Eddy Merckx Professional 1980 1st Ed.

Eddy Merckx Professional (SOLD) | Road | 57cm (c-t) | 1980 | #E239

Rider Profile: Eddy Merckx

The greatest cyclist of all time…

De Rosa Professional 1983

De Rosa (SOLD) | Strada | 56cm (c-c) | circa 1983

Eddy Merckx “Townie”

Eddy Merckx (SOLD) | Pista | 1990′s | 56cm (c-c) | more pics

Builder Profile: Ugo De Rosa

From the De Rosa website:
“Ugo De Rosa was born on the 27th of January 1934 in Milan, Italy. As a young boy he developed a passion for bicycle racing, a passion which remains with him to this day. It led him to take up the sport in which he advanced through several ranks at the amateur level. In technical school he completed a mechanical and engineering curriculum and became very interested the science of the bicycle itself. This would prove to be the area where De Rosa would make his mark on the cycling world.”

De Rosa Professional SLX

De Rosa (SOLD) | Strada | 57cm (c-c) | circa 1985 | more pics

Pogliaghi Update: In a ‘Flash’ – Jack called…

A short while ago I started this blog with a post about a Team Canada Pogliaghi build. I had been trying for some time to get in touch with the rumored original owner: Jack ‘Flash’ McCullough, but without any luck. Imagine my surprise when Jack himself left a comment on my post after seeing his own bike for the first time in 20 years!

Builder Profile: 3Rensho

3Rensho was conceived and created by Yoshi Konno. A year after establishing Cherubim Cycle in Tokyo with his brother Hitoshi, Konno opened the CYCLONE shop in Chiba circa 1974.
The name ‘San Rensho’ (3 Victories) commemorates the feat of a keirin rider ranking first on 3 consecutive days of racing (qualifying heats, semi-finals and finals). It did not happen often in keirin racing.
Yoshi Konno learned his craft taking apart Cinelli frames built in the 60′s. He would go on to design his own proprietary fittings and run a busy factory with 6 apprentices, including Masahiko Makino and Koichi Yamaguchi.

Keirin Therapy

3Rensho Keirin | 1991

3Rensho 'Katana' Keirin | 1987

Seven years ago my wife was diagnosed with MS. Our relationship which had up until then included healthy doses of travel, exploration and physical activity – changed drastically. Our mobility decreased. Her bicycles changed from road frame, to step through frame, to tadpole trike to wheelchair.

As we both struggled to adjust to our new reality I tried to hold on to cycling as a shared experience any way I could think of. In vintage bicycles I found the answer: I could tinker, repair, restore, collect and spend time with my sweetheart in the process.

Soon I was obsessed with the handmade steel keirin frames designed by Yoshi Konno of 3Rensho. Thinned custom lugs, ends, crowns, clusters, bottom bracket shells and a near mythological reputation as an innovator and party animal.

W. F. Holdsworth ‘Special’ 1959 Road/Path

W. F. Holdsworth ‘Special’ (SOLD) | 1959 | Road-Path | 23″ (c-t) | #26301 | more pics

This gorgeous frame passed through Hilary Stone’s hands a few years ago. The paint is original metallic grey with white, black and red panels and gold pin-striping between some of the panels. I haven’t verified it’s provenance but here is my best educated guess: