Tag Archives: Nervex

More Lovely Zunow 650B Randonneur Bikes

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The best deals are always “local pick-up only.” I saw this Zunow “Nuovo Touring” randonneur bike for sale on Japan’s Mercari marketplace last month.  It sold for around $1000 USD and a trip to Atsugi City.  Quite a steal, if you live locally.  Collectors around the world know that you have to travel to get the best deals. I downloaded the photos from the listing and am sharing them here to show off a “vintage correct” build for one of these iconic bikes.

Over a decade ago, I decided that I prefer “brifter” (brake + shifter) controls over down-tube or bar-end shifters.  With a few exceptions, my restorations have moved towards “neo-retro” builds that use modern parts, tastefully chosen to maintain a vintage look.  Here’s what my Zunow Randonneur looked like before I switched the components to Campagnolo.  This particular Zunow looks much like it did when brand new in the late 1970s, with the exception of modern SPD pedals.  Read on for more photos and details!

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Zunow KYGM Randonneur Restored

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I’ve been long overdue in sharing this restoration of my wife’s Zunow KYGM randonneur bike.  Originally acquired via Yahoo Japan auctions in 2020, it is a sibling of my own Zunow randonneur bike and an example of Kageyama-san’s early full-custom work.  Dating from the early 1970s, it is in the style of classic French randonneur bicycles, complete with Nervex lugs, 650B wheels, and Gilles Berthoud handlebar bag.  I wrote about the bike and its history in detail in this article from 2022.

After the initial build was complete, the plan was to put a few hundred miles on it to confirm it fit before kicking off a restoration.  She loved riding it so much that two years passed by quickly.

As 2024 rolled around, I promised myself that I would have it ready for her birthday in February.  That winter, I had it professionally repainted in a beautiful dark blue sparkle with yellow accents.  After the new paint, I began the rebuild, with help from Dave Perry at BikeCult.  Dave did a great job building the wheels and installing the fenders. Read on for all the details and a gallery of photos!

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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.

Read on for more about this restoration and Raleigh International bikes! Continue reading →

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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The First Zunow Catalog: KYGM 1973

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Last year I scored an original printing of Zunow’s first catalog from Yahoo JP Auctions. The catalog is for master builder Takeru Kageyama’s line of full-custom bicycles branded “KYGM” (pronounced “Gee-mu”).

It offers a window into the early days of the Zunow brand, when Kageyama-san was producing French-inspired randonneur, road, and touring bicycles. The catalog is in Japanese, which is a challenge for a non-speaker like myself. With the help of some translation tools and my experience with bikes & bike parts filling in the gaps, there are some interesting learnings to be had. Click “Continue Reading” below to learn more and download a free copy of the catalog.

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Vivalo Touring, Sportif and Road Bikes

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I’ve always been fascinated by non-Keirin bikes built by Japanese frame builders who are famous for their track bikes. All of the most well-known builders of NJS track bikes began their careers in the late 1960s – early 1970s, when the bicycle touring craze was sweeping the world and Japan in particular. They apprenticed in shops that built road and touring bikes, and many of them built these kinds of bikes early in their careers. Touring and sportif bikes are often custom-made for clients, and are expected to include the kinds of beautiful details and high level of finish common with this kind of luxury item.

Shuichi Kusaka, the master builder behind the Vivalo brand, built a number of road, touring, and sportif customs. In the past 15 years, I have only seen a handful, and in this article I’ll be highlighting a few of these lovely bicycles. Read on to learn more!

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My Second Hand-Built Bicycle

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simonframe2_01

I completed this frame last summer when I was between jobs.  Like the first frame I built, I used vintage lugs and traditionally-sized steel tubing.  The size and geometry of this frame was based on the famous Bridgestone RB-1, of which I owned a 1990 edition, and which had the best handling characteristics of any steel road bike I have ever ridden.

Read on to see more of the build process and results!

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