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conversion
Lonesome
Bicycle commuters: is anyone else’s bike parking at the office looking a little bit lonesome these days?
Just one photo
This is our early ’70s Mercier 300 fixed gear conversion. With all the fat excised and a lightweight modern wheelset fitted, it weighs in on the bathroom scale at 18.5 lbs, which makes it the lightest bike we own. Not bad for an old steel frame (albeit Reynolds 531) pushing 50.
Fenders (mudguards) will be going on soon, however, which is almost a shame given how lean and mean it is as it currently sits.
Reader ride: Juan in España’s Tour de Suisse
LOOK conversion
Somewhat tempted, if we’re honest!
You are bidding on a 1986 TVT LOOK 53cm Carbon Bernard Hinault Single Speed Conversion.
I found this bike at a used outdoor store. It has been upgraded over the years but all the parts are vintage high end.
I converted to a vintage single speed. I added some reproduction decals.
Details
Shimano 600 Brake levers and wheelset
Shimano Dura Ace Brakes
Campagnolo headset and crankset
In very good condition but rear derailleur hanger was damaged and removed. Unknown history and mileage.
I have a after market derailleur hanger included in case you would like to run gears!
Interesting bike
We can appreciate the craftsmanship that went into it.
Beautiful custom 1987 Chris Kvale fixed gear/single speed.Chris is a highly regarded frame builder out of Minneapolis. http://www.chriskvalecycles.com/CKC/Home.html
What we have here is a fine example of Chris’ framebuilding skill. Measures 59cm c-t seat tube 57.2 c-c top tube standover height is 83cm
Columbus SL tubing-Columbus SP down tube.Very lightweight bicycle! Amazing lug work on his bikes.All lug shorelines are perfectly filed to a
very delicate edge.A lot of time and hand work goes into one of his frames,and it really shows.
This gorgeous bicycle was re-configured and re-finished by Chris in 2004. All braze-ons including rear derailleur hanger and shifter bosses were
removed.Rear spacing was re-set to 120mm to accomodate track hubs.Bridges were shortened and replaced.It’s basically a track bike with horizontal
drop outs.Very quick handling geometry with 74 degree head angle and short 40.5 cm chainstays.
Finished in a stunning metallic green Imron wet paint with glossy clear coat.Decals disappear under this clear coat.
She’s outfitted with top of the line classic Campagnolo components including:
NOS (new old stock):
Campy Super Record headset (original box included)NOS
Campuy Super Leggera Record 27.4mm seat post (original box included)NOS
Campy Pista bottom bracket (original box included)NOS
Campy Pista 151bcd crankset w/NOS 50t pista ring
Campy Super Record brakeset-calipers polished to mirror finish.Matthauser brake pads.
Levers have original gum hoods.No scratches.
Nitto Technomic Deluxe 10cm stem
Nitto Noodle bars 44cm with Tressostar cotton tape,twined and shellacked.
Wheels were built by Bill at Lickton’s in Oak Park Il. featuring super smooth Campy Record high flange track hubs(second build) laced with double
butted DT Swiss spokes to Mavic MA2 clincher rims,almost no wear,like new.Rear wheel has zero dish for perfect chainline.Rivendell Ruffy Tuffy tires missing very little tread.Wheels very true.
Antique Brown Brooks Pro saddle with chrome rails,large copper rivets,still
not broken in.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chris-Kvale-Single-Speed-Bicycle-1978-/272015740656
Eddy Merckx fixed conversion
We dig it at that price. Needs gumwalls!
Eddy Merckx fixed gear bike in great shape! – $670 (Seattle)
Eddy Merckx fixed gear bike in great shape! The size is 56cm from crank to seat post. It has Velocity Deep V Rims, MKS cages with double leather straps, Campy bottom bracket and headset.
Tomassini Super Prestige conversion
Very nice…
This is a vintage road bike from the late 1980’s. It has beautiful lug work, chrome plated forks and stays, and made from the Columbus SLX Tubing. I am the original owner and it has never been crashed or mishandled. I like many cyclists have many bikes and this one has hardly been ridden. I live in a very dry climate (southwest) and it has been kept indoors. I have it set up as a fixed gear right now but can add gears etc to suit. It has a Campagnolo Chorus brake set, headset, bottom bracket, seat post, Cinelli bar and stem, Flight Saddle. It is 52cm from center to center.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tomassini-Super-Prestige-Road-Bike-52cm-/331663971043
René HERSE—with an issue
But $5,000?!
Very nice 1944-45 René Herse racer. Paint with first René Herse letters.
52 cm middle of BB to center of seat tube, 55 cm top tube c to c.
700C wheels, Vitus tubing, Brooks saddle, René Herse stem and Speedy brakes, stainless fenders, Weinmann brakes, Super Champion rims on Normandy hubs with Bell wingnuts and Lyotard Berthet pedal cages.
V.O straddle cable hangers,alloy seatube and handlebars.
Very fine condition except gear braze-on broken, that’s why I used it as a “winter fixed gear bike”.
This is a real quality machine, very hard to find, one of the first René Herse built (number is 27)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rene-HERSE-1944-1945-racing-bicycle-Size-52-/271983550346
Postscript: the bike attracted no buyers at $5,000, so the seller relisted with a low opening bid and no reserve. The relisted auction ended at $2,305.
Mystery(-ish) bike
It looks great with the red Selle Italia Turbo saddle and Cinelli (Priest?) handlebar. A chrome frame is such a nice canvas for customization.
Oh, and total weight of 8.2 kg (18.1 lbs)? Really? If true, then that’s light!
Martelly Reynolds 531 – 1981
Hi there. For sale is this beautifully chromed Martelly. It’s been a nice and interesting detective job to find out what frame this is. Some people were fouled by the clover engraving that looks like Colnago’s but it’s not. Yes, this frame is a very nice build, so I started to search all about it. I’ve found on some forums a similar frame and the discussion brought Eddy Martens in our attention. Mr. Martens was saying in an email to a customer that after he took his father frame building business in the 80s, when it was called Martens, he named his company Martelly and he has build frames for several brands including his own, Martelly. This frame in particular is made from reynolds 531 tubings, campagnolo dropouts, fully chromed and I equipped it with a mix of Dura Ace EX and Suntour components from the early 80s.
Everything has been cleaned, lubricated and tuned. All components are in a very good condition optically and functionally. The chrome is perfect.
You can judge the actual condition in the hi res pictures. Please feel free to ask any questions.
Seat tube c-c 54cm, Top tube c-c 54cm
Components:
Frame & Fork: Martelly Reynolds 531, st 54cm – tt 54cm frame weight 1780gr / fork weight 680gr
Headset: gold Cambio Rino
Hubs: Dura Ace EX 36H
Rims: Fiamme tubular + Hoshi doubble butted spokes
Casette: Dura Ace 5sp 13-25
Crankset: Sugino Super Mighty Competition 171 52/42
Shifters: Suntour barend friction shifters
Rear derailleur: Suntour Cyclone GT
Front derailleur: Dura Ace EX
Chain: Sedis NOS
Bottom bracket: Dura Ace EX NJS
Brakes: Dura Ace EX
Brake levers: Dura Ace EX
Seatpost: Ritchey 27.0
Saddle: NOS Turbo red suede leather
Tires: new Continental Giro tubulars
Cork: Benotto style
Handlebar: Cinelli 26.2
Stem: Ritchey steel stem
Total weight 8.2 kg
http://www.ebay.com/itm/vintage-Martelly-Dura-Ace-EX-Reynolds-531-/221857782446
Velo Finds 