this is going to be a bit long winded. First off let me say I’m approaching 70 and haven’t been on a bike in quite a few years. I finally started to clean out my garage today and came across a bicycle that I purchased in 1971 in Amsterdam. I was never a competition rider, just rode for pleasure and as a means of transportation. A friend of mine at the time was very knowledgeable about all things mechanical and owned 2 RIHs. He told me that I should make every effort to visit the RIH shop in Amsterdam when I got to Europe, and buy a bicycle. So I did. Unfortunately I was told in broken English by Mr. Bustraan that he could not make me a bike as he was too busy building track bikes for the Russian Olympic team. I was mesmerized by the sheer beauty of the bikes in the shop and found myself returning to the shop for three days in a row, just to admire them. On the third day through a gentleman who spoke English, he asked me what type of racing I did. When I told him I was just a casual rider he laughed and asked why I wanted one of his bikes when I could purchase a perfectly good bike for a lot less. I told him that I was told he was the finest bike maker in the world and I thought that his bikes were a work of art. He pulled out a tape measure, took my measurements, told me I might be in luck. He climbed up a ladder a came down with a blue frame, measured it and said it would be a good fit. Next I had to pick out components. I told him how much I had to spend and he told me to come back in 6 weeks. I loved that machine and it became my main means of transportation. I shed a few tears this morning when I looked at the rust stains and grime. Except for the tires and brake pads, it appears to be very rideable. The issue is even if I clean it up, put new tires and brake pads on I don’t believe I would be comfortable on it now. So after all of that my question is weather or not there is currently any interest in a bike like this. Without looking at it, here are the components that I know are on it. It’s made from Reynolds 531 double butted tubing. Chinelli stem and seat post, Campangolo crank set, derallures, head set, wheel hubs, gear levers, and assorted clips. The rims are Fiamme red label, the saddle is a brooks, but I’m not sure if it can be conditioned back. I don’t know what it’s worth and I’m not sure I would actually part with it. However it is a piece of history that could be brought back to its full glory and enjoyed by someone who appreciates what it is. I would love to know what if any thoughts the cyclists on this forrum have.

I will post pics as soon as I am allowed

Please forgive the inane posts. Just trying to get to 10 so I can post pics.

I’ll toss in my two cents on this thread, because I’m a firm believer that if the frame is the correct size, you can make adjustments to most bikes to get them to fit you. I’m 70 yrs old and have been riding my 1985 Gazelle Champion Mondial for the past decade. It is a tiny bit big for me (I do best on a 58cm frame and it’s a 60), but I’ve found that I can make lots of adjustments to set it up nicely for how I like to ride. I installed a shorter stem (70mm), found a comfortable seat (WTB Pure V mtb saddle), swapped out the downtube shifters for vintage Dura Ace 8-speed brifters, and added another layer of padding under the bar tape. It’s been great up to this point. But as I’ve aged, Ithink I need to switch to a 58cm frame, so I’m in the process of swapping all the parts over to a 1980 Miyata Pro frame that fits me perfectly now (although, I don’t know if it will fit when I’m 75).

My point is that it’s very possible that you could take that old RIH bike and set it up nicely for yourself now. Sounds like a great Fall/Winter project! Good luck!

Thanks for the reply and very constructive suggestions. At this point the limiting factor is the body. Back surgery and a number of other injuries over the years may be the reason I decide to part with the bike and allow someone else to enjoy it.

Two more posts should do it. Spent the morning removing grime. Found a local shop yesterday that had a few tubular tires that they sold me for 20 bucks, very nice of them considering they were marked $60. Got them on with some struggle and took a very brief spin. Pure joy! Forgot how nice it is to ride. Legs sure need a lot of conditioning