Originally Posted by
Catnap
I’m also not convinced it’s an authentic 3Rensho. I can’t make a definitive judgement but here’s my thinking:
why it’s possibly not a 3Rensho: missing the engraved seatstay caps, offset fork, and engraved “SuperEnds”. Lugs aren’t the “katana” or “modeulo “ styles common on 3Renshos. Most 3Renshos in the USA came through Ariel Trading aka Yellowjersey, and those typically have the engraved seatstay caps.
why it might be a 3Rensho: they did make more “generic” frames that didn’t carry the features listed above. Also, very early examples from the Cyclone era pre-date the details we associate with 3Renshos. I have seen Cyclones with the same fork crown design as this bike, but it’s not unique to Cyclones.
verdict: for $150 that is a gorgeous bike and. Great deal, regardless of provenance. Once you buy it, share a photo of the serial number or other identifying stamps on the BB shell and maybe we can definitively identify it.
Thanks for the info. I'll post more photos when I get the bike, which will be Tuesday. The engraved seat stays aren't so common on these bikes in Japan, some have fluted stays, about half have fastback stays, and some are just flat. I found some info on a Cyclone with the same stays, lugs, and fork, plus the identical Cinelli stem and bar, but the cable routing was different. I'll have a better idea when I actually have my hands on the bike. It will be added to my other Japanese bikes, the Nishiki Pro and Pegasus. I'm running out of space.