Tag Archives: campagnolo

Raleigh International All-Chrome Custom

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This 1974 Raleigh International was a recent restoration I did, starting with a customized frame.  It had downtube shifter braze-ons and bottle bosses added, and drilled for recessed brakes.  It was custom plated in bright chrome afterwards.  The serial number is WH4003641, meaning that it was number 3641 built at the Raleigh factory in Worksop, U.K., in June of 1974.  I built it up with all-original Campagnolo Nuovo Record components, and fresh tires, tubes, bar tape, cables, and a Brooks Pro saddle.

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Look KG 196 Monoblade

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The Look KG 196 is the bicycle equivalent of techno music: no matter how many decades pass, it still looks like a radical vision of the future.  First introduced in 1993, the Look KG 196 introduced several groundbreaking new developments in the design and manufacture of carbon bicycles.  Most modern carbon bikes can trace their roots directly back to the KG 196, with its monocoque frame design and radical Monoblade fork.  I spent almost a decade searching for one in my size, and finally found one in early 2020.  It took another two years to build it up with a carefully chosen parts kit designed to balance the kind of riding I like to do with components that compliment the aesthetics of the bike.  Read on for more photos and history of the Look KG 196!

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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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A Masterpiece from Torino: 1977 Benotto 2500

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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.

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Lucky Penny – My Handmade 3Rensho Tribute Fixed Gear

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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.

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1960 Bianchi Campione Del Mondo

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A few months ago I acquired a 57cm Bianchi Campione del Mondo that I believe to be from the early 1960s,  serial number 201-533.  This gorgeous masterpiece was Bianchi’s top model back then, created in the late 1950s to commemorate the World Championship victory of Fausto Coppi in 1953  at Lugano, Switzerland.  I bought it from an older gentleman in the East Village, NYC, who said it had belonged to his brother.  It was bought new in 1960 and rode it in several races in Italy and France around that time.

bianchi_cdm_10_24172958543_oIt was in truly impressive condition; the previous owner had it in dry storage for several decades after his brother’s untimely death. It still had a faded Italian flag tied around the brake cables.  There were a few small scratches in the paint and some of the Bianchi decal on the downtube had come off.
I made zero changes to this bike – I did not even clean or lube it. The original dust around the bottom bracket was still intact.  Normally I enthusiastically restore bikes, but I knew better than to mess with this one.  I’ve never acquired a vintage bike in cleaner original condition and I decided to leave it to the next owner to decide whether it belongs on display or on the road.  As for me, I took the photos and then hung it up in my living room.
Read on for the full parts specification and photo gallery!

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1988 Cannondale SR500 Road Bike

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Remember that song called “I’m A Believer” by 60’s boy band The Monkees?  This bike had me singing it the first time I rode it.  Why? First, some personal history:

cdale_r500_03In the past, I’d always looked down on vintage Cannondale bikes.  Having ridden an aluminum fixed gear for three years in NYC, I came to conclusion that aluminum was not a good choice for city riding.  This, combined with a distaste for the fat tubes and incongruous steel fork of vintage Cannondale road bikes, left me wondering how they rose to become one of the big three bike manufacturers.

Then one day I picked up this frame set, a 1988 Cannondale SR500.  Their entry-level road bike model, it has the same frame as its pricier siblings but with the Shimano 105 groupset.  When I got it, only the cranks and headset remained from the original component set.  So I dug around in my parts boxes and rebuilt it as a flat-bar city bike.

I added Campagnolo Veloce front and rear derailleurs, and a set of Suntour LD-2800 thumbshifters.  A reliable and smooth-shifting blend of old & new.  Some new wheels (with matching white Suntour Ole hubs), a Modolo stem, riser bars, and a Selle San Marco saddle finished off the build.

I took it for a first ride and… WOW.  Yep, I’m a “believer” now.  The aggressive geometry and light weight of the bike allow for quick acceleration and handling, while the steel fork mellows out the ride.  As soon as you ride one of these bikes, it becomes clear that Cannondale had a unique and very impressive product in the otherwise steel-dominated 1980’s and 90’s.  I’ll be on the lookout for these frames in the future!

Check out more hi-res photos of this bike after the jump…

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