Off to see the Wizard.....
05-11-12, 05:17 PM
#1
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Off to see the Wizard.....
....down the yellow brick road.
I picked up Mr. Wizard late last June via a PSA here on BF from a bike shop in Berkeley, CA. Just a frame and fork, but I had/have a Shimano 600 TriColor group I thought would get it back on the road while I gathered parts. No such luck as the short reach of the brakes put a halt mid-way through assembly. Parts collecting continued, from the great folks here at BF, from inventory, from donor bikes.
Now, with the exception of cables, hoods, tires, and bar tape choice, I am ready to begin the journey back to the road.
I will update this thread as the build progresses. Cleaning and polishing starts Sunday.
The parts;
59 CM Wizard frame, Ed Litton repaint
Record seat post
Brooks Professional saddle-honey
Record FD
Super Record RD
Super Record Crank set
Record BB
Record Hubs/unknown clincher 700c rims
Record brakes
Super Record brake levers
Record (?) shift levers
Super Record headset
Cinelli 1A stem 100 mm
Cinelli Campione del Mondo 66-44 bars
BTW, still working on getting larger pics. Program kept rejecting larger files. The pic is here https://www.flickr.com/photos/7934832...n/photostream/
I picked up Mr. Wizard late last June via a PSA here on BF from a bike shop in Berkeley, CA. Just a frame and fork, but I had/have a Shimano 600 TriColor group I thought would get it back on the road while I gathered parts. No such luck as the short reach of the brakes put a halt mid-way through assembly. Parts collecting continued, from the great folks here at BF, from inventory, from donor bikes.
Now, with the exception of cables, hoods, tires, and bar tape choice, I am ready to begin the journey back to the road.
I will update this thread as the build progresses. Cleaning and polishing starts Sunday.
The parts;
59 CM Wizard frame, Ed Litton repaint
Record seat post
Brooks Professional saddle-honey
Record FD
Super Record RD
Super Record Crank set
Record BB
Record Hubs/unknown clincher 700c rims
Record brakes
Super Record brake levers
Record (?) shift levers
Super Record headset
Cinelli 1A stem 100 mm
Cinelli Campione del Mondo 66-44 bars
BTW, still working on getting larger pics. Program kept rejecting larger files. The pic is here https://www.flickr.com/photos/7934832...n/photostream/
05-11-12, 06:45 PM
#3
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Coo. I have a Wizard parked in my garage at present. It's a beauty.
05-12-12, 10:04 AM
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Great pic.
I just had to go and look this up. I knew I heard of Wizard somewhere. there was a few meager pics in the August '89 issue of Cyclist magazine. According to the even meager information there is like 75 of these around? can't wait to hear more and see bigger pics.
I just had to go and look this up. I knew I heard of Wizard somewhere. there was a few meager pics in the August '89 issue of Cyclist magazine. According to the even meager information there is like 75 of these around? can't wait to hear more and see bigger pics.
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“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
Last edited by Bianchigirll; 05-12-12 at 10:12 AM.
05-12-12, 04:47 PM
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Looks like a very nice bike & selection of parts. Looking forward to your updates & close up photos.
05-12-12, 04:52 PM
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There is a Wizard Cycles page on Facebook. History and some great pics there.
Mine is #52 and was built for Ron Nelson. I say Ron Nelson as that is the name on the TT and the BB cut-out is an "N" and they did do custom BB cut-outs per customer request if I am interpreting the FB info correctly. The question is, who is Ron Nelson?
Mine is #52 and was built for Ron Nelson. I say Ron Nelson as that is the name on the TT and the BB cut-out is an "N" and they did do custom BB cut-outs per customer request if I am interpreting the FB info correctly. The question is, who is Ron Nelson?
05-12-12, 05:38 PM
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There is a Wizard Cycles page on Facebook. History and some great pics there.
Mine is #52 and was built for Ron Nelson. I say Ron Nelson as that is the name on the TT and the BB cut-out is an "N" and they did do custom BB cut-outs per customer request if I am interpreting the FB info correctly. The question is, who is Ron Nelson?
Mine is #52 and was built for Ron Nelson. I say Ron Nelson as that is the name on the TT and the BB cut-out is an "N" and they did do custom BB cut-outs per customer request if I am interpreting the FB info correctly. The question is, who is Ron Nelson?
Email Brian - maybe he remembers the custom order, given how few of those he and Mike built.
05-13-12, 05:40 PM
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Here is that all too brief article I mentioned earlier
And for your viewing pleasure the Confente from the same article
And for your viewing pleasure the Confente from the same article
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“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
Last edited by Bianchigirll; 05-13-12 at 06:08 PM.
05-14-12, 10:10 AM
#12
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I made a little progress over the weekend, in addition to doing a bit of polishing (progress in and of itself-therapy too.)
Jury rigged a press and installed the headset.
Got the bottom bracket in.
And a little detail for fun.
Thanks BG for the article. I had not run across that one. The connection there is becoming sort of the basis for my collecting goals. All the various threads leading to and from Masi-at least this week that is the logic.
Jury rigged a press and installed the headset.
Got the bottom bracket in.
And a little detail for fun.
Thanks BG for the article. I had not run across that one. The connection there is becoming sort of the basis for my collecting goals. All the various threads leading to and from Masi-at least this week that is the logic.
05-14-12, 10:26 AM
#13
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That is one beautiful frame. Is Litton still in business? Would they have any info on the frame or wether that is the OEM color?
You know CF maybe cheaper and arguably give a as good a ride as steel but you just can't make CF beautiful and sexxy with paint and decals like an Artist can do to steel with a torch.
Your Welcome! I just happen to gleen that issue out of a stack of old magazines I gave away last year and reread it a few weeks ago. Too bad they didn't give more information on the marque and what happened to the builder/owner of the name. I guess that Brian Bayliss was just an apprentice?
You know CF maybe cheaper and arguably give a as good a ride as steel but you just can't make CF beautiful and sexxy with paint and decals like an Artist can do to steel with a torch.
Your Welcome! I just happen to gleen that issue out of a stack of old magazines I gave away last year and reread it a few weeks ago. Too bad they didn't give more information on the marque and what happened to the builder/owner of the name. I guess that Brian Bayliss was just an apprentice?
__________________
“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
05-14-12, 10:28 AM
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The right Medici would be a nice score. The Confente would be a bit rich for my blood, though I've tinkered with going after a few.
05-14-12, 10:32 AM
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Your Welcome! I just happen to gleen that issue out of a stack of old magazines I gave away last year and reread it a few weeks ago. Too bad they didn't give more information on the marque and what happened to the builder/owner of the name. I guess that Brian Bayliss was just an apprentice?
05-14-12, 10:37 AM
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Reading Brian's blog https://brianbaylis.blogspot.com/2010...is-cycles.html and the Medici story https://www.classicrendezvous.com/USA...d_confente.htm one can glean a bit about his history. I get the idea he was a builder at Masi from the start, but not everything is crystal clear through the lense of personal reflection.....
Ed appears to be working and painting still in Point Richmond, CA. Seems he currently collaborating with Bruce Gordon.
I'll be doing some sleuthing here in the next bit regarding the original owner and colors, etc.
Ed appears to be working and painting still in Point Richmond, CA. Seems he currently collaborating with Bruce Gordon.
I'll be doing some sleuthing here in the next bit regarding the original owner and colors, etc.
05-14-12, 10:40 AM
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Reading Brian's blog https://brianbaylis.blogspot.com/2010...is-cycles.html and the Medici story https://www.classicrendezvous.com/USA...d_confente.htm one can glean a bit about his history. I get the idea he was a builder at Masi from the start, but not everything is crystal clear through the lense of personal reflection.....
Ed appears to be working and painting still in Point Richmond, CA. Seems he currently collaborating with Bruce Gordon.
I'll be doing some sleuthing here in the next bit regarding the original owner and colors, etc.
Ed appears to be working and painting still in Point Richmond, CA. Seems he currently collaborating with Bruce Gordon.
I'll be doing some sleuthing here in the next bit regarding the original owner and colors, etc.
05-14-12, 10:41 AM
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Bayliss an apprentice? No, no - he and Mike Howard teamed up to form Wizard. Mike did the brazing, Brian did the lug carving/filing and the paint. Both had worked at Masi Carlsbad, of course, and both returned to run the shop there for a while, which was the end of Wizard. Mike went on to Medici, and then serious prison time. Brian of course went on to become an ace painter and also build a very small number of custom frames. I believe they recently teamed up again, with Mike having been out of prison for a while, and built a small number of Wizards to commemorate the original partnership.
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“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
05-14-12, 10:56 AM
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At least from what's posted, the article is misleading, since Brian didn't really "build" the bikes - Mike Howard did the actual brazing.
05-14-12, 11:24 AM
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Glad to see this frame again. I think it's going to look great with the SR group. As you may recall, I'm the one who posted this in the "Are you looking for one of these?" thread. If it were my size, I'd have bought it myself. As I recall from taking with the shop owners, Ron Nelson is a local Northern CA senior racer. (I believe this is a summary of his recent results: https://www.usacycling.org/results/?compid=257207.)
This is true. I spoke with Ed during the NAHBS while he was manning the Bruce Gordon booth.
This is true. I spoke with Ed during the NAHBS while he was manning the Bruce Gordon booth.
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'72 Cilo Pacer • '72 Peugeot PX10 • '73 Speedwell Ti • '74 Nishiki Competition • '74 Peugeot UE-8 • '86 Look Equipe 753 • '86 Look KG86 • '89 Parkpre Team Road • '90 Parkpre Team MTB • '90 Merlin Ti
Avatar photo courtesy of jeffveloart.com, contact: contact: jeffnil8 (at) gmail.com.
-Randy
'72 Cilo Pacer • '72 Peugeot PX10 • '73 Speedwell Ti • '74 Nishiki Competition • '74 Peugeot UE-8 • '86 Look Equipe 753 • '86 Look KG86 • '89 Parkpre Team Road • '90 Parkpre Team MTB • '90 Merlin Ti
Avatar photo courtesy of jeffveloart.com, contact: contact: jeffnil8 (at) gmail.com.
05-14-12, 01:03 PM
#21
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Gaucho many thanks for the referral. I'm very excited to get it back on the road.
BTW, looking at Ron Nelson's results and age....he's no senior, he's younger than I am
Oh, wait I race in Masters too.
BTW, looking at Ron Nelson's results and age....he's no senior, he's younger than I am
Oh, wait I race in Masters too.
05-14-12, 02:40 PM
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^Oops. I meant "masters" not "senior" ("master" sounds so much better! 
).
).
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-Randy
'72 Cilo Pacer • '72 Peugeot PX10 • '73 Speedwell Ti • '74 Nishiki Competition • '74 Peugeot UE-8 • '86 Look Equipe 753 • '86 Look KG86 • '89 Parkpre Team Road • '90 Parkpre Team MTB • '90 Merlin Ti
Avatar photo courtesy of jeffveloart.com, contact: contact: jeffnil8 (at) gmail.com.
-Randy
'72 Cilo Pacer • '72 Peugeot PX10 • '73 Speedwell Ti • '74 Nishiki Competition • '74 Peugeot UE-8 • '86 Look Equipe 753 • '86 Look KG86 • '89 Parkpre Team Road • '90 Parkpre Team MTB • '90 Merlin Ti
Avatar photo courtesy of jeffveloart.com, contact: contact: jeffnil8 (at) gmail.com.
05-14-12, 02:59 PM
#23
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Sho 'nuff is. I just spoke to him today. I have had several frames painted by him, including three in the last year or so. He is also still building, and is one of the few who will do an entire frame for you from design to building to painting. (He does farm out chroming, though.) He also does repairs. He's a great guy and does great work. Take his time stimates with a grain or two of salt, but otherwise he is a delight to work with.
And if you ever get a chance to see his shop, go. It is like a museum of unbelieveably cool stuff. A museum in need of a curator, but a museum nonetheless.
Peregrine is right that Ed is collaborating with Bruce Gordon to build custom frames under the Bruce Gordon label. The jury is out on how successful that venture will be.
And if you ever get a chance to see his shop, go. It is like a museum of unbelieveably cool stuff. A museum in need of a curator, but a museum nonetheless.
Peregrine is right that Ed is collaborating with Bruce Gordon to build custom frames under the Bruce Gordon label. The jury is out on how successful that venture will be.
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