C_LOGAN

I would like to start a thread in which people can post pictures of their old Australian made/branded bikes. I was going to post this in the Australian Regional section, but I think it would be better suited to the Vintage forum.

To start, I will post the Australian bikes I own/have owned.



90's Paconi Road bike (Braeside, Victoria) Chromoly frame with Campagnolo droupouts (unsure what sort of tubing used though), Shimano Exage Deraillers, Cranks + shifters (Because the dura ace cranks that came with it were too small for me - Yes I prefer Exage to Dura Ace....) Dia Compe 400 Brakes, Wolber front wheel/Galli rear. 12 Speed. I still own this bike - recently rebuilt.



80s (around 1983) Ricardo Deluxe (South Australia) with hand painted pin striping - Shimano deraillers and dia compe brakes. Originally came with steel rims and dynamo light set. 12 Speed. No longer own this bike.



80s Progress bike (Windsor, Victoria) - Champion tubing, Suntour Symmetric shifters (great idea), Suntour ARX Deraillers. Shimano 600 Cranks + Biopace Chain wheels. 12 Speed. No longer own this bike.



1988 Malvern Star (Originally Malvern, Victoria - but this model was from Taiwan) Tange Chromoly Tubing, Shimano Tourney Groupset, Araya Wheels. These bikes were hired out/sold to people participating in the 1988 Australian Bicentenial Bike ride from Sydney to Melbourne. 12 Speed. No longer own this bike.



80s/early 90s? Protour VQ12 (SOUTH AUSTRALIA) - Manganese Tubing, Suntour Blaze deraillers, Alesa rims, Sakae cranks with Powering. This is the roadbike that got me back into cycling. Unfortunately this bike was smashed into the back of a car - Frame bent but all other parts salvaged. The bike was much too small for me anyhow. 12 Speed.

Lamplight

Great looking bikes! Unfortunately I've never even seen an Australian bicycle here.

seaneee

older pic. ditched the blue them, new black/skinwall tires, new bars.

BUT, gonna go SS with it since the wheel base is really long and doesn't suit fixed too well. Swaping stem to fixed position Titan with a set of 1970's 'ville' city bars and levers, as well as some Japanese brooks leather grips. Going to swap out the brakes (currently a front altenburger syncron), not sure what the new ones will be. Wanted super 68's but the reach is just a hair too short. Thinking some GB's maybe.

John E

One of my fellow commuter rail passengers had a KYPO, which was a great-looking bike.

C_LOGAN

Did they sell these Malvern Stars in America? I have seen a few Malvern Stars, Cecil Walkers, etc in America - but I was unaware that they were exported there en masse. What year is this one, and is it an Australian, Japanese or Taiwanese build.

Nice bike by the way.

ozneddy

my mitchell

ozneddy

i,ll try again ! lol

ozneddy

sorry, thats a ricardo , lol (i stuffed up )

ozneddy

THIS is my mitchell lol !

C_LOGAN

Very nice looking Ricardo.. I like the chrome rear stays.

Where is the Mitchell from?

ozneddy

mitchells were made on the gold coast, i was told they were originally called "sorenson,s" (history of them seem rather vague ) but i can tell u they are very lite 022 steel (ishawata ?) cinelli stem ,dura ace brakes and campy record fd and rd, out of all my bike,s i,m thinking THIS will be a permanent "keeper" !

C_LOGAN

I couldn't find anything about them either.. The Canberra Bicycle Museum has a page listing Australian Bicycle Manufacturers, but it is not on the list - neither is the Progress bike I used to own.

Must have been built by a small frame shop or something. Definately something to keep hold of, sounds like a really good bike.

classic1

Got three of em hanging in the shed and am friends with the builder. How did a Kypo wind up in Califormia?. (assuming thats where you are by your email location)

C_LOGAN

Never heard of Kypo either. Where are they from?? And where are the pictures/specs?

John E

The owner brought it from a chap who used to live "down under." It is the only one I have ever seen. Please tell us more about the marque.

seaneee

The frame came from Australia. To my knowledge, they didn't export. Built and sold in Australia.. I think it's mid to late 60's. No serial, so that rules out the 50's. Talked with a couple Aussie collectors and that was their guess as well for the age.

classic1

Robert Kypriotis built Kypo frames from the early 80's through to the mid-late 90's in Latrobe Valley in Victoria. I can't remember how many he built but it was in the many 100's, all custom. Would use whatever tubing you wanted, all steel, either lugs or fillet brazed. Most were road or track, with a few tandems, tourers and MTB's around. Mine are Reynolds. Two road frames (753 and 531 with Cinelli BB shells and columbus ends) and a 531 track frame. Kypo frames pop up on ebay occassionally or in the Melbourne Trading Post.

I can remember him building a couple of bikes for an American who lived down this way for a while with a local search and rescue organisation. A track frame that had a sloping top tube (like a sprint frame) and a road frame IIRC.

C_LOGAN

I read that in the 30s they were thinking about exporting.. Must never have gotten around to it? Who knows, the history is vague.

What sort of stickers were on the bike when you first got it? I have not seen many with a star on the fork crown either. Is the front star badge made from metal?

A similar bike to yours - except that it does not have the track style rear dropouts - but it does have a similar head tube design, forks and rear seat stays - but no info on it.

https://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2007...Cavanagh_5.htm

Gary Fountain

I had a Kypo painted like a team Z bike of the Greg Lemond era. It was a wonderful bike to ride as it tracked true and had comfortable 72 degree angles.

Gary Fountain

Here is a track bike built for De Grandi's in Geelong by George Mac Donald. It has Zeus titanium spindled cranks and a Zeus seat post. The wheels have Campy track hubs. I love the low slung bars; they look like they mean business.

C_LOGAN

Looks excellent - I like the gold rear rim and the stem.. Looks quite fast - probably should install some brakes!

classic1

lol. I had an old George McDonald frame when I was a kid. Don't do anything as sacreligious as putting brakes on it!!

Gary Fountain

Brakes are out of the question - it's too much fun without them. The frame is seriously well built you could run over it with a truck.

Gary Fountain

How about this one? A Hillman built by Gordon Hill in 1984.



I think Hillmans are becoming more collectable - they're great Aussie bikes.

C_LOGAN

Looks great. They are quite collectable, I have seen a lot of really nice single speeds which always fetch quite high prices when sold. Your bike is just a little smaller than one that I had. I bought the frame for $15.00 without forks. I did some very rudimentary measurements and tracked down and bought the largest fork I could find.... was short by about a cm. I ended up re-selling the frame for the same amount and chopping the fork for use on my Paconi as the chap in the shop said the only way to get a longer fork nowadays was to go custom.