3Rensho Rarities from the Cyclone Days

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Have you ever seen a 3Rensho cyclocross bike? I had not, until I came across the bike pictured above, on auction at Yahoo JP auctions. I thought about throwing in a bid on it, but rather narrow-mindedly decided that a 3Rensho that doesn’t have the logo engraved into a seat stay cap or fork crown wasn’t a 3Rensho worth buying. Man, was I wrong! I regret it now, as I’ve come to learn that engraved logos do not a 3Rensho make.

I’ve been diving into the history of Cyclone LTD (the Yoshi Konno’s brand that later became 3Rensho) as I’ve been researching the provenance of the custom 3Rensho Super Record I recently restored. In the course of that research, I’ve dug up a few interesting rarities to share. Read on to learn more!

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Cannondale CAADX Cyclocross Bike Build

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In the spring of 2015 I scored a couple of great deals at a local bike swap meet.  One of them was this Cannondale CAADX frame.  It came with the frame, fork, headset, seatpost, cockpit, brakes, and Shimano 105 shifters, all for $50.  It was in pretty much new condition with no scratches or wear.  So I added a new set of Shimano Sora derailleurs, a Vuelta cyclocross crankset, new pedals, and a hand-built wheelset to get it rolling.  I listed it on Craigslist for $600 and it was sold the next day.  If only every build was this easy!

Check out the gallery of hi-res photos after the jump…

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1990 Schwinn Crosscut Cross Check style

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This one started out as just a frame, a 1990 Schwinn Crosscut, size 55cm seat tube with a 61cm top tube. This was their top-of-the-line cyclocross / all-rounder from the early 1990's, similar to the Surly Cross Check or the Pake C'Mute, and built from stout double-butted cro-moly steel tubing with a fully chromed fork. I stripped and repainted the frame in a dark metallic green with a subtle sparkle and shined the fork.  Read on for more details and pictures.

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