1972 Colnago Super update!

     I like before and after sequences. Especially when they are bikes we have sold. You may remember this bike from a previous blog post of ours. It is a 1972 Colnago Super with heavy amounts of component drilling (drillium), that we sold in the summer of 2013. Well, the new owner was gracious enough to send some photos of his restoration of the bike. When this bike came in, I knew at right away it would clean up beautifully, a real diamond in the rough. I am glad it found a new home and has been brought back to its previous glory!

Chill Cycle team video

Dan Murphy is a friend of the shop and very creative and original individual. Here is a short film he made. Chill Cycle is more a state of  mind and social club rather than actual team, enjoy



Chill Cycle team video link!

The Silent Speedway

For sale: 1972 Schwinn Paramount road bike

     Today I have a bike that needs a good home. For sale is a 1972 Schwinn Paramount road bike (P-13). Serial number is J72207, which translates to September 1972, 207th bike produced that month. 72' or 73' was also the last year that full chrome plating was an option. The current state is how the bike came to us. We have made no real effort to clean it up. There is light corrosion in a few areas. This bike WILL clean up beautifully with a little TLC! This is a rare opportunity to own a classic American race bike built at the beginning of the 70's bike boom.
     The details are as follows. 50cm CTC seat tube. 55cm CTC top tube. 30" stand over height. Campagnolo Nuovo Record  front and rear derailleurs. Rear is stamped "patent 72". Campagnolo NR cranks stamped 170 strada, pre date code. Chain rings are 52-42 combo. Campagnolo NR bottom bracket. Low flange Campagnolo NR hubs laced to yellow label Fiamme tubular rims, 36 hole drilling. Wheels are round and true. Early generation Shimano Dura-Ace brake calipers and levers, hoods are falling apart and need to be replaced. Campagnolo bar end shifters with blue Campy covers. Campagnolo Nuovo Record head set. 3TTT record stem 105mm extension. 40cm wide unknown bars. 27.2 Campagnolo Nuovo Record seat post. Mexican made Unicanitor saddle, usually seen on Windsor bikes, a bit of a rarity. Campagnolo Nuovo Record pedals with toe strap loop are where the corrosion is the worst, but should still clean up quite nicely. Hill Cycle decal on seat tube. Ocean City, NJ bike shop decal under seat cluster. Original Paramount decals are gone, but are available from Waterford cycles.
                                           Contact at: bikeville@gmail.com for price
                                                             SOLD!

                                                  

Cool shop bike: Early 1960's Helyett Speciale

       Sorry to have been slacking a bit on this series, but my other shop internet duties take precedence over the blog posts. So I am coming back to the topic with a good one! This bike is an early 1960's Helyett Speciale in fantastic original finish with period correct componentry. It  is a prime example of a bike that would have been ridden in the Tour De France in the 60's.
     It is built with Reynolds 531 tubing with the French decal, which I always liked. Jaques Anquetil's face graces the elaborate seat tube decal. He was one of the classic champions of the era and is regarded as one of the best ever. The typography of the down tube and top tube decals is amazing in my opinion, they remind me of Daniel Rebour's style of illustration. Nice head lugs with a lot of shore line and window cut outs, gold lug lining throughout. Original paint which at this point has aged to a nice warm cream color. One of my favorite head badges is affixed to the head tube. The serial number of 61270 is stamped on the rear non drive side of the Simplex drop out. a neat little detail is the rear pump peg, pretty unique.
     The componentry is also top French quality of the period. Rear derailleur is a Simplex JUY export 61. See the photo for the unique mechanism for adjustment in the parallelogram. Front derailleur is a Simplex LJ 23 (second version). The first version had a riveted badge where as this one has a decal.  Simplex Shifters with nice wingnuts, braze on style. Early Stronglight 49D cranks with T.A. adapter and professional criterium T.A. chain rings in half step gearing. Cool acorn nuts for attachment. The hubs are Exceltoo Super Competition model, which were a little known French company that made nice hubs.Simplex skewers with intact wingnuts and the very rare white boots in great shape. Early Mafac Duralforge brakes and Mafac levers with pristine half hoods. Pivo bar and stem combo with the T.A. cable guide, always a nice touch. Stronglight P3 headset and Ideale no.88 saddle round out the build. Also of note is the Ideale seat clamp which has the tabs for the toe strap to go through and attach a tubular tire under the seat. I have never seen this version before, any info?
     This bike is in the permanent collection and we are proud to be its care taker, enjoy!