danmar

Hello,
I recently bought this unmarked track bike from the original owner and I'm wondering if I could get some help figuring out what it is. She indicated it's Italian, but the head badge is missing. Pretty sure it's from the early 80's.

Here's what I can tell you:

• bike fully built weighs 23lbs.
• 56cm steel frame, no badge (looks like one broke off), serial number 8F04059 marked on lug above fork, no stickers, no brazed cable guides or water bottle mounts. Gold accents at lugs.
• front hub reads sunshine professional japan
• sugino super maxi 165mm crank marked c-1 forged Japan
• Ambrosio Extra Elite wheels 700c
• Sugino 48t Japan chainring
• 18t shimano SS freewheel
• Brooks professional select saddle
• Nitto Pearl 10 stem
• Nitto Tokyo drop bars
• 68mm bottom bracket. Unsure of threading.
• Laprade f-84 fluted seat post 26.6mm
• Tange Cro-Mo chrome fork
• Modolo Speedy Calipers

I'm new here, so I can't post URLs. Pics at [tinyurl dot com/80strackbike]. LMK if the link doesn't work.
Thanks for your help!

markwesti

Hi danmar , make a Pedal Room page and post it there then we can look at it . https://www.pedalroom.com/

thinktubes 

link asst

danmar

Thanks! Here's a Pedal Room profile. [pedalroom dot com/bike/vintage-track-bike-36840]
Also, just looked at the fork dropouts. They're stamped TANGE-TF-R. Also, forgot to mention Modolo Speedy Calipers.


Thanks!

danmar

I think I figured this one out. It looks very similar to this one: [pedalroom dot com/bike/1980s-panasonic-track-1000-1291]

It's Japanese, not Italian. The 26.6 seatpost points toward a Tange #2 frame and the serial number on the lower head lug would be from Panasonic's Osaka factory. Panasonic had a custom build program in the 80's where customers could pick and choose all their components, which is why this doesn't seem to match any other build I could find. Thoughts, anyone?

For some reason, the previous owner removed/painted over all the decals and the head badge. Not sure why.

markwesti

Hi danmar , I would really like to see your bike . For some reason I was not able open up pedalroom . I'll try again . I have some bikes on there , if you would like to see . I also just finished a Centurion track bike but I don't have it posted on pedalroom yet . I'll do it soon . To see my bikes type markwesti edit it's on there now

T-Mar

I agree with it being a Panasonic but believe the lead character in the serial number is a '3', as opposed to an '8', making it a 1983 or 1984 model. This fits well with the September 1983 code on the Sugino Super Maxy cranks, which were OEM spec in 1984. In which case, the frame material is CrMo in the main tubes. Butting is not mentioned, so they're plain gauge, probably Tange #5 equivalent, which also would use a 26.6mm post. The spec forks were hi-tensile, so these are likely replacements.

DMC707

That's Neat !! A factory built fixie, but before "fixies" were cool

danmar

T-Mar, that certainly looks like it! I scrubbed away some of the crappy paint on the downtube and found the outlines of the Panasonic decal.

The 8 certainly could be a 3. It doesn't look like a '78 since it's built for 700c not 27". And '88 seems too late.

I think the forks were actually OEM in a sense, since Panasonic had this PICS customization program. It's a Tange cro-mo fork and I think it must have been a special order option. I'm guessing the LBS maybe added the Ambrosios and the Modolo calipers to make it seem sexier.
@markwesti, if you follow the link assist from @thinktubes above it'll take you to my google album of pics.

Now, I think I need to figure out how to fix the paint and get new decals. Thanks, everybody!

T-Mar

Panasonic did not introduce their PICS program until 1988 and it did not have a track model until 1989. By that time the track frame was notably different, particularly in the use of a fastback seat stay arrangement.

A 1978 track model would have used tubular which is 700C equivalent and since these are obvious replacement wheels on the bicycle, 1978 would be a possibility. However, given that the Sugino Super Maxy crankset was OEM in in 1984 and it has a late 1983 code, I think the bicycle is a 1984 model manufactured in mid-1983.

Given the fork's characteristics and the obvious replacement brakes, wheels, saddle and seat post, the fork is also suspect. Besides the different finish, yours has a integral sloping crown, which was typically used on road models. It also appears to exhibits larger down tube to wheel clearance, typical of a road fork. If you remove the fork, there should a date code stamped on the steerer tube. If it is OEM to the frame, I would expect this date to be within a couple months of the frame date.