Badass Fork on this 3Rensho/Makino

image via 8pilgrim8

Awesome Keirin Posters

For Sale over at NJS Export

Korean Keirin

The keirin race is kind of an obscure track event. Not obscure in the traditional sense, but obscure in that, until recently, it was not very common outside of Japan. In fact, it would not even be an Olympic event had the Japanese Keirin Association not bribed the UCI $3 million to have it included.

Keirin racing is strictly regulated in Japan, a lot of state revenue is made off gambling on races. Frames and parts must be approved by NJS, a governing body which sets standards for equipment so that no rider has an unfair equipment advantage over another. When someone mentions keirin, I think of Japan and NJS bikes & parts because used keirin frames are popular here in the US.

To my surprise, I recently learned of a similar keirin racing organization in South Korea when I stumbled across a blogspot selling used Korean keirin frames. I'd seen these frames on eBay occasionaly in the past but didn't think much of them, just thought they were plain Korean track frames.


The blogspot has some sweet frames, but its hard to tell what exactly they are. This Corex for example is made of Columbus Keirin tubing and built with Nagasawa parts.

But its not really clear if they're made by Nagasawa, or if they're made by someone else building with Nagasawa parts, does Nagasawa even sell their frame parts?

This Cello Kalavinka looks pretty sweet.


This particular one has been repainted and had Kalavinka decals applied. You wouldn't know the difference if they didn't say it was a Cello. Is it a Cello or is it a Kalavinka? Does anyone know?

Even more confusing: Cello 3Rensho Now I really don't get it.



Can someone explain this builder-branding system to me?

Custom Dura Ace Inlays

Green, Orange, Sparkle
spotted at export
I'm pretty sure these are aftermarket mods, made by Dreamworks or some other crazy shop in Japan.
Pretty sick nonetheless.

NJS Ridiculousness

Used keirin frames can sell for top dollar on eBay and the internet at large. At least if they're in good condition, that is no rust, no dings, no dents, no stripped threads, no bent forks, the frame is aligned, decent paint, etc. NJS Export prices a "near mint" frame at around $1800

and a fucked up frame for about $300.


So I was dismayed when I saw this super fucked up Nagasawa on eBay with a current bid of $540. The head tube looks like its about to fall off and the top tube looks like someone took an axe to it.


The sellers description:
here is your chance to win a used classic NJS stamped keirin nagasawa track frame, it's been used on Japanese track race in the 80s-90s. everything still in good conditions. just a slightly toptube dent it can be covered with top tube protector. run smooth and fast.

*original hatta headset, fork and bb are included.

size:
seattube: 54cm
toptube: 55cm
downtube: 60cm
drop out: 120

Condition:
few there and here paint chips, a track race toptube dent. over all in good condition

Sketchy, but the seller calls himself "bootlegs" and has pretty bad feedback. You just have to feel bad for the idiot who is bidding that thing up.

More Campy NJS

In addition to having their C-record track group approved by NJS, it seems that Campagnolos frame parts, too can be found on some older NJS frames.

This Ohtaki, for instance, has Campagnolo fork and rear ends.


After further looking, I spotted this Uno on NJS export.


I'm not quite sure why the ends look different, maybe the builders shaped them differently. Either way, either of these frames would look super pimp with Campy/Cinelli NJS parts.

55cm White Rainbow Sparkly Chrome Samson for sale !!

My friend Fran, is trying to sell his immaculately setup Samson. This thing is the tits, top of the line everything. The wheelset alone could easily go for +700$ it was built two weeks ago, Gipiemme 428 rear rim - laced with bladed spokes - to a chrome phil. Front wheel is a 650c Shamal laced radially with bladed spokes to a chrome low flange phil. It doesnt stop there, titanium chris king, sugino 75's with a custom anodized zen chainring, custom anodized crank bolts, MKS Custom Nuevo's with kashimax double straps.

Plus its full chrome, and as seen in the pictures the chainstays, headtube lugs, fork crown, seatstay bullets, and a few other places have the chrome fully revealed. Looks freekin amazing !

I talked to Fran he said he would do 1600 OBO ! Thats a steal, someone needs to get on this. email : furaan@gmail.com with offers. furaan@gmail.com with offers.

full specs over at velospace

haterNation's bikes 2009

Heres what I had in 2009:

The Ocean !

Aww man how i loved this bike. Super light and snappy, best bike ive ever owned. Unfortunately near the end of the summer a small crack started to appear on the underside of my downtube. It grew until it was a full on split going about half way around the tube, thats when I threw in the towel. I dont know exactly how it happened, i had some head on collisions in alley cats, but those were months before i noticed the crack. I wasnt tricking to hard on it, whip skids, wheelies, and whirly birds. Either way that bike wasnt meant for the street and the type of riding i was doing. Eventually ill get it repaired to its former glory.

Bianchi DISS the ultimate winter bike: FOX suspension, studded tires, Thomson sp/stem, chris king

Loved this bike so much, had a blast every time I rode it. It excelled in thick snow and blizzard conditions. The fox suspension fork was great because it had the auto-engaging lockout so when your riding on the street/bike path it feels like a rigid fork, and when you need the suspension it just works. Singlespeed was great in the crappier conditions, but as the snow melted, having gears would've been better.

Redline 925 "Ringer"

After the ocean went out of comission I needed to get something setup asap, scooter let me ride his redline 925 until I got the cutter. this frame is better suited for singlespeedin' but worked well fixed.

Volume Cutter - Current

Volume's lifetime warranty helped soothe the pain I had for my broken Ocean. ride is solid, feels like a track bike, lots of barspin clearance. PLUS it glows in the dark!!

My bikes, 2009

I started off the year with my Pinarello, which I rode on the street and the track, and my Mercian, which I only rode on the track at the time.

The Mercian is pretty fierce on the track, it handles great at speed. It's kind of scary off it due to foot-in-the-spokes toe overlap though.

The Pinarello rode amazingly and it was probably the lightest bike I've ever owned, even built up for the street it was only about 16 lbs. Unfortunately somewhere along the line it cracked on the chainstay so I sold it and bought myself an NJS bike.

I never really like this bike that much, the geometry was kind of akward. Then it got damaged in a crash so I sold it and started riding the Mercian on the street.

Couldn't ride double trispokes and super deep Deda drops and zero float clipless pedals on the street so I changed the build gradually to a more classic one, eventually (hopefully) it will be all C-Record.
When my fwiend Devo moved to Seattle, I took this Spooky DJ bike off his hands.

Apparently these frames are highly coveted because they were made by a dude named Frank the Welder who doesn't make bikes anymore or something. To be perfectly honest, I haven't done any dirt jumping on it, but its a great snow bike.
Then in August I bought a beautiful old road bike from an old Boulder local/friend.

Its a well made frame, with thinned lugs and chrome accents everywhere, dressed in full Campy Super Record & Cinelli parts. I think its a 1981. I'd show you more pictures but he sold it with these hideous green tires that I want to change out before I take better pictures of it.
More recently, I've been dipping my toes into FGFS/700cmx. This is my Stuntin' bike.

Its a bareknuckle that I got for cheap off craigslist with a Fu Manchu trick fork on it. The barspin toe overlap is kind of ridiculous but for now I can deal with it.
Finally, an unfinished project that has been dragging on for months.

This is an old Quattro Assi road bike that was all damaged and shit that I got for free. My buddy Bama welded some gussets over the damaged tubes so maybe it'll hold together, who knows. It's trying to be a city bike/beer hauler but it needs a bottom bracket and some cables and maybe a Brooks saddle and the CETMA rack I ordered 3 months ago for it. Took about 6 hours and some serious dremel work to fit those velo orange fenders on it. Hopefully I'll have it all finished up soon enough to use it.
Thats it, as far as I can remember. Sorry for the poor image quality, but phone pictures are all I have left of some of these bikes. Wonder if 2010 will have more bikes in store for me.

Italian NJS Parts

I like Italian parts, especially old Campy ones. I also find it really interesting that at one point Campagnolo, the top manufacturer of high end racing equipment in the 80's, thought it would be lucrative to market their parts to Keirin racers in Japan, which was a pretty niche market compared to European road racing. I guess at some point they tried and their gruppo was rejected, partially because of a pro-japanese bias and partially because of incorrect design, so they changed some things and were accepted in 1987*.
Heres the 1991 Campagnolo Record Pista Gruppo with a smaller image of the Keirin group. Theres a couple noticeable differences. NJS hubs can only be high flange and 36 hole, so 36h Sheriff Stars were the natural choice. The other main difference is the seatpost, Campagnolo swapped the 1-bolt bladed post for an NJS style 2-bolt.

Another subtle difference would be in the threading. Campy NJS bottom brackets are English threaded, as the NJS only approved English threaded bottom brackets.

The headset is English threaded as well, but with the weird NJS 27.0mm crown race diameter. These NJS Campy headsets look more like the super record ones than the later chunky C-record ones, probably due to ball bearing diameter restrictions?
I also find it fascinating that Cinelli made stems and bars that were approved by NJS, given that the old Cinelli handlebars have been known to de-sleeve. The NJS Cinelli stem looks like a 2A track stem and the bars look just like regular 67-59 Pista bars. Maybe there was some design change to please the NJS.

But finally, the holy grail of Italian NJS rarity has surfaced. I was browsing velospace when I spotted this NJS stamped Cinelli Unicanitor saddle.


This has got the be one of the rarest track bike parts available, an ass raging unpadded Unicanitor saddle with Keirin-width rails. Don't know why you would ever want to ride this, but its collectors value is certainly through the roof.

Note: I took a few photos from this flickr set, which is worth a look if you want to see more photos of NJS stamped Campagnolo track parts.