cdmurphy who is "Miki"? It is what I love about the collective knowledge of this forum, someone knows the back story or can explain something about your bicycle you never knew. And also thanks for your explanation on the tubing decal and why I'm looking at a 20.5 lb bike without pedals. One last good moment of today, a NOS set of Shimano First Generation Dura Ace cranks came up for sale on the Bay and once I opened the box and confirmed my suspicion that this was in fact a Shimano First Generation Dura Ace Black bike I took them off the market. So now, should I want to, I can replace the Sugino cranks with the correct Dura Ace cranks. Your observations about Cinelli being the design behind this bike was the same as my builder friend who said the same. Also what a lovely bike you have, it will take time and effort to get this bike to look so lovely. There is pitting on the Chrome lugs, rust on nuts, though to my great joy both the seat tube and the stem came out with little rust on either with neither welded to the steerer tube or seat tube. Somewhere four decades ago this bike was put away in a dry place with low humidity and so it survived. Once I have it all cleaned and rideable I will have to think about whether I have the frame clear coated or just go with really good car wax leaving the chips and nicks just as they are.

Salamandrine I don't know how I have been able to find such bikes, though here it was spotting the chrome lugs. I could not see the bike, only pictures and few of them, but then small details, drilled chain rings, one close up of the seat with the stamp in the leather and a post asking C&V members for help led to learning that it was a 70's racing seat, then looking at the derailleurs and finding them in Velo Base, Shimano First Generation Dura Ace Black. As I put things together the quality of components, lugged frame and that single frame decal which I could not read from the picture, I wondered if this was another vintage hand built racing bike like my H. Hagiwara-Erba? It was complete, a time capsule, someone's dream race bike. So I took a risk on my feelings and am so glad that I did. In a way this bike is the bookend to the bike that started this hobby my 80s Nishiki Professional with beautiful lugged Japanese frame and all Campagnolo Record components, whereas here we have again a beautiful lugged Japanese frame but with the best Japanese components except a classic Italian racing saddle and French Mavic tubular rims. Again. someone wanted those parts, if only bikes could tell their stories. But it helps, thanks cdmurphy, when someone can shine a light.

My thanks for any other insights you can share.