Kilroy1988 

Currently listed on eBay, perhaps the first time I've ever seen such a thing and I'm hoping to be enlightened!

3 Rensho replica frameset | eBay

As someone interested in historical reenactment, I've led a life surrounded by replicas/reproductions/recreations of various items ranging from crafts to clothing... However, I have yet to come across any bicycle frames that are so elusive that someone has purposely made an exact replica (which I am not stating this 3Rensho is, but it is apparently attempting to be) to fulfill their heart's desires.

Is this a thing now? Can I commission a frame builder to make an exact replica of an almost impossible-to-find 1950s Carlton International and stamp "replica" on the bottom and would that be kosher? Are there other examples of this phenomenon out there?

-Gregory

Andy_K 

I know De Rosa did a few special edition replicas of earlier bikes ('57 and '73). Raleigh has likewise recently issued a replica of their Team Pro. Finally, I've also recently seen that Battaglin did a special edition of replica of the bike Stephen Roche rode to Tour de France victory, but they only made 30 of them so I'm not sure that's the same category.

I don't think this is necessarily happening because the originals are so rare. The replicas seem to be as rare as the originals. It's more of a way for manufacturers to tap some of the value of their heritage.

Of course, I have no idea where the 3Rensho replica fits in all of this.

Andy_K 

Oh, hey!

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...-t-afford.html

tendency

One thing they cant replicate - unless a builder were to make a special one off investment cast lug - is the iconic offset fork crown many 3renshos came with. Case in point, this example.

tendency

The crappy lug work, bottom bracket, fork, etc. , well I won't go on. That's not even close to looking like a 3resnho except for the livery lol. You might as well take an old huffy .. something about pig and lipstick.

repechage

I would consider a Porsche 550 spyder replica but never place a Porsche emblem or badging on it.

this comes from the other direction, decals and paint to carry on the deceit.
there are so many decent true bikes out there.

jetboy 

its a centurion elite RS- tange 2 and crafted in Japan at least. I am not sure i'd say the lugwork is crappy- its functional and clean. ! A no frills frame-set that probably rides very well, second in line the Ironman which we all love! I have a hand crafted Zunow z-1 (top of the line) that I would put up against any 3rensho- and I also have an Ironman (Z-1 price.. 1k? Ironman price $300?) - if I was blindfolded would I really know the difference? .

obrentharris 

Brian Baylis made a fine Masi replica.
Brent

cudak888 

Everyone was pretty chill when the original owner put it together for their own amusement (and stamped "REPLICA" on the BB to be sure it couldn't be faked).

Now that it's on the market...the pitchforks are out.

AdventureManCO, can I interest you in a frame in need of Huffy components?

-Kurt

embankmentlb

The GCN guys had someone craft a vintage frame for one of their retro vs. modern videos.
The video was almost as hard to sit through as a CNN or Fox broadcast.
If I remember correctly they had someone make a fake, exact replica, of a 70s Eddy Merckx.
Not my thing but maybe I should not be surprised.

georges1

a real Rensho frame is starting from 1800$ to more than 2500$

smd4

Why?

georges1

Because craftsmanship on a real Rensho can rival or beat the steel frames from the most prestigious Italian brands, Merziac has some Renshos and can explain you better than me while they are such finely crafted bikes kinda like the Cherubim ones.Detail and quality of lugs,tubes and craftsmanship make a Rensho frame, a unique piece of japanese cycling craftmanship.

repechage

yeah, because steel frames wear out...

cudak888 

1. Craftsmanship.

(https://pezcyclingnews.com/readersri...onno-cherubim/)


2. Excellent self-marketing. Grab a copy of Japanese Steel so you can see some of the flamboyant track frames that Yoshi Konno built just to stand out from the crowd. Also search Google for "3 Rensho Lo-Pro."



-Kurt

smd4

Guess we should consider the frame a "consumable," then.

smd4

Sorry. Don't see enough difference between this and say a mid-1980s Paramount or many other frames to merit the ridiculous prices quoted above.

You couldn't pay me to have that fork crown on my bike. Eew.

cudak888 

And second-gen Paramounts bring more money than the PDG era, but I don't see enough craftsmanship in the former to warrant higher prices than the latter - yet, Nervex lugs and bright paint jobs make some people giddy for spending money, even if the whole lug was stamped crooked and the finishing work subpar.



Divorce yourself from your own preferences if you want to understand why people pay good money for Konno's bikes - or for any handbuilt bike. This isn't about what you like, this is about what tickled the toes of people at the international bike shows at the time and the legend that came from it.

Just like the old Paramounts, people talked about Konno's frames because they stood out. Enough discourse over something special that's hard to see tends to turn anything into a legend.

-Kurt

smd4

Um, no. Why the hell would I ever "divorce" myself from my own preferences?

cudak888 

"Divorce yourself from your own preferences if you want to understand why people pay good money for Konno's bikes."

-Kurt

tendency

Ain't gonna see that beautiful lug work on a Paramount - gorgeous!

smd4

On a Waterford Paramount from 1986? Sure you would.

smd4

No matter who I divorce, I will never understand that.

cudak888 

Well, if you can't, then you won't, so just don't.



-Kurt

smd4

You need to divorce yourself from your own preferences if you want to understand why people think it's ridiculous to spend $2,500 on a Japanese frame.