Vogue X Cycle Aki Road Bike with Suntour Superbe

The latest vintage restoration from my shop is this stunning Vogue road bike, built up with its original Suntour Superbe components.  It was a surprise find on Yahoo Japan Auctions, sold complete except for wheels and cranks. It was coated in layers of grease, grime and dust.  Once I removed the parts and began to clean the frame, a masterpiece of a bicycle came into focus.

Vogue is a true connoisseur’s brand, rarely seen outside of Japan.  In the USA, the marque is more often associated with Keirin track bikes.  Road versions of Vogue bicycles are very rare. This particular one is a collaboration between Vogue and a Japanese bicycle store called “I Love Cycle Aki” which had a contract with Oriental Kogyo (“Industries”), the formal name for the frame builder behind Vogue, Hiroshi Takahira. Takahira-San made these bikes as one-off customs for Aki customers. It has Vogue and Aki engravings on the seat stays and fork crown.  Read on to learn all about Vogue and this bike! Continue reading

Nagasawa Special NJS Track with Suntour Superbe Pro

In December of 2021 I wrote about a Nagasawa track bike I restored.  It was actually my second Nagasawa; this article is about my first one.  I acquired it in early 2017 as a lucky eBay find; only $800 complete!  Based on the serial number, it was made in 1984, and I think it had been repainted at least once in its life, since the paint was in excellent condition.  It was built up with cheap parts which I quickly discarded, opting instead for an all-Suntour Superbe Pro track build.  I also had an additional challenge: I don’t ride brakeless fixed in the streets, but I also did not want to defile one of Nagasawa-san’s forks by drilling it for a brake.  Instead, I purchased a fork from a different NJS bike that had already been drilled, and which used the same fork crown and dropouts as the Nagasawa.  I acquired new decals and sent it off to Allan Wanta, who did a marvelous job matching the pearlescent yellow paint of the original.  Read on for more info on the build, plus a cool interview with Nagasawa-san from 1983! Continue reading

Early 3Rensho Show Bike with Gold Suntour Superbe

This 3Rensho Cyclone is one of the rarest and most valuable bikes I have ever restored over the past sixteen years of collecting vintage bicycles. The story began for me on the docks of Red Hook, Brooklyn, but the story of this bicycle goes back much further in time. After extensive research, I’ve confirmed it was made by Mr. Koichi Yamaguchi in 1978 for the NYC Bike Show. This article relates the story of how it came into my hands, the restoration process, and some 3Rensho history. All images in the article are hi-resolution – click them to view the large version. Read on to learn more and check out the gallery of photos.

Continue reading