Japanese Steel: Classic Bicycle Design from Japan
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I have this book saved in my wish list... do you know how much of the book is dedicated to Centurion? I know the preview shows Centurion, but I have several other books that maybe dedicated two pages tops.
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Actually, it gives full credit in the back of the book as to the owners of the bikes used, and Nick seems to own most of them, haha.
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I remember when he used to geek out primarily about French stuff. After this book, he started to wax poetic over Superbe Pro
Bought the book.
-Kurt
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Thanks for posting. I just ordered a copy
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My copy came in last week. Phenomenal pictures and quite a spread of machines - including a few "attainable" bikes presented for their importance and quality rather than Grail Status.
The book does it all too - it's visually like Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles, but it also has exceptional documentation on each bike too, along with tubing info and the like, all wrapped around the historical story of how Japanese bikes came to be. One can educate themselves on Japanese machines quite well just reading this book alone.
-Kurt
The book does it all too - it's visually like Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles, but it also has exceptional documentation on each bike too, along with tubing info and the like, all wrapped around the historical story of how Japanese bikes came to be. One can educate themselves on Japanese machines quite well just reading this book alone.
-Kurt
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I'd have to check the Koga-Miyata catalogues but the American version of the Aero Miyata did not use a butted set, as neither the literature nor decals mention butting. There were two Tange Aero Dynamics tubesets but they were called plain gauge and double plain gauge. The latter had thicker lateral walls but this difference in gauge was consistent along the entire length of the tube, which is different than butting. I can appreciate why some people would consider this butted, as it's not a single gauge but since Tange considered it a variant of plain gauge, that's how I prefer to classify it.
This was from Tim's awesome Lotus site. https://www.vintagelotusbicycles.com/...ro__Aero_.html
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#35
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This book is really beautiful---- and the history of each maker is interesting enough that I found myself wishing for more even more content, covering more models from each mfr.
But it's nice to have on the coffee table--- even helped my wife understand why I'm so taken by these old industrial objects.
My Japanese list:
1976 Centurion Semi-Pro (bought as a single speed, maybe one day I'll convert back to geared with the proper black Cyclone stuff)
1984 Fuji Team
1989 Ironman Expert
1989 Ironman Prestige
But it's nice to have on the coffee table--- even helped my wife understand why I'm so taken by these old industrial objects.
My Japanese list:
1976 Centurion Semi-Pro (bought as a single speed, maybe one day I'll convert back to geared with the proper black Cyclone stuff)
1984 Fuji Team
1989 Ironman Expert
1989 Ironman Prestige
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#36
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Mine is in storage at the moment...I'll take a photo of it when I can...
This was from Tim's awesome Lotus site. Super Pro Aero
This was from Tim's awesome Lotus site. Super Pro Aero
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I'm wondering just how many variants of this tubeset were offered!!! The Lotus is the only one I've seen with the crazy aero bits; I've read it's bondo, but it's awfully magnetic.
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Mine is in storage at the moment...I'll take a photo of it when I can...
This was from Tim's awesome Lotus site. Super Pro Aero
This was from Tim's awesome Lotus site. Super Pro Aero
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Thank-you for posting the decal picture. I can't recall seeing that particular decal. You're probably already familiar with it but here's an internet picture of the decal applied to the America market Aero Miyatas. There's no mention of butting on either the tubing decal or in the American Miyata catalogues. It's hard to believe that Miyata's marketing department would miss an opportunity to exploit butting, if it was in fact butted (or double plain gauge). Conversely, it's just as hard to believe that Miyata wouldn't use the top Tange Aero Dynamics tubeset on this model. It would be interesting to get a chance to examine one in person.
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This is the Tange sticker from my Vista Aero Course. It is a not a full aero frame like many top end models. The main tubes are round at the ends and tear drop shaped only in the middle.
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I'm glad to hear everyone is enjoying the book! I was really blessed to get to photograph such beautiful machines!! What do you think we should do next? Any thoughts?
Scott
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I'd suggest English road bikes, but even though they haven't been done to death like Italian or French machines, there's a ton of them. How about something that focuses on classic IGH city bikes from prior to the TI-Raleigh takeover of everything?
-Kurt
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I feel like a complete idiot realizing - just now - who the "Scott Ryder" on the cover actually is. I should have known someone from C&V was involved...
I'd suggest English road bikes, but even though they haven't been done to death like Italian or French machines, there's a ton of them. How about something that focuses on classic IGH city bikes from prior to the TI-Raleigh takeover of everything?
-Kurt
I'd suggest English road bikes, but even though they haven't been done to death like Italian or French machines, there's a ton of them. How about something that focuses on classic IGH city bikes from prior to the TI-Raleigh takeover of everything?
-Kurt
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I feel like a complete idiot realizing - just now - who the "Scott Ryder" on the cover actually is. I should have known someone from C&V was involved...
I'd suggest English road bikes, but even though they haven't been done to death like Italian or French machines, there's a ton of them. How about something that focuses on classic IGH city bikes from prior to the TI-Raleigh takeover of everything?
-Kurt
I'd suggest English road bikes, but even though they haven't been done to death like Italian or French machines, there's a ton of them. How about something that focuses on classic IGH city bikes from prior to the TI-Raleigh takeover of everything?
-Kurt
Kiddingly, I think the next book should be about what it took to do the first book. It was a long process but worth it in the end.
British bikes would be my first choice, only because I know the collection Nick V. has. And I'd love to take my show on the road and go to the collection rather than having the bikes shipped one at a time to me. It would be a huge help with logistics and costs. Second, there are some Japanese builders that I think would make a lovely book, such as Toei, Erba, Nagasawa, Zunow, 3 Rensho, and Cherubim.
Cheers,
Scott
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Luckily there were a few members who helped Mr. Bevington with research and questions. Team effort!
Kiddingly, I think the next book should be about what it took to do the first book. It was a long process but worth it in the end.
British bikes would be my first choice, only because I know the collection Nick V. has. And I'd love to take my show on the road and go to the collection rather than having the bikes shipped one at a time to me. It would be a huge help with logistics and costs. Second, there are some Japanese builders that I think would make a lovely book, such as Toei, Erba, Nagasawa, Zunow, 3 Rensho, and Cherubim.
Cheers,
Scott
Kiddingly, I think the next book should be about what it took to do the first book. It was a long process but worth it in the end.
British bikes would be my first choice, only because I know the collection Nick V. has. And I'd love to take my show on the road and go to the collection rather than having the bikes shipped one at a time to me. It would be a huge help with logistics and costs. Second, there are some Japanese builders that I think would make a lovely book, such as Toei, Erba, Nagasawa, Zunow, 3 Rensho, and Cherubim.
Cheers,
Scott
You could run a portable photography studio, if you could rent a storage space for a week in each location.
-Kurt
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Nick told me what it took to get his Japanese machines up there. That doesn't include the whole ordeal of getting that one Fuji Titanium shipped to him - shame it couldn't have been in the bike.
You could run a portable photography studio, if you could rent a storage space for a week in each location.
-Kurt
You could run a portable photography studio, if you could rent a storage space for a week in each location.
-Kurt
Scott
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#49
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Another vote for a book of this quality with vintage British cycles, especially from the 50's. A staggering number of small builders turned out some of the most elegant framesets I've ever seen.
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I have an early 80s Alps bike built by Toei that I would offer for photographs but it's probably been repainted some time in the last 15 years.
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