Classic & Vintage - Mondia Special - Campy

I drove down the Jersey Shore this morning to pick up this nice Mondia Special. The quick rundown:

57cm, all Campy Nuovo/Record (I think), triangle-shaped sticker residue on the fork [Reynolds 531?], 26.4 seatpost, really cool pinstriping, wraparound seatstays and an odd fade into chrome on the stays and fork.

Any Mondia experts in the crowd?

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jschmal/Mondia/Mondia_1.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jschmal/Mondia/Mondia_6.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jschmal/Mondia/Mondia_5.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jschmal/Mondia/Mondia_7.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jschmal/Mondia/Mondia_3.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jschmal/Mondia/Mondia_8.jpg

Nice find! Lower webbing of chainrings were cut from NR, a popular touch at the time, brakes probably an upgrade; usually Mafac, seat usually Brooks.

Great catch! Probably a 1973. I saw it on CL. Any reason it spent two weeks at such a low price? At $200 that Mondia would have sold in one hour in my market. I did notice that the front forks look odd but perhaps it's just camera angle. A lot of nice vintage Campy on your Mondia.

Great catch! Probably a 1973. I saw it on CL. Any reason it spent two weeks at such a low price? At $200 that Mondia would have sold in one hour in my market. I did notice that the front forks look odd but perhaps it's just camera angle. A lot of nice vintage Campy on your Mondia.

Well, it was a good 90 minutes from NYC, so maybe that deterred some people. They said a guy came up to look at it but pointed out that the brakes weren't original. Don't know really...the fork is just turned a bit in the photo, but it's straight.

I'll get a date confirmation when I repack the hubs.

You going to flip the frame, beanpole? Not for me (I've gotten to the "too many bikes" level, not yet "way" but close enough for my family), but asking on behalf of the sister/brotherhood.

What's not to like about the brakes? I'll take non-original Campy NR/SR sidepulls any day.

That "odd fade" into chrome is found on many Mondias. My silver Mondia fades from silver into chrome the same way.

The brakes have been hot rodded with Mathauser pads with the fined shoe combo....

You going to flip the frame, beanpole? Not for me (I've gotten to the "too many bikes" level, not yet "way" but close enough for my family), but asking on behalf of the sister/brotherhood.

What's not to like about the brakes? I'll take non-original Campy NR/SR sidepulls any day.

True...love the brakes. I'm starting to hold on to Campy brakes like I did Ken Griffey Jr. rookie cards back in Jr High. The script on every single iteration is lovable.

I'm going to keep half the parts and hopefully find something good to do with the frame. Once I take stock of my mess I might put it up for trade here. I have two frames in my apartment awaiting build-and-flip so I've got my hands full!

Despite the aggravated patina, that frame deserves better than "catch and release" where the fixie-horde swarms. Despite its being undersized for me, I'd take it off your hands if you can't find a buyer with C&V bonafides.

Despite the aggravated patina, that frame deserves better than "catch and release" where the fixie-horde swarms. Despite its being undersized for me, I'd take it off your hands if you can't find a buyer with C&V bonafides.

Sweet, CW. I'll keep that in mind. I just took everything off the frame except for the back-spasming fixed cup. I'm going to try Sheldon's homemade bolt-and-washer-combo tomorrow to try and get it off. There's some unfortunately tough cleaning I'll have to do on the pedals and brakes, but they should shine up nice.
I've never seen Matthauser shoes like these. Bummer they're all used up.

I've got a 1972/1973 (not sure exactly) that I ended up stripping & repainting. Other than red as base coat, looked identical to yours.

Mine had a clear coat over everthing, so when stripped, the chrome was factory bright.

Absolutely first rate bike there. Mine has french bb and I'll bet yours does too, so might be the reason you are having trouble on the fixed cup. Try turning it the other way.

Oh yeah, forks are Reynolds 531 as well.

I've never seen Matthauser shoes like these. Bummer they're all used up.
It may be for the best: even though some people pay big $ for them (mint), they have a reputation for coming unbonded. The pad material is glued to the magnesium or aluminum alloy "heatsink" metal, and the heat generated from friction can cause them to disappear just when you really need them...or at least that's what the legend is, I've never actually seen it happen (and don't want to).

Absolutely first rate bike there. Mine has french bb and I'll bet yours does too, so might be the reason you are having trouble on the fixed cup. Try turning it the other way.

And I have a 1980 Mondia Super with a Swiss BB.

Go slow, and try to figure out what you have. Like robatsu says, try turning it the other way.

Aren't the BB cups marked? Should be if it's Campagnolo.

It may be for the best: even though some people pay big $ for them (mint), they have a reputation for coming unbonded. The pad material is glued to the magnesium or aluminum alloy "heatsink" metal, and the heat generated from friction can cause them to disappear just when you really need them...or at least that's what the legend is, I've never actually seen it happen (and don't want to).

I had a pair that worked great. I believe they had pins in addition to the adhesive to secure the pads. It's possible this was a later design.

Aren't the BB cups marked? Should be if it's Campagnolo.

Yes, but it will say 35x1 either way. Stronglight used a gold color for a left-thread/Swiss fixed cup. I would expect a Swiss bike to have Swiss BB threading, but I suppose French is a possibility.

Since the frame takes a 26.4 seatpost, I'll bet the outer diameter of the seat tube is a French 28.0mm, rather than the more common 28.6 = 1-1/8". If not, it's a straight gauge 531 frame, rather than double butted, which would surprise me.

... What's not to like about the brakes? I'll take non-original Campy NR/SR sidepulls any day.

My Campag. sidepulls simply do not provide as much braking force as my Weinmann or MAFAC centerpulls. KoolStop salmon pads, upgraded cables, and aero routed brake handles help a great deal, but I am still not satisfied with them.

Great-looking bike, but it screams for the classic set of three evenly spaced top tube clamps for the rear brake cable.

http://classicrendezvous.com/Austria/Capo_eldon.htm

Yes, but it will say 35x1 either way.

Not having any experience with these, I must say that I'd be shocked if Campagnolo didn't distinguish French from Swiss in some way that a mechanic could see. I checked Sutherland's, which says that the Swiss fixed cup should be marked 35 x 1G (for gauche, I'll bet).

If everything else has been removed (spindle and left cup), then a bit of right-side threading should be visible by peering inside the BB, no?

Should be Swiss; however I say that as someone who owns a Mondia frame that's got an English-threaded BB! (though a model that came equipped with a Sugino Mighty Competition crankset)

I'd be the last person to argue that the Campagnolo sidepull is the braking equal of a good centerpull; but I'd never pass a pair up on account of that, either.

Great-looking bike, but it screams for the classic set of three evenly spaced top tube clamps for the rear brake cable.

http://classicrendezvous.com/Austria/Capo_eldon.htm

Ok, so now I see where mine differs. It has rear brake cable housing stops on the lower right side of the top tube. That being said, I love bikes w/the clamp on cable guides.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_P7m8p3pz-zo/SagiLW6bZXI/AAAAAAAABk4/miHWZ2AJp4w/s800/Mondia%20007.jpg

Not having any experience with these, I must say that I'd be shocked if Campagnolo didn't distinguish French from Swiss in some way that a mechanic could see.

Then prepare to be shocked. :)

My Campy fixed cup is marked only "35x1 BREV INTER CAMPAGNOLO", and is definitely a Swiss BB.

Yup - only marked 35 x 1. And Campagnolo. If there's one thing they let you know clearly: it's Campagnolo. The headset is marked France on the underside of the lock nut. Does that effect the probabilities the BB is French as well, or are they totally independent from one another? I didn't get to mess with the cup at all yesterday. I have to do it discreetly while the woman isn't around since I'm really supposed to be setting up our wedding website info.

John E: yeah I agree. Those clamps with the Campy logo are hot stuff. But I don't know...the electrical tape in their place has its merits!

CW: I haven't gotten to check out the thread inside the shell because the plastic spindle case is somehow fused in there. I'm afraid to really yank on it because I don't want to destroy it in the process.

I'm going to start a new thread regarding the Sheldon method just to check...

Ok, so now I see where mine differs.

That must be really fast without a chain...

Whew. Victorious. French threaded, as it turns out. I wonder how much of the struggle was due to my initially turning in the wrong direction as hard as I could for an hour.

I would like a bench vise, please.

I would like a bench vise, please.

Well, maybe that could be your wedding present from your belle; engraved with a suitable sentiment.

French headset only suggests that the BB will be metric: either French or Swiss. But the Mondia frame I have with English BB still has a French HS.

Well, maybe that could be your wedding present from your belle; engraved with a suitable sentiment.


"May this bench vise hold your fixed cups as snuggly as my heart holds you"

I guess I know what I'd have engraved if I were getting her the bench vise.