Zeus 2000 - help and advice needed
04-24-23, 12:54 AM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 144
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 46 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 112 Times
in
38 Posts
Zeus 2000 - help and advice needed
Hi Guys,
Just picked up a complete but sickly looking Zeus 2000. Its been repainted black at some point a few years ago (mid eighties would be my guess) but the frame is definatly Zeus 2000 with Zeus dropouts. All the parts are marked Zeus, including the small bits like nuts and bolts etc. - bars and stem are 3ttt which I`m pretty sure were one of the few non inhouse produced items fitted on these.
Questions:
1. Anyone want to hazard a guess at the production year (looks to me like its a first pattern Zeus 2000 from the late `70`s (no serial number that I can find).
2, The wheels are gold Ridgida Nova with black spokes - guessing these were a later add on when the frame was badly re-painted?
3. Zeus 200 chainrings - I`m playing with the idea of fitting black drilled chainrings when I re-build the bike - can`t locate any black rings - are the rare? Also, were they painted or anodised?
Plan is to fully tear down, baremetal the frame and deal with the bad paint and rust then probably embrace the black and gold theme.
Any help appreciated, Dan
Just picked up a complete but sickly looking Zeus 2000. Its been repainted black at some point a few years ago (mid eighties would be my guess) but the frame is definatly Zeus 2000 with Zeus dropouts. All the parts are marked Zeus, including the small bits like nuts and bolts etc. - bars and stem are 3ttt which I`m pretty sure were one of the few non inhouse produced items fitted on these.
Questions:
1. Anyone want to hazard a guess at the production year (looks to me like its a first pattern Zeus 2000 from the late `70`s (no serial number that I can find).
2, The wheels are gold Ridgida Nova with black spokes - guessing these were a later add on when the frame was badly re-painted?
3. Zeus 200 chainrings - I`m playing with the idea of fitting black drilled chainrings when I re-build the bike - can`t locate any black rings - are the rare? Also, were they painted or anodised?
Plan is to fully tear down, baremetal the frame and deal with the bad paint and rust then probably embrace the black and gold theme.
Any help appreciated, Dan
04-24-23, 03:18 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 2,826
Mentioned: 49 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1110 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,329 Times
in
785 Posts
Yours looks like mine, which has a serial on the bb shell, quite far back by the chainstay sockets.
The paint back there is quite thick and I'd need another look to see what it is.
You have the steel rear mech, so I think it's one of the early 2000 production, soon after the aluminium 2000 gear was introduced.
I bought mine second-hand, it also had that, and came with a set of chainrings with an inner web-ring, so if yours are original (likely) it's later than mine.
The wheels with it were Zeus HF with Akront rims, and the aluminium 2000 freewheel.
A previous owner had removed the brakes and substituted a set of Campagnolo side-pulls, but almost surely they were the same as yours.
The later 2000s came with side-pull 2001 brakes.
(The centre-pulls are very nicely finished, worth keeping.)
Mine had Cinelli bar & stem.
Chainrings are a different BCD from everyone else (119) hence rare.
Have you checked frame threading and tube diameters?
That's a very nice frame.
The paint back there is quite thick and I'd need another look to see what it is.
You have the steel rear mech, so I think it's one of the early 2000 production, soon after the aluminium 2000 gear was introduced.
I bought mine second-hand, it also had that, and came with a set of chainrings with an inner web-ring, so if yours are original (likely) it's later than mine.
The wheels with it were Zeus HF with Akront rims, and the aluminium 2000 freewheel.
A previous owner had removed the brakes and substituted a set of Campagnolo side-pulls, but almost surely they were the same as yours.
The later 2000s came with side-pull 2001 brakes.
(The centre-pulls are very nicely finished, worth keeping.)
Mine had Cinelli bar & stem.
Chainrings are a different BCD from everyone else (119) hence rare.
Have you checked frame threading and tube diameters?
That's a very nice frame.
04-24-23, 06:10 AM
#3
South Carolina Ed
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Greer, SC
Posts: 3,889
Bikes: Holdsworth custom, Macario Pro, Ciocc San Cristobal, Viner Nemo, Cyfac Le Mythique, Giant TCR, Tommasso Mondial, Cyfac Etoile
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 344 Post(s)
Liked 291 Times
in
138 Posts
Very kool!.... I always liked the look of Zeus components. My Macario has a Zeus fluted seatpost, hf hubs, and 2001 brakes w/ levers which is otherwise a Campy hodgepodge.
Last edited by sced; 04-24-23 at 06:20 AM.
Likes For sced:
04-24-23, 07:52 AM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Alta California
Posts: 14,280
Mentioned: 415 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3815 Post(s)
Liked 3,348 Times
in
2,184 Posts
-----
congratulations on this most interesting find Dan and thank you for sharing it with the forum.
first 2000 serie components launched 1974
can recall reading a review of them in BICYCLING! magazine by someone such as Richard Jow at that time
at launch there was not a full road ensemble and it was filled out with bits from the Criterium group
your example appears to be from that era, would think not much later than 1975
one simple clue is the oval logo on the crank arms; this subsequently became a round world shape
the front gear mech is the regular Criterium model as are the shift levers
the headset is the Gran Sport model which is part of the Criterium group
saddle pillar is a Gran Sport design which was updated with fluting
the later 2000 serie pillar was a single bolt from the bottom design
suspect frame's w/b and top tube braze-ons are post manufacture additions
one of the nice things about the cycle from a collector perspective is that it is early enough to have a Zeus manufactured frame rather than the Razesa contract supplied ones which came later
wheels are of course not original
-----
congratulations on this most interesting find Dan and thank you for sharing it with the forum.
first 2000 serie components launched 1974
can recall reading a review of them in BICYCLING! magazine by someone such as Richard Jow at that time
at launch there was not a full road ensemble and it was filled out with bits from the Criterium group
your example appears to be from that era, would think not much later than 1975
one simple clue is the oval logo on the crank arms; this subsequently became a round world shape
the front gear mech is the regular Criterium model as are the shift levers
the headset is the Gran Sport model which is part of the Criterium group
saddle pillar is a Gran Sport design which was updated with fluting
the later 2000 serie pillar was a single bolt from the bottom design
suspect frame's w/b and top tube braze-ons are post manufacture additions
one of the nice things about the cycle from a collector perspective is that it is early enough to have a Zeus manufactured frame rather than the Razesa contract supplied ones which came later
wheels are of course not original
-----
04-24-23, 12:36 PM
#5
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 144
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 46 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 112 Times
in
38 Posts
-----
congratulations on this most interesting find Dan and thank you for sharing it with the forum.
first 2000 serie components launched 1974
can recall reading a review of them in BICYCLING! magazine by someone such as Richard Jow at that time
at launch there was not a full road ensemble and it was filled out with bits from the Criterium group
your example appears to be from that era, would think not much later than 1975
one simple clue is the oval logo on the crank arms; this subsequently became a round world shape
the front gear mech is the regular Criterium model as are the shift levers
the headset is the Gran Sport model which is part of the Criterium group
saddle pillar is a Gran Sport design which was updated with fluting
the later 2000 serie pillar was a single bolt from the bottom design
suspect frame's w/b and top tube braze-ons are post manufacture additions
one of the nice things about the cycle from a collector perspective is that it is early enough to have a Zeus manufactured frame rather than the Razesa contract supplied ones which came later
wheels are of course not original
-----
congratulations on this most interesting find Dan and thank you for sharing it with the forum.
first 2000 serie components launched 1974
can recall reading a review of them in BICYCLING! magazine by someone such as Richard Jow at that time
at launch there was not a full road ensemble and it was filled out with bits from the Criterium group
your example appears to be from that era, would think not much later than 1975
one simple clue is the oval logo on the crank arms; this subsequently became a round world shape
the front gear mech is the regular Criterium model as are the shift levers
the headset is the Gran Sport model which is part of the Criterium group
saddle pillar is a Gran Sport design which was updated with fluting
the later 2000 serie pillar was a single bolt from the bottom design
suspect frame's w/b and top tube braze-ons are post manufacture additions
one of the nice things about the cycle from a collector perspective is that it is early enough to have a Zeus manufactured frame rather than the Razesa contract supplied ones which came later
wheels are of course not original
-----
04-24-23, 01:05 PM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Calgary
Posts: 666
Bikes: Condor, Cinelli SC, MKM Metcalfe, Peugeot AE08, Bianchi, Cougar, Miyata, Harry Hall, Holdsworth Special, Raleigh Int'l, Le Croco, Bob Jackson, Zeus
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 114 Post(s)
Liked 102 Times
in
53 Posts
Looks like a great project Dan.
There's lots of info on BF including this thread in which you will find, among other things, an answer to your question #3 and some advice on the crank bolts you have:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...omponents.html
Cheers.
Brad
There's lots of info on BF including this thread in which you will find, among other things, an answer to your question #3 and some advice on the crank bolts you have:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...omponents.html
Cheers.
Brad
__________________
Better bike .. Better life!
Better bike .. Better life!
04-24-23, 02:12 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 3,464
Mentioned: 33 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 879 Post(s)
Liked 2,300 Times
in
1,286 Posts
A Zeus fluted seat post is the only "Zeus" I own. I bought a really rusty ItalVega and after getting the stuck seat post out patiently , not messing it up, I started cleaning it and what I thought was a Campagnolo SR post had that Zeus logo on it. It is still on the bike!
04-25-23, 01:03 AM
#9
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 144
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 46 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 112 Times
in
38 Posts
Apologies, didn`t have a gauge on me at the time so just removed the seatpost and tried a 27.2 one, fitted OK - not what I would call a technical measure, Dan
