Velosniper

Reader Referrals: Campagnolo "No Name" Brakes and BMX Pedals

2008-12-19T04:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you to the readers that forwarded links to these auctions. If you see something interesting, please let me know! velosniper@gmail.com.

This will be my last post for a week or so due to holiday travel. Thank you to all of you who read the site, I appreciate your time and feedback. Have a great week!

Campagnolo "No Name" Record Brakeset: Sold for $979.80 including shipping.

Up for auction is a set of Campagnolo's earliest NR Brakesets. This set was sold by Peter Rich at Velosport in 1969 to a friend of mine for a Ron Cooper.

The brake center bolt is different on these early brakes. Note the early washer behind with a beveled front to clear the Campy headcup. The caliper arms were sublty different also. The brake levers have the round hole on the underside. The original hoods had shriveled like Linseed oil on the top of a old paint can and were really difficult to remove. The campy brake cables are new and original, She used White housings on her bike....the original literature is also in the box. The enclosed Campy hoods are my last set of original shield hoods and have been stored in a cool dry dark place since the late '70's. Only out for these photos. There is some slight pitting on the pad holder wheel guides and a small chip in the anodizing on the left side of the front brake caliper.

I've seen these go for over $1,200 without the box. Here's a theory as to why they have no logo, from this CR List post:

Masi said the brakes were "unnamed" because of a sponsorship conflict between Faema and Universal. Masi said Tullio Campagnolo wanted Merckx to ride his new brakes and Universal agreed only if they were not stamped Campagnolo in large photogenic type. Masi also said that Campagnolo offered to sell the patent to Universal. The folks at Universal declined because they didn't think anyone would pay the high retail price for them, they were about triple the price of Super 68s...

Campagnolo BMX pedals-blue: Sold for $346.96 including shipping.

Campagnolo BMX pedals in blue. New,never used, never mounted.9/16 thread. Comes complete with the original, tattered box. And of course, very, very rare.

My first thought was that these were bound for someone's fixed gear, but as the reader that sent the link to me pointed out, there are serious BMX collectors out there as well.

I recall seeing these pedals on the rare and pricey Cinelli BMX bikes of the early '80s, as seen here (scroll down).

Teledyne Titan Titanium Vintage Road Bicycle 70's Campy

2008-12-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

Sold: $486.67 including shipping.

Likely won by: Manual Bid (more than 10 seconds before auction end).

You are bidding on an original 1970-s era Teledyne Titan Titanium Road bike.

This bike is in very good condition. The seat tube measurement (center to center) is 60cm. The top tube measurement (center to center) is 57cm. The bike has been built with a sweet set of components (see below).

The Teledyne Titan was the first American production Titanium bike. It was manufactured from 1973 - 1976 by the Teledyne Linair Corporation in Gardena, CA. A good website explaining the history is here: http://www.classicrendezvous.com/USA/Teledyne/Teledyne_titan.htm

Here are the components on this bike:

Dura Ace Headset

Campy Nuovo Record Front & Rear Derailleurs

Surgino Mighty Cranks

Surgino Bottom Bracket with Teledyne Ti Spindle

Suntour Superbe Brakes & Levers

Suntour BarEnd Shifters

SR Handlebars

SR Royal Stem

Avocet Post

San Marco Saddle

Sunshine Hubs - Rims Unknown

This seems like a pretty low price for this bike. The winning bid was $424.00 excluding shipping.

I included a few extra pictures to show the various components. There are condition issues, as evidenced by the fraying seat tube decal, but I have always liked that era SR Royal/Four-Sir stuff, as seen in the crest and machine work on the bars and the milled slot in the stem. Then there is those cool factory drillium chainrings on nice early fluted SR crank arms, albeit held on with rusty nuts. Note also that unusual Avocet seatpost, the Campy NR derailleurs and SL pedals, first-gen SunTour Superbe brakes, Teledyne Ti spindle, and the single most valuable component, the Superleggera alloy-railed Concor saddle. If the buyer is parting this out, he'll at least get his money back.

But what if he wants to ride it?

The Classic Rendezvous link in the auction says that the Titan was one of the first production Ti frames. Folklore says that these are fragile, flexible, one-season race weapons that were never meant to last. The seller promises this one is in good shape, but the specter of frame failure probably overrode the exotic nature of the bike, and consequently lowered the selling price. Either that, or we've all been distracted by the holidays and missed a bargain.

There is an exhaustive article on the Teledyne Titan on that CR page that is worth reading.

P.S. A final note on the importance of presentation and photo quaility: I intentionally left out the shot of the full bike. The flash blew it out, and the bike is presented oddly, with bar-ends and awkward bar/seat/wheel proportions in general. I think that it might have actually eroded the selling price as much as stories of cracked Teledynes. Do you think it was the photograph, are these simply odd bikes in a 60cm size, or am I off base here?

Price Porn: Vintage Campagnolo Early 1960s Front Derailleur RARE!

2008-12-17T04:00:00.000-08:00

Sold: $192.28 including shipping

Likely won by: Manual Bid (more than 10 seconds before auction end).

This listing is for a RARE vintage Campagnolo rear derailleur from the early-1960s. This is the 1st Generation parallelogram design with the built-in cable stop. Given its age it is in absolutely amazing condition. The chrome on the cage is virtually perfect; there is no rust, pits or corrosion. Just some very minor marks (on the inside only) from the chain. From 5 feet away it looks brand new.

The minor variants of early Campagnolo Record front derailleurs are numerous. Generally though, the defining characteristics of this derailleur are the above-mentioned cable stop and the lack of a circlip on the upper/outer parallelogram pivot.

While it could be used on any standard bike, the most appropriate frame would have a corresponding braze- or clamp-on cable stop on the downtube near the bottom bracket, and the cable would run through a short section of housing between the two.

As framebuilding fashion veered first towards clamp-on (late 1960s), and then braze-on (mid-70s) bottom bracket cable guides, the vestigial stop was eliminated. The Velo Retro Campy Timeline shows that the circlip was introduced in 1972, but doesn't indicate when the stop disappeared; I suspect it was years earlier.

Somehow, the housing stops on the downtube shifters survived much longer, decades after full-housing derailleur cable runs were common. Anyone know why?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

More on Campy Fronts here.

Recommended Blog: velosvintage

2008-12-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

I came across the velosvintage blog recently and thought I would pass along the link.

The author focuses on team-issue race bikes. Posts are remarkably well-researched and illustrated with period magazine photos and other historical info. It is written in French, but this link will take you to an imperfect Google translation in English. Posting seems to be somewhat erratic, but here's hoping he keeps going.

Photos, top to bottom: a Tout-Mavic 1988 de Gribaldy Team KAS Vitus, Renault-Gitane rider Willy Tierlinck standing next to an on-strike Bernard Hinault (Tierlinck's 1978 Gitane is featured on the blog), and a closeup of the well-worn seat cluster on Serge Perin's 1980 Team Miko Mercier.

EARLY 80's RALEIGH TEAM PRO 59 TRACK SB4121 753 CAMPY

2008-12-15T04:00:00.000-08:00

Not Sold: Buy-It-Now at $1,060 including shipping. Now Relisted and sold at $661.33.

SUPER RARE FRAMESET IN ORIGINAL CONDITION, NO DENTS, SUPER CLEAN INSIDE, MINOR SCRAPES AND PAINT CHIPS, NORMAL FOR A 35 YEAR OLD FRAMESET, JUST A WONDERFULL FRAMESET

COLLECTERS ITEM, MADE IN THE ILKESTON FACTORY FOR PROFESSIONEL TRACK RIDERS

27.0 SEATPOST, ENGLISH BB THREADS, 120 REAR SPACING, FORK HAS HOLE FOR FRONT BRAKE, FORK CROWN IS A ROAD ONE, ORIGINALY THE HOLE WAS FILLED WITH BRASS.

MADE OF SUPER LIGHT 753 TUBING, CAMPY DROPOUTS, WORKMANSHIP IS SUPERBE

Greatest livery of all time? Maybe not, but it's way up there. And how cool does the 753 sticker look against the red seat tube?

TI-Raleigh was Peter Post's powerhouse team of the 1970s and early '80s. They later morphed into Panasonic. Le Grimpeur recently wrote further about TI-Raleigh in this post.

Merckx Week: Eddy Merckx Corsa frame Campy C Record group Cobalto

2008-12-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

Sold: $750 Buy-It-Now, Free Shipping.

The Frame Set is from around 1988-89. The Group is from around 1986-87. I'm the original owner of the complete bike. No denying it, this bicycle has been ridden hard, raced on training rides Tuesday and Thursday nights.

Overall I would rate the bicycle and equipment a 7 out of 10 Here are the particulars of the bicycle: * Eddy Merckx Corsa Frame set: Frame is 61 cm center to center of the seat tube. 62 cm center to top of seat tube. 59cm top tube center to center. I believe the Corsa is a blend of Columbus SL and SP tubing. there is no rifling in the seat tube so I know it is not SLX. (the Columbus sticker is missing) On the bottom brackets shell: non drive side stamped S 10 on the drive side B with 7468. * Fork tips, rear drop outs, and drive side chain stay are chrome. * Though this frame is missing paint here and there it's never been crashed or on dumped on the ground. The C Record groupo: * The groupo came of a Bianchi Mondela frame set that I had raced on in school. The frame, Bianchi, cracked at the bottom bracket, hence the Merckx. * The groupo has been in a fall. The only significant damage was to the brake levers. see photo. * The goupo is complete with front and rear derailleur, friction down tube shifters, C record headset and bottom bracket and crank set. 175mm in lenght. 53x39 chainrings. C record seatpost. * The Brakes are the rare COBALTO, complete with blue jewel, and blue etching on the brake arms. * The brake levers are first generation of areo levers/cable routing. (original brake hoods and top caps on both levers) * Wheel Set: C record hubs front and rear, 32 holed. DT spokes. Mavic MA 40 Rim on the front and a new MA 3 on the rear. (suntour superb freewheel 6 speed. must have purchased on sale...) Bar, Stem and Saddle: * Cinelli handle bar Criterium: 65/42. 42cm wide. * Cinelli stem: 1R areo model with internal wedge * Saddle: San Marcos Rolls, state of the art back in 87. What's missing: * tires and tubes. handlebar tape. * cables and housing. * the crank arm bolts are not original, replaced later during a overhaul. (should be able to purchase on ebay!) * I have the brake blocks and holders, for the front brake, the nuts and washers are missing, as is the cable adjuster. (youre local pro shop will have these) rear brake is complete. * Throw in extra: campy dust cap removal tool for the hubs.

This Buy-It-Now auction ended eleven minutes after it started. That's a strong indicator that this bike was under-priced.

I like the old-style downtube graphic and single color paint scheme on this bike, it has a very purposeful look. With a little effort and minor expense, the buyer will have an unusual, desirable Merckx worth maybe twice what this went for.

The authoritative Merckx Serial Number database is a subsidiary of tearsforgears.com, home of the best Merckx info on the web.

Merckx Week: EDDY MERCKX TRACK TIME TRIAL FRAME CAMPAGNOLO DROPOUTS !! PROTOTYPE !!

2008-12-11T04:00:00.000-08:00

Sold: $790 including shipping.

!! only one frame of this type exists worldwide !!

DARK BLUE COLOR
600c FRONTWHEEL 24"
700c REARWHEEL 28"

from the 90s. the frame is in good condition with few chips. this frame was special produced by eddy merckx for a pro race driver. the saddle tube is very special at the top with an extension and two seat bolts. it was made for more stability for a large driver.

The double seat binder is really odd; I wonder what they were trying to solve with this solution.

We're a long way from this time trial bike here.

Merckx Week: 1969 Masi Faema Colors Eddy Merckx Replica

2008-12-10T04:00:00.000-08:00

Please pardon this shameless re-blogging...

Although I just saw it, Sexy Race Bikes wrote about this amazing bike last month, saying:

Alberto Masi built this frame with original left-overs from the back of the Vigorelli shop in 2008. Note the cut-out chain stays.

Noted! Click the pictures or see the original post for more and larger photos.

Where have we seen those chainstays before?

Merckx Week: Young Axel Merckx's Personal Framesets

2008-12-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

Merckx week continues with two framesets reported to have belonged to an amateur Axel Merckx:

c1984 MERCKX FRAME SET 48cm =nice= Axel's bike?: Sold, $626 including shipping.

Merckx Road Frame Set Dating from ca. 1984

AXEL is stamped on the bottom bracket

Is this Axel Merckx' bike when he was 12 years old??? I bought this bike in Belgium. Columbus tubing Chromed front forks Nicely pantographed Little signs of use; visible in the photos

Height: 48cm (19 inch) center-center
Top tube length: 50cm (19.70 inch) center-center

On Nov-24-08 at 08:44:52 PST, seller added the following information:

As someone told me very kindly this frame set is older than 1984.

The name script on the seat stays and fork crown dates it as ca.1980. The shifter cable routing above the BB dates it as pre-1983. It must have been resprayed and fitted with later transfers.

I've asked Axel Merckx if he can remember this bike ! I'll keep you informed.

Nov-26-08:
Q: have you heard from Axel? concering the frame
A: No, not yet. It's 3 days ago now that I sent him a message...

EDDY MERCKX PROFESSIONAL 7-ELEVEN TEAM FRAME SIZE 63: Sold, $858 including shipping.

EDDY MERCKX PROFESSIONAL 7 - ELEVEN TEAM

SEAT TUBE C/C =63 cm
TOP TUBE C/C = 56 cm

OVERALL CONDITION IS STILL VERY GOOD, BUT THERE IS SOME DAMAGE ON THE TOP OF THE SEAT TUBE NEAR THE REYNOLDS DECAL - SEE PICTURE. THIS BICYCLE WAS SPECIALY MADE FOR AXEL MERCKX - THIS IS A ONE OF A KIND BICYCLE ! AS MERCKX ONLY MADE 1 OF THESE, THIS IS AN EXTREME HARD TO FIND COLLECTORS ITEM !!!!!

Nov-21-08:

Q: As an owner of 7 Merckx frames and bikes dating back to 1985 I was wondering when Axel Merckx actually used this bike. In 1989 he was only 17 and did not turn pro until 1993 ( Motorola) he was never a member of 7-eleven. Besides the old books and brochures I have on Merckx frames show the team issue bikes to have chromed seat and chain stays. This is a differat color scheme, though the serial number indicates this bike was made in 1989. Please provide more info please.

A: hello, THIS IS THE STORY OF THE FRAME : we bought this frame a few years ago. the previous owner (a MERCKX dealer) told us that the frame had belonged to AXEL MERCKX. as it is a large frame, that could be possible. so I sent an email with some pictures and the BB number, to the MERCKX factory to ask them if this was true. a few days later they answered : 'de patron' as EDDY is called by his mechanics, confirmed that this frame was made for his son AXEL ! he also confirmed that the bicycle was still 100 % original !!!!. it is, as you say, true that AXEL never was a member of the 7-eleven team. he only used this bicycle for training. he also confirmed that the bicycle was sold after some time to a MERCKX dealer. THE SAME DEALER FROM WHOM WE BOUGHT THE FRAME !!! As I say in the description : this is a bicycle that was specialy made for AXEL : a one of a kind !!!!! A PRESENT FROM THE GREATEST TO HIS SON !!! normaly they did not use Reynolds tubes but Colombus. also the fork was normaly chromed. I can send you the MERCKX email, but of course it is in dutch. Hope I answered your question well. thanks for visiting my auction and thanks for asking. Kind regards, Karl

Axel would have been about 8 years old when the first frame was built, so the size could be right. I was surprised by the radically short top tube on the later bike. 63x56 is a very strange combination. Maybe his proportions evened out as he grew up.

Can't know for sure, but I don't think that the Axel provenance really impacted the selling price of these frames much. A 753 Merckx in 7-11 colors is a valuable frame, and 48's are hard to find. These are riders, not wall hangers, with a little bit of cool history thrown in.

Merckx Week: EDDY MERCKX DECAL / STICKER - NOS - NIP

2008-12-08T04:00:00.000-08:00

For no particular reason, I'm going with an Eddy Merckx theme this week. Let's start off easy.

Seller zairebunia has several vintage Eddy stickers up right now.

NOS - NIP EDDY MERCKX DECAL / STICKER DIMENSIONS : 8 X 15.5 cm

DATES BACK TO THE 70's. THESE ARE ORIGINAL DECALS - NO REPRODUCTION! IN THIS NEW CONDITION RARE AND HARD TO FIND COLLECTORS ITEM OF THE GREATEST BICYCLE RACER EVER : WINNER OF: 5 X TOUR DE FRANCE - 5 X GIRO - 4 X WORLD CHAMPION - 524 VICTORIES ON THE ROAD !!!!

Buy-It-Now: $9.12 including shipping.

Buy-It-Now: $7.85 including shipping.

Buy-It-Now: $9.75 including shipping.

Vintage Cinelli Milano Leather Wrapped Handlebar Stem Almarc

2008-12-05T04:00:00.001-08:00

Sold: $281.50 including shipping.

Cinelli Milano old logo handlebar and stem,Almarc leather wrapped from the 70`s

handlebar Mod.Campione del Mondo 42cm center-center with black Almarc leather

stem Cinelli Milano 1R 120 mm 1"

Campagnolo Super Record brake levers,brown hoods with world logo

handlebar and stem in good condition,leather with scratches,brake lever hoods porously

I've always really liked the whipstitch detail on these sets.

It's rare to see the Almarc sets in this larger size, with a 120mm stem and a 42cm bar.

The globe-logo lever hoods look to be in reasonable shape. The 1R stem bears the old logos and the pre-"flying C" black button; the bars have the matching-era crest logos. All these details are correct for a mid-'70s bike.

A strong price but this is a well-matched and desirable set.

These Almarc sets were originally sold without the lever bodies and hoods, just the studs onto which the levers mount. Later, in the early '80s, Cinelli sold leather-wrapped bar sets under their own "VIP" line in numerous colors and finishes. VIP sets included a matching saddle and tubular bag, according to 43 Bikes' Cinelli Timeline.

Sidi Touring Road Bike Cycling Shoe Black Sz 36 New NIB

2008-12-04T04:00:00.000-08:00

Available via Buy-It-Now: $54.98 including shipping

You are bidding on a Brand New Pair of Size 36 Sidi Touring Road Bike shoes. These road shoes are Black in color. This leather touring shoe is a lace up and can't be beat for the money.

Why doesn't Sidi (or somebody, please!) make a enthusiast's cycling shoe that's this good looking anymore?

More practical than the new Vans Fixed Gear shoe, and more civilized than an MTB shoe, you could put these on the rack at Barney's and sell a ton of them. Squint and they're Prada!

Meanwhile, does anyone have a foot shrinker?

Vintage Wilier Triestina Road and Track Bicycles in Copper Cromovelato

2008-12-03T11:30:00.000-08:00

Two Copper Wiliers were recently listed by the same seller. While not explicitly stated, they appear to be a matched set.

vintage WILIER copper plated bike full panto campagnolo: Sold at $1,495 including shipping

Likely won by: Manual Bid (winning bid more than 10 seconds before auction end)

Size is 54x55 ctc.Low reserve. Find a minute to check more pix here.

http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/v/bees/wilier+road/

Thanx for checkin back!Let me apologize for the pix! Usually i have some nice and crisp sets of pix to show the bikes im selling, but unfortunately,no sunny days here at the moment,so i had to go for indoor shooting.Lemme say that this kind of pix don't do the bike any justice! the dark area behind me makes the copper plating looking much darker,but believe me that bikes looks way better in person! Bike sports a full panto campagnolo gruppo with black accents on the various components. Low mileage and use,are a couple of extra reasons to go for this bike, if you have been looking for one. There are signs of wear on the bar,around the clamp area and minor scratches here and there around the frame, but otherwise the bike is in perfect working conditions.Yes, you wanna take it apart,and regrease, lube and clean the whole thing the way it suit you the most. Ill let the pix do the talking, as they show the good and the bad of the bike.

RARE vintage WILIER copper plated track bike campagnolo: Reserve Not Met at $1,318 including shipping.

Size appears to be 52x52 ctc.Low reserve.Find a minute to check more pix here.

http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/v/bees/wiliertrack/

here you have the chance to bid on a pretty much unused wilier track bike.The previous owner,bought it to use it inside the velodrome that was inside the PALAZZETTO DELLO SPORT in Milano.Unfortunately,the building,during the1983 snowstorm(if i recall it correctly)imploded under the weight of the snow,destroying everything inside,velodrome included.That why bike went unridden,it has been used,for few laps around the track,and that was it.As you can see in the pix,it still has a good layer of dust!Bike is fully equipped with campagnolo parts,TTT stem and cinelli bars.The standover height is 78.5 and size is 52x52 ctc.Place this under the sun or at any velodrome,and you will be sure that head will be turning.Make sure to check the link above for more details.and dont hesitate to get in touch with me,if you need more infos! Reasonable reserve! Last one sold for 2 grands, my reserve is well below that!Good luck!

The final photograph comes from The Racing Bicycle site. The 1986 Wilier in that collection is stunning; click here for more photos. The site introduces Wilier as follows:

One of the best known names in Italian cycling, Wilier was founded in 1906 by Pietro Dal Molin. Following WWII Wilier formed a professional cycling team led by Giordano Cottur of Trieste. In 1945, the name of the brand was changed to Wilier Triestina, and the distinctive copper colored finish became a trademark of Wilier Triestina. The great Italian cyclist Fiorenzo Magni won the 1948 Giro d’Italia upon a Wilier Triestina , followed by other notable wins for the team in 1949 and 1950. In 1952 the factory ended production and left competitive cycling, however the Wilier Triestina marque was reconstituted in 1969 and once again entered the world of competitive cycling. In 1985 and 1986 Claudio Corti won the Italian national championships, riding one of the most beautiful racing bicycles ever to grace the pelotons of professional cycling.

As stated above, the brand's vintage bikes are strongly associated with their beautiful copper laquer over chrome finish, known as cromovelato, also discussed in this post. Owners of cromovelato bikes may be interested in this recent post on the Classic Rendezvous list:

The closest I came to acceptable touchup to chromovelato Raleigh was using "Orange Anodize" Dupli-Color Metalcast from Kragen, Checker, etc. Different color of same stuff was not quite as good for Vent Noir smokey chromo but I needed more time to experiment. Use very thin light coats til best match then rubout to blend. Avoid runs/sags as they are very noticeable. Mask or use fine brush for small areas such as chips and scratches.

More Wilier information and photos of a 1930's Wilier are on the Classic Rendezvous site.

As of last year at least, Wilier was the team bike for the Lampre pro squad, but sadly the current bikes are fairly generic modern offerings. I guess you can't chrome carbon...

Price Porn: " CAMPAGNOLO " double shifters "bronze" 1950's..!

2008-11-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

Sold: $1,282 including shipping

Three bidders at $1,000 or higher. Likely won by: Snipe (winning bid within 5 seconds of auction end)

rare! 1st model, double shifters "bronze" 1950's! used, good condition!

An anonymous reader was kind enough to email me about these shifters.

Confessing my lack of knowledge about this era of Campagnolo production, the reader further wrote that these are early, but not the earliest version of the Campy shifter. Apparently there was a "twin band" version that predates these.

I looked at a couple of web resources and couldn't find an example of the twin band shifters, but still enjoyed visiting these great sites for photos and info on early Campag shifters:

Early Campy Shifter Gallery at Velostuff

Early Shifters at Hi Campy

Does anyone have any info about the elusive "twin band" shifters? Or maybe you saw an interesting auction and have something to say about it? Let us know! Email velosniper@gmail.com

>>>>>

Update 12/04: Jeremy posted links to photographs of twin band shifters in the comments to this post.

Bruce Gordon Becomes an eBay Seller

2008-11-27T04:00:00.000-08:00

Legendary framebuilder Bruce Gordon recently became a seller on eBay, under the name sonomastuff.

A look at his recently completed auctions shows he has listed a number of framebuilding parts as you might expect, as well as these lovely and rare stickers. I'm particularly drawn to that blue Columbus sticker - anyone know what that signifies?

Someone with Bruce's history in the cycling industry is bound to have collected some interesting stuff along the way, so you might want to add him to your favorite sellers.

The seat cluster detail shot below is from Bruce's astounding "Best Lugs" and "Best Road" NAHBS 2008 award-winning bike, found here on his site. More pictures of his work can be found in his gallery.

Mavic Mektronic NEW Complete Set Original Vintage

2008-11-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

Sold: $415.46 including shipping.

Likely won by: Manual Bid (winning bid more than 10 seconds before auction end)

Mavic Mektronic - Wireless Electronic Transmission Grouppo. New in original boxes, includes everything. All parts still sealed in original plastic wrap. Comes with all manuals, stickers, etc.

With Di2, Shimano's electronic shifting system on it's way, and with pricing rumored to be in the (correction) $4,800 range, maybe it's time to have a look at Mavic's Mektronic system.

My experience with Mektronic is limited to a brief parking lot spin, but there are numerous reviews of the system online. The general theme seems to match the thoughts of one Mark McM on RoadBikeReview forum:

That Mavic group was ahead of it's time. Great idea, poor execution. It was known for being tempermental and heavy. It was the last full group Mavic made, and has the been the example for Shimano and Campy of how not to make an electronic grouppo... Mektronic was of course Mavic's second electronic group. Their original Zap system probably lasted slightly longer than Mektronic - but that's not saying much, as both rapidly disappeared after their initial fanfare. Mektronic supposedly fixed the problems with the Zap system (and there were many), but it really only replaced a few of the original problems with new and different problems. And even after two rounds of at electronic shifting were put on the market, we never did figure out why it was needed or wanted in the first place.

This is in sharp contrast to the glowing reviews coming out about Di2, including one from Belgian Knee Warmers:

I’m going to cut to the chase: Di2 rocks. The shifting is simply the fastest I’ve ever experienced, faster, I dare say, than I would have imagined possible. While rear derailleur upshifts aren’t much faster than current Dura-Ace, the front derailleur upshifts are honestly smoother and faster than I thought possible, even when out-of-the-saddle and stomping the pedals in a Tom Boonen-goes-bye-bye effort. The automatic front derailleur trim function is another neat touch. Even if electronic shifting is an answer to an unasked question, a front derailleur that needs no trimming is something we have all fantasized about at some point.

Ok, so Mektronic isn't ready for Boonen, but it's still interesting and affordable, and has a very striking "high tech" appearance.

More discussion of Di2 at Velocipede Salon, including a link to a detailed review on Bike Radar.

Stronglight bottom bracket OEM for old school DG

2008-11-25T04:00:00.000-08:00

Sold: $44.95 including shipping

Likely won by: Snipe (winning bid within 10 seconds of auction end)

My snipe: $20-ish

Almost like new Stronglight Euro BB. I believe these came stock with the DG Super Pro and perhaps the Californian. Still can read all the logos on the plastic housing and aluminum outside washers.

Made in France. Bearings are sealed.

Q: What thread?
A: I have no idea. It came on a 1978 DG Super Pro. OK on the aluminum it says "Stronglight Competition France 37x24" Hope that helps.

I threw in a low-ball snipe, but someone really scored here even at the selling price. If it had been listed as a vintage track bottom bracket it might have sold for twice this amount, given the alloy cups, sealed bearings, and cool brand.

I occasionally see Edco headsets, nice single-ring Sugino cranksets, and other road or track parts that were cross-marketed listed among the BMX stuff, and I wonder why the fixed gear folks aren't bidding for them.

In case you're wondering, "Euro" is '80s BMX-speak for an english cotterless bottom bracket.

1/43 Norev Mavic Support Motorcycliste Tour de France

2008-11-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

Sold: $45.84 including shipping

Likely won by: Manual Bid (multiple bids by winning bidder near auction end)

An Extremely Rare Norev 1/43 Mavic Support Rider and Passenger in Mint condition, Passenger is carrying the information Board. This is a super rare item

Seller coy99d1949 has listed quite a few Tour de France collectibles lately, and has a few more up for auction now.

Several went for less than this chalkboard moto duo, but I have a fantasy that one day ASO will let me hold the board, so I posted this one.

Mystery Delta Calipers

2008-11-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

Sold: $115.49 including shipping

This is an extremely cool set of road brake calipers from an unknown maker. Very similar to Campagnolo Delta calipers. Very clean and in excellent condition. Brand new Shimano 105 (M50/T) brake pads. I bought them used for a project bike that never got off the ground, so I never actually used them myself.

Bikieray has a page with photos of the best-known delta-type calipers, but that resource was no help with these mysterious brakes.

Anyone have any insight as to who made these?

The selling price reminds us that rare and valuable are two different things...

CINELLI vintage RARE model stem

2008-11-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

Sold: $109.40 including shipping.

Italian made. Cinelli in 26.4/100. This is a very rare model. Not manufactured for long. Colored bits can be interchanged.

The best Cinelli timeline I've found on the web is here at 43Bikes. Mookie hasn't been posting on his blog lately, but the site is certainly a labor of love and worth exploring in great detail.

But this stem isn't included in his timeline. A few minutes on Google Images brought me to a Classic Rendezvous page which ID'd it as a Cinelli XR. Unfortunately, there is no detail about this stem other than that it was "short lived."

From all appearances, it looks like an XA and a 1R mated - the smooth appearance of the 1R, and the rubber insert split of the XA combined in one stem. While I haven't had much trouble with them, many people don't like the wedge clamping device in the 1R, so maybe this was a stop-gap design between the two models?

If I had to guess, I'd say that the XR probably dates from the late 1980s, since it's 26.4mm at the bar, a spec that Cinelli phased out by 1990. Does anyone have further information? Leave a comment and I'll update this post with it.

Update: Jeremy left a comment saying:

There are a few references in the CR archives (link here) to it appearing in ads from 1986. I think you're right that it was the transition model between the 1A and the XA, which came around in '88ish.

I wouldn't think a horizontal cut like that would stand up so well to the perpendicular twisting forces of a bar, but I'm not a mechanical engineer...though one has to wonder if anyone at Cinelli was either. :)

Trend Report: High Flange Hubs - Campagnolo Record and Nuovo Tipo

2008-11-19T04:00:00.000-08:00

Campagnolo Nuovo Record Large Flange Hubs British 36H: Sold at $337.85 including shipping.

My snipe: n/a

Listed is a set of Campagnolo Nuovo Record large flange hubs that are in excellent condition. These are for 120mm rear and for British threaded freewheel. The spoke holes are in beautiful condition. Skewers hardware has such pretty chrome. These 36H spoked hubs are about as pretty as one would find, short of NOS.

Vintage Campagnolo Hub Set- 120mm spacing for freewheel: Sold at $83 including shipping.

My snipe: $60-ish

This is a classic set of high flange Campy hubs. Known as Nuovo Tipo, they are meant for 120mm spacing, the rear is a freewheel compatible model, not for use with track cogs. As you can see there is some normal wear and spoke hole deformation. They have nice patina which I have chosen not to polish out, it would be a simple matter of a few minutes with a polishing wheel to get them to shine. The bearings are remarkably smooth. The threads on the axles are in good shape. The Hubset comes with the original Quick Releases. Unfortunately the Rear QR is missing a tiny circlip, which is why there is a twist-tie holing the lever in place. This should be easy to find at a hardware store. All four original springs are also included.

From what I've non-scientifically observed on rides and on the internet over the past couple of years, the popularity of high-flange hubs has been on the rise. Is it trickle-down from the track/fixed scene?

I think the selling price of these record hubs leaves the trend for multi-speed high flanges in no doubt. These were $100-125 parts, even with the correct flat-arm skewers, just a year or so ago.

The Tipo's surprised me as well. Introduced in 1967, these were a cheaper alternative to the range-topping Record model. Thinking the round holes would complement some drillium on an early '70s bike I'm building, I thought I was safe at $60-ish, especially since the QR cam body on the hub in the foreground is incorrect, but that was not the case.

It's worth remembering that Campy hub bodies are not anodized and easily take a polish. Sellers, polish your hubs, and buyers, don't be too dissuaded by dull aluminum, you might score a bargain. The seller of the Record hubs did a fine job presenting his, but does anyone have any other theories to explain the selling price?

Campagnolo #736 Saddle Alignment Tool - RARE

2008-11-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

Sold: $417.50 including shipping

Campagnolo tool #736. RARE, saddle alignment tool.

The gorgeous photo-illustration above is from the 1974 Campagnolo catalog, available as a .pdf at here at campyonly.com. The catalog text describes tool 736 as:

Alignment to maintain in position the saddle when replacing the seat pin and the pin

Couldn't have said it better myself.

The page with the illustration lists indicates that this tool was not included in even the full professional tool kit. These must be rare items; only the most PRO of mechanics would have needed one. I think I'll rig up something similar next time I need to replace "the seat pin and the pin."

>>>>>>>>>>>

Welcome Velocipede Salonistas! Have a look around.

Price Porn: 1952 TA Pedals, for Rene Herse, Alex Singer, NO RESERVE

2008-11-17T04:00:00.000-08:00

Sold: $1,550 including shipping

TA Pedals

First generation, rare TA pedals. Good condition. I have to sell these pedals from my collection to finance Vintage Bicycle Press' new book project The Competition Bicycle - A Photographic History

http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com/CompetitionBook.html

Introduced in 1952, these pedals featured cartridge bearings (balls on outside, rollers on inside). Very expensive when new, few were sold in the short time they were available. Used by the best bikes from the most expensive French constructeurs, such as René Herse, see the cover of the book The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles

http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com/goldenage.html

The auction had 3 bidders at $1,400 or above.

Speedplay's amazing Online Pedal Museum features these pedals (and about every other pedal you can imagine), saying:

TA Pedal (First Generation) 1949, France

First generation TA pedals are considered the "Holy Grail" of vintage pedals by seasoned collectors. These pedals are so rare that if you are lucky enough to find them you should be prepared to pay thousands of dollars for them. They feature a cartridge bearing on the outside, a needle bearing on the inside and can be greased through the dustcap. Both the body and cage are made of alloy. The first generation TA pedal can be identified by the four nuts used to attach the quill and no toe strap guide-pin on the the inside of the quill.

Joel Metz, unsurprisingly, has a great page about the TA pedals here, where he provides background on their evolution up to the present day. The last photo of a more recent model is from his page.

Velo Orange blogged about and used to carry the modern TA pedal, but apparently they are out of stock as of this post.

Some Interesting NOS Groups: Suntour Superbe Pro; Miche Leader; NIB Campagnolo Super Record

2008-11-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

I'll let these speak for themselves. Click the links to see the auctions and more photos.

Complete Campagnolo Super Record vintage group set NIB: Sold at $2,412 including shipping.

collectors item ! very rare!
CAMPAGNOLO Super Record Group set
new in the box ! with 3ttt handlebar and stem (refined with a sewned up leather ribbon)

super-record crank set: length 170 mm chainrings 42/54
super-record brake calipers: 39-43 mm short reach
super-record levers (rubbers are smouth and softly. with "world" logo on the rubber hoods)
super-record bottom bracket with titan axle. length 114 mm Italian threadings 36 X 24
super-record head set with alloy cups: Italian threadings
super-record pedals with titan axles
super-record alloy pedal clips. clip size M (since the group set came without clips once i added a pair of my own, one time mounted on a show bike)
Alferdo Binda leather straps
super-record seat post diameter 27.2 mm
super-record front derailleur: brazed on version
super-record rear derailleur with titan bolts
super-record shifters: very rare special edition! refined and chrome plated by ICS (italcicli system)
record hub set: rare hig flange version! 32 spoke holes (Flange threading Ital. 35x24)
super-record alloy free-wheel: 13-14-15-16-17-18 (special light weight version!)
Regina Extra "Record" chain. (special light weight version with drilled holes!)
3ttt handlebar & stem: size 42 c-c / stem length 120mm
Campagnolo seat bolt

Vintage Miche leader gruppo, road, Italy, new, rare: Not sold at $415 including shipping.

Vintage MICHE LEADER gruppo, ( GROUP ); new in box, the box is a little deteriorated because time. This gruppo includes: crankset with BB, pedals with hardware, 36 holes hubs, front and rear, seat post and seat post bolt, headset. This is a beautiful white gruppo, rare.

Suntour Superbe Pro 7 Speed Groupo NEW & SUPER RARE: No bids at $1,200.

Here is an extremely rare and impossible to find Suntour Superbe Pro groupset in brand new condition. This set of componets have never been mounted or installed and there are no dents or scratch on the surfaces of the componets. Suntour Superbe Pro was one of the top of line bike componets during the 80s and they were favorited by many riders and even racers. Some would say that they are even more superior as compare to Shimano Dura Ace and equally in quality and precision as to Campagnolo Super Record and later C Record. Here are the parts that are included in the grouppo.

1. 1 inch threaded headset
2. Aero style brake levers & hidden spring road caliper brakes.
3. Downtube friction shifters
4. 27.2mm alloy seatpost
5. 28.6mm clamp-on front derailleur
6. English thread bottom bracket
7. 170mm 52/43 double crankset
8. Toe clip style pedals
8. Brand new Suntour Superbe chain in the box
9. Short cage rear derailleur
10. 7 speed 13/21 ratio freewheel
11. 100mm/126mm 32 hole low flange freewheel hubset with original skewers

SUPER-DRILLIUM CAMPAGNOLO BRAKE LEVERS VINTAGE RARE

2008-11-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

Sold: $189.65 including shipping

Campagnolo Super Record brake levers with custom drillium, slotting, polishing and enamel. First item completed while here on duty in Afghanistan and now available. These are the perfect finishing touch for your drillium-equipped retro ride. Disclaimer: THESE ARE FOR SHOW ONLY! Item was shipped from Afghanistan to my wife in Oak Harbor, Washington and she is now in receipt of the item. The item will ship from my normal home address.

Several months ago, after offering a number of interesting hand-modified parts over a few months, this seller posted some drillium Campy shift levers. In the text of that auction he said that it would be his last for a while as he would soon be deployed to Afganistan.

I was happy to see him return to eBay with these brake levers. Earlier this week, the seller added a link in the auction to Campy Only, who has set up a page about the seller:

November 7, 2008--You never know where you'll find a Campy fan! Today's case in point: US Navy Chief Petty Officer Jeffrey Rumbold, currently stationed with the US Army in Afghanistan. Jeffrey took his Dremel tools with him and, in his off hours, engages in his hobby of recreating "drillium" parts from the 1980s. Here are photos of his work, which is often available on eBay. (Look for his seller id: colnagomanwa).

Pretty cool way to fill the down-time. I'm sure we all wish Jeffrey a safe return, and I look forward to seeing more of his work.

Campy Only says 1980s, but that's probably just a typo; the 1970s were the heyday for drillium parts. Jeremy Rauch posted about drillium here, and provides links to several very interesting period articles about these artfully-modified parts.

Chuck Schmidt has a page here detailing his 1975 Peter Johnson, and the Frank Spivey drillium parts on it. An extraordinary bike, well worth checking out.

Modern Team Bikes For Sale

2008-11-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

I'm a sucker for genuine team bikes. Modern or old, I dig them. They are both historical artifacts and useful tools, and they are often surprisingly affordable, at least compared to equivalent relics from other sports. Priced a Formula 1 car lately?

A couple of pro bikes have come up lately that I found interesting.

Linus Gerdemann won a stage and took the yellow jersey in the 2007 Tour de France, a clean highlight in a race otherwise tainted by the likes of Vinokourov and Rasmussen. One of his T-Mobile Giant Team frames from that season recently sold on eBay for $1,530 including shipping:

This is a used 2008 Giant TCR Advanced ISP Team Frame. Used by 2007 Tour De France Stage Winner Linus Gerdemann. Saddle height will go up to 77cm with the included shims. Steerer is cut to 20cm. So you can put about 5-10mm on spacing under your stem. Frame is in good condition. Some normal wear and tear on frame. Some small scratches, but this frame is fully functional and ready to be ridden. I would rate this frame an 8 out of 10. Also you can tell this was a team frame because of "die mannshaft" and "SRM" stickers on frame. No other teams used this decal. THIS IS A ONE OF KIND PURCHASE. OWN A PIECE OF THE 2007 TMOBILE TEAM.

With its long integrated seat mast and short steerer, the pool of buyers would likely be limited to the young and flexible, or those with a burning desire for a cool wall-hanger.

Another interesting pro-ridden bike has been for sale for four weeks but hasn't sold. Justin Spinelli advertised his podium-scoring KBS/Medifast Team LeMond on velocipedesalon.com at $1,500 but has had no takers:

I'm selling my Team Issue Lemond Triomphe Carbon 55cm with Red/Rival and Bontrager X-Lite bits. 175mm RED cranks, everything else Rival including brakes. 40cm c-c bars, 130 -17 stem, white SLR saddle. Never crashed. This is a quality monocoque carbon frame... much nicer than your average, run of the mill import. This is the bike I rode to 2nd overall at the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic and to victory at the Yarmouth Clam Festival. Wheels not included. Many pics in the archives here: www.sveltecycles.blogspot.com
$1,500 plus all shipping and paypal fees.

I'm surprised this hasn't sold. Justin has an impressive palmares; he's ridden the Giro and raced Worlds, twice (not to mention the Yarmouth Clam Festival - what a great name for a race!). I'd think even without the association with Justin the bike would go for something close to his asking price on eBay. Maybe the controversies surrounding of Mr. LeMond over the past few years have lowered the desirability of the bikes that bear his name, or perhaps green isn't the hip color this season?

As an aside, I agree with chatter I've heard lately that the last alloy Rival group will be collectible in the future, as the mainstream goes carbon; now's the time to buy. It's already happened with the last alloy Chorus group, which is getting pricier and harder to find.

TEAM CYCLING JERSEY CLASSIC RACING COLLECTION LOT OF 14

2008-11-11T04:00:00.000-08:00

Reserve Not Met at $101.01

A close friend has retired from the bike racing world and is selling his private jersey collection. All are in fine condition except one which has broken zipper. Most are from the European racing team circuit. There is no reserve price for this auction. 14 jerseys total count, sized 4 and 5. Of the fourteen jerseys, seven are wool and seven are nylon.

>>>>>>>>

The terms of the auction have been revised to a reserve price stature of 275.00 or approximately $19.50 per jersey. The owner has specified that 4/5 and 5/5 are the European medium to large and that he wears a 42 jacket size.

Some really lovely and rare jerseys.

I'd guess the total value of these auctioned separately would be somewhere above $500. Too bad the seller didn't present them better. I think most people that buy vintage jerseys want to wear them, and therefore want specific measurements of what they are bidding on.

Price Porn: Colnago Pantographed 6 pin Crankset, 1980's, RARE, NR

2008-11-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

Sold: $531 including shipping

Attention vintage Colnago collectors. Here is one of the great Colnago rarities. It is a six pin pantographed crank set in 170 mm length. These were made by Ambrosio. Gearing is 53x36!! Bolt circle diameter is 120 mm. Don't ask me where you will find extra rings! I bought these new in the early 1980's and they were used on a Colnago Super. These cranks will work fine with a Campagnolo bottom bracket or any other Campy taper bottom bracket with a 115 mm or so length. The condition is very good. The cranks could use a good polishing. The rings are in very good condition. Plenty of miles left. The paint in the engraving is decent condition but could be easily redone for your Colnago show bike.

The last photo is from flickr user GTS753, who is apparently lucky enough to own two of these cranks; his 42/52 version can be seen here.

Campy Oldy claims that only a couple were made but that seems unlikely. Still, they are indisputably rare, and given the desirability of any Colnago panto parts, maybe this isn't such a huge price. Better photos would likely have boosted the price and conveyed more about the condition.

I couldn't find evidence that Ambrosio made a non-Colnago version. Has anyone seen one?

1972 COLNAGO SUPER 58 c-c, w/ Campagnolo Cinelli Regina

2008-11-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

Reserve Not Met at $3,920

Another stunner from Ray Dobbins.

1962 Cinelli Model B, Full Altenburger

2008-11-06T07:52:00.000-08:00

Sold: $1,126.95 Including shipping

My snipe: n/a

Altenburger components were manufactured in Germany and are pretty rare in the states. The rear derailleur is probably the most interesting part. Like the Nivex of the late 1930's, rather than being suspended from the rear dropout, the parallelogram is horizontal, under the driveside chainstay.

This frame appears to have been specially made for this derailleur, based on those unusual dropouts. That would make this bike extremely rare.

The horizontal parallelogram concept re-emerged in 1993 with Suntour's S1. It didn't achieve much traction in the market.

Disraeli Gears has a good page on Altenburger here.

New Nitto Fixie Bars

2008-11-05T04:00:00.000-08:00

Available here.

Barrie Bloor points to these Nitto bars on the Brick Lane Bikes site. They say:

We saw these at InterBike in Las Vegas last month – and couldn’t help but bring them back with us. They’re a limited edition collaboration with EAI – who also make the nicest track sprockets we’ve ever seen. They’ve got a solid feel to them, a little extra weight and beautifully finished blunt ends.

I would love to see Nitto make a drop bar like this.

Bar plugs (except my beloved Velox) are a pain. Most people wrap bar tape from the end up to the stem these days, so there's no need for a plug to hold the tape in place. Ends like this would be a cleaner solution.

Velox Jantex Sew-up tire repair kit NOS tubular road

2008-11-04T04:00:00.000-08:00

Not Sold at $24 including shipping

There was a time when people fixed things rather than throwing them away, and this kit is a beautiful reminder of that era. The shape, color and graphics of this simple little kit are amazing. Sadly, this one is missing the needle, but for a few dollars more the seller has complete kits.

Tubular repair is not a dead skill. Dave Moulton shows how to fix a flat here, or you can take the easy way out and send your tire and $20 to Tire Alert. But then you won't get to use this lovely repair kit. Maybe it's best to save it anyway.

Gios Compact Record frame and fork 57cm Columbus SL

2008-11-03T05:00:00.001-08:00

Sold: $630 including shipping

While the DeVlaeminck-livery and "Coin-in-Crown" Gios frames will always be the gold standard for the brand, the Compact features some neat aggressive details and has a style of its own.

Originally released around 1986, the Gios Compact's distinguishing feature is its adjustable rear dropout. While doubtful that any users regularly used this feature to tune the ride of their bikes, it's still kind of a cool idea.

This example has been repainted, and features additional aftermarket chrome on the seatstays.

Excel Sports still has these frames new for $1295 including fork.

cycleartist has a 63cm 40th anniversary model on eBay at $605 B-I-N including shipping.

Razesa Custom Racing Bike w/ extra wheels

2008-10-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

Sold: $397 Including Shipping.

My Snipe: $225-ish

Item Description:
You are bidding on: ONE (1) Razesa Custom Racing Bike with extra wheels
BRAND / MANUFACTURER: Razesa
NEW or USED : USED
INCLUDES:
campagnolo dropouts
dura ace index shifting
dura ace hubs
dura ace front/rear de-railers
campagnolo fluted seat post
triple t stem
campagnolo headset
columbus tubing
royal grand compe 400 Sidepole brakes
Cinelli Front Fork
Razesa Frame
Look Quick Release Pedals
Setup as 12 Speed
CONDITION: Good!

Razesa is a Spanish manufacturer. This example probably dates from about 1986.

The company had close ties to Zeus, the best-known Spanish component manufacturer. While not equipped with Zeus parts, which are very collectible, this bike does have some interesting features, and the buyer got a good deal.

The finish is known as Cromovelato, a colored translucent lacquer applied over a fully-chromed frame. It appears to have held up fairly well. I like the yellow graphics against that blue.

What really got my attention was the white "Mavic" logo on the rims, a giveaway that this bike is equipped with Mavic SSC rims. These were the top of the line offering from Mavic in the '70s and early '80s, meant for cobbled races like Paris-Roubaix. Expensive in their day, these now go for high prices on eBay; an NOS grey pair sold for over $300 last week.

This thread on Serotta forums explains the finer points of the SSC rim's evolution, while Velo-Retro's mavic timeline tells us that the blue version was introduced in 1971, and the grey "Paris Roubaix" version in 1975. The page above is from the 1984/1985 Mavic catalog at the Bicycle Info Project site, and shows that the blue rim at 20mm is slightly narrower than the grey version.

Unfortunately, this pair shows brake wear, and there are condition and cleanliness issues with the bike overall. Still, given the SSC rims, extra wheels, and the Dura Ace and Campy components, this bike's selling price is well under its combined parts value.

I'm leery of bikes listed by eBay drop-off services. Bikes I've purchased have suffered due to poor packing and seller's lack of knowledge of how parts are meant to come apart. These problems aren't exclusive to drop-offs, but I encourage you to ask very detailed questions about how any bike you win from one of these places will be dismantled, packed and shipped.

Le Cycliste Magazines

2008-10-30T05:00:00.002-07:00

Seller rhclassics recently sold a number of lots of the French magazine Le Cycliste.

Fair to good condition, great mags full of photos, Rebour drawings, publicity for Maxi-Car, René Herse, Idéale saddles, cyclotouring expeditions, etc.

The results of these sales can be seen here.

I was surprised by the relatively low selling prices of these magazines. Some went for just a couple of dollars each. I suppose the fact that they are in French puts off some buyers.

The magazine is best known for the masterful technical drawings of Daniel Rebour, as shown in the third photo.

Joel Metz has a page featuring beautiful, large scans of Rebour drawings and their translated captions from his collection of Le Cycliste here. Here's what he says about Rebour and Le Cycliste:

some years ago, when i picked up a copy of the data book, the english reprint of a japanese compilation of drawings from french cycling magazines circa 1890-1960, the rebour drawings therein immediately caught my eye, but it was tremendously frustrating only having the drawings, but no explanations! a little while back, i tracked down a good number of issues of the french cyclotouring magazine le cycliste, which published the originals of these drawings, and contained the french commentary on them - a gold mine!

Here is Bicycle Quarterly's page on Rebour, which details modifications to Eddy Merckx's Hour Record bike. BQ often features Rebour's illustrations.

Velo Retro has t-shirts featuring classic Rebour drawings, as well as The World of Daniel Rebour, a 220-page Japanese publication.

The Data Book that Joel mentioned is a good reference containing hundreds of Rebour's illustrations.

VEL D'HIVER 6 JOURS CYCLISTES PROGRAMME 1958

2008-10-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

Sold: $12.45 plus unknown shipping.

23 x 15 cm - 24 pages. En très bon état - Plat arrière un peu frotté (In very good condition - Rear cover a little frayed)

Although the seller doesn't mention it, this program is from the last 6-Day race ever run at the Velodrome D'Hiver (Winter Velodrome) in Paris, November 1958.

Second photo shows Anquetil, Derrigade and Coppi were among the combatants. According to Wikipedia, multiple world champion Roger Riviere also raced the event.

The Wiki article shows the Vel' d'Hiv' had a pretty wild and sad history. It served as everything from muse to Hemingway, detention center during the Nazi occupation of Paris, to performance space for Salvador Dali.

The velodrome was destroyed by fire in 1959.

NOS Campagnolo Victory Leisure Rear Derailleur

2008-10-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

Sold: $87.53 including shipping

My snipe: n/a

CAMPAGNOLO VICTORY LONG GAUGE REAR DERAILLEUR, NOS

Campagnolo Victory rear derailleur. Long Gauge designed for triple chain set. Compatible with friction downtube shifters, 6/7/8-speed. NOS, made in Italy circa 1990.

The long-cage "Leisure"versions of Campagnolo's Victory and Triomphe groups first appeared in the catalog in 1986.

According to Frank Berto in his book The Dancing Chain, the design of these rear derailleurs was outdated, even at their release. Campy had tried the drop-parallelogram shape on the earlier Rally derailleur, but changed it back to a standard shape when fans complained it was "too Japanese." When designing these derailleurs, Campy also chose not take advantage of the lapsing of Suntour's patent on the slant parallelogram in 1984.

Still, or possibly because of all that, they are rare, and elegant.

RARE 1990 COLNAGO TEAM BUCKLER frameset ct56

2008-10-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

Sold: Appx. $660 including shipping

Piece of history. On auction is this 1990 COLNAGO Team Buckler frameset.
Official team bike of champions Eric Vanderaerden, Peter Winnen and many more.
Team Buckler chef d'equipe: Jan Raas.

Columbus GARA tubing, seat tube ct=56 / top tube cc=54.5cm. Front fork spacing is 100mm, rear 128mm. Beautiful typical COLNAGO details. COLNAGO pads.
Original paintwork has some spots but overall good condition, no dents, no rust. Chrome fork near perfect. Comes with Hatta headset.

This auction ended the same week that '80s great and former Buckler team rider Eric Vanderaerden returned to competition.

Vanderaerden was a revelation when he first turned pro in 1983, winning the Tour prologue and holding the yellow jersey for two days. He was sort of the Tom Boonen of his era, and for a while at least, seemed to win everything in sight.

But back to this frame. Columbus Gara is a straight-guage tube set. Why did the builder choose this? To be extra stiff for a sprinter like Vanderaerden?

Or maybe it's a replica rather than a real team frame. It is a little odd that it doesn't have a number hanger.
Anyone have an opinion?

vintage VITUS 979 campagnolo ladies frameset

2008-10-24T05:00:00.002-07:00

Sold: $361.65 including shipping

My Snipe: n/a

On auction is this rare red VITUS 979 ladies frameset in excellent condition. Made in France, estimated 1983. Lightweight Duralinox 979 tubing. Seat tube ct = 49 cm / top tube cc = 51 cm. Frame and fork are straight and in excellent condition. Front spacing is 100 mm, rear 130 mm. Included in this auction are a CAMPAGNOLO headset and CAMPAGNOLO bottom bracket.

There's something especially cool about mixte and ladies frames that are derived from racing bikes. I like the paradox they embody - skirt clearance AND performance.

In men's form, these are comfortable frames with noticeable bottom bracket flex. That doesn't mean they aren't good bikes; many people like the way they feel and ride, myself included. I wonder if the ride suffers on the ladies version.

Vitus went on to make 3-tube and 7-tube carbon versions of this frame. Were there ladies versions of those, or would the top tube transfer too much force to the middle of a carbon seat tube?

UNIVERSAL Super 68 Brakes New in box

2008-10-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

Sold: $146.50 Buy-It-Now including shipping.

Brand New Complete Super 68 Brakeset. Auction includes brake calipers, cables and hooded levers. Circa 1960s or 70s.

The box art is a favorite. Look up the road behind the speeding world champion, and you'll see one rider has taco'd a wheel and hit the deck, while another dejectedly walks his bike downhill, shoulders slumped in failure. If only they had chosen Universal brakes like the champ!

These are fine brakes for their era and were fitted to many top quality bikes.

Seller joeeramone, who also offered the pink Ofmega Mistral discussed earlier, seems to specialize in NOS or NIB items like this.

The detail box shot above is from the flickr stream of grubb1937.

Hot Pink Ofmega Mistral Rear Derailleur NOS

2008-10-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

Willkommene forum.tour-magazin.de Leser! Genießen Sie bitte.

>>>>>>

Sold: $52.53 including shipping

My Snipe: n/a

One of the many flavors of the Mistral derailleur. Disraeli Gears has a good overview of this model, and a few words on the history of the company.

Ofmega apparently grew out of the Magistroni company, a notion corroborated by Joel Metz at his awesome blackbirdsf site.

About the Mistral, Disraeligears says:

The Mistral has its enthusiastic fans - who claim it is made of a ‘hi-tech polymer’ - not ‘plastic’ (like a despised Simplex). It is a genuine, high quality, precision, cycling product, not a sex toy.

This particular Mistral has an adjustable cable outer stop, 52mm long parallelogram arms (note the large space between the adjustment screws) and weighs 195g. This is more than 20g more than my lightest Mistral. Perhaps the longer parallelogram arms give the capacity to take a bigger cog and to cover a freewheel with more cogs, but I have not been able to find any reference to an alternative spec.

The pink colour is fantastically cool in a Barbie kind of way, but is supposedly a homage to the Maglia Rosa (pink jersey) worn by the leader of the Giro D’Italia.

I usually think of bicycle parts as being designed in-house by the manufacturer, but the Mistral is an exception. It was created at least in part by the Giardino Design Studio in 1984.

Per his bio, Giardino worked for the legendary design houses of Giugiaro and Pininfarina before striking out on his own. His website features some other cool design projects as well, including plastic toe clips, a bottle cage, and these Telecabina per l'Expo 2000 di Hannover, pictured below.

Aldo Ross - Pic of the Day Gallery on Wooljersey.com

2008-10-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

Riders jostle to sign the "controle" in Epinal, midpoint of the fourth stage, from Metz to Belfort, during the 1935 Tour de France. A variety of tubular-wearing styles are visible: figure-8, twisted, knotted, double tubulars, etc.

Wearing spare tubulars around the shoulders helped speed tire changes, and made it easier to pass used tubulars to a moving team car, or receive new tubulars from the car or other riders.

From "Le Miroir des Sports" No.833, 9 July 1935.

Nice form from Charles Pelissier at speed. Charles would win stages 2 and 12 of the Tour de France that year.

From "Miroir des Sports" No.840, 25 July 1935.

Paris-Nice, 1936, stage 3 from St.Etienne to Avignon. Only nine kilometers into the stage, and Le Grevès is already leading this beautifully-aligned escape group ahead of the main peloton.

From "Match l'Intran" N.506, 24 March 1936.

A few years ago, Classic Rendezvous listmember Aldo Ross began scanning images from his collection of vintage cycling magazines and posting them on Wooljersey, usually followed by a brief announcement on CR.

Dating mostly from the pre-war period, these images recall the style, suffering and beauty of this era of the sport.

Aldo added value to his project by interpreting the photos for the modern viewer, as in the small lesson on tubular carrying methods in the first photo above, or by simply translating and transcribing the accompanying magazine captions.

Although he stopped posting new images some time ago, you can see and read about all 562 images in Aldo's Pic of the Day album here.

Wooljersey is a photo hosting site and gallery run by Morgan Fletcher. Morgan does a great service for the vintage bike community with his site, and new images are posted every day.

Most Ironic Jersey Ever?

2008-10-20T17:04:00.000-07:00

Want to be really unpopular as you stand among the crowd at the Tour this year?

Just wear this.

NOS NIB Sedis Peugeot Chain 70`s

2008-10-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

Sold: $63.50 including shipping

My Snipe: n/a

You are bidding for a New Sedis Peugeot chain 1/2" x 3/32" 114 in orginale box. This equipment adorned the bikes of more early and mid 70`s Giro, Tour and Vuelta winners than the other marques combined.As is typical of the high end "modern"gear of the era.It is new, has never been mounted, and with no shelf wear, is perfect in every way.This is a great addition to your vintage retro bicycle.

More pretty packaging...

This chain is a "roller-bushing" type, which Sedis themselves rendered old-fashioned with the superior "bushingless" Sedisport Delta in the late 1970s.

Seller ora65 is a consistent provider of quality vintage parts. He is based in Germany, so shipping costs to the U.S. can be high, but this is usually reflected in slightly below-market prices.

Early 1980s Eddy Merckx Professional with 2008 SRAM Force Group at Renaissance Bicycles

2008-10-19T05:00:00.001-07:00

Sold: Final price unknown; listed on eBay in September 2008 at $2,650 Buy-It-Now.

I'm new to blogging. One of my experiments has been the Google ads on the right side of the page. I was worried about what might pop up there, but it's been interesting to see appropriate ads from vendors I know, like Lickbike or Competitive Cyclist.

One of the advertisers that I hadn't seen before is Renaissance Bicycles. You can read their philosophy page here, but basically, they take classic steel frames, refinish them, and build them up with current component groups and wheelsets.

I like that Renaissance isn't trying to make these bikes something they are not. There are no carbon fork "upgrades" or modernized paint jobs, only the minimum modifications necessary to fit the new parts.

This Merckx is one of the nicer examples of their work. The frame is Columbus SL, and carries a flat fork crown and an unusual chrome treatment on the forks. It has been completed with a 2008 SRAM Force group and a set of Easton EA90 SLX wheels, and parts from Chris King, Thomson, Deda, Selle Italia and Continental (I would replace that rear skewer though; it's not meant for use with horizontal dropouts).

Merckx's steel frames have an uncanny mix of stability and quickness that makes them a joy to ride. With these parts, I'll bet the experience is even better.

The cost of the components adds up to close to the asking price for the bike. Factor in the cost of the refinish, and you're getting the frame for free.

Most people looking to spend $2,500 on a new bike will skip past a bike like this on their way to the local Trek or Specialized dealer, but that's their loss. Compared to what else is available in the market at this price point, the Merckx stands out as an elegant classic, modern and unapologetic.

Cool Vintage Rema Tip Top Patch Kit Box from eBay France

2008-10-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

Not Sold as part of a lot: $10.78, shipping unspecified.

Another cool metal box, this one makes me want to listen to Kraftwerk.

Still made today, but sold in less inspirational plastic boxes.

Wallbike.com says:

Rema Tip-Top patches have been around forever. I have tried other patch kits from time to time but I keep coming back to Tip-Top because they are the ones that I can get to stick, reliably, every time.

I agree. These work so well I've never felt the need to try anything else.

Selle San Marco to Reissue Concor, Rolls and Regal Saddles

2008-10-17T13:30:00.000-07:00

Expected availability is early 2009.

The Selle San Marco Vintage Blog is here.

Via milanofixed.

Price Porn: Rare Vintage MAFAC "TOP 63" brakeset

2008-10-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

Sold: $476.55 including shipping

My Snipe: n/a

The brakeset is used, but in excellent working condition. Brakeset has sat on a shelf since the seventies. There is some surface rust on some of the steel pieces. This should clean up with naval jelly or equivalent. There is also some oxidization on aluminium. This oxidization will clean up with Simchrome or equivalent.

The Mafac Top 63 are among the rarest and most sought-after vintage brakes.

Their most unusual feature is that the entire unit moves up and down on its centerbolt to adjust pad height; the ball sockets that hold the pad shafts do not allow vertical adjustment.

A bikelist.org archives search reveals that these have sold for $700 and higher in the past. These brakes use a unique straddle wire, missing here, a fact that might have lowered the final price.

More photographs and period advertisements for the Top 63 at Classic Rendezvous.

Vintage NOS NIB Brampton Derailleur Chain 3 Speed

2008-10-16T12:01:00.000-07:00

Sold: $35.50 including shipping

My Snipe: n/a

French BRAMPTON 3 Vitesse DERAILLEUR CHAIN NIB

NOS 3 speed derailleur chain 12,7mm in metal box. chain has 56 links and 2 extra links included. last link has bolt to close chain. links are stamped brampton and vita.

I wonder if the buyer needed a chain, or just liked box it came in?

Seller alteschule51 has been listing the good stuff lately.

NOS 1976 Montreal track cycling Olympics Poster ART!

2008-10-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

Buy It Now: $59.99 including shipping.

New old stock poster from the 1976 olympics held in Montreal.

The poster has never been mounted/has been stored in a tube covered by paper since 1976.

Beautiful piece of art when framed, poster is approx. 2ft. x 18"

I like that the seller held the poster down with Velox handlebar plugs.

Simplex Super LJ and SJA Derailleurs

2008-10-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

SLJ 6600 Rear Derailleur

SJA 102 Front Derailleur

Sold to one buyer for a combined total of about $288 including shipping.

The rear is yet another re-labeling of the Simplex 6600, also seen under the Edco Competition label here, and branded Gipiemme in another recent auction.

Although not NOS like the Spidel, it's notable that the Gipiemme variant sold for just $54.50.

So, is the Spidel version really worth $182 more than the Gipiemme? It's more likely the buyer was willing to go so high because he wanted the complete set of front and rear.

Not to nit pick, but at these prices, it's worth noting that this is not really a matched set. While the rear is top-of-the-line, the front SJA model is not. The Super LJ occupied that spot in the lineup.

Chris at Velo Orange blogged about the Super LJ family here, calling it the best derailleur ever made. Chris' blog is worth exploring further, if you haven't already.

Vintage TA Evian Water Bottles

2008-10-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

Sold: $131.93 including shipping

My Snipe: $75 (Bid Too Low)

Bottles just like these were used at the Tour de France in the early 1970s.

Jos Waber's huge collection of rare promotional water bottles can be seen here.

Vintage Ideale Saddle Models 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004

2008-10-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

The Ideale 2000 series marked the company's entry into modern style leather-covered plastic saddles.

Produced from the late 1970s to the mid 1980s, these saddles were stock on top of the line Peugeots in the era. Bernard Thevenet won the Tour de France in 1977 with a model 2002 on his Peugeot PY10CP, a fact touted on the box and decals in these photos.

Ideale 2001 at velobase.com

Ideale 2001 at Satorumas

Ideale 2002 from eBay: Sold at $52.77 including shipping
Here it is, Estate Sale fresh. An Ideale model 2002 Saddle. Pre-owned and I would consider it in decent condition. Saddle decals are all in place. Saddle does show some road rash and would look good on your vintage road bike that you are actually going to ride.

Ideale 2003 from eBay: Sold at $41.76 including shipping
Vintage lightweight saddle.Made in France by Ideale this is the Model 2003 (Peau + Mousse). B. Thévenet with Titanium rail! Saddle looks very good apart from a small scuff on the right hand side.

Same saddle, underside. Yellow decal points out that the rails are titanium. The round red, white and blue sticker refers to the STC, or Series Tri-Colore Course. This was a marketing group of French component makers, akin to Spidel, but the brands maintained their own company names on the products.

Ideale 2003 from eBay: Sold at $186.50 including shipping
NOS NIB Ideale 2003 saddle with titanium rails from the 1970s - this is an exceptionally rare saddle. No reserve.

Ideale 2004 offered on CR List, October 2008 at $91 including shipping.

The final photo, found here, is a page from the 1981 Ron Kitching catalog, showing how the models break down:

2000: No padding, no leather cover
2001: No padding between shell and leather cover
2002: Padded version of 2001
2003: Deluxe version of 2002 with chrome or titanium rails
2004: Extra padded version, the "Randonneuse" model

1974 Masi Prestige Cronometro Campagnolo Mint condition 100 points concours

2008-10-12T07:17:00.000-07:00

Not Sold: $4,772.93 (Reserve Not Met)

My Snipe: n/a

1974 Masi Prestige Cronometro. Milan 1974. 54cm c-c.

Reportedly one of only four made, this cycle was presented at the 1974 Milan Show. Built in partnership with Faliero Masi, Alberto Masi revived the milled and reinforced chainstay design that Faliero used in the 60's on time trial cycles. This cycle is fitted with a complete Masi-modified, Campagnolo Super Record component group, including custom-milled hubs, brake capliers, brake levers, and shifters. Well preserved example of this rare cycle, with original paint, finish, decals. Former scratches on the chainstay (from chain lash) and a small scratch on the downtube has been expertly restored to original and is invisible. There are no scratches, chips, dents or any flaws on this 100 points concours show bike. Original decals are prefect.

Specifications: 54 cm c-c. 126mm rear spacing.

Components:

Crankset : Campagnolo Super Record with milled chainrings and double-milled crank arms

Bottom Bracket: Campagnolo Super Record

Pedals: Campagnolo Superleggera, Christophe clips, Binda straps (Modified with hole pattern)

Headset: Campagnolo Super Record

Wheels: Campagnolo 32/32 Super Record hubs, custom milled by Masi. Martano Corsa rims, DT 15/17 DB spokes

Tires: Clement Criterium Seta

Freewheel: Gippiemme Cronometro 13/21 6-sp

Chain: Regina SL

Handlebar/Stem: 3ttt Masi engraved bars/pantographed stem

Brakes: Campagnolo Record with milled calipers, engraved/milled levers (MASI logo)

Seatpost: Campagnolo Super Record milled with MASI logo

Saddle: Cinelli Unicanitor type Tour de France- black buffalo suede with elaborate stitched pattern on top of hide

Additional pictures can be found here.

Wow...

Now relisted.

>>>>>>>>>>>>

Welcome hkfixed readers! Have a look around.

>>>>>>>>>>>>

Update: Reserve Not Met at $4,622.78 including shipping.

Magura HS77 Road Bicycle Brakes Very Rare Great Shape!

2008-10-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

Sold: $218.20

My Snipe: n/a

Weird Brake Week continues with part 3, submitted by reader Mikael, writing about something I'm totally unfamiliar with, hydraulic rim brakes:

These are interesting brakes in some ways. Their strengths are that they have the wonderful modulation associated with hydraulic brakes when compared to cable operated brakes. This is particularly noticeable for the rear brake on a tandem--and in contrast to a single bike, the rear brake on a tandem is relatively effective.

While disk brakes are a dime-a-dozen these days, hydraulic rim brakes are a little more unusual. Magura is the market leader for these babies which appear to be particularly attractive to old (school) guys. They are readily available for a couple of hundred dollars new or about forty used (ebay item: 150299169710)

Back in the last century, Magura made a couple of attempts of offering these with road levers (HS66 and HS77). They were a pretty big hit with tandem riders and Cannondale offered these on both mountain and road tandems for a year or two. I don't think they caught on with 1/2 bike riders though because Magura stopped making them back in 2001 (HS66) and 2003 (HS77). This is where things get interesting:

It appears that cross riders are starting to be attracted to these brakes. Some intrepid home mechanics (with more wrenching than riding time on their hands--old fat riders like me no doubt) even manage to set these up with dual levers. Because the road levers are out of production they are by now very hard to buy. What this means is that while the pistons etc are very cheap as judged by the used sets with straight bar levers, sets that include road levers are consistently going for over $200.00 (eBay 120308496135--Hint: they are more common on the German eBay site than anywhere else). The levers being the only thing different between a $40.00 set and a $240.00 set.

I have almost given up on finding these levers now. I think my best bet is to look for bikes that include the levers rather than finding the levers on their own. I was sorely tempted to pick up an old Cannondale tandem on eBay this summer that did not sell for $1000.00. I think that it would have been relatively easy to sell the tandem for a few dollars less than $1000.00 with regular brakes. I probably would have gone that route if it had been a local bike.

This is a good intro to brakes (dismissal of Modolo Kronos is interesting given the interest in the market place).

Rim brake brand new (complete setup) $198.95

Here are other illuminating discussions about brakes:

Solutions for Tandem and Cyclocross Fans: Drop Bars and Brakes

Magura Forum

Cheers,
Mikael

Thanks Mikael! BTW, I love the term "1/2 bike"... never thought of it that way!

The link above points out that these calipers were part of a later version of the Edco Competition group - cool!

And to my eye, those levers look like Dia Compe AGC-251's, modified for hydraulic use.

If you have something you'd like to contribute, please write to velosniper@gmail.com.

More Weird Brakes - Weinmann Delta and PBS300

2008-10-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

Weinmann Delta: Sold at $90 including shipping

Weinmann PBS300: Sold at $97.99 including shipping

My Snipe: n/a

As part of an unofficial "Weird Brake Week" here at Velosniper, I bring you part two, in the form of these recent Weinmann auctions.

The Weinmann Deltas are an obvious homage to the much more attractive and innovative Modolo Kronos that I wrote about here.

The Deltas not only share looks with the Kronos, they are equally weak and difficult to set up. The dial-type cable adjuster, an attempt to make the calipers more user-friendly, looks clunky. This set has incorrect Shimano pads; the original pads are better looking.

The PBS300 (Progressive Braking System) appear to be meant for city bikes, based on the flat-bar levers. They also appear to be a solution in search of a problem.

They work like cable-operated disc-brake calipers on today's low-end ATBs; the pad on the right is brought toward the rim by a cable pulling a screw-like device, while the left pad is fixed in place. The allen pinch-bolt at the bottom of the caliper allows the pad to be adjusted to the angle of the rim. They have a self-consciously futuristic look that's very Euro-'80s. I'd like to see the bike the buyer is putting these on.

Tune in tomorrow for part three of Weird Brake Week, a guest post from a reader.

If there's a bike part you'd like to talk about, email me at velosniper@gmail.com!

NOS Vintage Musette Bags from Hilary Stone

2008-10-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

Click here for listings.

Hilary Stone is a well-known collector and author, currently selling under the name aviauto1925 on eBay.

Articles by Hilary appear on the Classic Lightweights UK site, and in the magazine Cycling Plus.

Wednesday Price Porn: Rene Herse Cranks and Stem

2008-10-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Cranks Sold: $1,350 including shipping

nice pair rene herse cranks 165mm, 46 teeth 3/32 chainring, french pedal threading. cranks are in very good working order with only little scratches here and there, would look very good after a good polish. 46 teeth chainring in very good condition. crankbolts are both right side threaded, chrome is bad. without scratches.

Stem Sold: $472.55 including shipping

10.5 cm c to c. Complete with Sonnett bell, Rene Herse tapered head screws, alloy nuts. Beautiful!

My Snipes: n/a

Most bicycle makers are satisfied with building a frame and hanging off-the-rack parts on it. In his quest to build the best bikes he could, Rene Herse hand-made many of the components on his bikes, including this beautiful crankset and stem.

For more information on Rene Herse and the other great French Constructeurs, I highly recommend Jan Heine's book The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles.

Here's one reader's review of the book. It does a good job of explaining what was so special about these bikes:

This book is a photo album of a number of hand-made "constructeur" bikes, designed in produced in France mainly in the 1930s-1970s (although one maker, Alex Singer, is still going today). Great marques such as Herse, Singer, Reyhand, Faure and many others are represented. If you have only a single "retro" bone in your body, this is "bike porn" of the first order.

What makes these bicycles so special is that they were "tailor made" for individual riders with a loving care long lost in the world of two wheeled transport. In general they were designed for "randonneur" or "Audax" riding, timed events over long distances, requiring packs and lighting systems. In point of fact they are supremely useful bikes for any kind of road riding, short of competitive racing.

What dazzles is not so much the details of the frames (thinned or fancy lugs, luscious paint)--things that artisan builders tend to stress today--but rather the integration of an entire working system. Everything is made to work together: lighting (including generators); baggage and racks, fenders, wheels. Nothing is improvised or "bodged." The purchaser of one of these bikes did not have to worry about a fender coming loose, a light shaking off, or a bag pulling off. Fenders are exactly the right distance from tires, bags fit and look great, etc. For this reason the bikes are inherently handsome.

Why is all this important? These bikes did the job, with style. Their front end geometry was perfect for long hours in the saddle. This is the kind of integration we take for granted if we buy a car or motorcycle, but for some reason today it is totally lacking when we acquire a high end bicycle. Perhaps the example of the "lost art" of the bikes in this book will inspire makers today to produce bikes as integrated systems, and to sell them for reasonable prices.

That reader's wish has come true in a way, as a company in Colorado has recently aquired the Rene Herse name from his daugher and are ramping up production of new Herse bicycles.

TREK 720 RARE NOS !

2008-10-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Not Sold: $721.51 including shipping (Reserve not Met) (Relisted)

My snipe: $450-ish

THIS AUCTION IS FOR A TRULY RARE FIND! a nos 1984 Trek 720 Frame and Fork. serial number (140513) Campy Euclid headset. This bike was built up for display , NEVER RIDDEN. Overall excellent condition minor nicks on seat tube (front derailleur). Also on top tube near headtube. The drop outs have paint off where wheels were previously mounted. The frame measures 59 cms (23.5 in) c to c of bb to top tube. see the vintage trek catalog for complete measurements.

I'm posting this as an update to this post on Trek 720 and other "Golden Era" (well, in my opinion) dedicated touring bikes. That complete bike sold for about $940; this frame, fork and headset ended at just $200 less. Clearly the market is hot for these bikes right now.

Even at these prices, a vintage 720 is still less expensive than a custom frame, which is your only other option if you want the uber-long geometry this frame offers.

There are a few things I don't like about this generation of Trek products. The graphics are unattractive. I'm not a fan of metallic paint, and the Imron is so thick on these it looks like they were dipped in vinyl. The cast, socketed seatlug is an unfortunate cost-cutting measure, intended to save time mitering the seatstays.

Still, I want one of these pretty bad. It's like a Lay-Z-Boy on wheels.

Tuesday Price Porn: " MODOLO " brakeset KRONOS in box, NIB !!!!

2008-10-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

Sold: $555.71 including shipping

My snipe: $300-ish

RARE ! brakeset KRONOS, new in box ! with brakes, levers, cables, hardware, instructions, garanty........ only one, no second chance NIB!

Modolo introduced the Kronos brakes in 1981, according to Classic Rendezvous. This was prime time for the "aero" craze in component design, and the Kronos brakes were intended for use on time trial bikes. Exceptionally small, and light at under 100g per caliper, they offer little power for road bike use and are best suited for minor adjustments in speed while riding alone.

While these boxed kits were sold as aftermarket upgrades, the Kronos brakes were OEM spec on certain models of the Cinelli Laser (click here and here for beautiful pictures!), which had a fairing under the bottom bracket to smooth airflow over the rear caliper. What's old is new again as this fairing idea survives today in the recently-released Cervelo P4.

The days of casually pursuing these brakes on eBay are over. I recall them selling for around $200-300 as little as two years ago. Recently though prices have spiked, not just for pristine in-box sets like this one, but also for orphaned calipers, like this abused one which sold for a massive $201 in September.

The popularity of the Kronos brakes today probably has more to do with their futuristic good looks than low weight or aerodynamics. They are very striking, with their art deco rubber bellows, red and black color scheme, and stealth-bomber levers.

The levers were made of a plastic composite, and were also popular among cyclocross racers because they held up to abuse. The levers were sold without the calipers as the "Orion" model; these were ligher grey in color but otherwise identical.

Filling out the family tree, the Kronos shift levers were a cheap and popular "upgrade" at the time. Made of a similar material as the brake levers, they are quite attractive as well, but feel flexible in use and snap a little too easily. Later versions of the shift levers are marked "Carbon Fiber", while early 1980s vintage just have the "M" logo. These were also branded "Ofmega" for use with that company's composite Mistral rear derailleurs. Expect to pay around $20 for a later set on eBay.

Banned! Selle Italia Concor Supercorsa Sprint and Selle San Marco Lumbar Support

2008-10-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

NOS Selle San Marco Concor Supercorsa Sprint: Sold at $181.50 including shipping

Selle Italia Lumbar Support (NIB): Sold at $95 including shipping

My snipes: n/a

The late 1980s and early 1990s were a time of great experimentation in the world of bicycle components. Some of these innovations survive today (TT bars, disc wheels), and others have not, be it due to function, fashion, or most curiously, UCI legislation.

The UCI, the governing body of racing cycling, decided it was important to preserve some of the features of the traditional racing bicycle. Among the products they banned were these two saddles, which were said to give the rider an advantage by providing a leverage point to push against while pedaling.

The Concor version, top, is the earlier and more subtle of the two. I have ridden one of these saddles, and while I didn't use it in competition or for any great length of time, I could see how it might be an advantage. You do have to be careful getting off your bike that you get your thigh high enough to clear the lip, but you'd probably get used to that. The Concor Sprint carries a small premium over the price of a NOS perforated Concor, maybe $30-50.

The Selle Italia "Appoggio Lombare" is not a saddle, but a fairing-like accessory that attached to a Selle Italia Turbomatic saddle (one of which sold recently for $30.50 including shipping). In addition to the leverage advantage, it also clearly has aspirations to improve airflow around the riders hips. It is far from subtle, but that's its charm.

Bike Works NYC has a fun saddle museum page, which states that the support was used in the prologue of the 1991 Tour de France and was subsequently banned, but does not name the rider. Other sources (one, two) discuss Thierry Marie's use and the UCI's subsequent banning of a lumbar saddle in the prologue of the 1986 tour. I think the 1986 date is probably the correct one, and it was probably not the Appoggio as the Turbomatic had not been released at that time. Velobase has further pictures and info.

Thursday Price Porn: CAMPAGNOLO C RECORD REAR DERAILLEUR vintage 1986 NOS

2008-10-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

(Top image is the auction item)

Sold: $799.21 including shipping

My snipe: n/a

CAMPAGNONO C RECORD rear derailleur. Vintage 1986 NOS unused new condition very minor shelf wear from storage. Looks like a shorter cage 1 7/8 inches between pulley centers. Stamped / engraved with CAMPAGNOLO logo on body. Super sleek style, factory fresh.

I'm no expert on C-Record stuff, but here's the basic story as I understand it. Please correct me if I'm mistaken.

Following the death of Tullio Campagnolo in 1983, the company and moved to replace the aging Super Record group at the top of the Campy lineup. Corsa Record, or "C Record" was first shown at trade shows around 1984 and appeared in catalogs and on the street in 1985. Although the seller says 1986, I think this is a 1985 unit, but don't bank on it. Production stopped around 1990 and was replaced by a group simply known as "Record."

Design details changed throughout the life of C Record. The rear derailleurs can be broken up into two major classes: the first generation has a faired-in lower pulley; the second generation has a more traditional open cage (see third photo).

Within the first generation, there are early and late models. The auction derailleur is of the early type, having a deeply-engraved shield logo on the outer link arm of the parallelogram.

This deep engraving was also applied to the arms of the crankset, where it acted as a stress riser and led to crank failures. The deep logo was replaced by the shallow engraving (or possibly laser etching) shown in the second photo around 1986.

The nature of collectors being what it is, the early deep-engraving parts are now highly desirable, as evidenced by the sale price of this unit.

In my opinion, the derailleur became much less attractive with the open pulley cage in the second generation, seen in the third photo. Prices are significantly lower for this generation as well. There's something futuristic and cool about the first generation derailleur that's lacking in the later part.

Bob Roll's 1988 7-11 Team Serotta / Huffy For Sale

2008-10-01T16:21:00.000-07:00

The following was posted on the Velocipede Salon forum classifieds today:

58 ctc x 57 Serotta made Huffy branded 7-11 team bike with full original Dura Ace 7 speed from (I think) 1988. This one has "BR" on the bottom bracket and was ridden by Bob Roll.

The pictures show the "before" condition, from the previous owner. I bought it a few years ago off of this forum. It looked great in the pics, but it had lots of small chips in the white that had been rattle can painted over, which really bugged me. I finally took it to a frame builder/painter that has done a few of my bikes (Cycle Classics in VA), and he smoothed out/resprayed/touched up the paint and the decals and then lightly cleared the entire bike. The transformation is amazing, its beautiful, but he still preserved the original look (including the "BR" on the BB, of course).

According to the P.O, all of the parts (except maybe the saddle) are original to the bike. It's full Dura Ace 7 speed with 7-11 team stickered Wolber tubie wheels, red painted Dura Ace Look style pedals, fluted Dura Ace seatpost, Cinelli bar and stem (new Cinelli tape). It still wears the original Wolber tubulars, but they are dried out and crackled. I have 3 of the inexpensive but correct tan sidewalled tubulars from Yellow Jersey that will come with the bike.

The frame has not been built since it came back from the painter. The frame is in great shape, no signs of crash and the tubing internals look great. The components are in very good condition, with minor scratches from what apppears to be only light use. The exception is the pedals, which are still smooth, but probably have several bikes worth of wear, and the brake levers, which are inexplicably scratched on the front. They're deeply engraved with "shimano" like the ones on Andy Hampsten's Giro winning 7-11 bike.

One last thing... these frames had cracking issues, at least at first. I had my framebuilder inspect this one carefully and there are no signs of cracking. I also wrote Serotta about my concerns and received a reply from Ben himself. He caution against riding any 20 year old steel bike because of rust, etc.; but said that Bobke's bikes were not the ultralight ones because he was a domestique and thus got the heavier ones intended to last a season, not a race.

Oh and the price - I'll sell it to a forumite for (almost) what I have in it...$1600 + actual shipping cost. It is disassembled now and I will ship it that way unless the buyer can pick up and wants it assembled. I can install the headset and BB, though. I also have a matching jersey that I'll sell to the buyer.

Bob Roll and the 7-11 Cycling Team are icons of American pro cycling history, and for a measly sixteen hundred bucks, you can own a piece of that history.

Notice the pro-only large Shimano logos on the brake levers, the bold WOLBER stickers on the rims, and the sexy little number tab under the top tube.

And think of what this bike could have seen! Certainly, it witnessed the epic suffering of the super domestique. Maybe even the glory of Andy's Giro win, or the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix. But no doubt, it knows the awesome headbands and sunglasses of the late '80s peloton.

This price represents a premium over a contemporary Serotta with consumer versions of this equipment, maybe $500 or so. And you have to put this one together. But that bike wouldn't give me the chills like this one does.

COMPLETE Mavic SSC parts ensemble gruppo Exquisite! Nearly NOS! Worldwide Shipping!

2008-10-01T10:28:00.000-07:00

Sold: $1,425 (Buy-It-Now) including shipping

My Snipe: n/a

Here's a special offering- a complete, nearly New Old Stock Mavic SSC parts ensemble- the very same as ridden to victories by Sean Kelly and Greg Lemond. Everything is here, all the original equipment, in this extraordinarily rare opportunity to revisit 1990. This ensemble has an absolutely astonishing degree of engineering. The folks at Mavic spared no expense with the manufacture of this ensemble. I'll go through it part by part.

1. The rear derailleur is a short cage 840 model. It is completely overhaulable- down to the last nut and bolt. The jockey wheels spin on special Mavic mavic needle bearings which spin smoother, last longer, and distribute weight more efficiently than other bearing types in this application. All the parts are high-quality, everlasting forged aluminum.

2. The front derailleur (model 860), like the rear, dissassembles completely. This is a real luxury, virtually guaranteeing a lifetime of front derailleur shifts. Back when it was still the same old company, Mavic used to have all small parts available for replacement. A nice feature of this derailleur is the allen cage bolt, which allows you to remove the derailleur without breaking the chain.

3. The Crankset is the venerable Mavic 631 Starfish model! Perhaps the aesthetic centerpiece of the untire gruppo, this shiny legend of a crankset has a standard 130bcd, (includes Mavic Chainrings!) and 172.5mm arms. The threads and tapers are PERFECT. The incredibly-difficult-to-find aluminum dist caps are included. The chainrings are bolted into place with real SSC black bolts. This is a real gem.

4 The Mavic SSC bottom bracket is one of the more innovative parts of the gruppo. Rather than threading into only one kind of frame, this BB press fits into ANY frame. This makes it very versatile, and also gives it the ability to bring stripped frames back from the dead, making it a highly sought-after item. According to my digital micromoter, the hollow spindle is 114.05mm long. And it's as smooth as butter.

5. The shifters are Mavic-branded and manufactured by Simplex. They 8 speed indexible and also have a retrofriction option. These are the sturdiest shifters I have ever used, and with the matching satin aluminum finish, possibly the most beautiful. Even some of the staunchest of Campagnolo fans bought these as aftermarket parts for their Record-equipped bikes to improve shifting.

6. Headset- This is my favorite part of the group- It's a standard 1 inch threaded headset with 25.4x24f threading. It has regular ball bearings, but is constructed in such a way and milled so precisely that its bearings are as well, perhaps better, sealed than a standard King headset. Another nice feature- It has pinch bolts to keep from rattling lose! Pretty red grease.

7. Brakes and levers. This set comes with the much-revered japanese-made, Mavic marked single pivot calipers with completely-hidden, internal springs. Don't listen to Grant Peterson's espousal of the Superbe Pro, the Mavic SSC is by far the best single-pivot caliper ever made. Ultra-fine, indexed quick release, internal barrel adjustor, and angled brake slots! As a nearly NOS ensemble, these brakes have the original pads in perfect condition. Even all 4 allen caps are still present! The levers are as fine as the calipers. Aero-style with fresh hoods.

8. Hubs and cassette. The Mavic 571 Cassette hub. Matching front and rear, built up, ridden 20 miles, dissasembled. Sealed bearings. Giant pawls. They come with the upgraded superlight model Mavic Skewers with aluminum non-cam side nuts. These hubs are flawless. Concerned about the funky Mavic Cassette spline pattern? Don't be! I've got an original Mavic 8 speed cassette, too! Complete with the burgundy spacers to match the hub logos. These hubs are like Phil hubs, but racier (lighter) and with upgraded forged/machined bodies instead of fragile CNC machining. Like the Bottom bracket, these are buttery smooth!

9. Seatpost. The Mavic SSC seatpost- classy with black post, satin aluminum clamp, and yellow lettering! 27.2 for most steel and Titanium seattubes. NO SCRATCHING on the outside of this beautiful post.

10. Handlebars. Mod 351. These measure 46cm (outside to outside). It's a pretty nice pair of handlebars. 'Made in France' and 'MAVIC' are etched into the sleeve. They have a fairly deep drop, similar to criterium bars.

11. Rims! You get a pair of Mavic rims, too! Open 4 CD with 32h front and rear to match the hubs. Hard anodized with double steel eyelets. These were the highest end rims Mavic made at the time.

You'll notice I say almost New Old Stock. That's the case. These were purchased NOS awhile back and sat around for some time, then were put onto a bike and ridden for approximately 20 miles. There might be a minor, minor flaw here or there if you look really hard. You can tell that a headset wrench once touched the headset. But look at these pictures, they tell a very true story about the superb condition of these fine parts. Thanks for looking!

(Links in the auction text above are to the photos posted with the auction)

While a couple of these items don't quite measure up to the seller's "Nearly NOS" description, it is still a very practical, desirable and complete group. It appears to be missing only the bar and stem.

At least one person thought the $1,425 price was a good deal. Compare this to a slightly earlier Dura Ace 7401 group (photo) that went unsold at $1,100 recently. I can't find any recent results for a contemporary Campagnolo Record group.

I think a more economical way to go might be either this Serotta or this Vitus; buying a complete bike and selling the frame and other extra parts is a good way save money. We'll see if I'm right when these auctions end...

Jeremy Rauch at tearsforgears.com has written quite a bit about this era of Mavic production.

TANGE French bottom bracket cup set, lockring. NOS,New

2008-09-28T10:53:00.000-07:00

Sold: $81 plus $4.95 shipping

My snipe: n/a

NOS NEW; FRENCH Bottom bracket cups and lockring by Tange. 35tpi. Excellent Japanese quality, be ready to overhaul your french bicycle! This is new, unused and still in the box! It does not get any better condition than NEW.

Reader Mikael posed the following inquiry:

Hi Velosniper,

I have noticed that the price of French thread bottom brackets have increased substantially in the last couple of weeks. This culminated in this unprecedented auction price: 200254763150 (I thought that $40 would be a price I could live with). Perhaps not surprisingly there are now six or seven auction by “vintage-bike” out of Nancy, France who is offering bottom brackets starting at a “reasonable” $35.00 or so. Obviously, I am way behind the wave when these prices are spiking just as I need a set of cups. Is this a seasonal thing?

Cheers,
Mikael

While $86 might not be unprecedented, it sure is a lot of money for a pair of cups and a lockring from a mid-level brand. But that's part of owning a French bike: you will pay more for expendable parts than you will with a BSC or Italian-threaded ride.

I'm not sure if it's seasonal, but perhaps the approaching end of good riding weather has other French bike owners either replacing parts they wore out this Summer, or trying to get a bike on the road before Winter hits. It's tough to draw conclusions from any single moment on eBay.

So, what are Michael's options? Nothing cheap, it seems...

My first thoughts for a quick solution were Harris Cyclery and Velo Orange, but neither has French-thread traditional cup and cone BBs or cups at the moment. VO has the lovely Edco competition bottom bracket ($88, assuming the 122mm length will work), as described in this post, and Harris is one of many places that carry the well-loved Phil Wood unit ($155 with rings, many lengths available). If a cartridge style BB is acceptible, both of these offer a performance-to-cost value that exceeds that offered by these Tange cups, and there is no chance of Mikael's existing spindle not working with another brand's cups (it seems he plans to reuse it).

If Mikael is set on a traditional fixed/adjustable cup set, Cyclartist has a nice set of Spidel cups for $75 buy-it-now. Otherwise, eBay looks pretty bare; I think he'll have to slug it out for one of Vintage-Bike's offerings.

He could also join the Classic Rendezvous mail digest and post a "Want To Buy" ad.

One last thought is to crack open the yellow pages and call all the local shops. He might get lucky and find a shop that has something appropriate in stock.

Good luck and thanks for writing, Mikael!

Friday Market Snapshot: Campagnolo Nuovo Record Front Derailleurs

2008-09-26T10:27:00.000-07:00

A recent frame purchase has me searching for a later-style Campagnolo Nuovo Record front derailleur.

Here are some recent auction results that I think represent current fair market values. All of these are from the post-CSPC era (1978 - on), so the outer cages have a lip at the leading edge and are pierced with three or more holes. Earlier NR versions look like this. Super Record versions have a black anodized outer arm but are otherwise identical.

Auction links and sale prices including shipping:

3-hole, clamp-on: $18
3-hole, braze-on: $36.50
4-hole, narrow band: $57.52

The first derailleur, above, is the most common type, a 28.6mm clamp-on version. A completed item search today shows a few in this price range, plus one or two abberations (including one at $51 - why?).

The second photo shows a braze-on version. These are relatively uncommon, but not much more valuable than the clamp-on version.

Front derailleur braze-ons became popular in the early '80s. The 1984 Palo Alto catalog shows only a $2 price difference between Super Record and Nuovo fronts, and they didn't list the NR braze-on option. I think most people just bought the Super version and went on with their lives. Even today, NR eBay values are much lower than SR.

It's easy to switch the cage and arm assembly from a clamp body to a braze-on body, if you have one around. This probably further suppresses the value of braze-on NR fronts.

The last photo shows the four-hole narrow clamp model, the most unusual of the post-CPSC Nuovo front derailleurs. Its relative scarcity is reflected in the higher selling price. This unit was only available for a short time around 1978. Note that the clamp lacks the "points" around the Campagnolo text, as seen in the first photo above. These clamps are fragile, and Campy went back to the original design fairly quickly. I have not heard any theories as to why they reverted to the three-hole cage; perhaps the extra hole reduced the cage's rigidity and therefore shifting performance, but that's just a guess.

For further reading, Tom Dalton wrote extensively about the four-hole derailleur on the Classic Rendezvous list earlier this year, pointing out the interesting fact that there was no Super Record four-hole version. The searchable Classic Rendezvous archives are here.

Wednesday Price Porn: CAMPAGNOLO PATENT ROAD BIKE CRANKSET DUST CAPS STEEL

2008-09-24T15:15:00.000-07:00

Sold: $88 plus $6 shipping.

My snipe: n/a.

*****USED BUT IN EXCELLENT CONDITION*** 70'S CAMPAGNOLO "PATENT" CRANKSET DUST CAPS. ALL CHROME STEEL. ****IN EXCELLENT CONIDITON. NO RUST. VERY LITTLE SCRATCHES. NO BLEMISH.****

I sincerely hope that this is the ugliest picture I ever put up here, especially after yesterday's lovely shot of that Galli group by tanya9465.

But I seemed to have goofed, or at least misjudged the market significantly in my post about the three-arm Campy Gran Sport cranks. I suggested that the included NOS steel "Patent" dust caps represented about $30 of the $102 selling price of that auction, but these used caps sold Monday for a shocking $88 before shipping. What would those NOS caps be worth then? Pardon me while I go look behind cabinets in the garage...

I have a theory that sometimes an auction can be too well executed. Who knows what sins are hidden in this blurry photograph? The bidder's imagination is free to wander, unfettered by the reality of pitted chrome or evidence of alan key rudeness that might put him off if it were clear in a better picture. I only hope that reality lives up to this buyer's dream.

*********

Be a Co-Sniper! Contribute ideas or posts to velosniper@gmail.com!

Vintage Italian Galli (Campagnolo) road race group set

2008-09-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

Sold: $159.98 including shipping from U.K.

My snipe: n/a

Full Galli groupset minus the hubs. Galli was an Italian company that produced a wide variety of parts and groupsets from the early seventies to the late eighties.This groupset is original and in good condition. All parts can be used straight away on your vintage Italian bicycle. Bottom bracket and headset come without bearings but I think they are the standard (Campagnolo) size. Bearing surfaces have some signs of use but have no pits and are in good working order. Rubbers on the brakelevers have some cracks but are not completly dried out.

Specifications: Threading: British; Front mech: Clamp on; Cranks: 170mm 52/42

I was surprised by the relatively low selling price for this group.

Seems like an inexpensive way to build up a late '70s bike that would stand out in a crowd of Campy Nuovo Record rigs. While the castings and finishes are not as refined, it's the functional equivalent of NR or Gran Sport, and it's certainly more unusual. The large chainring is particularly attractive.

It's very complete, and with english threads it will fit a large number of bikes. A definite bargain, wish I had gone for it.

Wednesday Price Porn: " SIMPLEX" rare ! exceptional derailleur 543..NIB !!

2008-09-17T14:52:00.000-07:00

Sold: $826 including shipping.

My snipe: n/a

rare and exceptional in this condition! MINT !!! rear derailleur SIMPLEX 543 , new, new, new ! with cable and box. Only one, no second chance !!

Hilary Stone's excellent overview of this family of derailleurs is here.

The user set an internal limit device according to the number of freewheel cogs on the bike, hence the "5-4-3" designation. The indicator tab shows that this example is set to handle five cogs.

The Simplex pushrod design vanished in the wake of the parallelogram derailleur we all know today, popularized by Campagnolo's Gran Sport.

Classic Rendezvous shows a 543 selling for $1,325 in October of 2001, and examples of type 59 and 60 variants for over $4,000 in 2003.

Edco Competition Bottom Bracket

2008-09-16T10:31:00.000-07:00

Sold: $90.42 including shipping

My snipe: $60-ish.

This is sealed bearing bottom bracket features aluminum adjustable cups on BOTH sides for perfect chain line adjustment. The bearings are still perfectly smooth. Given what a pain cleaning and adjusting the bottom bracket is, many people put these Edco bottom brackets on their all-Campy rigs. Judging by its appearance, this one looks like it was mounted but never actually used. The threading is English (34.8 x 24), so it will fit the vast majority of bicycles. I measure it at 116mm.

Edco is a Swiss company that began making bicycle components in 1900. I have seen a few pictures and auctions of what look to me like '50s or '60s era hubs, but this bottom bracket is from what appears to be their first big push onto the international scene, the high-quality "Edco Competition" group.

The Competition group became available around 1983. In retrospect, this seems like a bad time for a small European company to try to market a new complete groupset; Spidel, the French confederation of former heavyweights was fading fast, Huret was now half-German, and the Japanese dominance of the recreational market was just a click-shift away.

Edco themselves made only the hubs, bottom bracket, headset and crankset for this group. The derailleurs were badge-engineered top of the line Simplex models, the Super LJ (front) and SLJ 6600 Aerodynamic (rear). The shifters were the familiar Simplex retrofriction type, and Simplex provided the seatpost as well. I don't know if the shifters and seatpost were actually branded Edco or left plain. All of these Simplex components are top performers for their era.

The parts that Edco manufactured themselves are also of outstanding quality, and the bottom bracket is the stand-out part of the whole group. As the seller points out, it was smooth, maintenance-free and allowed for fine chainline adjustment. It can also be installed and removed by a competent home mechanic without the usual battle with a fixed cup.

The headset is alloy and is the equal to any loose-ball competitor. Visually, it's a Super Record copy.

In his 1988 book, Frank Berto supposed that the design of the crankset was influenced by the Campagnolo C-Record, with its arched spider flowing smoothly from dust cap to chainring. The crank is extremely light for its era, weighing only 577g versus a comparable Super Record crank at around 650g (estimate).

The hubs are also smooth and light, with rather plain chrome Q/R levers with alloy ends. All of the group's Edco-made alloy parts are finished in a nice pearl-silver anodizing and simple red graphics.

But who made the brakes? The wheel guides and lever drilling seems to match the Weinmann Carrera. Weinmann was also a Swiss company so maybe there was a local connection. The quick releases on these brakes have a small pin above the rotating area which is seen on the Weinmann 405, but the cam is external on those brakes, and here it's internal, as it is on the Dia Compe NGC400. Weinmann and Dia Compe shared many designs and patents, so maybe there was some crossover on the Edco brakes. It almost looks as if these are NGC400 arms with Carrerra parts hung on them, but that's just a guess.

In the end, despite its quality, the group probably suffered from the same problems that killed Spidel; mismatched finishes and no market share. OEM specification is the key to success. You don't succeed by selling one groupset at a time to local bike shops; you sell thousands of them to manufacturers. The only bike I've seen that came with these components was the Masi Nuova Strada (photo) (auction), and I've only seen two of those. Anyone know of another application?

Later Edco groups featured some odd, pre-STI brake-mounted shifters that would have given the CPSC a heart attack, and forays into moutain bike components. These and other products can be seen at Classic Rendezvous, where I found the catalog image above. Edco also made the hubs for Zipp wheels until about 2001 when production went in-house. Sapim took over the bicycle division of Edco in 2001 but it doesn't appear that they are still using the brand name.

Tuesday Price Porn: Campagnolo Nuovo Record Brake Levers First Generation

2008-09-16T09:19:00.000-07:00

Sold: $410 including $5 shipping

My snipe: n/a

Rare First Generation Campagnolo Nuovo Record Brake levers in very good condition. These levers would make a great addition to your vintage 70's or 80's bicycle. Shipping will be $5.00 for Priority mail within the continental US. I will ship to any location buyer is willing to pay for. Any questions gladly answered.

Ray Dobbins saw my post on his beautiful '72 Masi, and tipped me off to this auction, saying:

"A pair of first gen NR levers, sans mounting clamps. The seller had them on eBay and canceled the auction early due to lack of interest. He relisted with a slightly better description (added First Generation to the title and a couple more pics), and BAM! $405! I have corresponded with him and he confirmed that the buyer was real, and paid via PayPal the very next day. Definitely a record-high for these levers."

Thanks Ray!

After searching through the CR List Archives for some clarification, it appears that 1st generation levers have a more-pronounced sine-wave shape, and are narrower at the tip. Compare them to later levers here and it's pretty easy to spot the difference. There are also apparently some differences in the lever body - if anyone can clarify this, let me know. Good keywords and photographs apparently made the difference with this re-listed auction.

Be a Co-Sniper! If you'd like to suggest an auction, a link, or anything else you think is relevant, please email me at velosniper@gmail.com.

NOS French bicycle decals

2008-09-12T16:12:00.000-07:00

Sold: $39 including shipping from France.

My snipe: n/a

How evocative are these French decals? Just gorgeous.

Another beautiful item from eBay seller rhclassics, a.k.a collector and historian Alex March, owner of the wonderful Rene Herse Project site.

The Auction Photography of Ray Dobbins

2008-09-11T18:06:00.000-07:00

Ray always does a fantastic job of shooting his bikes for auction. He explains his process in detail on his website.

His 1972 Masi GC ended unsold at $4,000.

Wednesday Price Porn: VINTAGE JUL 82 BICYCLING 3RENSHO MIYATA ROSSIN DEROSA

2008-09-10T08:44:00.000-07:00

Sold: $90.19 including shipping

My snipe: n/a

HERE BE AN ISSUE OF BICYCLING MAGAZINE FROM JULY 1982 IN DECENT SHAPE. Featured in this issue are ITALY VS JAPAN- MIYATA TEAM, FUJI PROFESSIONAL, 3RENSHO SUPER RECORD EXPORT vs. GUERCIOTTI JET, ROSSIN RECORD DEROSA SUPER PRESTIGE; wright brothers cycle shopkeepers; touring in denmark and Wisconsin and lots of other articles in the regular departments as well as great ads of gear in the early 'old school' days! old school issues of magazines are getting harder to find, so scoop these up when you can.

1982 now seems like the end of the golden era of classic racing bikes. No click shifting, no funny bikes. Brake cables looped upward in the open breeze. Colors and graphics were pure and simple. Wool jerseys, crochet gloves and leather hairnets proudly appear on the cover of the country's biggest cycling magazine. Within just a year or so, all of this would be hopelessly passe.

Inside, several bicycles that are now considered top classics were tested head to head. I believe the cover story is what drove the price so high. 3Rensho-related stuff has been gaining in value, perhaps more because of renewed interest in the brand's legendary track bikes than anything else, and DeRosa bikes are among the best riding and most revered classics today. The other test bikes have their own smaller cults as well.

This is a stratospheric price for an issue of Bicycling, which mostly sell for under $10.

SIDI TOURING SHOES Size 47 UK12.5, US13 1980s

2008-09-08T17:25:00.000-07:00

Sold: $73 including shipping

My snipe: $68.77 including shipping

Offered for sale are a lovely pair of slightly used Sidi touring shoes which are sized 47 equivalent to UK size 12 1/2 or American size13. No reserve.

Mountain biking killed touring-specific goods in the mid-eighties. The casualties included long-wheelbase road bikes, half-step triple front derailleurs, and efficient non-cleated shoes that work with clips and straps. Carnac supposedly makes some, and there is a custom shoe maker in London that makes a '50s-style leather cycling shoe, but the prices are eye-watering.

I would have gone higher on this pair, but the blue suede was a little too much for me. Next time I see a pair in black, I'll snipe to kill.

campagnolo crankset vintage

2008-09-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

Sold: $102.50 plus unspecified shipping from Germany

My bid: n/a

campagnolo vintage crankset 170 mm. new, never mounted.

This is the three-arm, 116mm BCD NOS Campy Grand Sport crankset from the mid-1970s, which pre-dates the later and more common 5-arm 144mm type, which was basically a less-polished version of the standard Record crank, with slightly different casting reliefs in the arm and spider. It is also distinct from the even earlier steel 3-arm "Sport" crankset, which is 116mm BCD as well.

One of the best known OEM applications of this crank was the late '70s Raleigh Competition GS.

I think it's an attractive shape, practical, and fairly unusual. While the original chainrings aren't present, any number of Stronglight, Simplex, TA or Campy chainrings will fit. It will also accept a 36T small sprocket, not quite as small as a 110mm "Compact" crank, but significantly smaller than the 42/41T minimum of a 144mm Record crank. I doubt anyone you're riding with has one either. Further, two desirable "Patent" chrome dust caps are included, probably worth over $30 auctioned separately.

NOS status will always maximize final value. Condition matters and these look great. Still, it's Grand Sport, not Record, and that alone will turn off buyers. Some people collect Dura Ace; does anyone collect Ultegra? And those chainrings won't be cheap.

Wednesday Price Porn: NR Vintage 1982 Campagnolo Super Record Rear Derailleur

2008-09-03T10:55:00.001-07:00

Sold: $312.81 including shipping

My snipe: n/a

This is it! Complete with titanium hardware and straight out of the Sultan’s private reserve. The lone modal that marked the transition from Nuovo to Super Record. A 1982 Campagnolo Super Record rear derailleur with in great overall condition with strong springs and tight pivots. The top pivots are hollow and the bottom pivots are solid. An outstanding old school rear mechanism for any friction drive train up to 7 speeds, and freewheels up to 28 teeth. Not many of these around any more. Most have been snatched up but luckily the Sultan is in business to supply restoration artist worldwide with hard to find Campy items like this. The pulleys have been upgraded to the newer Campy pulleys. Please see all photos.

The "Type 1" Campagnolo Super Record rear derailleur is distinguished by the silver convex outer parallelogram link. It looks much like a contemporary Nuovo Record part, as opposed to the "Type 2", which has a flat outer surface reading "Campagnolo" in script. Originally introduced in 1973 (not 1974 as I first wrote here, thanks anon), it was superseded by the later type beginning in 1978.

How to explain this item then? Campy derailleurs of this era have a manufacturing date stamp on the upper pivot where the cable housing enters. Although the date is not shown in the listing, the Sultan claims this one is dated 1982, four years after the intro of Type 2.

Perhaps Campagnolo simply used the parts they had lying around. It's not hard to imagine a sleepy Italian factory, someone finds a box of type 1 outer links in a dusty corner, and into the assembly line they go, to the delight of future derailleur freaks.

Aberrations like this excite collectors as evidenced by the selling price, which is about double what a mid-seventies Type 1 would bring (especially with incorrect "upgraded" pulleys).

However, if you look closely, you'll see that the bottom pivot pins are solid, which could indicate that they have been replaced. While it's not easy, it is possible to build whatever combination of upper and lower pivots and links you have into a functioning component. Then again, the upper pins look original...

So, is this some kind of franken-derailleur that someone paid way too dearly for, or is it a real 1982-but-first-gen-SR derailleur? Perhaps only the Sultan knows for sure.

The Sultan is an interesting eBay seller. He specializes in the mercenary dismantling of classic era road and mountain bikes for component resale. While some people find it disturbing that he is ripping apart original bikes, others appreciate the quality of his auctions and product. His clear photography and his ability to inject a little personality into his listings have made him into something of a brand on eBay, and he continually realizes higher prices than other sellers with similar goods.

1988 Cannondale SR1000 60 cm Full Sante Group

2008-08-30T14:15:00.001-07:00

Sold: $555.00 including shipping

My snipe: $370-ish

This item is New Old Stock. It has never been built. It will come in unbuilt condition. You can either build it up yourself or take it to a local bike shop and have it built. It has a full Shimano Sante group. This is a one of a kind item it is in pristine condition and is a real eye catcher. Will only ship to the Continental US. Happy bidding and please contact me with questions.

Frame: Aluminium Criterium Series

Wheels: Sante hubs with Wolber rims (the rear hub has an been upgraded to accept modern cassettes)

Stem: TTT
Handlebars: TTT
Bar tape: Cineili
Seatpost: American Classic (only mounted seatpost included)
Seat: Cineili (not pictured still in plastic)
Front Derailuer: Shimano Sante
Rear Derailuer: Shimano Sante
Brakes: Shimano Sante
Shifters: Shimano Sante
Crankset: Shimano Sante
Tires: Michelin

The Shimano Sante group was aimed at non-racing, affluent sport riders that valued both aesthetics and performance. As the auction points out, it was slotted just below Dura-Ace in the Shimano product line, and is notable for its white painted finish, smooth contours, and covered fasteners; it's almost Guigiaro-esque.

Component marketing today is divided into two groups, one emphasizing racing pedigree, and the other recalling a non-existent past. In such a climate, I think it will be a long time before any current manufacturer has the nerve to introduce a new group featuring such novel design concepts.

Sante currently commands high prices on eBay, I assume mostly because there is no reasonable substitute for a broken or missing component on an otherwise all-Sante bike. The NOS frame is probably worth a couple hundred resale, so let's assume he paid $300 for the group. The buyer's feedback reveals that he recently spent $50 + shipping for a Sante crankset; now he has a full NOS group at one stroke, at not too unreasonable a price.

Auctions like this pose special problems for the seller. I commend him for selling the bike complete as a piece of history, but he probably would have realized more parting it out.

VINTAGE CAMPAGNOLO RECORD 1ST TYPE HEAD SET

2008-08-29T08:30:00.000-07:00

Sold: $1,259.56 plus shipping

My snipe: n/a

-FIRST RECORD HEAD SET PRODUCED BY CAMPAGNOLO IN 1958 ALL ORIGINAL

-BALL BEARING CAGES WERE NOT AVAILABLE, IT WAS MOUNTED WITH FREE BALL BEARINGS, THAT ARE PROVIDED IN THE CORRECT SIZE.

-NOTICE THE 'CAMPAGNOLO MAGGIORATA O.5 MM WRITING' AND THE CUTS FOR O-RINGS ON THE 2 BASES; ALSO THE PARTICULAR SHAPE OF TOP LOCK NUT

Sold to the Japanese collector known only as Taki59. More Japanese headset obsession here.

Trek 720 Road Bike Racing Bike 15 Speed 61cm Bicycle

2008-08-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

Sold: $939.99 including shipping.

My snipe: $700-ish

Up for auction is a very nice Trek Road Bike 700 series. We believe it to be a model 720 from 1984 according to the vintage Trek site. Talk about a RARE ride, this is truly a hard to find specimen. If your looking for quality and you want a real pro Touring cycle, have a look at this nice bike. Overall condition is good almost in mint Conditions just some minor knicks and scratches from normal use over the last 30 years. This 15 speed bike is packed full of high quality components, like the Sugino LP Cranks, Maillard 700 hubs, SHIMANO Brakes . It also comes with Matrix Titan T Rims. Other components are: SACHS HURET rear deraileur, Simplex Deraileur, Suntour Shifters, BROOKS PROFECIONAL saddle, Cinelli stem. You cant get any better! THIS BIKE IS READY TO hit the Road with just a bit of TLC. All in all, if your looking for a great Touring bike, look no further. It has everything that you could want in a quality well made bike by TREK. Please have a look at the photos below for more details. The frame size is 61cm from center of cranks to top of seat collar. The stand over height is 86cm. and the top tube measures 57cm.

Prices are rising for true touring bikes from the early '80s. It's not unusual to see these Trek 720's, Specialized Expeditions or Miyata 1000's going for nearly a grand these days. I think people appreciate them as practical classics in times of high gas prices.

The 720 model from 1983-84 is particularly interesting for its 47cm chainstays, less so for its Helicomatic hubs. This example is very original.

Vintage Selle Concor S. Marco Bicycle Saddle Italy

2008-08-28T08:58:00.001-07:00

Sold: $132 including shipping.

My snipe: $67.77

"You are bidding on a vintage Selle Concor S. Marco black leather bicycle saddle made in Italy. It is marked in gold letters Superleggera for Superlight. Its weight is 240g compared to the regular supercorsa saddle with a weight of 320g. It has been gently used over 25 years ago and both logos show very little wear, see pictures. The rails show scratches from being mounted but no rust. I stored this saddle for over 25 years but I think it dates to the early or mid 80s. I see some slight impressions in the leather but no damage. There is no roughness around the edges or the front, the leather is shiny and smooth. Length - 10.5" and Width - 5.5."

Would the seller have gotten more if the auction title had said "superleggera"?

Part of the fun of eBay is hoping that other bidders don't recognize what's special about an item if the seller doesn't point it out.

This was a fair price for a Concor Superleggera. It is in good condition and has the more desirable plain yellow rear Concor logo on a black background.

Vintage Brancale Sport Helmet

2008-08-22T16:07:00.000-07:00

Sold: $35.80 including shipping.

My snipe: n/a

"I bought this in the late 80s and wore it in my first competition in 1990. Size 58."

I set up an email alert for this helmet about two years ago. Since then, I've seen about a million hair nets and maybe two of these. Both went for over $100. I think the fixed-gear crowd likes them.