Hexagonal Tubing?
 

I got a bike at a thrift store with hexagonal tubes made by a company called "Jupiter-Beat." I've done some internet searching and I can't find any information about it. My uneducated guess would be ~70's era from the components. Wondering if anyone here knows anything about this manufacturer?

pictures, pictures!!!!

That name sounds like something the Japanese would come up with.

Pictures!

The last octagonal framed bike I saw was a 1930's Caminade from France with aluminum tubing, with the tubing pinned into the lugs:eek:

Aaron:)

I believe that Colnago also did some hexagonal tubed frames, but I can't think why they would say Jupiter Beat on them, or be in a thrift store.

One of them is the Colnago Master extra light, but it has 8 sides I think. I only know because I just got one (with a couple of dents.)

Monark made some beautiful balloon tired bicycles in the 30s and 40s using hexagonal cross-section aluminum tubes.

Monark Silver King HERE and HERE.

I believe its of Japanese origin (another uneducated guess). Not light or a Monark, although I wish it were both of those things.

Here are those pictures:

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...g?t=1194296930

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...g?t=1194296986
The head badge and seat tube sticker say "Jupiter-Beat, Super-De-Luxe"

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...g?t=1194297038

I was going to add the possibility of it being a Franz Weber frame...

But now that I see the pics....nevermind. :p

Very interesting & unique,...but NOT a Franz Weber.

gee...you could do a style man...have the frame meticulously restored, complete with those foil-backed transfers (that'd probably be a lot of money)...then hang record-10 carbon parts all over it, go out and spank the local road gang. That'd be pure style. cost a lot of money though.

Is that frame made of aluminum? Was that pile'o'parts original to the bike, do you think? I have honestly never seen another like it, and the name makes me think that maybe it fell to Earth from another dimension...

Wow I'd love to have a bike like that! So cool!

So was that dented colnago purchase worth it? Is it rideable at all? Id love to find a nice colnago frame, but man are they expensive (guess you gotta fork over the cash for art huh), and just about everyone selling one on ebay is in italy. The Tecnos model has got to be my favorite.

Those foil reflector decals are obnoxious. Makes you wonder what the regular De-Luxe model was like. I like it. Cool find!

I started a thread on it. It appears for now that it was way worth it. You're going to trip on the price I payed for it!

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...79#post5584079

The only thing I've really found on the manufacturer is this post from oldroads, "it was the first bike to come out of Japan after WW11... its' patent is Kobe Japan... The model is Jupiter Beat Deluxe."

I don't think my frame is from the '40's or '50's, but its pretty intriguing.

I would polish it up, build it with whatever I had around, but ideally mid range road-race parts (ie no bash guards or chainring plates), and ride it. It's probably heavy as hell, but it's also uber-cool.

How about pictures and details on the components? That would help date it...

Aaron:)

hmmm...I only have a couple of bikes in the herd that date to the 50's...and they both used water slide )or maybe varnish-fix) decals...the foil-backed stickers typically indicate late 60's at the earliest...but I honestly dunno.

Has anyone seen foil stickers earlier than '60's?

"The last octagonal framed bike I saw was a 1930's Caminade from France with aluminum tubing, with the tubing pinned into the lugs:eek:"

I was reading a history-of-bikes book a night or two and and they actually made hickory-framed bikes at one time. Regular 2-wheel-with-chain "safety bicycle" just like a normal bike, but tubing is hickory. It would be cool to show up at a biking event with one of those.

Some grumps will hate the suggestion, but I think that would make an awesome fixed gear. All the hipsters will be jealous.