mikemowbz

Interesting. The fork is from a Mariposa, I think - isn't that their butterfly fork crown engraving? The 'other' Toronto builder.

Could be a Mariposa repainted by Mike Mulholland and decaled as a Cyclops...but looks like maybe the remains of the "Custom built by [...] for __________" decal on the TT near the seat cluster? Mostly flakes away, but I don't think the 'painted by' decals usually had a customer name, in contrast to the 'custom built by' decals, which (often?) did (?)

Or could be a Cyclops with a non-original Mariposa fork?

Or...?

Do you know anything about the history of this one?

bertinjim 

nersgirth's Cyclops definitely has a Mariposa fork. However, the frame may well be a Cyclops because Mike made a limited run of budget framesets from Reynolds 501 and they used that distinctive flipped over seatstay cap. They were built to the same standard of geometry and paint finish as the custom framesets made from SL and 531 when Mike was at the Sinclair Ave. location.

nerdsgirth

Good sleuthing guys.

Earlier in the thread you can check out the frame when I first got it used from Bicycle Specialties almost 10 yrs ago. It is a Cyclops frame no doubt. I was told it was probably high end - SL, Slx... Is there a way to know exactly? When I flick the tubes, it pings like no other steel frame I have had. The decal say's "K. David"

When I got the frame, I was given a used yellow Mariposa fork by M.Barry that fit - the original epic fork long gone. I stripped forks down and repainted it with matching automotive paint.

The Victory group was removed from a high end Miele road bike my lady rides as a single speed.

mikemowbz

Aha. Makes sense. I was thinking the decal w/owner's name + frame details fit with the frame itself being a Cyclops.

If you want to try to suss out what tubing was used for the frame, well...you could check the bottom bracket area for ridges/rifling (Columbus' famous 'helical reinforcements') that would indicate SLX frame tubes, but otherwise may be hard to say. 27.2mm seat post would be typical for SL/SLX, or for 531(c), etc., but that doesn't narrow it down amongst those possible top-tier tube sets; a smaller post OD would indicate something else, though. First place to check for a clear indication when trying to ID tubing would typically be the steerer tube, looking for a Reynolds stamp or Columbus dove as a possible clue (and/or for those aforementioned helical reinforcements at the bottom), but that doesn't get anyone very far when the fork is non-original!

I'll be sure to crawl back though this thread to check out your previous post on this frame when first acquired!

randyjawa 

Just a brief update on my Cyclops. As it turns out, my frame is one of the rarest to be had. Mark Mulholland, Mike's son, sent me an email. In that email he informed me of the rare nature of the bicycle. Apparently, it has an Exel steel tube set, shrunk over a carbon fiber core.

Of all the vintage road bicycle I have owned, built up and ridden, the Cyclops turned out to be the best of the bunch. So, I recently upgraded the bicycle to Shimano Ultegra/105 group adding even more pleasure to owning and riding this great old road bicycle. Here she is today, waiting for me to get back from Jamaica...

repechage

Masi allegedly used some of that tubing too, no idea how they did not kill off any benefit with the heat of brazing.
What does it look like when sighting down the seat tube? With a strong light source.

randyjawa 

I don't know yet. I have been in Jamaica since last year, riding a vintage Peugeot Course for close to 3,000km. I will be back home in another week's time, unless my wife and I decide to spend extra time in Winnipeg, visiting kids.

Trust me, one of the first things I will do is look to see. As for brazing, the one issue experienced was attaching the shifter braze-ons, which were soldered into place...

awanta

Hello Kathleen,

Sorry to bother you about bicycles, but I'm in the process of restoring an interesting Cyclops road frame and fork. If there is even a chance that you might point me in the right direction of where I might get some Cyclops decals, I would be greatly appreciative.

Cheers

Al Wanta

qqy

Bumping from the dead, but Mike's son Marcel has a small stash of decals, but they're not cheap. I'm gonna have to post my Cyclops collection here too.

randyjawa 

Forgot about this thread, and I did pull the seat post to look down the frame of my Cyclops. Yup, easy to see the carbon fiber core. As for brazing...

Not sure but I was told by the builder that they had to solder the shifter braze-ons on...