Drillium Dude 

You know, @Wildwood commented here that he was interested in the CL ad, trying to see if the seller would part it out. I'm assuming he might be interested in talking to you about your Zeus 2000 stuff. I think he'd be wanting to put it on a recently-acquired Zeus frame. You might drop him a line

Failing that, I bet it would go for good money on Ebay. Zeus stuff - mainly the higher end, which is what we've both got - always gets attention there. I suppose part of that is its relative rarity.

I'm getting excited as heck to get this on the road; I haven't ridden Zeus 2000 since 1989.

DD

francophile 

Well, you tagged Wildwood, I'll leave it to him to reach out. (thanks!)

I thought about going about the eBay route, Zeus stuff is spendy on there but not much closed out for reference, so I haven't a clue how much what I got is worth. I reckon a couple hundred, which would finally afford the Campy SR crankset and headset I've been wanting to put on my Coppi, replace the Victory group on there now.

I recently acquired a Torpado SS frame from a fellow BF'er and was also hunting black & silver Ofmega/Gipiemme crankset for it, already got the rest of what I need. I felt a little weird about dropping a z2k group on the Torpado, but the more I think about it, the more I'm loving the idea and I think the black/silver would really pop with the all-black decals and its OEM group was sorta cobbled together anyway.

I'm sure I'd have a hell of a time trying to find another rear z2k1 rear caliper though... Sad the guy didn't have the original.

bibliobob

I'm out of town for a couple weeks, but this might help? I'll have to wait until I home to take better photos and confirme details...

https://goo.gl/photos/qN1xuyATwp8ZCjxj7

https://plus.google.com/photos/10702...CKikpfDXxrCgMw

https://plus.google.com/photos/10702...CKikpfDXxrCgMw

Cheers,
Bob

Drillium Dude 

Those do quite nicely to show off a neatly-appointed frameset. Niiiiice

I think I'm making out a half-circle slotting at the back of the dropout; again, similar to a treatment I've seen pics of on early Richard Sachs frames.

Is that beauty built into a bike now? If not, it sure deserves to be!

DD

repechage

I really don't think those are Rexart dropouts, they are short Campagnolo units with milling.
Rexart was A Bill Recht company, Mario would be the last guy in the world to use a Rexart product after he left LA.
The leading 0 indicates Northern California fabrication.

Now, as Medici "inherited" much of what Mario left behind when he was locked out, Medicis wearing milled dropouts could well be from Mario's old inventory. Note the yellow pro-strada with the black drop shadow, the Confente configuration, earlier Medici graphics production inverted the colors, black text, yellow drop shadow. After Mario was gone, anything could have happened, including liberating Mario's original color configuration and using his stock up.
Part of the beef was that was part of the graphics package done for Mario before he departed Masi, medici's use of it was not sanctioned. It was part of the Recht plan where Medici would be a subordinate brand to Confente, want to carry Confente? Order a bunch of Medicis first, and continue to for access to Confente bikes.

qcpmsame 

DD, I took some decent light, and a stronger pair of bifocal, to the shop last night, sure enough the shield is there on the head tube decal. So, it seems that that the '78 is wrong on my part and its maybe an '80, based on you guys' research. One thing though, looking at the old catalogue scans, it shows the stars added to the down tube logos in the full side view picture. Mine lacks these stars, it has the old style block lettering, yellow with black shading. I suppose that the dark metallic green I have is their Sea Green listing perhaps. Anyone have any idea about this?

My head hurts now, too much changing in a short period, my life is in a shambles and the big 40th birthday party for the Medici is now on hold for at least 2 years. Aw heck, I didn't need to spend a wad on the party and booking a band anyway. Its nice to have some clarification on things, back to my catalogue scans for Medicis.

The yellow cable housing goes in todays mail, the stem bolt was processed yesterday afternoon. No need to send any of the black housing, I have a lot of extra housing already, but thanks for your kind offer.

Bill

e-RICHIE

Drillium Dude - The cable guides, the ones that are tight or appear smaller, were made for Elephant (brand) housing which was, in the day, an off brand that somehow made its way into some pro level bicycles. The Jasik headset also fell into this category. Neither of these items ever made it from the margins into the mainstream.

smontanaro 

I recall a note from Mike Howard a couple years ago where he indicated the decal transition wasn't a sharp change from one style to the next. Like many custom builders, I suspect they used what was on hand, and probably acceded to a buyer's wishes if they could.

Drillium Dude 

Thanks Richard - I've always wondered about that. Interesting. One would think he would base them off the standard of the day vice an off-brand, but there you go.

Another neat tidbit of bicycle lore

DD

Drillium Dude 

You know, I noticed something else in relation to the decals: in every ad or brochure I've ever seen, the lion is facing to the left. Every lion decal on the actual framesets faces to the right.

I wonder if that's something to do with graphic art presentation. Sorta like the VHS box art for Breaking Away where the presentation was to show Dave going from left to right. They took a still from the semi drafting scene for the art and they flipped it - note in the pic below the drivetrain is on the wrong side! I've heard this was done to conform to a certain aesthetic:



Sorry to be the bearer of bad news regarding the cancellation of the big four-oh party

I am assuming yours is still an early frame because of the diamond cutouts and the top-of-BB shell cable guides. Maybe early in 1980. We're sure it's original, and knowing that, it can't be a '78 or '79 because the green wasn't available then - and those Worlds bands were second-generation decals. It doesn't make the frame any less valuable/cool, tho - it's still an early serial number IMHO. Built within the first three years? Early frame in my book. Not that that matters as much to you, of course!

Anxiously awaiting the bolt and cable housing. I'll drop you a line as soon as they are here.

DD

Drillium Dude 

Sure, I would've used up the old stock along with the new, and maybe a few frames ended up with a mix. I was confused when I saw the stars-and-bars on the seat tube on this one until I cracked open the brochure and saw the pics. The brochure also has a line specifically detailing the decals put on the frame, which I thought was really neat.

I wonder who won a World Championship on a Medici (or if anyone did). It's always been my understanding that the rainbow bands were for the exclusive use of those builders who provided the winning chassis to World Champions.

Then again, knowing the sordid Medici history, that might not have mattered one whit to them

DD

e-RICHIE

It wasn't weird then if you were there. Many were beginning to incorporate small parts from unconventional supply chains as ways to make bicycles lighter or simply to distinguish them. Remember, this was an era when it was still Campagnolo only. To add an alloy or Ti piece from Omas or Arnold Industries, or that Jasik lower headset, or a Phil bracket assembly - these were some of the few choices makers had to experiment or maybe to simply differentiate from those using box stock Nuovo Record and Super Record groups.

Drillium Dude 

I see what you mean. I mean, I was around then, but not in the industry, and I certainly couldn't afford high-end bikes/components at that time.

I do recall being at a race as a spectator in 1980 and seeing a guy with a Rigi sporting a PMP crankset. That blew my mind, but I also remember thinking "is that going to be around in a couple years or is it a fad?".

We know the answer now

DD

repechage

My Medici has World Champ Like bands on the seat tube, wrong progression
black red blue yellow green, with a black keyline between some too.
World champ jersey color bands are Blue, red, black, yellow, green, no key lines, no gaps.
Close, but not exact. Let's be generous and call it world champ tribute, or internationale.

qcpmsame 

Those WC bands probably get misused and abused more than any other graphic on bicycles. Some manufacturers are really stretching to put them on, and many just use them because they eant the percieved cache' they believe those rmblems impart. It seems that they are like commendations for little league players now, everyone gets a trophy regardless.


I am not disappointed at all, no investment in it being a 78 model here. I went by what DD had found on his original Medici Pro Strada thread, here. He and I had discussed this and it pretty much was just a consensus about the year it was built. It is special to me regardless, this frame set came to me from Jeff, and it isn't going anywhere.

I asked many questions of one of our council of learned elders with great in-depth knowledge about the Medici's history. What we are learning here jibes with his input to me earlier this year. The graphics questions are things I have previously read about and I should remember how much inner turmoil and back stage mechanations were happening there in the mid-70s regarding Mario's property and his designs.

I'm certain y'all get tired of me posting about it, apologies for that faux pas, but if any of you had been in Boston Saturday a week past, you would have seen a very proud Medici owner that received some nice compliments from several riders, some outside of our group also.

DD, both parcels are in the hands of USPS now. I hope that these items fill the bill and are adequate for your personal standards. Should anything be incorrect for the newest member of uour rolling harum just psss it slong to a worthy chap ease. The first report of her shake down cruise is now anxiously awaited.

Sorry for the long dialogue too.

Bianchigirll 

Great score! That is a beautiful bike and the Zeus group is very eye catching. I was tempted but it was just too small. I always kind of wanted to try one of those. I think it is a little odd you don't see more since the YUGE, (trump's word) L.A. Sheriff's team/club used them for a few years.

Classtime 

This is a nice Medici thread.
I have always thought my seatstays were oversized but it is never mentioned on the www. . Are my eyes playing tricks on me? I'm the second owner. O. O. had it repainted.

repechage

I would not consider them oversize, just by order choice or what was on hand.
The tubing could be ordered in qty with decent specification, the single box tube kits that some shops sold back then were spec'd if at all beyond gauge and size range, by what was sent. The pre sorted boxed kits came in A, B, C size ranges, A being for smaller frames, the tubing gauge was rubber stamped marked on the end of the box - for example: SL, SP, PL, PS.
I saw kits with double taper seat stays, but no special marking on the box end… so it goes.

bibliobob

Yes, it is! But, I don't seem to have any photos handy and am out of town for the next couple weeks. I'll try and snap some.

But, I need to rebuild it at some point. I worked with Gus Salmon to make some really nice reproduction decals that would also memorialize that it's a counterfeit The icing on the cake might be if I could lure you out of retirement to do some faux drillium! There could be some fun ways to pay homage, have a little fun, and also document that it's a faux Confente...

e-RICHIE

Those are 16mm seat stays, and a normal shape. I've never known Medici frames to have anything except conical stays. There were 14mm on the smaller units, and 16mm on the taller ones.

trailangel

People gave me guff for taking the pictures with the scissors.

Drillium Dude 

Ah, yes - upon review I see the order is not correct. Sneaky

Tribute, then; I can get behind that.

DD

Drillium Dude 

I tend to agree, and changing up the order is a good way to get around it. I will have to review some other "suspect" builders' color order. Maybe some I've always wondered about will show out-of-order colors, too.

I am really hating the "everyone gets a trophy" mentality today. I just found out one of my HS baseball coaches just got fired after more than 40 years coaching HS kids because he "couldn't effectively communicate with Millennials", according to the principal. He was honored just this past year for his contributions over those same 40 years. Smh...

DD

Drillium Dude 

Thanks BG! I do love this Zeus stuff, it really does have an interesting look and seems as though it'll perform well, too. I'm really itching to get it on the road.

YUGE - yup, you nailed that one @qcpmsame's Medici may well have been one of the LA Sheriff Team bikes from what I understand.

DD

Drillium Dude 

Thank you! Wish I had some fully-built pics to share, but it will be a few more days until I have the parts to finish.

I wonder what kind of draw was done on the stays, too. They are the fattest (at least at the top) of any bike I own. It's obvious when you see that huge spoon-like cap (easily the nicest frame feature - the edges are like knife blades).

Nice to see a white example. A repaint, you say? I'm the second owner of this one, too

DD