Vitus CL 1 mountainbike

And the second MTB project!
Despite the rough and dull aluminium frame parts, the condition is better that the Alan Carbonio.
This will be a wonderful build. I've found a nice donor bike in good condition: a Giant Escaper with a full Shimano Deore LX group set.

There's a lot of polishing to be done, both parts and frame kit. Everything has to be clean, but I'm not going to "Ray Dobbins" this stuff. All parts should stay original and also this bike should be able to go into the woods and into the dirt. I don't have showroom bikes.

Note: the black piece in the seat stay is just a cover. There's no suspension.

Data:
Seat Tube 47 cm center to center = 49 cm center to top (19")
Virtual top tube length approx. 55 cm.
Seat tube diameter 31.8 mm (FD clamp size)
Seat Post size approx. 27.2 mm
Head Set 1" threaded
Cable routing below top tube and below down tube / BB shell (running through a rail in bottom of top- and down tube, down tube covered with a plastic cap)
BB shell 1.37x24tpi threading (british), width 68 mm.
130 mm OLD
Cantilever brakes only (rear for regular rim brake or optional U-Brake below chain stays)
For 26"wheels.

Alan Record Carbonio MTB

Am I getting insane? Starting with a track bike project and ending with an MTB? Yes, it's a strange world. But I like bikes of all kinds.
I've always had something special with Alan bikes, although I never owned one. Untill I started collecting and building up retro bikes and my 1st classic track bike was an Alan.
In the meantime I've built track bikes, cyclocross bikes, road bikes and this time it's going to be an (why not?) MTB.
I had the opportunity to buy a rare carbon Alan MTB, mainly equipped with Deore XT parts. Unfortunately it had the unavoidable crack in one of the head lugs (only a little one), but also a hole in the right hand chain stay. I was a bit upset, but it made the seller lowering the price. After all, it's still a nice Alan with  nearly complete group set, so no bad deal at all.

Now I've stripped the bike and ordered new stickers for the restauration. This winter I will try to clean everything, repair the hole and slowly build up the bike.
It's gonna be awesome.

Data:
43x45
Seat Tube 43 cm center to center = 45 cm center to top (nearly 18")
Top Tube 45 cm, virtual top tube length approx. 56 cm.
Seat tube diameter approx. 33.3 mm (FD clamp size)
Seat Post size approx. 30.0 mm
Head Set 1-1/8" threaded
Handlebar stem 25.4 mm quill
Cable routing below BB shell
Italian BB threading
Cantilever brakes only
For 26"wheels.

Alan Super Cross ready

Frame and fork: Alan Super Cross, March 1984, H: 57 cm centre - top, L: 57 cm centre - centre

Head set: O.M.A.S.

Cranks: Sugino Mighty, home made chain guides, 171 mm.

Bottom Bracket set: Shimano BB-UNxx, Italian thread

Rear derailleur: Campagnolo Nuovo Record

Shifting lever: Sun Tour Power Ratchet bar end shifter

Brakes: Modolo Cross cantilever

Hubs: Mavic 500, 36 H, for scew-on freewheel

Rims: Wolber Super Champion Arc-en-ciel, 36 H

Tubulars: Wolber Wolber Cross 28 Extra

Sprockets: Shimano MF-xxxx  14-28 T

Chain: SRAM PC870

Pedals: Lyotard 460D

Toe clips: Christophe double, size L

Toe straps: Christophe

Saddle: Arius (Soffatti) Professionale perforated

Seat Post: Campagnolo Super Record, 25.0 mm

Stem: Cinelli 1A

Handlebars: Cinelli 66-44

Brake levers: Modolo Superprestige

Bar tape: Black

Spare wheels:
Hubs: Shimano 600 (HB-6207, FH-6207, converted with 7 speed HG freewheelbody)
Rims: Wolber Super Champion Gentleman (front: 81; rear: GTA), 36 H
Tyres: Challenge Grifo Open 32 mm (clincher)
Sprockets: Shimano 13 - 15 - 17 - 19 - 21 - 24 - 28 T.

Eddy Merckx Podio shoes

Eddy Merckx Podio road racing shoes, size 44, to be matched with Podio pedals.
These shoes have a unique hole pattern for the cleats and the correct cleats are already attached.

Due to the special sole design, it shoeld be easier to walk on these shoes in comparison with other cleated road racing shoes.
Usually I wear shoe size #43 and this is #44. These are a bit too large, but I was told that the shoes are very narrow, so I think I can ride them.

Time Equipe Pro Magnésium pedals

Another pair of Time TBT pedals. This is the edition for the Banesto pro team.
Time Equipe Pro Magnesium features a magnesium pedal body and a steel axle.
This ultimate road racing pedal was introduced in 1994 and was used by many Tour de France winners (Indurain, Riis, Ullrich, Pantani). Okay, maybe the lighter version with titanium axles...
The distance between pedal axle and foot was reduced, improving pedalling bio dynamics.
The distance pedal axle to shoe sole (Bioposition) is 8.5 mm.

See Time Sprint for more information about Time road pedals.

Diadora Power Drive SA 210 pedals

Diadora Power Drive pedals and cleats, introduced in 1992.
Cleats are "static", meaning fixed, without float.
The other type is "dynamic".
Failed more or less, because these pedals/cleats could only be combined with proprietary Diadora Power Drive shoes. Next to that, Johan Museeuw struggled with this combination through the 1994 edition of Paris - Roubaix, where he lost the race to a stronger and more clever Andrei Tchmil. Besides that, he had problems with his full suspension Bianchi bike and Diadora cleats jammed in his pedals.

Eddy Merckx Podio pedals

A second attempt of Merckx and the pedal inventor Lilian Christol to come up with a new pedal and cleat system. Maybe this 1994 design worked (I haven't tried it yet, but I've read that it works), but in the beginning, the bolt pattern of the cleats was different from all others in the market. A well know reason to fail in the market.
The pedal design and engagement system differs from Adidas Systeme 3, it looks more like Campagnolo's SGR, with the sides of the cleats sliding into the side rails of the pedals.

The nice thing about my pedals is, that I have a set of cleats, that can be attached to shoes with a Look/Shimano hole pattern.

Next job: try to find a pair of Merckx Podio shoes size 43 and matching cleats.

SOLD: Cannondale M700 aluminium MTB frame kit for sale

SOLD: CANNONDALE M700 MTB FRAME AND FORK
Cannondale 3.0 Series aluminium mountainbike frame and fork.

Seat  tube length (centre - top) = 56,5 cm, approx. 22 inch.

I'm selling a classic MTB frame kit for a mountain bike.
Model year 1992, same frame type as M2000 and M1000.
Large frame, for tall rider.

For 26 inch wheels, only for rim brakes, not for disc brakes.
"Pepperoni" fork.
Quite a bit of paint chips and wear, as usual for this type of frame.
Technically okay though.

Gazelle AA Special team frame

One of my wished is to build up a road bike with a Gazelle frame kit. I started my career in bike business at Gazelle's race devision, rode Gazelle frames for many years, so somehow I need to have such a bike again.
But I'm not satisfied with any Gazelle frame. I have a strong preference for AA-Special, because of the cable routing through the top tube. Not that this offers great function, but A, AB and AA frames with 3 cables guides on top of the top tube all have corrosion problems and the guides are simply too small.
Also important is the decal style. In the 2nd half of the 1980s Gazelle stopped with the elegant small rainbow stripes and switched to ugly, big stripes on forks, down tube and seat tube.
My favourite colour schemes are the older team colours Ivory 81 with 2 Baikal Blue 68 panels and the newer team colours Gazelle Blue 15 with an Ivory 81 seat tube panel.

And guess what?  2 weeks ago I bought an AA-Special in 60 cm (just 1 cm off my favourite frame size, but I can live with that) in 15/81 and the right decal style. The "Ervo Wielersport" decal on the seat tube lead me to the possibility that this could have been a former Gazelle Campagnolo team frame.
This was strengthened by the rest of the frame specs: chrome plating, double bottle bosses, frame number holder. To my surprise (or wasn't it a surprise anymore?), I discovered, that there used to be a name on the backside of the top tube, but former owner had tried to scratch it away. I had to look closely, but after a short while, I could clearly read the name: "Frank Moons". This was the proof, that this really used to be a team frame. Frank Moons was one of the team's aces in national and international classic road races.
Now it's my duty to bring this frame to its former glory. No, I won't re-paint it, since nothing can challenge the oiginal Gazelle paint and decals. But I have to build it up with classic and period correct components like Campagnolo Record and Cinelli.
Nice!

SOLD: Gazelle AB (Champion Mondial), 62 cm frame kit

SOLD: GAZELLE AB FRAME AND FORK
Champion Mondial, Full Reynolds 531c

Seat  tube length (centre - top) = 62 cm

I'm selling a beautiful Gazelle AB frame kit for a road bike.
Built around 1988 in Gazelle's lightweight devision.
Near perfect, almost not a single scratch or chip.

Crankbrothers Eggbeater pedals

Weird design clipless (MTB) pedals. Was a serious attempt to kick Shimano SPD off the summit of the MTB pedal rankings. But after being several years on the market, Crankbrothers is still there (with a range of different pedals and also wheel systems and some other bits), but their share is not really huge and not strongly increasing either.
Personally, I'm a Time ATAC fan and have experience with many SPD versions as well, but I haven't used the Eggbeaters or other Crankbrothers pedals yet.
The Eggbeaters have a very open design and it looks like they shed mud and sand easily.
Shimano SPD and Time ATAC can be operated (engaged) from 2 sides (top and bottom), but you can get into your Eggbeaters from 4 sides!
Both features certainly are pro's.
Cons could be the small support surface and the bearing quality. I don't know if there were quality problems with Eggbeater bearings or if those problems belonged to Look 4x4, which were made by Look under Crankbrothers license.
Same as with other pedal systems and bike parts, there are several generations and ways of manufacturing (quality, price). It looks like I have a set of Eggbeater C pedals, but to be sure I have to do more research and disassemble the pedals.
Anyway, the pedal design and place in the history are interesting enough to try these pedals in the field and to be part of my collection.

Decals for Vitus 992

New decals (stickers) for my Vitus 992 Ovoid frame and fork.
I've scanned them, so in case I need new ones, I can trace the contours and make new artwork in a vector drawing program.
This is where I got the stickers: http://www.wanit.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d20.html
Also present on Ebay (same seller, same price).

Look PP256 pedals

I don't know much about Look products and there's not a lot about the pedals on the internet, but it looks like this design is from the late 1990s and it's one of the latest pedals compatible with the "Delta" cleats, before the Keo pedals were introduced (2004).
These pedals are not super lightweight, but the overall design looks pretty good.
Adjustable spring tension with a regular tool of decent size, can be assembled and disassembled with a 15 mm wrench, adjustable cartridge bearing, steel plate to minimize boy wear.

Aluminium body
Steel plate
Plastic clip
Steel axle, cartridge bearing
4 mm Allen key spring tension adjuster (Multisensor, Adjustment Equalizer)
Spring tension positions 6 - 8 - 10 - 12

Shimano Dura Ace PD-7410 pedals

1993.
First generation Shimano SPD pedals for road racing bicycles.
Shimano extended their successful SPD offroad system to road bikes and got rid of the fees they had to pay to Look.
The retention system is not so much different from the Look and PD-7401 system, but the whole design is much more compact. A small, steel shoe cleat is held in place by a small, compact pedal. Easy step-in and step-out, lightweight, excellent cornering clearance, 2 cleat designs for fixed (SM-SH70) and float (SM-SH71), good durability: that's basically all you need.
Disadvantages: yes. The LOOK shoe/cleat hole pattern was (and still is) more or less the world wide standard, besides Time/Speedplay. With their road-SPD system, Shimano forced riders to use shoes with the same hole pattern as the mountainbike shoes: 2 slots, as HSB called it, "Lancia-grill". The odd cleat attachment prescribed Shimano shoes or SPD compatoble soles from other shoe manufacturers. Besides that, the compact cleat and pedal design required a very, very stiff shoe sole. Shimano was one of the first to produce shoes with full carbon fibre soles, stiff enough for these compact cleats. Most other types of shoes were too flexible and riders suffered from a too small platform, a too small area to transfer the power.

I was one of the 1st riders to test these pedals, possibly the 1st Europeam rider. During my 1st ride across the hilly "Bergische Land" near Düsseldorf, Solingen and Remscheid, one of the pedal axles snapped off and I had to call a cab to drive me back to the company. Just in time to inform a couple of world class pro teams not to use the pedals we had just dispatched...
The axles were changed to a stronger, more solid design and never caused a problem anymore.

After approximately 2 seasons, Shimano overhauled the hole shoe/cleat/pedal design and that was the end of this generation pedals (Dura Ace PD-7410 and Ultegra PD-6500).
Too bad that its successor PD-7700 (SPD-R) was giving even more trouble...

SOLD: SM-PD64 cleats (for PD-7400, PD-6400)

SOLD: a pair of shoe cleats SM-PD64. For Shimano Dura Ace PD-7400 and Ultegra PD-6400 pedals.
New, never used or mounted.
No screws or plates included, but regular Shimano and Look hardware will fit.

EUR $$$$$
Price doesn't include postage.

The Dura Ace pedals are rare, but the matching cleats are even more exclusive. You can conbine the pedals with any kind sloted cleats, but the extra advantage can only be reached with these original cleats. Very popular among track racers, especially spinters. The cleat offers an additional binding function, next to toe clips/straps.