Repco Appreciation Society

[3type3]

Looks like a 1986/87 to me and is badged Nishiki Cresta, that'd have to make it a Kawamura-built frame wouldn't it? I think we might need to look at a 1987/88, badged just Cresta and in the then-new squiggly font on the top tube, to get to the bottom of this little mystery.

[singlespeedscott]

I would agree. The Nishiki pantographed fork crowns and the Suntour Mount tech rear derailleur point to a mid 80's build so it would have to be Kawamura.

[munga]

that one is 1984 according to the new owner. beats me.

[cray-]

so does the 'AD' serial prefix lend any clues, scott?

Same as this, no? Aus, '84, 1,251 off the line.

My Oly12 is AD01104 and the big Oly12 is AD01193

Kawamura manufactured frames (1972-1987*)

Serial number format XYZZZZZ where:

X is a letter indicating the market using the following codes:
A= Australia
C = Canada (pre-1985)
E = Europe
K = USA (pre 1985)
W = USA (1985-1987*)

Y is a letter indicating the last digit of the manufacturing calendar year, where A =1, B = 2, C = 3… J = 0. Exception is letter S, used on all frames prior to 1975.

ZZZZZ is a five or six digit number, apparently representing a sequential frame manufac turing number for the year (or era in the case of pre 1975 frames)

Example 1: KA24587 is the 24,787th frame produced in 1981 for the US market.
Example 2: CG231117 is the 23,117th frame produced in 1977 for the Canadian market.
Example 3: WE54612 is the 54,612th frame produced in 1985 for the US market.

* Serial number format may extend beyond 1987, but there are no reported examples, to date.

[The Fixer]

Many thanks to shuberj, 3type3 and wqlava1.

I'll keep plugging along and see what I can come up with.

If I can find the previous (original) owner, who is a local, I'll
ask him if he happens to have a catalogue etc. All he said
when he donated it to the Shed was that he had bought it
new when he was 19 and that it had always been garaged.

And that later his son rode it for several years before
getting a car.

[jgs]

Thought I'd share my two recent Repco aquisitions.

The rugged but honest Olympic 12 which was abondoned outside a friend's sharehouse for several years before I retreived it and gave it the once over. It
rides well now with new bearings etc. Possibly the choice of bartape was a bit too bold ....

http://veloferrous.blogspot.com.au/2014 ... ic-12.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and my wife's immaculate Traveller. She loves it. I find it dreadful to ride - but so long as she's happy ..

http://veloferrous.blogspot.com.au/2014 ... eller.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ldrcycles]

I just picked up an Olympic 12 in that paintscheme a few weeks ago, and want to rebuild it for my brother to ride in the Noosa Strade Bianche, but he took one look at the colour and refused .

[Stuey]

Guys, selling my fluoro Superlite in great nick; see the for sale forum on BNA where we link to eBay sales if interested. In Perth. Hope it's OK to do this? It's just that a couple of guys expressed interest when I previously posted it in this thread.

Cheers

Stuey

[schuberj]

The rugged but honest Olympic 12 which was abandoned outside a friend's sharehouse for several years before I retrieved it and gave it the once over. It
rides well now with new bearings etc. Possibly the choice of bartape was a bit too bold ....

I do very much like that colour, definitely one of my favourites of the mid eighties badged models. Pity it doesn't appear to be the original forks, which I am sure where pink too. I know there are a few rolling around in this group that can confirm that! Can't say I would have picked pink for the bartape as well, but I guess you have to give it a try before you know

[munga]

[cray-]

Been lusting after a TT for awhile now, paid more than I wanted to but made this one mine:

(Seller's image)

The worst part, bike's in Geelong and I'm in Perth. Gonna be in storage with my brother until I visit later in the year and ship it home with me.

Also, tubulars. What even are they? EEEP!

[3type3]

Superb work cray. My heart stopped when I saw her on Gumtree yesterday and then dropped when I realised she was too tall for me. Sucks because I am in Victoria! Meanwhile, the search for a 56cm TT goes on…

And tubulars, otherwise known as sew-ups, they're the racier of the two kinds of tyres. Clinchers, which hook onto the rim via a bead and pair with a separate inner tube, are what most mainstream bikes have. Tubulars are essentially a tube and tyre sewn into the one thing… they are glued onto the rim, which does without that bead channel and is therefore lighter. Sounds scary and makes tyre changing a bit of a pain (if you're used to clinchers, tubular fanatics will tell you they're easier!) but you get a lighter tyre/rim combo, much better ride quality and the tend to be more stable than a clincher if you puncture at speed because they just go down rather than unhook from the rim. On the other hand, there is the risk of detachment of a tubular if the rims get too hot from constant braking and melts the glue, but I doubt you'd find a hill big enough to manage that in Perth!

I wouldn't have tubulars on every bike, but for a sunny-day, pro-level tribute (I'm imagining you haven't bought a TT for commuting!) they're the only way to fly.

Hope this helps.

[utedeej]

Great looking bike cray.

I got the exact frame just the other week at the Classic bike show. No decals except for the 531c decal. Unfortunately it has no front fork, so will be exhausting all avenues to find one in the future. It came with a 700c fork, but have worked out that isn't right now obviously.

Good to know that i'ts a Repco. I picked it up cheap (with a 700c fork) as I had a pretty full groupset of bits that could go on it. Just have to look for the new fork and 650c front wheel now though. I think mine is a 62 c-c seat tube. Bit too big, but hopefully ok with the sloping top tube.

[cray-]

Nice, our man Munga knows a thing or two about replacement forks for the TT's, I believe he went through the same ordeal.

There was a complete bike for sale in perth which also had it's decals stripped, what's with people hating on Repco?

Catalogue says the front wheel is 26", not 650C. Might need to look into this a bit further.

[singlespeedscott]

When people are referring to 26" wheeled road bikes they mean 650c.

[QuangVuong]

Great looking bike cray.

I got the exact frame just the other week at the Classic bike show. No decals except for the 531c decal. Unfortunately it has no front fork, so will be exhausting all avenues to find one in the future. It came with a 700c fork, but have worked out that isn't right now obviously.

Good to know that i'ts a Repco. I picked it up cheap (with a 700c fork) as I had a pretty full groupset of bits that could go on it. Just have to look for the new fork and 650c front wheel now though. I think mine is a 62 c-c seat tube. Bit too big, but hopefully ok with the sloping top tube.

Ah, so that's what you picked up. Since you didn't pick up that Ken Evans I was persuading you to buy, now I'm onto it, once I've got enough cash.

[rest_assured]

I wouldn't trust that little helmet to protect my precious brain...

[rest_assured]

Been meaning to show off my commuter here (thanks Cray for the PM).



By far my favourite bike. Scored it for $30 a few years ago. Had to replace tyres, tubes, brake levers, bar tape, saddle, cables and chain. I've also added the pannier rack, Sugino Octalink crankset with 105 BB and some flat pedals with Cinelli straps.
Suntour ARx derailleurs and symmetric shifters still have plenty of life left.

[utedeej]

Great looking bike cray.

I got the exact frame just the other week at the Classic bike show. No decals except for the 531c decal. Unfortunately it has no front fork, so will be exhausting all avenues to find one in the future. It came with a 700c fork, but have worked out that isn't right now obviously.

Good to know that i'ts a Repco. I picked it up cheap (with a 700c fork) as I had a pretty full groupset of bits that could go on it. Just have to look for the new fork and 650c front wheel now though. I think mine is a 62 c-c seat tube. Bit too big, but hopefully ok with the sloping top tube.

Ah, so that's what you picked up. Since you didn't pick up that Ken Evans I was persuading you to buy, now I'm onto it, once I've got enough cash.

Yeah Quang, that Ken Evans of Saros was nice. I love that 80s paint job.

It will look a cracker once built up.

[tommygunn]

Have been reviving my old repco superlite i bought second hand in the the early 90s over the last few years. Thought I'd share how it's progressed. It's a bit of a frankenbike but i like it. Not light but fun enough and good for commuting. The purists here will think I've committed a sacrilegious act but i got sick of the 6 speed and threw on a shimano sora groupset i found on ebay for $250. Those are shimano r500 wheels. Still have the old wheels which i rebuilt with new spokes a while back...to be used as a back up i guess...

Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk

[tommygunn]

Have been reviving my old repco superlite i bought second hand in the the early 90s over the last few years. Thought I'd share how it's progressed. It's a bit of a frankenbike but i like it. Not light but fun enough and good for commuting. The purists here will think I've committed a sacrilegious act but i got sick of the 6 speed and threw on a shimano sora groupset i found on ebay for $250. Those are shimano r500 wheels. Still have the old wheels which i rebuilt with new spokes a while back...to be used as a back up i guess...

How it was in 2009...with new griptape, tyres, and rebuilt wheels... No original pictures unfortunately.


Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk

Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk

[munga]

this guy's for sale:





$700, can drop off to family/friend/lbs in BRISBANE for them to pack and ship.

more pics here >> http://s262.photobucket.com/user/munga1 ... t=3&page=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[singlespeedscott]

Certainly one I would be holding onto Munga. I think you'll regret it. A classic Aussie made bike. Much better then anything Euro or British

[munga]

I might be keeping it. Nobody seems to think it's worth the asking price..

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[singlespeedscott]

Righto Repcophilles. I picked up an 1984 Olympic 12 on ebay last week and am keen to use it as my new longer distance bike/commuter due to it's double water boss mounts and Tange champion 2 tubing. However browsing through the 84-85 catalog I see that the fork is suppose to be Hi-Ten and that the main frame tubes are double butted. Replaceing the fork with a Tange Cr-Mo one is no issue has I have few that will fill the job but my concern is that the rear stays are Hi-Ten. Does anyone know if this is the case or are they the standard straight gauge Champion cr-mo items. I don't want to come across as a tubing snob but the bike it would replace is one of my Ricardo Elite's which although is built from plain gauge champion tubing I know for a fact is all Cr-Mo. No point in downgrading on the stay's IMO.