After lurking around here for the last decade, I finally got bit by the V&C bug. I have been toying with the idea of restoring an old VW Beetle, and realized my garage space wasn't terribly friendly to anything larger than a bike. I started road riding again last summer, and then fell down the L'eroica rabbit hole. I've been searching for a proper subject for a restoration project ever since. Came close a few times with a Conti and a Gitane, but nothing worked out for one reason or another.

Enter this 1960 Frejus Supercorsa. It was actually local to me, and had been sitting in the FB Marketplace listings for over a month with no movement. I had been badgering the seller about it, trying to get information, measurements and a better price, without much luck. We went back and forth for about 3 or 4 weeks, and I knew he had no other takers at his price. This past weekend, we finally came to an agreement, and I drove home with this wonderful 63-year old relic on the roof of my car.

The long-term plan is that I want to do the California L'eroica, or at least some larger, organized V&C-oriented ride in the Midwest. The more immediate plan is to fully restore this to 1960-ish condition. I'm giving myself a year to get it finished, and hope to show the progress here along the way. The first step is to get this into the photo studio at work and get it photographed in its current state. It's a hot mess, but kinda beautiful in the same breath. But it is a starting point.

Previous owner said he bought it 15-20 years ago and it sat in his garage. The owner before him was the original owner and it sat with him for 2 or 3 decades, not ridden at all. So it's been dormant since 1970-75, give or take.

As I go through the bike part by part, documenting what is there and trying to solve the riddle of its history, it's becoming more and more confusing. At this point, my current guess is that it was probably a frameset that hung on a wall in a bike shop somewhere for a few years, and was finally built up into a roller with parts they had around the shop. It's a hodge-podge of random components, with no plan or thought—other than to get it built and get it sold. So many nice parts on it, and yet so many weird things.

The front and rear wheels are completely different. Same tires, but a NISI hoop with Campy Record hub on the front and a Fiamme rear hoop with Shimano 3.3.3 high-flange rear hub. Universal front brake with a Balilla Brevettato rear brake. Campy Record front and rear derailleurs that came out 3 years after the frame was made. EB Williams AB.77 crankset from 1962 with a Campy outer chainring and a Williams inner. Beautiful GB Spearpoint stem and super narrow Maes handlebars that are era-correct, too. It really feels like it was a parts bin build and it has stayed that way for 60 years.

So here we go... until I get into the studio this next week, a few phone photos from the sale and my garage:






















If you are interested, the full Flicker Album can be found here.

More soon.


—Doug