High-end Japanese frame makers...
#1
Hump, what hump?
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: SC midlands
Posts: 1,934
Bikes: See signature
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 337 Post(s)
Liked 227 Times
in
145 Posts
High-end Japanese frame makers...
Any vintage makes to discuss? Bonus points for pics.
__________________
2010 AB T1X ** 2010 Cannondale SIX-5 ** 1993 Cannondale RS900 ** 1988 Bottecchia Team Record ** 1989 Bianchi Brava ** 1988 Nishiki Olympic ** 1987 Centurion Ironman Expert(2) ** 1985 DeRosa Professional SLX ** 1982 Colnago Super ** 1982 Basso Gap ** 198? Ciocc Competition SL ** 19?? Roberts Audax ** 198? Brian Rourke ** 1982 Mercian Olympic ** 1970 Raleigh Professional MK I ** 1952 Raleigh Sports
2010 AB T1X ** 2010 Cannondale SIX-5 ** 1993 Cannondale RS900 ** 1988 Bottecchia Team Record ** 1989 Bianchi Brava ** 1988 Nishiki Olympic ** 1987 Centurion Ironman Expert(2) ** 1985 DeRosa Professional SLX ** 1982 Colnago Super ** 1982 Basso Gap ** 198? Ciocc Competition SL ** 19?? Roberts Audax ** 198? Brian Rourke ** 1982 Mercian Olympic ** 1970 Raleigh Professional MK I ** 1952 Raleigh Sports
#3
Phyllo-buster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 8,847
Bikes: roadsters, club bikes, fixed and classic
Mentioned: 133 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2298 Post(s)
Liked 2,055 Times
in
1,255 Posts
Where's that killer boutique frame restoration featured here this past year? Made by the son, not the father.
The powder blue one with internal cable routing, pantographed bits etc...EBU, Hirose?
The powder blue one with internal cable routing, pantographed bits etc...EBU, Hirose?
#4
52psi
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 4,015
Bikes: Schwinn Volare ('78); Raleigh Competition GS ('79)
Mentioned: 29 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 790 Post(s)
Liked 802 Times
in
391 Posts
Do a google image search: "3Rensho bikeforums."
__________________
A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
#5
Hump, what hump?
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: SC midlands
Posts: 1,934
Bikes: See signature
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 337 Post(s)
Liked 227 Times
in
145 Posts
That's the only make? I've heard of 3Rensho. There have to be more.
__________________
2010 AB T1X ** 2010 Cannondale SIX-5 ** 1993 Cannondale RS900 ** 1988 Bottecchia Team Record ** 1989 Bianchi Brava ** 1988 Nishiki Olympic ** 1987 Centurion Ironman Expert(2) ** 1985 DeRosa Professional SLX ** 1982 Colnago Super ** 1982 Basso Gap ** 198? Ciocc Competition SL ** 19?? Roberts Audax ** 198? Brian Rourke ** 1982 Mercian Olympic ** 1970 Raleigh Professional MK I ** 1952 Raleigh Sports
2010 AB T1X ** 2010 Cannondale SIX-5 ** 1993 Cannondale RS900 ** 1988 Bottecchia Team Record ** 1989 Bianchi Brava ** 1988 Nishiki Olympic ** 1987 Centurion Ironman Expert(2) ** 1985 DeRosa Professional SLX ** 1982 Colnago Super ** 1982 Basso Gap ** 198? Ciocc Competition SL ** 19?? Roberts Audax ** 198? Brian Rourke ** 1982 Mercian Olympic ** 1970 Raleigh Professional MK I ** 1952 Raleigh Sports
Last edited by horatio; 12-30-18 at 08:55 PM.
#6
Phyllo-buster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 8,847
Bikes: roadsters, club bikes, fixed and classic
Mentioned: 133 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2298 Post(s)
Liked 2,055 Times
in
1,255 Posts
Not the one I was looking for but there's Ebisu
#7
52psi
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 4,015
Bikes: Schwinn Volare ('78); Raleigh Competition GS ('79)
Mentioned: 29 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 790 Post(s)
Liked 802 Times
in
391 Posts
Responses coming in slowly, figured I'd help out with the name I knew.
I too am curious to see what else is out there.
I too am curious to see what else is out there.
__________________
A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Point Reyes Station, California
Posts: 4,528
Bikes: Indeed!
Mentioned: 92 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1507 Post(s)
Liked 3,478 Times
in
1,132 Posts
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...aint-shop.html
A few others of note; Nagasawa, Zunow, Toei, Alps, Ebisu...
I'm sure @Dawes-man and @pcb could contribute a great deal to this thread.
Brent (who has been idly looking for a Nagasawa-built bike in the 60-62cm range for many years now)
#11
Phyllo-buster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 8,847
Bikes: roadsters, club bikes, fixed and classic
Mentioned: 133 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2298 Post(s)
Liked 2,055 Times
in
1,255 Posts
Erba/Hagiwara:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...aint-shop.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...aint-shop.html
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: San Marcos, CA
Posts: 550
Bikes: Too many, but sometimes not enough.
Mentioned: 32 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 225 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 18 Times
in
14 Posts
Here is my 1976 Centurion Semi Pro I repost at every opportunity:
Finished 2 by c79murphy, on Flickr
Likes For cdmurphy:
#13
The Huffmeister
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: The Le Grande HQ
Posts: 2,738
Bikes: '79 Trek 938, '86 Jim Merz Allez SE, '90 Miyata 1000, '68 PX-10, '80 PXN-10, '73 Super Course, '87 Guerciotti, '83 Trek 600, '80 Huffy Le Grande
Mentioned: 45 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1226 Post(s)
Liked 3,553 Times
in
1,409 Posts
#14
Senior Member
I suppose we'd need to clarify/define terms/categories, and all that fun stuff. I'd start off with only frames actually built in Japan, kinda Duh!, but I know some Japanese dealers, with their own small brands, but they're building frames in Taiwan/China.
I guess it makes sense to include high-end bikes from non-Japanese brands, if built in Japan. WCC/Nishiki, WSI/Centurion, Specialized, Rivendell and maybe some others have spec'd some nice frames in Japan. Gets a bit complex since the Japanese source could change from model to model, season to season. You'd have to include some smaller brands like DIN/Echelon, importing two models made by Cherubim in the late '70s. In some ways it's a whole 'nother ball o' wax.
The big Japanese mfrs all made/make high-end frames, but they also made/offered full product lines, from entry-level & up. I think that's a category, but a small one:
Big Mfrs:
Araya (they sold high-end frames, not sure if they made in-house or subcontracted)
Bridgestone
Fuji
Miyata
Panasonic
Then you have mid-sized mfrs, maybe known more for their high-end product, but also made entry-level frames. Not sure how many fit here:
Katakura Silk (known for the all-chrome bikes brought home by many tall American GIs, but they had 10-12 builders and built inexpensive frames, too)
Anybody else?
Then maybe smaller shops, but with several builders, building mainly high-end frames, but also maybe doing some contract building for others?
Cherubim (3-4 builders, no longer doing much contract building, but built for Specialized and Fuji back in the day, and the DIN/Echelons)
Midori (hardly heard of, but I had some Japanese dealers who worked for Midori before they went under)
Miki (long out of business)
SanRensho (Konno had a few builders, I think, built the early Spec'l Allez and Sequoia)
Toyo (rarely see Toyo-branded frames, built for Specialized [40th Anniv Allez], Ritchey, Rivendell)
Tsunoda (I don't have a clear picture how big/small they were)
Likely more?
Then true one-/two-builder shops, and there are/were tons of these.
I buy the "Road Bike All Catalog 20xx" every couple of years, published by Ei Publishing in Tokyo. Lists just about every road/tri bike carried in Japan by every domestic/import maker. It includes a "Japanese Hand made Bicycle" section, with 21 builders for 2017. This should be a pretty complete list of viable builders currently building in Japan. I've heard of a bunch of them, don't know anything about some of them. I'm assuming that, like here in the US, there may be some younger builders in the market now. There is a Tokyo College of Cycle Design, opened in 2012, offering 2-/3-yr courses in bicycle design/production/sales. Cherubim/Konno teaches the framebuilding courses there, and they've been churning out potential framebuilders for 4yrs+ now. So there's probably a bunch of young'ns picking up torches now.
Builders in the 2017 All Catalog who I know, and/or who've been around for decades:
Akamatsu (Akamatsu-san was the hub specialist at Suntour, manged the WTB/Grease Guard hub disaster. Really nice guy, don't know if he's hand-building his own frames, or having someone else build them.)
Amanda (has been around for decades)
Cherubim (see above)
Ektar Proton (been around for decades)
Dobbat's (been around for a while)
Gan Well Pro (in Kyoto, had several builders and wider line in '85)
Level (been around)
Makino (was SanRensho/Konno's apprentice/builder, took over SanRensho after Konno died, eventually renamed business after himself)
Nakagawa (Osaka builder, often confused with Nagasawa)
Nagasawa (oddly, missing from the All Catalog 2017 list)
Ogre (young guys outside Kyoto, met them at NAHBS/Denver, showed a very weird grillwork frame)
Ravanello (been around)
Royal Norton (mainly touring/rando frames?)
Samson
Silk Cycles (don't think there's any connection with Katakura Silk?)
Vigore (Kansai/Osaka?)
Vivalo (Kansai/Osaka, I think)
Watanabe (from Kyushu, lovely frames)
In the All Catalog list, but I never heard of 'em:
Abukuma
Corner Bikes
Emme Akka
Equilibrium
Dontzer
Kualis Cycles
Macchi Cycles
Montson
Quark
Schmitt
Shin
Stratos
Sunrise Cycles
There's some names I know, don't know current status, and some that are long gone.
Everest
Midori (see above)
SanRensho (see above)
Between NAHBS, Japan visits and bikes in-house, I have craploads of related pix on flickr. I'm getting sleepy, so I'll just post a few here. Check through my albums for more. Be aware that a lot of my builds are resto-mods, so you're mainly checking out the frame details.
Cherubim Sportif/'16
Cherubim Steel Master/'12 Show Bike
Cherubim/Shinichi Konno:
Nagasawa-san in workshop, and drinking, 2016:
Nagasawa Special Keirin/'14:
Nakagawa Special Road/'94: Nakagawa-san's personal bike, on loan...
Echelon Odyssey (green) and Spectra (blue), by Cherubim/'80. The Spectra is mis-decaled as a Cherubim:
Level @ NAHBS/2014:
I guess it makes sense to include high-end bikes from non-Japanese brands, if built in Japan. WCC/Nishiki, WSI/Centurion, Specialized, Rivendell and maybe some others have spec'd some nice frames in Japan. Gets a bit complex since the Japanese source could change from model to model, season to season. You'd have to include some smaller brands like DIN/Echelon, importing two models made by Cherubim in the late '70s. In some ways it's a whole 'nother ball o' wax.
The big Japanese mfrs all made/make high-end frames, but they also made/offered full product lines, from entry-level & up. I think that's a category, but a small one:
Big Mfrs:
Araya (they sold high-end frames, not sure if they made in-house or subcontracted)
Bridgestone
Fuji
Miyata
Panasonic
Then you have mid-sized mfrs, maybe known more for their high-end product, but also made entry-level frames. Not sure how many fit here:
Katakura Silk (known for the all-chrome bikes brought home by many tall American GIs, but they had 10-12 builders and built inexpensive frames, too)
Anybody else?
Then maybe smaller shops, but with several builders, building mainly high-end frames, but also maybe doing some contract building for others?
Cherubim (3-4 builders, no longer doing much contract building, but built for Specialized and Fuji back in the day, and the DIN/Echelons)
Midori (hardly heard of, but I had some Japanese dealers who worked for Midori before they went under)
Miki (long out of business)
SanRensho (Konno had a few builders, I think, built the early Spec'l Allez and Sequoia)
Toyo (rarely see Toyo-branded frames, built for Specialized [40th Anniv Allez], Ritchey, Rivendell)
Tsunoda (I don't have a clear picture how big/small they were)
Likely more?
Then true one-/two-builder shops, and there are/were tons of these.
I buy the "Road Bike All Catalog 20xx" every couple of years, published by Ei Publishing in Tokyo. Lists just about every road/tri bike carried in Japan by every domestic/import maker. It includes a "Japanese Hand made Bicycle" section, with 21 builders for 2017. This should be a pretty complete list of viable builders currently building in Japan. I've heard of a bunch of them, don't know anything about some of them. I'm assuming that, like here in the US, there may be some younger builders in the market now. There is a Tokyo College of Cycle Design, opened in 2012, offering 2-/3-yr courses in bicycle design/production/sales. Cherubim/Konno teaches the framebuilding courses there, and they've been churning out potential framebuilders for 4yrs+ now. So there's probably a bunch of young'ns picking up torches now.
Builders in the 2017 All Catalog who I know, and/or who've been around for decades:
Akamatsu (Akamatsu-san was the hub specialist at Suntour, manged the WTB/Grease Guard hub disaster. Really nice guy, don't know if he's hand-building his own frames, or having someone else build them.)
Amanda (has been around for decades)
Cherubim (see above)
Ektar Proton (been around for decades)
Dobbat's (been around for a while)
Gan Well Pro (in Kyoto, had several builders and wider line in '85)
Level (been around)
Makino (was SanRensho/Konno's apprentice/builder, took over SanRensho after Konno died, eventually renamed business after himself)
Nakagawa (Osaka builder, often confused with Nagasawa)
Nagasawa (oddly, missing from the All Catalog 2017 list)
Ogre (young guys outside Kyoto, met them at NAHBS/Denver, showed a very weird grillwork frame)
Ravanello (been around)
Royal Norton (mainly touring/rando frames?)
Samson
Silk Cycles (don't think there's any connection with Katakura Silk?)
Vigore (Kansai/Osaka?)
Vivalo (Kansai/Osaka, I think)
Watanabe (from Kyushu, lovely frames)
In the All Catalog list, but I never heard of 'em:
Abukuma
Corner Bikes
Emme Akka
Equilibrium
Dontzer
Kualis Cycles
Macchi Cycles
Montson
Quark
Schmitt
Shin
Stratos
Sunrise Cycles
There's some names I know, don't know current status, and some that are long gone.
Everest
Midori (see above)
SanRensho (see above)
Between NAHBS, Japan visits and bikes in-house, I have craploads of related pix on flickr. I'm getting sleepy, so I'll just post a few here. Check through my albums for more. Be aware that a lot of my builds are resto-mods, so you're mainly checking out the frame details.
Cherubim Sportif/'16
Cherubim Steel Master/'12 Show Bike
Cherubim/Shinichi Konno:
Nagasawa-san in workshop, and drinking, 2016:
Nagasawa Special Keirin/'14:
Nakagawa Special Road/'94: Nakagawa-san's personal bike, on loan...
Echelon Odyssey (green) and Spectra (blue), by Cherubim/'80. The Spectra is mis-decaled as a Cherubim:
Level @ NAHBS/2014:
#15
Senior Member
Toei has already been mentioned, not listed in the All Catalog, and I forgot to include them.
Alps is another name I remember, from Cycle Sport and Bicycle Club magazine ads. I think they were mainly touring/rando, at least that's what I remember seeing in their ads.
There was a small touring/rando builder in Kyoto, kinda mid-town, I visited a couple of times. Maybe starting with an "E"? Not Everest, they're in Tokyo. Ei---something?
I forgot to include Zunow in the now-gone category.
Wikipedia has a pretty long list of Japanese brands/makers, including many mentioned here.
Alps is another name I remember, from Cycle Sport and Bicycle Club magazine ads. I think they were mainly touring/rando, at least that's what I remember seeing in their ads.
There was a small touring/rando builder in Kyoto, kinda mid-town, I visited a couple of times. Maybe starting with an "E"? Not Everest, they're in Tokyo. Ei---something?
I forgot to include Zunow in the now-gone category.
Wikipedia has a pretty long list of Japanese brands/makers, including many mentioned here.
#16
Not lost wanderer.
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Lititz, Pa
Posts: 3,332
Bikes: In USA; 73 Raleigh Super Course dingle speed, 72 Raleigh Gran Sport SS, 72 Geoffry Butler, 81 Centurion Pro-Tour, 74 Gugie Grandier Sportier
Mentioned: 73 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 886 Post(s)
Liked 998 Times
in
525 Posts
Here is my Zunow that I am in the process of rebuilding with a cheap respray, to protect the frame.
As I got it...
IMG_20180912_103646053_HDR by Bwilli88, on Flickr
Respray with a partial build with the old wheelset.
As I got it...
IMG_20180912_103646053_HDR by Bwilli88, on Flickr
Respray with a partial build with the old wheelset.
__________________
Cambodia bikes, Bridgestone SRAM 2 speed, 2012 Fuji Stratos...
Cambodia bikes, Bridgestone SRAM 2 speed, 2012 Fuji Stratos...
Last edited by bwilli88; 12-31-18 at 01:18 AM.
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Evanston, IL
Posts: 5,095
Bikes: many
Mentioned: 63 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1445 Post(s)
Liked 1,395 Times
in
762 Posts
I've not much to add, just two small points:
- My Schwinn Volare is Panasonic-built. I think this might have been Schwinn's first foray into outsourcing framebuilding to Japan.
- I enjoy C.S. Hirose's YouTube channel. He posts pretty frequently.
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 8,515
Mentioned: 69 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3241 Post(s)
Liked 2,512 Times
in
1,510 Posts
Likes For crank_addict:
#22
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Lacey, WA
Posts: 1,707
Bikes: Stevenson Custom, Stevenson Custom Tandem, Nishiki Professional
Mentioned: 35 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 367 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 196 Times
in
128 Posts
So here are five I would include. The first was my entry-drug bike to Vintage Bikes and has led me to the other four. A manufactured in 1981 and sold in model year 1982 Nishiki Professional, Japanese frame with all Campagnolo gruppo.
For more information about this bike and pictures of the bike and its details you can look up the post: Nishiki Professional with Campagnolo Nuvo Record Gruppo
For more information about this bike and pictures of the bike and its details you can look up the post: Nishiki Professional with Campagnolo Nuvo Record Gruppo
#23
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Lacey, WA
Posts: 1,707
Bikes: Stevenson Custom, Stevenson Custom Tandem, Nishiki Professional
Mentioned: 35 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 367 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 196 Times
in
128 Posts
As I said this was my gateway bike which brought me back to the days of being poor and riding a Schwinn Varsity, all of these bikes were out of touch creations, kind of like the local stereo shop and the mystical "Third Room" of unobtainium stereo gear, except now years later I could now invite myself into that mystical room and more surprising bring something home. Which led to the father to the bike above, and which I would never have noticed in cruzing eBay but for the unique to me striping on the seat tube of the 82 Professional which matched this 1972 Katakura-Silk/Nishiki Professional:
For more information about this bike and pictures of the bike and its details you can look up the post: Restoration Done-72 Katakura-Silk/Nishiki-Professional
For more information about this bike and pictures of the bike and its details you can look up the post: Restoration Done-72 Katakura-Silk/Nishiki-Professional
#24
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Lacey, WA
Posts: 1,707
Bikes: Stevenson Custom, Stevenson Custom Tandem, Nishiki Professional
Mentioned: 35 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 367 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 196 Times
in
128 Posts
Next is a Grail Bike, though I've seen posts for Grail Bikes in this forum I never thought such a thing would come my way, especially for a $25.00 frame and fork, bit more has been spent since in the restoration of the "H. Hagiwara" - Erba:
As you will see from the prior posts on this bike I have had a bit of a problem in naming this bike, is it "erba" or "Erba"? And who is/was "H. Hagiwara"? I recommend the following posts for the pictures of the found condition, philosophy behind the restoration, back ground research and continuing mystery surrounding this bike, which from all I have found to-date is a one of. Restoration is on-going, I have sourced four final components, one you see in the picture above and will in the next week or so post a completion posting with the reasons behind the changes.
Additional posts:
1. Restoration: H. Hagiwara "Erba" getting ready for the paint/decals
2. "H. Hagiwara" Erba-back from paint shop
3. H. Hagiwara-"erba", the restoration is done
As you will see from the prior posts on this bike I have had a bit of a problem in naming this bike, is it "erba" or "Erba"? And who is/was "H. Hagiwara"? I recommend the following posts for the pictures of the found condition, philosophy behind the restoration, back ground research and continuing mystery surrounding this bike, which from all I have found to-date is a one of. Restoration is on-going, I have sourced four final components, one you see in the picture above and will in the next week or so post a completion posting with the reasons behind the changes.
Additional posts:
1. Restoration: H. Hagiwara "Erba" getting ready for the paint/decals
2. "H. Hagiwara" Erba-back from paint shop
3. H. Hagiwara-"erba", the restoration is done
#25
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 2,701
Mentioned: 52 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1136 Post(s)
Liked 650 Times
in
336 Posts
@pcb 's list is pretty exhaustive.
I will contribute a couple of tidbits:
-Shin Fab (Shin Hattori) is a pretty popular one man builder who has been building bikes for the Japanese brand Simworks under the "Doppo" line. Simworks is most known for their lines of components, tires, and accessories made on contract by Nitto, Panaracer, and some American companies. Oscar Camarena (Simple Bike Co, Portland OR) has also built Doppo frames for Simworks.
-Kualis was started by Yoshi Nishikawa, a former welder at Seven Cycles who started Kualis in Massachusetts and eventually moved it to Japan.
I will contribute a couple of tidbits:
-Shin Fab (Shin Hattori) is a pretty popular one man builder who has been building bikes for the Japanese brand Simworks under the "Doppo" line. Simworks is most known for their lines of components, tires, and accessories made on contract by Nitto, Panaracer, and some American companies. Oscar Camarena (Simple Bike Co, Portland OR) has also built Doppo frames for Simworks.
-Kualis was started by Yoshi Nishikawa, a former welder at Seven Cycles who started Kualis in Massachusetts and eventually moved it to Japan.
Last edited by TenGrainBread; 12-31-18 at 01:25 PM.