Italian Steel in the Eighties: The Gios Compact

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.

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Nagasawa Special NJS Track with Dura Ace 7500

The Nagasawa marque sits at the apex of Japanese Kierin bicycles, recognized worldwide for impeccably designed and executed frames, each hand made by master builder Yoshiaki Nagasawa. This particular Nagasawa, built in May of 1985, came to me as a frameset by way of Yahoo JP auctions. It has a 53cm seat tube (center-to-top) and a 54cm top tube (center-to-center). It has a beautiful, but hard to photograph deep green / blue paint scheme with rainbow sparkles and yellow highlights. I built it up with a period-appropriate Shimano Dura Ace track group set. Read on to learn more about this bike and the back-story of Nagasawa bicycles.

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