Japanese Version of a Vintage Cycle Magazine

[Dawes-man]

I mentioned poring over a Japanese cycle magazine with some vintage lightweight cycle friends the other day, in my post about a Caminade Caminargent one of our number rode to the get-together, and thought some of you might be interested in the kind of C&V cycle magazines they publish in these parts. So I've scanned a few pages. The magazine retails at just under $19 US.

This is the cover, featuring a French machine, a 1960s Gemini Super Mesure, which I've never heard of. There's a double-page spread on it inside the magazine but my scanner isn't big enough:

[IMG] Vintage Road Racer by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG]

The bike is actually for sale for $7,889 from a shop.

This is one of 34 pages devoted to Italian iron:

[IMG] Scan 4 by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG]

There are just 26 pages of Japanese makers. I like this photo of an Everest machine a lot. As the head badge suggests, it was ridden by someone in the Japanese team in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics:

[IMG] Scan 5 by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG]

This a Keirin racer, a 'Samuel' from the 1940s:

[IMG] Scan 7 by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG]

I mention in the other post that a friend had contributed to the magazine (I helped him with the English and got the magazine free as a gift ) and this is the 1947/1948 Raleigh RRA that he restored from a complete basket-case. The smaller photos compare pre & post-war models:

[IMG][IMG] Scan 8 by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG] Scan 7 by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG]

There are 4 pages like this about famous riders and bon mots from them to help the reader enjoy vintage bicycle more... yeah, I don't understand either...

[IMG] Scan 9 by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG]
getti
And last but not least 3 pages of useful internet sites for the afflicted, with these 3 faves getting more space than anyone else. Yeah!

[IMG] Scan 10 by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG]

[Tuc]

Now that is a bike magazine worth buying, wonder if they will ever do an English version?

[Wildwood]

Maybe the English do a similar magazine?

[puchfinnland]

I can see the future of what is going to happen.
I have seen it in some vintage cars, small vintage boats and very much so on Lambretta and Vespa scooters.

The Japanese are starting to take notice into C&V bicycles, the magazine will only fan the flame, Soon you will notice some serious Japanese collectors buying up ultra rare C&V bikes for some serious inflated money.

I have seen vespas worth 3000 be sold to Japan for 5-6k.
They like their hobbies and have the money to feed their desires!

If Headbadge has some ULTRARARE Paramonts that he wants XXX dollars for sooner or later some Japanese will be very happy to offer XXXX for it.

so our beloved ultra rares will be heading to the land of the rising sun.

Ye be warned!

[ColonelJLloyd]

^ Huh? Man, you are not predicting the future, but rather describing the past and present. The Japanese collectors have been at this for a long time.

[puchfinnland]

well that be a good market for frame size 50 and 52 !

[dbakl]

Do you have any info for subscribing from US?

[Dawes-man]

ColonelJLloyd is right. I remember someone complaining back in 1986 that there weren't any good Quad valve amps left in the UK as Japanese buyers had bought them all. Is this a bad thing? I don't know.

There is no doubt that Japanese collectors often appreciate the value of things before the people in the countries where the objects of their desire originate and that when they buy they are very demanding about quality, mostly only buying the best and most original (My friend, who contributed to the magazine, is the exception as he buys basket-cases and restores them beautifully and painstakingly). There is also no doubt that what they buy is looked after, enjoyed and preserved.

On the magazine, it is a one-off and perhaps should be described as a book in magazine format. When this print-run is finished, that will be it and what's been printed is in the shops now.

[ColonelJLloyd]

I have on loan a Japanese friend's Toei book. The Japanese love bike porn and so do I!

[cudak888]

If Headbadge has some ULTRARARE Paramonts that he wants XXX dollars for sooner or later some Japanese will be very happy to offer XXXX for it.

And then Headbadge gets rusty Mustang with engine that sounds powerful...because the carb idle mixture isn't set right.

Jokes aside, that's a good looking publication - and I'm glad to see they gave props to Jon's Velobase. The more the merrier!

-Kurt

[paulkal]

I have the Japanese Alex Singer book, next time when I am in Japan I will get the Toei book.
It is also a good ay to learn Japanese

[Italuminium]

Hm, wasn't there a thread a while back, I think WNG started it, about doing our own (digital) magazine? Apparently that idea didn't really catch on.

[cudak888]

Hm, wasn't there a thread a while back, I think WNG started it, about doing our own (digital) magazine? Apparently that idea didn't really catch on.

Who wants to sit in InDesign for a couple of hours producing what we already have on the forum?

-Kurt

[dphi]

One thing I noticed in my time in Japan, they have a magazine devoted to almost any niche subject you can think of, and they're usually very well done quality-wise.