Superia track ready

The Superia track bike is ready to ride now. Here's a full spec.

Frame and fork: Superia track, Ishiwata 022, 59 cm centre - top

Headset: Shimano Dura Ace track, UA-100 or HP-7500

Cranks: Shimano Dura Ace 10, FC-7000, 165 mm, 52 T / 49 T

Bottom Bracket set: Shimano Dura Ace track, BB-7500, BC thread, 107 mm axle length

Hubs: Shimano Dura Ace 10, HB-7020, 36 H

Rims: Alesa 913, clincher, silver, 36 H

Spokes: DT Swiss Competition, 2.0 - 1.8 mm, silver

Tyres: Veloflex Master 23 clincher foldable

Sprocket: Shimano Dura Ace 10, SS-7000, BC33 x 24 TPI threading for special Dura Ace 10 hub only, 16 T

Chain: Shimano Dura Ace 10, CN-7000

Pedals: MKS Sylvan Track, silver

Toe clips: MKS steel, chrome plated, size L

Toe straps: Alfredo Binda Prestige

Saddle: Arius Special Saddle Quilted

Seat Post: SR Sakae Ringyo New Royal Extra Super Light, NRY-ESL, 27.0 mm

Stem: SR Sakae Ringyo New Royal Super Light, NRY-130SL, 13 cm

Handlebars: SR Sakae Ringyo Road Custom, 42 cm centre - centre

Bar tape: Ambrosio Ribbon white

Seat post SR Sakae Ringyo New Royal Extra Super Light

This SR seat post is not 100% the ideal match with the Super Light stem, but I will rate it as 9 out of 10.
This ESL post must be exactly the same type as I had on my old Batavus.
Back then, it was already a very, very nice seat post, although no Campagnolo and not Italian.
In the past experienced some bending problems with the lightweight (fragile) machined head and maybe even breakage at the end. This post is nearly new and unused and during the installation on my Superia track bike everything was still looking okay.
The assembly of the saddle is a bit a pain in the neck. The Campagnolo-like 2 bolt construction may be a safe one, but reaching and turning the bolts is fiddly, especially with a regular wrench. After so many years it's really to look out for a special Campagnolo wrench for this kind of job.
My Superia frame is made with Ishiwata 022 tubing and I measured an internal seat tube diameter of 27.2 mm, but a seat post of that size goes in quite difficult. So, during my hunt for a proper SR seat post, I didn't limit myself to a 27.2 mm size, but I felt free to go for a 27.0 mm size as well. Now I have that size and the seat post goes into the frame (too?) easily, but it still may be better than forcing a 27.2 mm post into the frame and damaging the post. It will work.

Alfredo Binda Prestige toe straps

When it comes to toe straps for platform pedals and toe clips, there's just one brand: Alfredo Binda.
This "Prestige" is a 2 ply leather version with a layer of nylon in between to reduce stretch and to increase the durability.
I don't know if it performs really better than the standard Binda's. I remember from a few decades ago, that one laminated in particular wasn't any better. I cannot remember if it was the same construction as this Prestige type though. Time will tell.
Additionally, the width of the leather near the buckle is also wider for more comfort.

I will put these straps on my Superia track bike, which as generally built up with Japanese parts, but since I don't trust other straps than Binda's, I will use these. Besides that, I will use some other European parts. Also, Superia and other 1970s and 1980s bike manufacturers mixed and matched all kinds of components, so why shouldn't I? Tyres from Veloflex, bar tape from Ambrosio / Bike Ribbon, saddle from Arius, rims from Alesa... But the full group set, the "triplette" (as the French call the combination of bars, stem and seat post), as well as the pedals and toe clips are from Japan.

Stem SR Sakae Ringyo New Royal Super Light

My first road bike was a second hand Batavus Professional: a former amateur team bike from 1978.
The frame was built with Reynolds 531 tubing and it was assembled with Shimano Dura Ace componentry. The bars, stem and seat post were from another Japanese company: Sakae Ringyo (SR). Not the generic low end OEM components, but good, high end stuff.
The stem was milled in the centre of the clamp to make it lightweight and the same was done to the head of the seat post. This was something that top Italian manufacturers (Cinelli, 3ttt, Campagnolo) didn't do in those days. But still, my bike components were Japanese and regarded as "less quality". In a certain way, it was correct, because the milled head of the seat post tended to bend a little, when the 2 saddle clamping bolts were tightened. I can't remember if something ever broke or not. Maybe I just switched over to Italian stuff because of the good image and because it was broadly available in the market.

When I bought my Superia track frame with the nearly complete Dura Ace 10 group set, I had the idea to build the bike with as much as possible Japanese parts. Of course not with the middle-of-the-road "Custom" series or a Laprade seat post, but if possible with more classy stuff, like I had on my old Batavus.
At that time, I didn't realize how rare these parts are nowadays and how difficult it would be to obtain it in the right specification.

The first part I obtained for the Superia is the handlebar stem.
I always need very long stems (13 or 14 cm) and it was very hard to find an SR of this length.
First I found a beautifully Superia-pantographed 3ttt stem in the States, but I played the poker game too much and I lost it. So, I nearly dropped the idea of going fully Japanese, but because of this loss, I was back on track again.
At nearly the same time I found a nice SR stem in England and this time I won.
It's not the same as the New Royal Extra Super Light (NRY-ESL) of the Batavus, but it's a New Royal Super Light (NRY-130SL). No milling in the clamp, but fluted at the sides and at the top. Still a very nice stem. And, of course, the right dimensions: 130 mm, 22.2 mm, 25.4 mm.