Classic & Vintage - Vintage Nishiki Frames

Is anyone aware of a Nishiki fram ebuilkt in Italy in the early 1980s? Tha addf says its a model named Cervino. It implies it was built at the Colnago factory.

Thanks

Correct. There was just a post about this over at
Classic Rendezvous. Nishiki contracted out for a frame
to be built, top of the line and it was Colnago who built
them. The frame was the Maxima, had campy dropouts.
There was also a Nishiki Cervino
see this e-bay auction: http://tinyurl.com/2g28m

They were marketed by Bikeology (became supergo).

Hope this helps.
Marty

Hate to muddy the waters here, but the Cervino was not built by Colnago. It was built by Viner. I worked at West Coast Cycles in the mid-eighties(starting in '83) as a sales rep and have pulled Cervino frames from the box in front the head buyer, run my hands over the frames, asked the buyer where they were made, and was told by the buyer they were made by Viner.

Part of the confusion associated with this Nishiki/Colnago rumor is caused by the fact that West Coast Cycles was at that time the US importer for Colnago as well as Nishiki.

I have carefully reviewed the postings at Classic Rendezvous on this topic, and they are all "I heard that this was built by Colnago" type postings by consumers, and assumptions made by a few retailers of Nishiki at that time.

This rumor is similar to the one that is circulated about Eddy Merckx frames being built by DeRosa. Just completely unsubstantiated. Eddy finally put that one to rest recently in an interview in Cyclingnews.

Don,

was the Maxima built by Colnago? I'm rather confused bout the whole issue?
I do know that while Ugo D. may not have built Eddy Merckx frames he did help set up the Merckx factory
(there are pics of him there with Eddy).
Marty

Don,

was the Maxima built by Colnago? I'm rather confused bout the whole issue?
I do know that while Ugo D. may not have built Eddy Merckx frames he did help set up the Merckx factory
(there are pics of him there with Eddy).
Marty

If I have seen a Maxima, I have forgotten it, so I can't say. My all time favorite Nishiki was the Champagne colored Pro that the Montrose Cycling team used. Definitely made in Japan. I think the Maxima may have been late seventies/early eighties. I was working retail then, selling mostly Fuji, Trek, Motobecane, Miyata, and Bianchi. Nishiki was never one of my favorite brands.

Yes, Ugo and Eddy did colaborate on his factory, and the early Merckx's may as well have been DeRosas, they were so similar in design.

The thing is, I have never heard of Colnago doing much contract work. He was supposed to have built some for Marcel Calborn, but that was rumor.The Cinelli/Centurion relationship was very real, but I would have to be reminded of a bike that was expressly built by Colnago for another brand. I just can't remember one. I don't remember that Cervino having anything similar in the fixtures(lugs) to Colnago. The Colnago's had that Super(pun intended) graceful taper on each end of the seatstay with beautiful delicate scallops at the seatstay cluster. The Cervino doesn't have those stays. I sold a Saronni Colnago to a clubmate in Ohio in the late seventies, and you just can't forget those bikes.

arabesque lugs?
I was going to say Saronni as an example of a colnago
not labeled as such (even tho it was in colnago catalogues) however you did get to that. I don't think it
counts tho.
I've seen a few of the champagne pro's but never paid
them any mind. I was too stuck on Italian to lust after
it.
The frame I'm actively searching for? Zieleman.
very plain, very much a riders frame, dutch builder.

Marty

The team I rode for in 1987 and 1988 rode Nishiki bikes. In 1987, I rode a maroon, Superbe Pro equipped Comp III and in 1988, I rode a blue to white fade frame with Ultegra components which I think was called a Team or Team Pro.
Tight angles if I remember correctly.

-Dennis

arabesque lugs? Marty

Yes, a very clumsy attempt(IMHO) by Colnago at ornate lugwork.

[QUOTE=don d.]Hate to muddy the waters here, but the Cervino was not built by Colnago. It was built by Viner.

Well....... I've come muddy the waters further. I bought a Cervino in 1983. It came in box that had Nishiki printed on it in big blue letters. But the box had a big OLMO logo right in the middle. On both sides. Take that for what you will.

BTW...Colombus SP/SL frame - all Super Record - Fiammme Red labels - Selle San Marco Concor - $700

[QUOTE=don d.]Hate to muddy the waters here, but the Cervino was not built by Colnago. It was built by Viner.

Well....... I've come muddy the waters further. I bought a Cervino in 1983. It came in box that had Nishiki printed on it in big blue letters. But the box had a big OLMO logo right in the middle. On both sides. Take that for what you will.

BTW...Colombus SP/SL frame - all Super Record - Fiammme Red labels - Selle San Marco Concor - $700

I love Muddy Waters. I enjoyed a live performance by him and his band at Oberlin College in 79'.

By the way, what bike shop sold you the bike unassembled? And you own an 85' Arabesque? Two of the bikes discussed in this thread. What are the chances!?

Did you ever sell your Cervino?
I have one too and was considering selling it. Not sure what it is worth. Any comments?

I just came across this old thread. I have a 1982 or '83 Nishiki Ultimate, which is a Japanese buily all Campag bike. Some time after I bought it I came across a Nishiki Maxima frame at the same bike shop. I was told it was their top model, built by Colnago. No documentation. Even the Ultimate wasn't in the Nishiki catalogue.