Apollophiles - The Apollo Appreciation Thread

[gazo]

3.5

How do you know all this stuff? Is there a webpage somewhere that perfectly illustrates and identifies Apollo I - VI models with images, weights, etc? I really wish the Apollo website would take more pride in their history and post stuff like that. Any useful URLs appreciated (yes, I have looked through this thread: maybe I missed it?).

[Kermit TF]

Ive got the same 3.5 .
I was positive there where pics of early 80s Apollo catalogues on here "somewhere". rob74 has posted descriptions previously within early postings on this thread.

[morini]

[img]http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01 ... 46782f.jpg[/img

I missed this post. What a stunning find. I've got a VI and it's still in it's standard white livery but I'm now tempted to redo it in gold. These high end Apollos are fabulous looking frames even up against the top Luigi stuff.

[highplainsdrifter]

Finally got my Apollo (Performance?) on the road.



Bought as a frame from fellow BNA member last year. It's been hanging in the laundry since.

Started the rebuild of my Nishiki on Friday only to find I have the wrong headset crown race.
So need a bike while I wait for a new one to arrive.

This is the groupset and wheels from the Nishiki, RX100 Brakes, Derailleurs & Cranks, ST-2300 Shifters (nothing flash but I love the thumb lever for downshifting) & Shimano R500 wheels ($10 ebay bargin).
Seatpost, cables and cable housings are only new parts.

Stickered as Ishiwata EXO(h) CrMo Quadruple Butted Tubes, Kuwahara Osaka Japan.

Also has a Professionally Serviced by BIKEOLOGY West Ryde sticker.

Paint is a little rough in spots but not to shabby for it's age. Can't see it in these photos but it's metallic paint.

Pretty nice ride too. Took it out for a ride around the Mighty Brown (River Loop) here in Brisbane this morning.

This will be my commuter for the next few weeks till I get the Nishiki back on the road.

At some stage in the future I'd like to get this resprayed and add a nicer groupset.

[simon.young]

Does anyone know which Apollo came with Ofmega Mistral DT shifters (or maybe Modolo) early 80's maybe?

sorry about the crappy pics, but its all ive got.

[singlespeedscott]

Ring-in's I would say.

[simon.young]

Ring-in's I would say.

I wondered as much. I had hoped it had an entire Ofmega group, but it's hard ask questions.

Any idea on age / model from the decals?

[singlespeedscott]

I need better pics but I would say mid 80's for the build date.

[simon.young]

I need better pics but I would say mid 80's for the build date.

I was offered it at a family gathering while in bris, but now back home in hobart, and these are the pics.

I think I'll get him to hold on to it for me, even just for the DT shifters. Although wont be in bris to later in the year....

Thanks.

[The Fixer]

My latest - this 1986/87 Apollo III frameset. Tange 900 chro-mo, double-butted and very clean & straight (except the bottle-cage).

I suspect it may be a tad too big, but we'll see... it's certainly a much nicer frame than my 1980 III, which is Tange Hi-Ten.

And the price ($0.00) was right...

[The Fixer]

The $15 1978 Apollo posted as-acquired on the previous page, is now finished (finally)
and in use as a semi-regular ride-to-work/the shops bike (just as well, with the arrival
of the III shown above, I'll need the room to work on it).

It's not the lightest of bikes, but rides nicely as long as you aren't in a hurry. It's well
made, and comfortable to ride, but is definitely more of a tourer than a sports bike.

[Kermit TF]

Picked up this big bird yesterday, finally after keeping an eye out for ages , a large frame 5 appears
It was passed in on auction on evilbay about a month ago, and I made the guy an offer, contacted me a week latter and the deal was done...
90 % original, benotto tape and tyres appear original, rims are pristine, will give it a good service over the next week and hit the road..

[singlespeedscott]

That's very nice. What price did they originally want for it?

[Kermit TF]

Scott, $490 was what he was asking as a buy it now... Got it for a LOT less.

[singlespeedscott]

Scott, $490 was what he was asking as a buy it now... Got it for a LOT less.

Good to hear.

[sli123]

Picked up this big bird yesterday, finally after keeping an eye out for ages , a large frame 5 appears
It was passed in on auction on evilbay about a month ago, and I made the guy an offer, contacted me a week latter and the deal was done...
90 % original, benotto tape and tyres appear original, rims are pristine, will give it a good service over the next week and hit the road..

Nice!

[elfoam]

I bought a vitesse the other day, 40 bucks. Bit rough, had some broken spokes so Im riding it on wheels from another bike. Its not too bad, bit heavy at just under 12kg but an improvement on the rubbish top find repco 700 I had been riding to work.

[koshari]

just tidied up an old hi-ten apollo MTB with ally araya rims for the beach house,
nothing special with entry level shimano running gear, i did whack some triggers on her to make shifting a little cleaner although the thumbies were actually not bad.

Got the tires for another build but they are heavy as the queen mary so didn’t go on the intended bike i got them for, but they break this up a bit and for cruising round a beach town with family and friends will be just fine.

[greggiebear]

Just picked up a Vitesse 14 speed from the local community hall sale. $5. I thought for a minute they were going to give me the money just to get rid of it! It's all complete, but a bit worse for the wear. The wheels are still true, though the spokes are totally corroded, and the tyres even held air, thought the gum walls split at about 30psi. The brakes and gears work fine (though the chain was almost frozen before some serious cleaning by me). I gather it's a 1992 model. I contacted Apollo for some details and was sent a scan of the 1992 Vitesse advert (anyone want a copy?).

I will probably try to restore it, but for now I have put on a spare set of tyres, Look pedals and a modern saddle that I have from my "good" road bike. I'll change the derailleur and cassette to a broader 7 speed version. A resto would take quite some effort, I guess, but how far do you go? The original cassette seems to be firmly stuck to the freewheel, so It'll take a while to work that one out and then the original rims will need new spokes and so on an on it goes.

I found a website called doityourselflettering.com where you can use there templates to make copies of original decals. Fortunately Apollo used a common font, Arial, for the lettering and so I was able to reproduce the APOLLO and VITESSE decals quite easily, but need to work out how to print of as transfers. But, hey, I haven't even thought about how to restore the frame yet! So I'd better get my thoughts under control.

It's fun to have a project like this to work through. To be honest, though, I don't really know much about Apollo and have been trying to relive my youth by searching for a Viscount Aerospace Pro (my first road bike).

[a-frame81]

I'd be keen to see a copy of the advert. Pretty sure the one I restored recently is about the 1992 vintage.

[Steve F]

Decided to recommission my 1993 Apollo Cheetah. It's right at the bottom of the pecking order when it comes to Apollo MTB of that year but it was reliable (took me on a few Sydney to the 'gong rides) and now I am passing it on to my sister so she can ride it with her young son.

The spokes were rusted heavily but for some reason the rest was fine, obviously the original tyres had rotted as well. I chucked a set of wheels and tyres on from a gumtree MTB I bought that I was cutting up for the rear suspension to make a tadpole trike, it was a cheap bike but the wheels and tyres were good. Bit of a lube and a wipeover and it's ready to ride again.

Straight off the garage wall and hosed down.



Wheels and tyres replaced, wheels were just to tidy it up a bit.



Cheers
Steve

[elfoam]

Anyone happen to know the seat post size of a 1980 Kuwahara built Apollo Mixte?. I could measure it but last frame I tried that I was out by .2 of a mm and that annoyed me in the end.. So I thought I'd ask here first incase someone has one with a stamped post. It took me two days to get the post out so I don't even believe the post that was in it is the correct size. In the end I had to squash the post at it's top put a bolt through it and drive the whole thing out with an air chisel. Tested the quality of the frames brazing at least For reference it's the same as this bike http://api.ning.com/files/-oaic7y9RVTSe ... 57ssss.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; . All I have is the frame, forks and brake calipers so it's just going to be a 700c single speed.

[slidetaker]

Hi folks,

I recently picked up a beat-up Apollo IV, dated 82’, please see the photo. It did not come with a seat post. No fork, no badge. So I really don't know what to do with it for the moment.

26.6mm feels loose and 27.0mm does not fit. Just confirming it takes 26.8mm???

[singlespeedscott]

Yes it will be a 26.8mm. Thats what my IV takes and its about the same vintage. Tange Champion no2 db tubing.

[slidetaker]

Thanks for the confirmation.

Where can I buy a head tube Apollo badge these days? (Other than waiting on fleabay...)