Tag Archives: vintage steel

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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Adventures in eTap: Trusty Rusty goes wireless

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Ten years later, the second frame I ever built is still going strong.  I gave it to my wife when we first started dating, and she named it “Trusty Rusty” for its ketchup-red color.  Since then she has put countless miles on ol’ Rusty.  As an inveterate bike bodger, over time I swapped out the original build of silver SRAM Rival 10-speed for a Campagnolo Centaur compact group set.  I also added a Modolo Q-Race stem and a matching seat post, both featuring some cool “speed holes.”

After a few years of that, I pounced on a gently used SRAM Red eTap 11-speed group set that came up for sale.  Ironically, it came out around the time I first built this bike. This was the first electronic shifting group either myself or my wife had used, and we were both skeptical.  After a couple of long rides, however, my wife reported back that it was the best-performing group she’d ever ridden.  Check out the rest of the build details and more photos after the jump.

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Vogue X Cycle Aki Road Bike with Suntour Superbe

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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

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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 →

3Rensho Modeulo Katana Road

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This is my “personal” 3Rensho, the one I bought specifically for myself and have spared no expense to restore.  As the article title states, this is a “Modeulo Katana” model, likely from the late 80s / early 1990s.  It has the signature lugs, webbed bottom bracket, 3Rensho “SuperEnds” dropouts, and the same aero fork crown as also seen on my handmade tribute pista.  The straight fork blades are a clue to dating its age, as it is likely inspired by the Colnago “Precisa” straight fork that strongly influenced bikes of the period. It’s built up with a mix of 8-speed Shimano Dura Ace 7400 and 7410 components, with about half of the parts original to bike.

Read on for the full build details and riding impressions! Continue reading →

Custom 3Rensho Cranks by La Vie Velo Classique

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3Rensho pantograph (and photo) by La Vie Velo Classique

When you’re so close to perfection on a classic bike build, how do you “take it to the next level”?  The answer, my friends, are pantographed parts.  These are components that are custom engraved using a pantograph milling machine.  Usually the brand name of the bicycle is engraved, although sometimes a bicycle owner will also have their own name added.  It’s considered a “lost art” nowadays, making it nearly impossible to get new parts engraved.  Vintage examples are usually expensive, often costing two to four times the price of the same component without engraving.  Parts engraved with rare marques like 3Rensho command astronomical prices when they appear on the market.

That’s why I’m excited to have discovered La Vie Velo Classique!  Based in Hungary, master craftsman Ábrahám Zsolt uses a traditional pantograph machine to create new and beautiful works of art for vintage bicycles.  He recently made the above 3Rensho pantographed crank set for me, and I was blown away with the finished results.  The quality of his work is absolutely top-notch, and indistinguishable from original vintage examples.  Read on to learn more about La Vie Velo Classique and the lost art of “panto parts”.

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