed Gear

Image

2

In the fall of 2015, I embarked on a project to build myself a fixed gear bicycle using a set of the famous 3Rensho Modeulo lugs.  The build is chronicled in this Bikeforums thread, where I kept a photo diary of the process.  At the time, I didn’t know this would be the last frame I’d build for several years.  I’ve been riding and loving this bike for years since then, but I never got around to photographing and writing about the finished product.  This is my favorite bike, and I finally have some great photos of it.  Read on to learn about the inspiration for the frame, the copper plating, and the build.

Continue reading →