veloham

This is the fully chromed Competition if anyone missed it, bit disappointed I didn't see this before starting on my ridiculous project.

Also here's what I think is the original ad for the one that I think is a 1970 rather than a 1963 bicicletta Mondia Competition anni 70 - Melano. If you Google "Mondia Competition Ebay" you see the sale of the stripped frame. Maybe the original seller had it wrong and it is a 1963, who knows.

1 Lugnut

Not sure if your're going for 'period correctmess' here or not?
Reading the Timeline Details on Classic Rendezvous Mondia Page, way at the bottom (footnote 04 Decals) it says that the decal 'Special' only was used on both sides of the seat tube at some point at least by model year 1968. By 1970 the decal arrangement had changed to 'Mondia Special' on both sides of the down tube & only 1 centered Mondia decal on the seat tube....

veloham

Hello Lugnut don't worry I've spent (too) many hours reading Mr Broderick's Mondia timeline and browsing his other catalogue scans

It's a wealth of knowledge but I think the focus is on the Special model, which is understandable as I think those are much more common in the US than the other models. I'm not sure why, maybe they were more marketed/imported, maybe filled a niche better, or maybe Americans just liked those whacky paint jobs

The serial number on my frame is 182558, so I've been looking at bikes with serial numbers near that, say 5-10k either side. I originally thought it was a 77ish Cyclo-Cross model based on the Classic-Rendezvous registry, RB's timeline and the braze-ons I could see in the sales pics but when I received the bike it was obvious that the braze-ons were after market. Tbh I find the dating registry at Classic-Rendesvouz a bit wooly, there's some good ones in there but a lot to throw you off the scent. My starting point for my dating was actually RB's Cyclo-Cross investigations: Mondia Cyclo-Cross bicycles (which he provided in an elbow drop from the top ropes to another thread's conjectures, I've been in the brace position for a while now ). The first 2 examples book end my serial number
1972 Mondia Cyclo-Cross (171844)
1974 Mondia Cyclo-Cross (191478)

When I stripped off the paint on mine I found that the lugs, seattube panel, fork crown and fork and stay ends were originally chromed, it also has Bocama lugs (no windows) and horizontal dropouts. In think this excludes it from being a Cyclo-Cross or a Criterium from that period as they had vertical dropouts. I know RB thinks the Bocama lugs means it must be a Cyclo-Cross but I'm pretty sure I disagree on this point. So that left me thinking it must be a 'Super' but when I looked it's very difficult to actually find any and I did start to find Amateurs and Competitions. Soooooo that's led me to the position where I think they were all known as Mondia Supers (as opposed to standard Mondia models) and the normal racing bikes were the Mondia Super Amateur and Competition as opposed to their sports tourer - the famous Special and the Cyclo-Cross and Criterium models.

There aren't enough examples of the other models out there to say anything for definite, or at least that I've found on the web. Obviously anything I look at could have been repainted, had the 'wrong' decals put on at some point, almost certainly has at least some non-original components after all these years, and may even have been a special order! As you see even in the 1988 catalogue the Model 17 bikes were available as made to measure, so I think there's every chance 15 years before that someone could have asked for Bocama lugs on a Special or a Cyclo-Cross or Criterium with horizontal dropouts or whatever else.

I'll post some pictures of the different models I've found ...

veloham

This is what I think the (usual) paint scheme for the Cyclo-Cross model was: 1 main colour with lining around the lugs and chromed fork crown only. I think the decals were almost certainly the white "mondia" either side of the downtube and possibly the red "MONDIA" on the seattube. I've seen some with it (later models I think), although it could have just been damaged and/or removed from the ones I've seen without it. Most Cyclo-Cross bikes I guess were pretty chewed up as almost all the early ones I've found have been repainted. [Incidentally I think this was the colour scheme of my bike, it was certainly that colour orange with black lug lining (which imo just makes it look grimy, why I'm going for white this time round).]

I can't remember where I found these pics, probably on a Swiss auction site, I think the year and model is just my guesswork. Tbh I stopped looking at Cyclo-Cross models pretty early on when I ruled it out for my bike. I think others on here have probably done more research so may have a better view.

191294 1974 Cyclo-Cross

veloham

This is one of the only frames I'm as sure as I can be is a Criterium - so long as the paintwork is original, which I believe it is. I think the Criterium was very similar visually to the Cyclo-Cross, who knows maybe the orange bike I just posted was a Criterium. I'd guess the only way to tell is from the original components and measuring for a difference in geometry - higher bottom bracket height for the Cyclo-Cross, shorter wheelbase for the Criterium, etc. if the differences shown in RB's 1977 article were present in the early 70s.

I found this on Craigslist L.A. and exchanged a few pleasant emails with the seller who had a pristine headbadge but wouldn't sell that to me

If you squint at the pic of the Criterium Prestige in the bottom left of page 3 of RB's 1977 article you could convince yourself it had the "Criterium" decal on the toptube and didn't have the red "MONDIA" on the seattube but you wouldn't want to bet your house on it.

As a bit more fun there's also a pic of a yellow Juvela Criterium I found at the bottom of the post https://www.anibis.ch/fr/moto-~-v%c3%...po&so=d&fcid=0

191298 1974 Criterium

veloham

Here's an Amateur, I think these looked visually similar to the Special, Competition etc. So chrome seat panel, fork and stay ends and head lugs, some snazzy fades and lug lining. I don't think they were particularly 'amateur' except in the exact definition of the word! I don't think a modern marketing department would allow one of their top range of bikes to be called Amateur, even if it was for amateurs and the bottom rung of their top range!

197725 1975 Amateur

veloham

So to the Competion. I think the chroming and lugs are very similar to the Amateur, although the earlier Competitions seem to have a different set of decals. I'm not sure when they all came in to being, maybe there was just a Super, or a Super Competition and models were added to the range through the 70s and 80s. I can't find any examples of the 'Team' model shown in the 1988 catalogue.

172375 1972-3 Competition
The fully chromed one I posted yesterday, it has a lovely example of the downtube decal but is missing the seattube decal - I guess damaged and/or removed to keep the bike tidy.

This is a good example I think Lightweight Classics: 1963 - Mondia Super Competition, it's the one I posted yesterday. I don't know the serial number but I think it's a 1970 rather than 1963 but may be wrong.

The blue is probably a Competition but I don't know the serial number and the downtube decal was either never there or was removed as damaged (or the seattube decal was added to another model).

The final orange one has some nicely preserved decals and is the closest I've found to my serial number. Very confusingly it has Nervex lugs, until I saw this one I thought it was only the Specials that had Nervex lugs. [Edit: So maybe some of the others I've discounted as Specials were actually Supers/Competitions/Amateurs.] Mine has the Nervex Professional fork crown like this one but Bocama Professional lugs. I haven't seen another one with that combo and I'm as sure as I can be that my fork is original (same underlying paint scheme anyway). [N.B. I'm also as sure as I can be a more modern badge has been put on that orange one at some point.]

veloham

This is also a great example but I don't know if it's a Super, Competition or even an Amateur (that would probably have needed components upgraded after market to meet the current spec, although I don't know for sure). For a long time this was what I thought was the only actually genuine 'Super' I could find, but I've come round to the view outlined in my posts above, i.e. that it is probably some model of Mondia Super, like a Competition. Semantics

189897 1974 Super

https://www.flickr.com/photos/115217...57631819814922

Same lugs, chrome pattern etc. as mine but different fork crown.

Anyway I guess the short story is, I've looked at lots and lots of pictures of Mondias over the last few months and I'm not much the wiser on what period correct is for this frame!

As I couldn't justify the expense of re-chroming as original I've limited myself to the fork crown (and leaving the dropouts as mentioned). Similarly I'm not going to get a fade done and don't fancy any pin-striping but the LBS that's doing the work does do really nice lug lining (and pin striping) so I think I will have that re-done in white. So kind of by default I've ended up at the Cyclo-Cross / Criterium paint scheme. As mentioned for those I think the period correct decals would definitely be the white "mondia" on the downtube and possibly the red "MONDIA" on the seattube. I couldn't say definitively that was wrong anyway and I think it will look good and mine isn't a Cyclo-Cross or Criterium so in the end pffff

If anyone has a bike with the Competition decals on, I would love to know the dimensions. I would put those on if I could get some!

Made a small edit above as I was getting hustled off the computer last night by Mrs Veloham. Another idea I've been kicking around is that maybe those red Competition decals were only available in Europe (the 3 examples I've seen are all from Europe rather than the US) and maybe the imports to the US had the more conventional decals. Would love to hear from anyone that remembers or knows anything about them. [Another edit: A more troublesome idea is that this might have been an aftermarket set of decals available at some point in the past. The orange Competition could even be a reapainted Special, but on balance I would say probably not!]

1 Lugnut

Great research work there Velo.

A few showing up on ebay lately, mostly abroad:

Mondia Super Special 1972
MONDIA SPECIAL

Nearest I can figure on my Special is that it's a 1968-70 model. Thread Here. I was going to get rid of the frame but then decided to keep & fix it up. Not so much a restoration but a functional bike that will replace the 58 cm bike I just sold. I brought it over to Ed Litton's shop the other for a few braze-on's to be added. He also checked the alignment. A day later, he called to say 'your frames' ready'. He had an old Mondia hanging up in the rafters somebody gave him w/ a ton of other frames in for repair. Derosa's, Masis, Pogliaghis, Bianchis & an Eisentraut w/ a gorgeous paint job. Highly recommended!

I'm going to paint mine myself; maybe pearl white or a light metallic green (Kiwi Green Metallic)? Put on a mix of Campy parts...

veloham

From the look of the lugs (Prugnat I think) and the seat stays my guess would be that's a late 70s, early 80s model. I haven't spent much time looking at that period though tbh, if I see a pic with those seat stays or lugs I would discount it from my search for early 70s models. What's the serial number?

I like the idea of pearl white, I was quite tempted to do that on my frame, all the decals would look nice with white if you were going to redecal. As I mentioned a few months back I was thinking of pearl white with gold lug lining, which would look very nice with chrome and black components and the white "mondia" downtube decal. Mrs V said that would look too feminine though!

Anyway, I'm pleased to at least be trying to recreate the original orange and just swapping black for white lug lining so I'm keeping loosely true to the original paint scheme.

@lugnut did I gather from one of your other posts that you are based in Switz?

veloham

Here's another little bit of Mondia trivia I found in my searching, a charming poster from 1949

Borer Albert - Cycles Mondia

1 Lugnut

Ed Litton seemed to think it was a later model too. The placement & type of decals threw me off & led me to believe it's a '68-'70 Special...dunno? No serial # on the lug/stays either, only this stamped on the bottom of the BB #3898415 along w/ a 60. I'm assuming the 60's for seat tube c-t. Measures 58 c-c, which is good for me.

Nope, born & raised in the SF Bay Area. I just like Swiss bikes. Love my Titan bike. Made in Italy, marketed/sold in Switz. There was a big push years ago on the Forum here about Titan bikes. Apparently, made in the 80's, put in warehouse & forgot about until someone put them on ebay...for cheap. Assorted tubings & paint schemes. They went fast. Got mine for $125, junked the unicrown fork & put one I had stashed away for years, an Italvega...Great Ride! Titan Bicycles of Switzerland

veloham

@lugnut I don't know anything about Titan bikes, so not sure if this is the same manufacturer but I just noticed a mention in the 1974 Big Wheels catalogue on RB's site:

Big Wheel catalog (1974)

I do know that yours looks very nice, like the tape colour.

I thought you'd mentioned in that other thread that you'd found a Mondia rusting on a street in Switzerland, but must have been someone else, or you on your hols!

Dougbloch 

I'm loving this Mondia thread!

Here are a couple pics of my Mondia Tour De Suisse. These were reportedly for a Finn Air promotion in 1973/74 and Ridgeway Bicycles in New Jersey bought some. They sold them for $225 apiece. I've yet to see another one of these pop up, but given the limited market for Mondias it is not in high demand. The serial number is 179441.

The only thing original on the bike is the Reynolds 531 frame, 3ttt Record stem, and Sugino Maxy cranks. I bought it that way. The drop outs are not Campagnolo. I put Velocity Aerohead rims laced to Suzue Pro Max hubs and Pasela Panaracers on it, NJS pista bars, and a Mafac Racer on the front. MKS Sylvan pedals. I took off the VO headset thatcame with it and replaced it with a Tange Levin with lower stack height.

It's a fixed gear 46T/17T. This bike is incredibly fun to ride.

veloham

Thanks @Dougbloch, it's a little high on conjecture, low on fact so far

That's a nice looking bike, imo that's a pretty stylish paint job, it's got the fade on to the the chrome forks and stays as well.

Do you know what handlebars it would have come with? I guess the early 3ttt Record with the mirror image of the logo on each side of the stem.

That serial number is just below mine so does help confirm my dating if they were for a promotion in 73/74 (and if Tour de Suisse, Paul Egli, Juvela, Mondia were all contiguously numbered). I guess they would have produced the whole run in one go for Fin Air in 73.

Can't wait to get mine built up and ride it, I hope I don't make it a clunker!

N.B. if anyone has one of these kicking around, please pm me.

Dougbloch 

The Tour De Suisse also came in orange:

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...-question.html

You might have one as you don't have Campy drop-outs, right? These didn't come with braze ons.

I have a Mondia head badge, but I don't want to part with it right now. Keep an eye out on eBay as they pop up from time to time.

veloham

Ahhh nice, thanks for the link, very interesting.

Mine does have Campagnolo horizontal dropouts.

I think there's a tiny chance it's a Juvela - this is the only frame I've found in all my searching that has the same Bocama lugs, Nervex fork crown, horizontal dropouts and chrome pattern Mondia Juvela 163475 but realistically the likelihood is that mine is a Mondia. Although I will never know for sure! I am also glad not to be searching for a Juvela headbadge, it's bad enough looking for a Mondia

I may have confused things by going on about it not having Campagnolo vertical dropouts. I think Cyclo-Cross and Criteriums had vertical dropouts, so this is largely why I've ruled out those models (and the chrome pattern).

In the 1977 article on velo-pages it says the new Criterium Prestige will have short horizontal dropouts although their test model does not. It doesn't say what the test model did have but squinting at the pic I think those are vertical, and the yellow Criterium frame I found and posted previously also has vertical dropouts. [For what it's worth the Juvela Criterium also has vertical dropouts.] Assuming the Criterium Prestige is the Criterium but with better components, maybe they just sent across an existing Criterium frame but with the Superleggeri pedals, Fiamme yellow label rims, Clement silk tyres, or whatever bits were the Prestige upgrade.

N.B. the Cyclo-Cross models also had the vertical dropouts until the late 70s when they were replaced with the short horizontal dropouts Mondia Cyclo-Cross bicycles, RB gives more details in his timeline as well, including the option of having long horizontal dropouts from 1976.

I have the 60s edition of the headbadge with just "Mondia" in script but I would prefer the period correct badge if possible, I'm sure one will come along sooner or later.

veloham

This is where I've got to so far. It's turning in to a real labour of love, everything is taking so long, but at least (I still think) she looks pretty

The latest spanner in the works, I spent a few evenings polishing the bottle cage, went to screw it in and the bosses are 2 1/4 inches apart instead of 2 1/2

Anyway, any comments or pointers are welcome. The stem needs to be inserted further, but I already badly scratched it and just took it out and polished it, so will set it up properly later. I am close to regretting the orange bar tape, I'm not so happy with the plugs and about 50:50 between white and black cables. I was worrying white would look like I was trying too hard - and then I realised I'd be riding around on a bright orange c&v bike that I'd spent 6 months polishing, so it's a moot point!

xiaoman1 

Looking great ...I used blue cloth tape and blue cables on mine...I like to use the color wheel at times.
Best, ben

juvela

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Thanks very much for this latest update.

She is coming right along very nicely.

My deux centimes on appearance matters -

Slightly surprised that while dropout faces are plated fork end faces appear not to be.

Yes, the orange bar wrap does not work. Better colours would be white, tan or brown.

Black cable casing will not work. Best would be silver-grey. Second choice white.

You do not give your location. We have quite a few seventies era Mondia & Juvela cycles here in California due to multiple importers. REI even sold a few at one time.

Marvelous research you have done there!

Get the impression (no hard information) that the Juvela badge was created in order to put more product into a given market. Mondia retailers were given certain territories but distributors could come back and offer the shop in the next block the same machines badged as Juvela.

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Narhay

I would go with black handlebar tape. White cable housing will match the frame decals.

Nice to see this one come back.

juvela

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Unlikely to have been sourced from CH auction site. Cycle wears license transfer from Poway, California - a suburb of San Diego.

Bicycle licensing went to a statewide system in California beginning 1977 so a transfer with the name of an individual city would predate that time.

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veloham

Hello all, yep feels good to be nearly at a point where I can actually ride it! Everything is serviced and freshly greased and turning very smoothly.
@juvela the fork dropout faces are chromed, they're just hiding! Tbh I was surprised so little chrome was left showing, but what are you going to do at that point. This is my first restoration and every step is a learning experience.

Same goes for the bars really, never wrapped with cloth and/or shellac'd before, I'm going to live with the orange at least until I've got the rest finished off. I was pretty unhappy with it the first day but it is growing on me. I think white cables and maybe some white plugs might bring it together. It's the combo of the orange and the brown hoods that isn't quite working for me. Also my wife was pretty adamant I should have black tape so I need to persist with the orange for a little while longer I didn't want a lot of orange and black, I thought it would look a bit tigery, but I can admit I was probably wrong!

I think you're probably right regarding Juvela, that yellow one I posted was from a Swiss auction site though. I can't imagine it found it's way back from the US, so can't have just been for export.

Also I have some further nice research to share, I just need to digest it a bit further and translate it ...

veloham

woa sorry about the big pics!

veloham

Also I got the spider with the milled sections red enamelled already, I had been planning to paint them white or black but I quite like the red now they're on the bike.

Oh and my location is Bristol, UK, so would be a long trip for a Sunday ride