Tag Archives: vintage

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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Schwinn Paramount P13-9 & Sprint with curved seat tube

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Taking a time machine back to the year 2011, here’s a very rare frame set that passed through my hands.  It’s a 1975 Schwinn Paramount P13-9 with a curved seat tube.  This was referred to by Schwinn as a “sprint style” or “short-coupled” frame, and was an option when ordering a custom frame in 1975, 1976, 1977, and 1978.  The feature was available on the P14, P10 and the P13 models (and the T22 tandem).  The good folks at Bikeforums’ Classic & Vintage message board helped me identify it, especially member Scooper, who shared the original catalogs and order form.  This particular one was customized in several ways.  Read on to learn more! Continue reading →

3Rensho XR-7000 Lo-Pro Pursuit Funny Bike

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3Rensho XR-7000

After three years, I finally finished my restoration and build of this 53cm 3Rensho XR-7000 bike.  I acquired it from Japan as a frameset, and discovered it was made under license  by Yamakuni.  Check out this prior article for the history and background.  I had the fork re-chromed, but left the main triangle as-is.  I bought a barely-used Georgina Terry Despatch from 1988, and stripped it for the 6-speed Suntour Cyclone 7000 groupset and the 24″ front / 700c rear wheelset.  I’m aware the 3Rensho catalog showed it built with a Shimano 600 group, but they also sold it as a frameset.  Cyclone was Suntour’s second-best group in the same way that 600 was a notch below Dura Ace.

The rear Araya rim had a crack in it, so I re-laced the hub to a brand new Araya RC-540 rim.  The stem is a NITTO S65 Crystal Fellow with NITTO RB-021 bullhorn handlebars, matched to the NITTO S66 seat post.  The 3Rensho saddle finishes off the build in style.  Read on for more photos and ride report! 

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Cuevas Bicycles – A Queens NYC Legend

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Cuevas Bicycles was a multi-generational family of bicycle frame builders based in Astoria, Queens.  I have owned two Cuevas bicycles: the one shown above is a one-of-a-kind custom made pursuit bicycle with a 650c front wheel and a 700c rear, with an integrated handlebar/stem.  It was hand made by Fernando Cuevas, the third generation of this incredibly talented family.  I also had a Cuevas Custom randonneur / touring frame by the patriarch of the family, Francisco Cuevas. This article features both of these stunning examples of custom, lugged steel bicycles and traces the history of Cuevas Bicycles.

Fernando’s grandfather and founder of Cuevas Bicycles, Francisco Cuevas, hand-built over 35,000 frames during a 70-year career that spanned three continents. Renowned for his ability to build frames without the aid of a jig or pins, brazing exclusively with brass, and incorporating many unique and thoughtful details, Francisco was a true craftsman of the old world. The Cuevas Custom randonneur frame is testament to his vision and artisan skills.

The pursuit track bike restoration took me two years to complete, and when finished, I brought it to the famous Kissena Velodrome in Queens for an afternoon of laps and photos.  Read on to learn more about these incredible bikes and the Cuevas family.

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3Rensho Litage Aluminum Complete Build

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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!

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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 →