A couple of months ago, I wrote a 3-part series on the subject of 3Rensho’s various forays into aluminum bicycles. Their earliest product remains their most well-known, a collaboration with Sakae Ringyo to sell their Litage aluminum bike under the 3Rensho brand. You can learn all about them in this article. Today’s entry is a brief update to show off the finish build of the 3Rensho Litage I restored. Read on for more details and photos!
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.
It’s been a while since I’ve updated the ol’ blog, and a whole bunch of bikes have passed through my workshop since last fall. First up is this gorgeous Vitus 979. This particular example was purchased “new old stock” about ten years ago from the back stock of a Manhattan bike shop. The logos and paint have been professionally removed to expose the beautiful raw silver of the underlying aluminum, which I hand-polished to a nice shine.
Read on to learn more about the Vitus 979! Continue reading
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:
In 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…
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!
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…
So it’s been literally a year, to the day, since I’ve updated this blog. But I haven’t been idle on the bike front! In fact, 2015 was quite a year for me and bicycles, one where I finally achieved a long-held dream of mine: to build my own frames. Thanks to the help and mentoring of Lance Mercado at Squarebuilt Cycles here in Brooklyn, I built my first frame this past March.
Read on for all of the details! Continue reading