Wissahickon2

Hello,
I recently picked up this bicycle for less than $100.00; however I am not well versed in road bicycles. I'm a long time Mountain Bike guy, who typically goes after the Fat Chance, Klein, etc 80s-90s bikes. Anyway, this had an interesting paint scheme similar to the bikes I just mentioned would typically had, and I knew that Campagnolo was generally a top end component group. That said, this bike has no branding or logos that would inform me of what I purchased. I've been googling and searching on how I could identify what this bike is, but have come up with nothing. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

Fork: Tange "TF"
Wheels: Araya rims
Hubs: Joytech
Headset: unmarked, I believe a Tange headset
Brake calipers: Modolo Corsa
Brake levers: Mafac
Handlebars: 3ttt
Stem: quill, SR Forged
Crank: Campagnolo, I believe "Victory" in a graphite finish
FD: Campagnolo
RD: Campagnolo
Seat appears to be new.

I think one of the interesting parts, or could be help in identifying, of the bike is the cable routing for the FD on the non-drive side (picture below).
Serial number starts with M2.
The bottom bracket lug/shell has a little more detail than the other lugs.
The seat stays seem like there wasn't much thought put into them.

Any thoghts? Thanks!

Miele Man

I don't know about the bike but I do suggest you get a proper seat binder bolt as the one on there could give you a really nasty scratch or cut.

With those Campagnolo components you got a really good deal.

Cheers.

T-Mar

That's a Vitus rear dropout, so my initial reaction is French origin or a neighbouring country. I don't believe these dropouts were available earlier than the very late 1970s and they were used into at least the early 1980s.. It's probably no newer than that based on the cables routed over the BB shell. Workmanship is mass production level. Depending on the exact era, this could be upper entry level to lower mid-range. Seat post diameter? Seat tube outer diameter? Threading of BB cups?

xiaoman1 

OP,
It looks like a respray with a mix of parts, agree with T-Mar about "mass production".... also I am wondering what that line on the TT is near the seat lug, tape or?
Ben

TenGrainBread 

To me the steel seatpost in there seems a bit small. The binder ears look pinched together.

Wissahickon2

The seatpost is small, it does not appear to be original, maybe replaced when they got a new seat? The paint seems like a respray, it's not a great paint job by any means. I'm going to have to look at the seat post diameter, seat tube outer diameter and threading of BB cups, as I did not have a chance to have close inspection of these yet! The line on the TT, I was picking at last night but I couldn't tell. I thought maybe from when they painted it but I couldn't tell. Will do some closer looking at that...

Thanks for the lead on vitus dropout, I'm going to look into that. Appreciate every ones help so far!

JohnDThompson 

It doesn't look like anything fancy. Triomphe crank and 980 derailleur were entry level offerings from Campagnolo. As are Modolo Corsa brakes. $100 is about right.

Could be a fun bike, if it fits you and you like the ride.

verktyg 

Gitane used those Vitus dropouts until at least 1987:



There was a recent discussion about a Dutch bike that had those crimped seat stay tops. German and Austrian bikes used that style too.

Looks like a mishmash frankenbike rather than a production model. Rattlecan paint job... there appears to be some heat caused paint damage under the black on the top tube at the seat lug???

The frame was probably a mid range model. The Tange fork is probably a replacement???.

Have you ridden it yet? The seat is way to low for that size frame usually indicating that it was too big for someone who was riding it.

verktyg

juvela

-----

headset Tange MA60

front mech Campag Nuovo Valentino

if dropouts Vitus then a Tange fork would be a replacement

------

Wissahickon2

I inflated the tires, fixed a few minor things and took it for a ride last night -- it was a blast! I'll keep it and give it a little TLC. I found an image of this Meral bicycle that has similar creased stays:

DMC707

The elevated chainstay Nishiki in the background deserves its own pic thread !

Insidious C. 

There will be a date code stamped on the cranks. Assuming they are original that will help you narrow down model year of the bike.

Wissahickon2

Ha! I love that bike. I had something like 15 vintage mountain bikes, all top quality, including a Nishiki Alien with full xt. Sold them all but kept that good old Nishiki Pinnacle!

DMC707

Did the Alien have the Bontrager Switchblade fork? --- that was the epitome of cool to me when I saw a new one in a bike shop back in 1989 or '90 and I was an impressionable 18 year old ---- I didn't have big bucks, but I ended up with a Bridgestone MB-6 , before knowing Bridgestone was anything special . I bought into the Bridgestone hype soon after though , --- rode that bike everywhere and had lots of fun

Wissahickon2

Here it is; rode it many many times, and then I sold it to someone who would enjoy it as much as I did:

T-Mar

This is a almost perfect match for a Mercier. Same dropouts, crimped stay caps, lugs, BB shell, cable stop for front derailleur on down tube, lack of shift lever bosses, etc. I've seen this configuration with various tubesets. Serial number?

Wissahickon2

Woah, best match I've seen so far!!!! thank you

Wissahickon2

Serial is M28 something...I can't see rest in picture but will look tonight

SJX426 

Looking at the crimped stay caps, they are different.
Note that the rings are unique to the crank BCD (not anywhere near standard).

T-Mar

The length of the crimp is different but that's variable depending on the set-up of the tooling.

Insidious C. 

It looks like the bike has a band on RD cable stop. Does that appear original or is there evidence of a braze on above or below the chain stay?

T-Mar

The M-prefix is consistent with Mercier manufacture. I believe the first numeral is the year of manufacture. However, take the tubing decal in the photo from my previous post with caution. Like I said, this frame design was manufactured with various tubesets. Here's one with with hi-tensile tubing.

The diameter of a proper fitting seat post will be the best indicator of the tubing grade. The post appears undersize because the ears are pressed together. This could just be deformation of the ears, as there appears to be a much wider gap in the cinch slot of the tube itself. For a proper sized post, the cinch slot in the seat tube will be about 0.6mm narrower at the top, than at the bottom.

T-Mar

The BB shell has the rear derailleur cable tunnel on top of the BB shell, so any drewed chainstay cable stop would also have been on the top.

Insidious C. 

Here is a pic showing s/n from one on ebay that is similar to T-MAR's examples.

Wissahickon2

I'm going to get out my calipers and measure the tubes ID and OD tonight; thanks for your help!