I GOT ONE!
I lived in Madison, WI back in the '70s when Andi Musi was importing 3Rensho bikes for Yellow Jersey Bicycle Coop. I tried a blue, DA equipped, 56 cm road bike and almost bought it but went for a Campy-equipped, 57 cm Appel frame instead. Mike Appel was a local builder who built fantastic fillet brazed frames. He also worked for Trek.
Ten years later I was living in Yokohama, Japan and a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to go with him to the 3Rensho shop! It took us about 4 hours to drive on a Sunday from Yokohama to Chiba, about 60 miles. We spent about an hour in the shop watching Makino weld a frame on the table while Yoshi Konno chatted with us. He gave me a Japanese 3Rensho sticker. From that time I knew I would get a 3Rensho someday.
About a year ago a blue 3Rensho MTB attracted my attention in front of Wendy's on Kawaramachi street in Kyoto. I e-mailed Andrew Musi and asked him if he knew if there were any 3Renshos floating around. He told me to contact Takenaka in Kyoto. He was the shop manager for 3Rensho and has a shop here in Kyoto where I had been living for two years unaware. Well, I've been unaware for longer than that.
I went to Takenaka Cycle which has a big 3Rensho banner above the door and he called Makino in Chiba to ask him if he had any 3Rensho frames. Makino said he had a used 58 cm keirin frame and would e-mail a photo. I told him if it was blue, I would buy it sight unseen. Sure enough, it was blue and in mint condition!
The kanji sticker Yoshi Konno gave me:
Here's the photo Makino sent from the old 3Rensho (now Makino) shop:
Notice the 3Rensho sticker on the bike stand? ...and the name of the keirin racer the frame was made for (K. Yoneda) on the top tube? I feel apologetic when I tell people I paid 42,000 yen for THIS!
Here's the bike now (actually, now it has a front brake instead):
Sometimes I see other fixies and think that I would love to have one of those and then realize, what am I thinking? I've got what I always wanted. I'm fortunate, indeed.
Gale