Some Soviet junk I have.
#27
Edumacator
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Goose Creek, SC
Posts: 6,921
Bikes: '87 Crestdale, '87 Basso Gap, '92 Rossin Performance EL-OS, 1990 VanTuyl, 1980s Losa, 1985 Trek 670, 1982 AD SLE, 1987 PX10, etc...
Mentioned: 59 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2476 Post(s)
Liked 3,207 Times
in
2,017 Posts
Not junk at all. I love my Kharkov stem, and the Plain champagne rear derailleurs especially.
thought of decking out my Favorit with stuff but it is pretty costly.
Love the cranks as well.
thought of decking out my Favorit with stuff but it is pretty costly.
Love the cranks as well.
__________________
1987 Crest Cannondale, 1987 Basso Gap, 1992 Rossin Performance EL, 1990ish Van Tuyl, 1985 Trek 670, 2003 Pinarello Surprise, 1990ish MBK Atlantique, 1987 Peugeot Competition, 1987 Nishiki Tri-A, 1981 Faggin, 1996 Cannondale M500, 1984 Mercian, 1982 AD SuperLeicht, 1985 Massi (model unknown), 1988 Daccordi Griffe , 1989 Fauxsin MTB, 1981 Ciocc Mockba, 1992 Bianchi Giro, 1977 Colnago Super, 1971 Raleigh International, 1998 Corratec Ap & Dun, 1991 Peugeot Slimestone
1987 Crest Cannondale, 1987 Basso Gap, 1992 Rossin Performance EL, 1990ish Van Tuyl, 1985 Trek 670, 2003 Pinarello Surprise, 1990ish MBK Atlantique, 1987 Peugeot Competition, 1987 Nishiki Tri-A, 1981 Faggin, 1996 Cannondale M500, 1984 Mercian, 1982 AD SuperLeicht, 1985 Massi (model unknown), 1988 Daccordi Griffe , 1989 Fauxsin MTB, 1981 Ciocc Mockba, 1992 Bianchi Giro, 1977 Colnago Super, 1971 Raleigh International, 1998 Corratec Ap & Dun, 1991 Peugeot Slimestone
#28
Full Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Palm Springs, California
Posts: 462
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 206 Post(s)
Liked 460 Times
in
176 Posts
These are awesome. I've decided that my next build is going to be a classic Soviet bike. I'm guessing the frame will be tough to find though.
#29
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Estonia
Posts: 142
Bikes: HVZ Meteor 1979, HVZ Champion 1962, HVZ SS Moskva80 1981, Dürkopp 1936
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 41 Post(s)
Liked 350 Times
in
70 Posts
Ural plant also made rear derailleurs, they are pretty decent in quality, better than most HVZ ones, altough bicycles made there are cheap commuters.
There is a pretty good site called veloretro.ru, not every bicycle is 100% original or correct on there, but it gives a pretty good idea how stuff looked like.
And i wouldnt buy one uncomplete, or atleast with the headset and bottom bracket, altough you can force a british threaded bottom bracket in there. Headsets on these are special and nothing from the west fits. Those so called special orders( like my Meteor) can have italian or french threading on the bottom brackets. Everything is in metric on these usually, pedal threads and even ball bearings. I have not found any sources for bicycle size metric ball bearings.
For road bicycles i wouldnt get anything below the Start Shosse, they atleast use some special alloy water tube as a frame, so they are on the lighter end. My Champion as pictured weighs in at 10.5kg or 23-24 pounds, it has the same tubing as Start Shosse.
#30
framebuilder
I've been to the XB3 factory in Kharkov several times in the early 2000s. There are lots of stories I can tell about these experiences. We are involved in a charity project to provide pastors with bicycles in Ukraine. The XB3 company was able to provide a few hundred bicycles for us in 2000. In order to complete the order, they had to get a down payment so they could pay the city to turn the electricity back on. In prior times they had made up to one million units a year to be distributed throughout the former USSR countries. That year they said they had made 350 - and our order made up the bulk of those numbers.
There was a sign as I entered the complex saying that the company was 75 years old. That means it started around 1925. In the far corner of the complex was an interesting bicycle museum. Kharkov is a big industrial city in eastern Ukraine near the Russian border. It was designed by the Soviets to be a manufacturing center. The company takes up an entire city block and consists of 4 huge buildings. It is enormous. And of course when I was visiting it appeared like nothing was going on. Sometime in 2001 or 2 the company was sold to private investors. I was able to convince Shimano Europe pay to them a visit. They had remembered that one of the bicycles I had made won a Shimano Showcase competition at Interbike so they listened to me about the market for bicycles in Ukraine. All the parts for their bicycles were made on site (except the tires). Their quality just couldn't compete with parts coming out of Asia. That meeting between Shimano leaders and the XB3 executives was the most interesting meeting I have witnessed in my life.
I've made friends with a couple of amateur framebuilders from Kharkov. They believe the factory is closed now. I had invited one of them to visit the little frame and repair shop where we now make bicycles for our project near Kyiv. Students that have taken my framebuilding class in the States can go over for 2 or 3 months and build the frames we now use to make the bicycles we provide. It is an opportunity for them to refine their skills. In this case I spent an afternoon showing a couple of Ukrainian amateur builders how to accurately put on a rear triangle and we have stayed in touch.
There was a sign as I entered the complex saying that the company was 75 years old. That means it started around 1925. In the far corner of the complex was an interesting bicycle museum. Kharkov is a big industrial city in eastern Ukraine near the Russian border. It was designed by the Soviets to be a manufacturing center. The company takes up an entire city block and consists of 4 huge buildings. It is enormous. And of course when I was visiting it appeared like nothing was going on. Sometime in 2001 or 2 the company was sold to private investors. I was able to convince Shimano Europe pay to them a visit. They had remembered that one of the bicycles I had made won a Shimano Showcase competition at Interbike so they listened to me about the market for bicycles in Ukraine. All the parts for their bicycles were made on site (except the tires). Their quality just couldn't compete with parts coming out of Asia. That meeting between Shimano leaders and the XB3 executives was the most interesting meeting I have witnessed in my life.
I've made friends with a couple of amateur framebuilders from Kharkov. They believe the factory is closed now. I had invited one of them to visit the little frame and repair shop where we now make bicycles for our project near Kyiv. Students that have taken my framebuilding class in the States can go over for 2 or 3 months and build the frames we now use to make the bicycles we provide. It is an opportunity for them to refine their skills. In this case I spent an afternoon showing a couple of Ukrainian amateur builders how to accurately put on a rear triangle and we have stayed in touch.
Likes For Doug Fattic:
#31
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: AZ/WA
Posts: 2,403
Bikes: Yes
Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 460 Post(s)
Liked 54 Times
in
30 Posts
Great fresh post and info. Cool story on the factory.
I have a couple USSR/Russian related things. A XB3 track frame I built up with some cool spare parts. Also, one of those controversial Specialized bottles with Gorbachev's face on it and his birthmark is the Specialized logo.
I have a couple USSR/Russian related things. A XB3 track frame I built up with some cool spare parts. Also, one of those controversial Specialized bottles with Gorbachev's face on it and his birthmark is the Specialized logo.
#32
Ride, Wrench, Swap, Race
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Northern California
Posts: 9,196
Bikes: Cheltenham-Pedersen racer, Boulder F/S Paris-Roubaix, Varsity racer, '52 Christophe, '62 Continental, '92 Merckx, '75 Limongi, '76 Presto, '72 Gitane SC, '71 Schwinn SS, etc.
Mentioned: 132 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1566 Post(s)
Liked 1,299 Times
in
867 Posts
Great stuff, I imagine that the quality from some of these factories was much better than at others, reminds me of my rather primitive early-70's CZ motorcycle but which was of fairly uniform high quality even by western standards.
I once came across a really fine leather saddle in an early-90's Ebay auction, made in Czechoslovakia, which appeared to exceed western standards and which I regret to this day not bidding on. Wish that I could remember the brand, someone on this forum probably bought it lol.
I once came across a really fine leather saddle in an early-90's Ebay auction, made in Czechoslovakia, which appeared to exceed western standards and which I regret to this day not bidding on. Wish that I could remember the brand, someone on this forum probably bought it lol.
#33
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Soviet of Oregon or Pensacola FL
Posts: 5,344
Bikes: Still have a few left!
Mentioned: 48 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 467 Post(s)
Liked 540 Times
in
267 Posts
Thanks for posting your bicycles. Appreciate the practical approach to do their best with what they had. Similar to USSR small arms of the time. Basic, sometimes crudely finished, but effective and got the job done. Don
#34
framebuilder
Here is my XB3 bicycle hanging up in my shop. I got it with the help of a Classic Rendezvous buddy in Germany from a Russian immigrant. Its neighbor on a nearby hook was a bike I made in 1980 for a friend that also lived in Niles. That same year he took it to Hawaii to do the Ironman. He said he came off the bike 5th overall but faded to 17th by the end of the run. He said the heat got to him. it is still exactly as I delivered it to him. I had cut out his combined initials in the down tube lug and bottom bracket shell. You can just barely see it under the lamp arm. Sadly he got MS and couldn't use the bike anymore and later his 100 year old mom called me to tell me he died.
#35
Senior Guest
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Upstate NY, USA
Posts: 376
Bikes: Jamis Endura, Cannondale CAAD, Raleigh Cross, Fausto Coppi.
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 81 Post(s)
Liked 50 Times
in
32 Posts
I used to ride a Tourist XB3 bike when I was growing up in Ukraine. Our dream bikes as kids were Start Shosse because those were "real" race bikes that some of the older folks had.
#38
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: PDX
Posts: 13,113
Bikes: Merz x 5 + Specialized Merz Allez x 2, Strawberry/Newlands/DiNucci/Ti x3, Gordon, Fuso/Moulton x2, Bornstein, Paisley,1958-74 Paramounts x3, 3rensho, 74 Moto TC, 73-78 Raleigh Pro's x5, Marinoni x2, 1960 Cinelli SC, 1980 Bianchi SC, PX-10 X 2
Mentioned: 269 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4527 Post(s)
Liked 6,421 Times
in
3,697 Posts
Great stuff, I imagine that the quality from some of these factories was much better than at others, reminds me of my rather primitive early-70's CZ motorcycle but which was of fairly uniform high quality even by western standards.
I once came across a really fine leather saddle in an early-90's Ebay auction, made in Czechoslovakia, which appeared to exceed western standards and which I regret to this day not bidding on. Wish that I could remember the brand, someone on this forum probably bought it lol.
I once came across a really fine leather saddle in an early-90's Ebay auction, made in Czechoslovakia, which appeared to exceed western standards and which I regret to this day not bidding on. Wish that I could remember the brand, someone on this forum probably bought it lol.
Not to mention, Maico, Bultaco, Jawa, AJ's, Penton, Husky, Can Am etc, etc and so many more that laid the ground work for those that came after.
Last edited by merziac; 01-13-21 at 03:01 AM.
#40
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Estonia
Posts: 142
Bikes: HVZ Meteor 1979, HVZ Champion 1962, HVZ SS Moskva80 1981, Dürkopp 1936
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 41 Post(s)
Liked 350 Times
in
70 Posts
Here you can check some of them out:
https://www.velomuseum.ee/en/Origial_S_1939_ENG
During soviet times we didnt produce anything to my knowledge and nowadays we have Viks and Classic.
Likes For geeteeiii:
#41
Strong Walker
#42
Shifting is fun!
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: South Holland, NL
Posts: 11,027
Bikes: Yes, please.
Mentioned: 283 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2203 Post(s)
Liked 4,652 Times
in
1,781 Posts
Actually, mine say "XB3", so I have been assuming so far that they are original. Not sure what to think now. Offering those in "Colorama" doesn't sound like a Soviet-compatible concept to me.
Wow! Looks mint. And gorgeous, I might add. Thanks for posting it.
Wow! Looks mint. And gorgeous, I might add. Thanks for posting it.
Last edited by non-fixie; 01-13-21 at 10:58 AM. Reason: added pic
#43
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Estonia
Posts: 142
Bikes: HVZ Meteor 1979, HVZ Champion 1962, HVZ SS Moskva80 1981, Dürkopp 1936
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 41 Post(s)
Liked 350 Times
in
70 Posts
That orange one is nice, from the early to mid seventies. Russians call them muddy versions, due to the slack geometry and large clearences. The one on Doug`s is a late 80-s model, this has same geometry as the blue olympic version i have.
Those aluminium body XB3 derailleurs arent actually that common here, they usually all came with the steel version. Both jockey wheels are correct though. They usually came on the very late 80-s or early 90-s HVZ bicycles.
Those aluminium body XB3 derailleurs arent actually that common here, they usually all came with the steel version. Both jockey wheels are correct though. They usually came on the very late 80-s or early 90-s HVZ bicycles.
#44
Strong Walker
Heh i dont know about the pulleys, mine is apparently unused and those white pulleys are very crappy quality - lots of play and the material doesnt scream durability.... i take @geeteeiii's opinion
has this been shown here? not soviet, but from the east german GDR/DDR brother state. Crude copy of a - nuovo record maybe? the shifters are obviously raw stock, to be finished by the lucky owner. NIB
including a manual, a set of stickers and a typewriter written mini sheet of paper with the adresses of all 7 dealers retailing them when the 5 y<ear plan allowed.
before you ask: yes that is written upside down and its a feature, not a bug.
"Polygraph" was a "Kombinat", a soviet after-war style state run conglomerate of former industries. Their main business was printing presses - Similar to Textima, who made the track cycles for the DDR natrional teeam, their main business was industrial sewing machines and looms.
has this been shown here? not soviet, but from the east german GDR/DDR brother state. Crude copy of a - nuovo record maybe? the shifters are obviously raw stock, to be finished by the lucky owner. NIB
including a manual, a set of stickers and a typewriter written mini sheet of paper with the adresses of all 7 dealers retailing them when the 5 y<ear plan allowed.
before you ask: yes that is written upside down and its a feature, not a bug.
"Polygraph" was a "Kombinat", a soviet after-war style state run conglomerate of former industries. Their main business was printing presses - Similar to Textima, who made the track cycles for the DDR natrional teeam, their main business was industrial sewing machines and looms.
Last edited by martl; 01-13-21 at 12:06 PM.
#45
Shifting is fun!
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: South Holland, NL
Posts: 11,027
Bikes: Yes, please.
Mentioned: 283 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2203 Post(s)
Liked 4,652 Times
in
1,781 Posts
#46
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Bastrop Texas
Posts: 4,515
Bikes: Univega, Peu P6, Peu PR-10, Ted Williams, Peu UO-8, Peu UO-18 Mixte, Peu Dolomites
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 984 Post(s)
Liked 1,650 Times
in
1,060 Posts
I remember seeing some of these components on "Austro-Daimler" bicycles long ago. Tectoron derailers could be found on early "Ted Williams" Sears bicycles. Of course the "Tectoron" logo was burnished off...
__________________
No matter where you're at... There you are... Δf:=f(1/2)-f(-1/2)
No matter where you're at... There you are... Δf:=f(1/2)-f(-1/2)
#47
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Estonia
Posts: 142
Bikes: HVZ Meteor 1979, HVZ Champion 1962, HVZ SS Moskva80 1981, Dürkopp 1936
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 41 Post(s)
Liked 350 Times
in
70 Posts
I photographed some more soviet stuff i have laying around that might be interesting or was requested.
Derailleurs:
Close up of the one on the Champion.
Early one on the left, quite uncommon. Right one is the most common one, i have a few of these.
Ural factory derailleur, this one shifts the nicest, it had plastic pulley wheels but i replaced them with HVZ steel ones as they have proper bearings and arent as flimsy.
Cranks:
Early crank arm with early chain ring. Later crank arms look basically the same, only the "flute" not separate as shown.
Extremely late tourist cranks, i belive 1990+. Very light and actually pretty stiff, but quality of casting and machining is poor. Chain ring is also HVZ. I have a alot of 144bcd HVZ chain rings, they are pretty good quality in terms of wear.
Stems:
Very early HVZ "Harkov" road bike stem. These are pretty rare.
I belive this is a so called Special Order stem that came on Champion Shosse/Sports.
Requested early Tourist/Sputnik stem. I also noticed that its cracked from this photo.
Derailleurs:
Close up of the one on the Champion.
Early one on the left, quite uncommon. Right one is the most common one, i have a few of these.
Ural factory derailleur, this one shifts the nicest, it had plastic pulley wheels but i replaced them with HVZ steel ones as they have proper bearings and arent as flimsy.
Cranks:
Early crank arm with early chain ring. Later crank arms look basically the same, only the "flute" not separate as shown.
Extremely late tourist cranks, i belive 1990+. Very light and actually pretty stiff, but quality of casting and machining is poor. Chain ring is also HVZ. I have a alot of 144bcd HVZ chain rings, they are pretty good quality in terms of wear.
Stems:
Very early HVZ "Harkov" road bike stem. These are pretty rare.
I belive this is a so called Special Order stem that came on Champion Shosse/Sports.
Requested early Tourist/Sputnik stem. I also noticed that its cracked from this photo.
#48
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Estonia
Posts: 142
Bikes: HVZ Meteor 1979, HVZ Champion 1962, HVZ SS Moskva80 1981, Dürkopp 1936
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 41 Post(s)
Liked 350 Times
in
70 Posts
Saddle:
Most common road bike saddle.
Early saddles had slightly different hardware on the adjuster.
Tires:
Clincher Tourist/Sputnik/Sport tire
Nos 600X30 tubular, i have a few of these, but sadly only this one hold air. Never been mounted.
Thread on the 600X30
Also found this thing:
Nos, common accessory.
Most common road bike saddle.
Early saddles had slightly different hardware on the adjuster.
Tires:
Clincher Tourist/Sputnik/Sport tire
Nos 600X30 tubular, i have a few of these, but sadly only this one hold air. Never been mounted.
Thread on the 600X30
Also found this thing:
Nos, common accessory.
#49
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Estonia
Posts: 142
Bikes: HVZ Meteor 1979, HVZ Champion 1962, HVZ SS Moskva80 1981, Dürkopp 1936
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 41 Post(s)
Liked 350 Times
in
70 Posts
Made some nicer pictures of the Meteor with the new fork.
Also found a original track hub for Meteor, not useable on the street due to lack of lockring.
Also found a original track hub for Meteor, not useable on the street due to lack of lockring.
Likes For geeteeiii:
#50
Edumacator
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Goose Creek, SC
Posts: 6,921
Bikes: '87 Crestdale, '87 Basso Gap, '92 Rossin Performance EL-OS, 1990 VanTuyl, 1980s Losa, 1985 Trek 670, 1982 AD SLE, 1987 PX10, etc...
Mentioned: 59 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2476 Post(s)
Liked 3,207 Times
in
2,017 Posts
My stem...
__________________
1987 Crest Cannondale, 1987 Basso Gap, 1992 Rossin Performance EL, 1990ish Van Tuyl, 1985 Trek 670, 2003 Pinarello Surprise, 1990ish MBK Atlantique, 1987 Peugeot Competition, 1987 Nishiki Tri-A, 1981 Faggin, 1996 Cannondale M500, 1984 Mercian, 1982 AD SuperLeicht, 1985 Massi (model unknown), 1988 Daccordi Griffe , 1989 Fauxsin MTB, 1981 Ciocc Mockba, 1992 Bianchi Giro, 1977 Colnago Super, 1971 Raleigh International, 1998 Corratec Ap & Dun, 1991 Peugeot Slimestone
1987 Crest Cannondale, 1987 Basso Gap, 1992 Rossin Performance EL, 1990ish Van Tuyl, 1985 Trek 670, 2003 Pinarello Surprise, 1990ish MBK Atlantique, 1987 Peugeot Competition, 1987 Nishiki Tri-A, 1981 Faggin, 1996 Cannondale M500, 1984 Mercian, 1982 AD SuperLeicht, 1985 Massi (model unknown), 1988 Daccordi Griffe , 1989 Fauxsin MTB, 1981 Ciocc Mockba, 1992 Bianchi Giro, 1977 Colnago Super, 1971 Raleigh International, 1998 Corratec Ap & Dun, 1991 Peugeot Slimestone