SchRadler

After scrolling through countless sets of estate sale photos to see the occasional Trek hybrid or department store mountain bike, I finally saw something interesting this weekend. So this morning I stood out in the cold for a while to be near the front of the line and then hustled down to the basement to find this waiting for me:



I was hoping for a hastily priced $50 score, but the professional estate sale manager could apparently read and use Google. I paused for a moment but then asked for a SOLD sticker at about a dozen times my fantasy price. My first Italian bike is an SLX De Rosa. And it looks like the temperature in West Michigan this weekend may climb into the 40s for a first ride!


Then I turned to take a look at another bike at this sale. Similar Campy components, but an unadorned light blue frame that looks like it may have been repainted. With no obvious name to Google, the professional estate sale manager had assigned this bike a price about one quarter of the De Rosa. After a quick look at the fine workmanship of the frame and a side by side weight comparison with the De Rosa, I decided that this one was coming home with me as well. It's a little smaller, but may still be rideable for me.

I'm intrigued by the frame and wonder if any of you with far more experience and knowledge than me can help ID it. Some aspects of the lug work and the fork crown are similar to the De Rosa, but the rear dropouts are Shimano and the seat post binder bolt is Sugino. Serial number on the bottom bracket is E100288. As pictured this bike weighs in on my luggage scale at just under 20 pounds. Please let me know if you have any insight about this one:

himespau 

Beauty.

machinist42

The serial number format, location and font, the semi-shot-in seat stay treatment, the elegantly thinned lug(s), and the chiseled stay end finish are not inconsistent with that of Eisentraut.

(The Serial Number would have it as the tenth frame built in February of 1988.)

Is there a Serial on the steerer tube as well? Would you please post more photos of frame details?

xiaoman1 

Not sure but I think it says "Shimano" on the dropouts...other will chime in on the make and model.
T-Mar Best, Ben

Doug Fattic 

The local bike shops in Grand Rapids (or wherever this estate sale was located) might remember the bikes if you identify the owners. I'm guessing the owner had that blue bike custom made for his wife using light steel tubing. It is hard to find small production bikes that aren't straight racers. The late Randy Smolinski was the manager of a bike store in GR and also a part time builder. It doesn't look like his paint jobs because he referred more glamorous House of Kolor paints. But maybe the owner had it powdercoated to save money. You also might check with custom builder and bike store owner Matt Assenbacher in Swartz Creek. Well I think he moved his store closer to Flint. Of course he could have had a builder make it anyplace in the US.

SchRadler

Thanks machinist42 and Doug Fattic for the prompt feedback. I've got to finish up a few things for work this afternoon (after taking an early lunch break to pick up the bikes!), but I'll try to post a few more photos of the frame details later this evening.

Chombi1 

That indeed is a Shimano rear DO.....
The way the seatstay ends blends into the seat lug reminds me of the ones on my 89 Bottecchia Professional.
It's a very small frame could it have been a cycling couple that owned the two bikes?

P!N20

Round of applause.

Straightblock

I just saw this thread. It's a dead on match for my Eisentraut Rainbow. I'm too embarrassed to post pics now because it's too dirty

Chuck M 

That is why my fantasies are centered around garage sales. Nice bikes by the way.

Straightblock

After a quick wipedown, Eisentraut Rainbow s/n E571188.

SchRadler

It's late so I didn't check for a SN on the steerer tube, but here are a few more photos after a quick wipe down of the frame details. Your comment and others do make me think that this is likely an Eisentraut Rainbow from 1988. It measures out at 48cm which was the smallest size for these bikes according to this article pg_6

SchRadler

Thanks Straightblock--yours is just 9 months "younger" from Nov of 88! Even if it's dusty, would you post one pic of the whole frame so I can see what the decals look like?

unworthy1

DAY-um, that (both of them) was sure worth the effort put in at that estate sale!
Well played, sir!

Straightblock

Rainbow trout decals on the headtube and seat tube, Albert Eisentraut signature decals on the downtube, no tubing decal.

Sactown_Albert 

There are a few models with the graphics. Going to be hard to get recreations. Albert Eisentraut bicycles

Spaghetti Legs 

Well done and good instincts on pickup of the second bike!

It looks to me like the 2 bikes shared components from maybe 3 Campy groupsets. I believe a Croce D’Aune RD with C Record crank and shifters on the blue, a mix of older Record/Super Record on both bikes, Athena RD, brakes maybe?, and seat post.

oneclick 

Blue bike seatpost looks too small.

SchRadler

Thanks--and extra points for the photo at the hatchery!

It looks like Velocals has the Albert Eisentraut signature decals available, but not the Rainbow Trout ones.

unworthy1

SOMEbody has to have them...if all else fails contact Ed Litton (Pt. Richmond, CA), he bought a lot of Eisentraut's old shop, perhaps he got some decals in that deal, or perhaps he's repainted a few over the years and has spares (Ed has done a lot of painting)

dedhed

See post #5778

​​​​​​https://forums.thepaceline.net/showt...32021&page=386

repechage

I like the blue one.
unfortunalely the chainstay bridge is cropped out- but Rainbow 'trout might be it...
fork crown match?

noobinsf 

I bought decals from SSSInk for my Eisentraut Limited, and they're very nice. They also have Trout decals available. See page 20 of the "A-M" PDF at this link: https://sssink.com/bicycle-restoration

SchRadler

Excellent resource. Thanks!

unworthy1

Back in the Day, you had to be a legit bicycle painter to get decals from SSSink, or be working closely enough that one would authorize you (customer) to place the order.
They sold to "trade only" not general public.
But they have enormous depth in their collection