So I got hold of this Zunow Di Picce frame GLYPHS! - ZUNOW 700C FRAME MONOSTE SCULPTURES ... (yahoo.co.jp) for about 400 USD (did I do good?) and was trying to figure out the rear end width and BB specs. Anyone with experience with Zunows know their BB standard? Not sure if it is the same frame but since they are quite rare I think this might be the bike built up here ZUNOU DIPIKE ZUNOW DIPICCE - HOKKAIDO RAMEN & VINTAGE ROAD BIKE (fc2.com) and ZUNOW DIPIKE SPECIFICATION CHANGE - HOKKAIDO RAMEN & VINTAGE ROAD BIKE (fc2.com). Looks like he is running a 6 or 7 speed Shimano 600 group so I am thinking 127 rear end? Thoughts on good groupsets to build this up with? Finally, I know they used custom tubing built for them but would anyone know the butting or tubing equivalent?

Thanks,

Fish

I am no Zunow expert but I am a fan. You did real good. I have wanted a monostay Zunow for ages. It is the second unicorn for me. I am pretty certain the BB is English thread and the spacing started at 100/126. The only downer on that frame is it is not in one of the colorful schemes. But then in my mind, it kind of makes it more valuable. Not like what you often see.

Please keep us posted on your build. Lots of pics when the frame arrives.

Dang you stole that. Catnap is the local Zunow expert.

Totally agree with you on the color! I love their super bright super flashy color designs and am even considering repainting this one depending on the condition of the paint. I was also looking for one with a more pantographed BB shell but given the price this was going for, I cant complain . The frame also seems to have internal cabling instead of Ditchex as well as the pentagonal chainstays. I Cant tell if the seatpost is ovalized as well. This makes me think that this frame might be more 90s than 80s.

I thought that it would likely be a 126 at the rear however the blog mentions running a Shimano 10 speed at some point. Would that not require 130 at the rear? If she is indeed 130 I was thinking of something more modern along the lines of DA 7800 or Ultegra equivalent since I intend to ride this bike a lot. He also does mention that he used an old Campagnolo RD with the 10 speed. I never knew those were compatible.

Rear spacing doesn't matter, pick what group you want and adjust the rear spacing to match. Google cold setting.

Had a look at cold setting and I don't think I want to try that just yet for this frame. I might have a builder do it if necessary. I plan to start with a modern groupset on this bike since it will be used as my steel training bike till I can decide on a alu or carbon one (RN thinking Emonda Alr or Cannondal Caad 10 since I'm a heavy guy). I also want to see what I want in a more serious bike before making the jump. I wanted to put full DA 7400 or Superbe Pro on this but since they might take time to acquire at a reasonable price I figured I would start with something modern and just swap it out to my race frame down the line.

I was thinking along the lines 105 57000, 58000 R7000, Ultegra 6700, 6800 R8000 or DA R9000. I read that Ultegra and DA have crank arm failure issues which are scary. Would it be possible to other cranks with the Ultegra and DA groupsets? Thinking along the lines of a Rotor Crank, do you know other brands that are quality but not over the moon expensive? If I cant find alternative cranks I might just go with the a 105 groupset since they don't seem to have the failure issue.

Do you guys foresee any other issues with using a modern group on this frame? Would the BB be a problem? Would it be possible to use Sugino or Suntour cranks with modern Shimano groupsets?

Nope, no issues with those groups. You can use any modern crank that has a threaded BB option.

105 5700 is 10sp. If you are going to modernize and spend the money vs use parts sitting around), I would just do 11sp.

As for cranksets, use a shimano 105 crank or a shimano non-series crank like shimano rs460 or rs500 if you want a Shimano brand crank that isn't hollow(the potential design issue on older recent models). Or buy a praxis, fsa, Easton, Rene hearse, etc etc crank. Something made for 10sp or 11sp will work. The bottom bracket needed is just am English thread also called BSA.

I am unaware of a suntour 11sp crankset. Sugino makes multiple 11sp cranksets, but they are pricey and distribution was really limited even before covid so who knows on that front.
you could use an older sugino/sakaeSR crankset with modern rings if you can find 11sp ramped rings that fit the crankset spider, but maybe step back and ask if that is what would look and perform best before going down that kludge route.

Good point, makes no sense to still go for 10 speed beyond maybe cost. Since the difference minimal I will be on the hunt for an 11 speed. Right now I am leaning towards an all black 105 to contrast with the all white frame . Looked at some auction house Sugino stuff and they had some nice looking colored anodized ones that would look great. I originally considered them to add some color to the frame since Zunows look quite nice with loud colors. The idea colorful anodized crank with some crazy colored Araya rims to match. Unfortunately they are stupid expensive and the Sugino stuff seems to be all square taper. I do like the look of Rotor cranks but I might just order that new down the line unless I get lucky with auction listings.

It has arrived! Frame seems to be rust free from what I can see. There are 2 small dents on the top tube which seem like they were caused by handlebars . Installed some Superbe Pro downtube shifters as well as r7000 brakes and everything else from the Nakagawa for the time being. The Nakagawa is now set for sandblasting and repainting, I just need to decide on the color and sort out the decals.
How does it ride? Compared to the Nakagawa (about 1500 km so far) I would say it is a bit harsher in ride feel. My daily route consists of about 70% concrete 20% blacktop and 10% cobbles, grass, hard dirt. On the concrete I can feel the road more than I could on the Nakagawa. I would say it feels like the overall volume of the road feel is turned up so that you notice it. The larger are more pronounced, I would not say they are harsh since they still feel more rounded compared to my track bike. I have not weighed the frame but it did feel heavier than the Nakagawa. I had read that monostays were harsher in feel than standard seat stays because of how they are compliant and I was slightly saddened to find this to be the case during the first few minutes. The ride on my Nakagawa makes you forget about the road. I even find it to be quite comfortable in the cobble and dirt sections of my route. However, upon approaching the long straight section of my route I decided to open up the tap and see what she was like sprinting. My surprise as well as my smile was immediate. She likes to go and she likes to go faaaaaaaassst even in the corners! The difference in immediacy of the power transfer vs the Nakagawa is night and day. It feels much closer to an aluminum race bike or a fixed track bike. Not entirely sure why but I am guessing the monostay and the bridge linking the chain stays make the rear end much stiffer compared to the Nakagawa which I can feel and hear (via FD-chain rubbing noises) flexing when I put the power down or am doing any climbing. I could not stop smiling or sprinting for that matter until I hit the blacktop. Once there I rode so hard that the only reason I could not smile was the pain/puke sensations I was experiencing. So much for a "relaxing Sunday" ride.







I do have one problem with the setapost. When I first tightened it down it kept on slipping unless I tightened it down real hard. I noticed that the gap from the rear seems to have compressed. It is currently on a 27.0 seatpost but I am thinking maybe it was designed for 27.2? Sadly no Zunow seatpost sizing on SheldonBrowns website. She is a 1993 model, does anyone know what seatpost size I should be using?

Mine was a 27.2.
Lovely frame!

This is what she has on for the time being. Saddle is awfully unpleasant which is why it needs the gaudy cover. For the groupset I have decided to go with Dura Ace 7403/7410 8 Speed to keep it period correct. Regarding the wheelset, I was thinking of building an 8 speed wheelset using some Suzue hubs from Alexcycle as an alternative to second hand DA 8 speed. Was thinking of the following:
SUZUE High Flange Classic Hubs - alex's cycle (alexscycle.com) with a Claris 8 speed (or alternative 8 speed)
Or
SUZUE Multi-Freewheel Hub - alex's cycle (alexscycle.com) with an original DA 8 speed freewheel.
I am partial to option 1 and the RD will be a Dura Ace 7402. Will there be any indexing issues using a modern cassette with 7402 for either downtube or 7410 STI? Should I maybe use a hyperglide 8 speed instead? I do like the look of the downtube shifters and would like to keep them if I can find reasonably priced ones.