direxpo

I have loved cycling and bicyles since my earliest memories. I started riding in a more serious (non-competitive) way when I turned 29 years old. In the 1980s, my family and I started a frameset building shop in Colombia, South America. The brand name we chose for our product: Canopus, named after the brightest star in the southern hemisphere. The frameshop was designed and developed by my father (a mechanical engineer) with help and input from italian Bike Machinery, tubing and parts manufacturers.
And so our products became internationally known in the amateur as well as the professional road racing circles. Races were won by teams on our bicycles in the US, Chile, Colombia, Sweden, Soviet Union, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and others throughout the 80s and 90s. In those days I accompanied many races in many countries. Sadly, the frameshop ceased operations in the mid 1990s. Today I enjoy doing google searches to find Canopus framesets still being sold in the aftermarket. If any one of you wishes to know more about Canopus bicycle framesets, I will be happy to answer your questions. I would also be happy to hear from those who still own or have at any point owned a Canopus bike.
I look forward to connecting with you

direxpo

CbadRider

Welcome to Bike Forums. What a great story. You might want to ask if anyone in the Classic & Vintage forum has one of your frames. And check out the Framebuilders forum, too.

epsilon129

hi i live in colorado and just ran across a canopus epsilon road bike for sale and loved it. although too big for me i will make it work! i would love to know more about canopus bikes

Bakauata

It's been a while since this thread was created, but maybe I get lucky.

I have these two Canopus Epsilon Bike frames which I purchased as NOS a few years ago in Buenos Aires (where I live) and I would love to get a little information about them.
The shop which had them said they were made of Reynolds tubing but there are no decals or markings on the frame except on the Columbus dropouts. They do "ring" nicely though.

I'd be very grateful if you (or someone else) could provide some information.
Photos below...

Thanks so much,
Christian.

direxpo

Beautiful condition framesets. From the bottom bracket picture I can tell you the red frameset was built in mi 1990. The master brazer was Julio. What are you planning to do with the framesets? Jorge

direxpo

send me a picture and serial number of your frameset. Who sold it to you? Jorge

direxpo

Sorry I've been disconnected for so long. There is a growing following of people who have purchased vintage Canopus bikes and have restored them. Jorge

Bakauata

Hi. Thanks so much for replying.
I will check the frames for their serial number (which I had not seen).
In total I purchased four of these frame-sets. I will likely keep the two which best fit my size and resell the other two (hopefully to interested friends).
I purchased them from Rodados Diaz in Buenos Aires in 2011.
I was told upon purcahse that the bikes were made from Reynolds steel tubing. Can you confirm this?

I don't have the frame-sets with me so I will have to go by my storage and check on them for serial numbers etc.

Thanks agian. Looking forward to hearing back from you.
My email address is bakauata_at_hot_mail_dot_com by the way.

Regards,
Christian.

Pibber

That blue frameset is BEAUTIFUL.

ang_foto

NICE INFO, THANKS!
I'm new into cycling, and I got an used Canopus frameset. I'm looking for info about my own frame,
I don´t now what exact model was, I think it's a Epsilon,
The frame needs a restoration. I Want to built the bike with an old Shimano 600 or Shimano 105 groupset. But for the moment, I'm riding with a mixture of parts donated from another used bike. some good italian parts, (stem, handlebars, seatpost and saddle) and others crappy non-branded parts (brakes and cranksets)

I have some picture when I buy the frameset. Can you give me some info about the frame? what exact model is, and what tubing was used,

This was the old owner, who ride this frame on the 90's. Sorry for the decals, and the paint, I removed the bianchi decals in time



and this is the bottom bracket, "90643" on the right (drive side) and "50" on the left, I think 50 it's for the frame size





I also want to hear back about you and for Canopus info,
Thanks
Andrés

Bakauata

There are quite a few differences between the frames I have and yours. No "Cinelli"stamped on the BB nor "Canopus" stamped on the seat stays on mine.

I can only find two numbers stamped on my frames: the size 57 or 54,
and what I assume is a serial number: 0221 on the one pictured above and 20052 on another. This last one has also says "C-69-I" on the bottom bracket.

direxpo

I am sorry I have been disconnected. Did you buy the Canopus Epsilon you were looking at?

direxpo

The numbers you read on your framesets' bottom bracket mean the following: C-69-I refers to the model number of the Cinelli Bottom Bracket that was used on most Canopus Epsilon series framesets. The 0221 and 20052 are in fact the serial numbers. The 0221 was built in the year 1990, probably in the month of March. The other number 20052 was built in 1992 probably in the month of January. the CANOPUS label on seat stays was a feature that came into usage probably by 1992 or 1993 (can't remember too well). This stamp on the seat stays was mostly applied to our higher-end products. To know the size of your frameset, measure from the center of the bottom bracket to the top of the top tube.

direxpo

The numbers you read on your framesets' bottom bracket mean the following: C-69-I refers to the model number of the Cinelli Bottom Bracket that was used on most Canopus Epsilon series framesets. The 0221 and 20052 are in fact the serial numbers. The 0221 was built in the year 1990, probably in the month of March. The other number 20052 was built in 1992 probably in the month of January. the CANOPUS label on seat stays was a feature that came into usage probably by 1992 or 1993 (can't remember too well). This stamp on the seat stays was mostly applied to our higher-end products. To know the size of your frameset, measure from the center of the bottom bracket to the top of the top tube.

direxpo

Thanks for the posting. The 50 is in fact the size. The other number is the serial number and reveals that your frameset was built in 1989, probably in the month of October or November. Canopus built high-end road framesets in our plant in Bogota, Colombia. We exported many to Chile, to our dealer called Manuel Stambuk, a good dealer for us and a friend too. We manufactured different qualities. The Epsilon was built with Columbus SL or SP tubing, and used microcast bottom bracket and lugs, Columbus or Campagnolo fork ends. The paint applied was polyurethane enamel. In the decade of the 1990s we sponsored teams that raced in the Vuelta a Chile. On two consecutive years a team wearing the "Cristal" beer logo made up of only Russian cyclists raced with Canopus framesets and won both editions of the Vuelta a Chile. The team leader was a world and olympic champion called Suchoruchenkov (SUKO for those who knew him). Manuel Stambuk did a good job of promoting the brand. I hope that the job of reconstruction of your Canopus bicycle goes well. I will want to see pictures of your progress...Jorge

direxpo

Christian: the Canopus Epsilon series framesets were usually built with Columbus SL or SP tubing. The framesets built with Reynolds tubing would normally have been labelled as "Epsilon-X". If your framesets were built with Reynolds tubing, we would have probably used Reynolds 653. But my guess is your framesets were Columbus SL or SP (SL used on framesets up to size 57 and SP used on larger sized ones). It does strike me as strange that they don't have the tubing decals which were always placed in the top front side of the seat tube. For this I have no explanation.

condores443

Hi Direxpo, I’m writting to you from Santiago, Chile. I had read all the incredible and emotional CANOPUS Bike posting. I had buyed once recently on Santiago, Chile. I think is a MICRON model but I’m not sure I think it’s a Steel tuve kind bilt used. I get another picture (same model like mine) that said “Canopus OMicron – Pursuit Track Frame Steel – Campagnolo Dropouts” and I would like, if is posible, that you help me to get more information about it. The pictures attached are just the frame because I´m trying to restore it. At the bottom I get the Size like “50” and the serial number “90152” what meaning the serial number? Can you help me with that? And on the dropouts said “Campagnolo”.

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui...f_hmj6r9tf1&zw

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui...f_hmj6r9tu2&zw

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui...f_hmj75e160&zw

I apreciate your support, thanks a lot.

condores443

ok...

condores443

Bakauata

Thanks so much for the info. I expect it will take me quite some time to actually get one of these frames built up. I will try and remember to post some photos when I do.
Thanks again.

direxpo

Answer: the serial number means that your frameset was built in the year 1990, at around the month of February or March. Omicron was the reference name given to the track and pursuit type framesets. They were built to use 24" or 26" front wheels and had a radical curved frameset for tighter distance between wheels. I was unable to see the pictures you sent. They do not open. But I imagine that the frameset is similar to the one you can see in the following link? https://www.bikecult.com/works/archiv...nopusTKTT.html

Your frameset was most likely built with the "Trifolio" type of seamed tubing. This was a high-carbon tubing suitable for lower-cost framesets. Omicron was not a serial-built type of frameset, and they were only built upon specific orders from the customers. Not many were built. Please send me pictures to: direxpo@hotmail.com... Thanks.

condores443

Hi Direxpo, thanks a lot for your information Ihad wrote to your e-mail address and attached the pictures so I try put her again.

direxpo

Christian: I look forward to seeing pictures of the assembled bikes. What you bought is a true rarity... 4 unused Canopus framesets. You may be the only person on the planet to have Canopus framesets that have never been used. If these framesets were located in the United States, I believe that you would find customers ready to buy at a good price.

direxpo

Condores443: Thank you for the pictures. Now I could see them. Could you tell me if you know Manuel Stambuk? He owned a bicycle shop in Santiago and was our distributor.

condores443

Hi Direxpo, thanks for your posting, I don't know Manuel Stambuk personally, but I waslookinfor him on the net soIthink is MANUEL ZAMORA STAMBUK, i left the link to you see the pic and a personal history, small resume. If you want I will try to contact, he lives out side of Santiago and I don't know if he has the cycling store yet.

https://www.ciclismolaboral.cl/zamora.php

Please check and write to me, thanks.