Italuminium

The torch is lit again at RIH... some very promising pics on facebook in the last few days!

https://www.facebook.com/RIH.Sport.Amsterdam

ultraman6970

Would be nice to see that brand back.

Marek Arko Bici

Hi all,

Thought would be nice to share with ye my find! It's been some months since but I put this frame on my table just recently. Of course there's interesting story behind this frame as I agreed to swipe this frame (to me unknown brand at the time)for another frame I've owned. it was etremely high frame 65cm from Felice Gimondi for my extremely tall friend who found out I'm enjoying viewing this tall frame at my workshop /haha/ and first he was like: hey, would you sell it to me? I need a frame to build roadie for myself and I was like: look if it may help you, no bother. then he asked me how much is it but quickly responded with sending me the picture of the frame which I was not exited about but it was for a friend so I agreed.
After then when I've received this frame set I realized there's something about it. But all rusty and faded. I liked it anyways.. after some days I've started cleaning the tubes and unreal beauty came out of this, unreal!! It took me the entire day cleaning inch by inch of the pipes.. I'm going to poto shoot that frame today though
so far enjoy this and I'll come again.. what do you think? CYCLES BONTEKOE SUPER COURSE, Reynolds 531, due to rust I didn't pay the attention to Cinelli track stem and drops

Italuminium

Extremely nice, Marek, looks like a pretty rare bicycle. Bontekoe is my local bike shop, they've been here for quite a while in The Hague. Your bike implicates that there was a local market for track bikes, but the last local track disappeared years ago.

pullup

That Bontekoe is a classic !!
Very Dutch.

non-fixie 

Welcome Marek! And you could not have made a better entrance here than with a Bontekoe track bike! Gerrit Bontekoe was a rather good track rider, and training partner of the even better Piet Moeskops, in the 1920's when there was a ban on road racing and track racing was very popular. He started his own bike shop in The Hague. His son was a good frame builder, your bike may be one of his. Like Italuminium says, the shop is still there, currently run by two grandsons. You could try contacting them through their website if you want to know more about your bike: https://www.bontekoewielersport.nl

This is Gerrit:

non-fixie 

BTW, there's a similar Bontekoe here: https://www.mediamatic.net/147334/en/bontekoe-track-bike, apparently ridden by Bontekoe jr himself.

Marek

Back with ye boys! thank you all for updates on this

So I'm really glad I find the thread to this. To tell the truth I've tried to gain some details months ago but I was keeping this project for later. I discovered Dutch Invasion this morning so I took the action immediately..
I'm gonna complete this framie (Campy Pista cranks / hubs/seat post / Cinelli saddle) and later sell it since I need to get some tools for my workshop and buy some steel pipes. I can't help myself but it must go - however, that's rather future.
I know the frame is Dutch brand so why not make it more Dutch by adding national flag colors on bar tape?? (actually those're Slovak colors too - both sides happy)



to view more photos here

Marek

@non-fixie
cheers mate! I've dropped few lines to them so let's see what's gonna come back.
appreciated

Italuminium

That cleaned up really well. I like the bartape too. One thing that rather bothers me is that the frame says "super course", while it is clearly a "piste", a track bike, not a road bike. Ah well, maybe mr. Bontekoe spend too much of his french lessons dreaming about the Tour!

non-fixie 

I noticed that the green example on mediamatic.net has the same 'super course' decals, so I'm assuming they're original.

Marek

well, cleaning took rather time indeed! Considering Super - Track Course I wonder as well! as I mentioned, e-mail was sent today to Bontekoe, perhaps they'll add some close details. The decals are really really fragile!

Zieleman

Amazing bike Marek. You made quite an entrance in the Dutch Invasion... Wow. And the way it cleaned up is even more astounding. The story of it ending up in Slovakia must be a fascinating one, I imagine.

Marek

Thanks! I'm glad that you like it guys, really! It's interested what number of bike brands circling the globe. I don't know under what circumstances this frame appeared in that attic but it must've been interested cause when it was back before the iron curtain was still up, then it was extremely difficult. Our part of Europe was completely cut of any recources and we relied on local brands of not high qualities though.
I sometimes visit first Czechoslovakian racer competing on TDF in 1988 Milan Jurco, telling me incredible stories from his racing time and some others. Our small teams coulnd't have traveled abroad due to byrocracy and financing (but great sportmen) Once at some bigger race, Ernesto Colnago came up to them bringing two big plastic bags full of bidons saying, boys, I like your style, you're good racers here keep this as present! you can imagine that celebration, haha
Slovakia is small market today and the same applied in the past. It was hard to get some good brands for racing and when there was a way to, it was highly expensive stuff! many were smuggled in

ultraman6970

OK this is mine... before....



And this is after full clean up...







And this is the 1st mock up, still need to find parts but this is how it will look...




And this is with the Kriterium tubulars... still a few parts to source.

Woutervanwijk

Hi Marek,

That bike is pretty awesome. I know a Dutch track trainer from The Hague who collects RIH bikes (and owns a awesome Willem van Eindhoven road bike from The Hague). He trains kids with Wim van der Kaaij (builder of RIH frames) at the Velodrome in Amsterdam. This guy would freak out on this bike for sure. This is really his cup of tea.

Marek

Wow! That's very nice, look feel free to forward it to anyone. I know what it means for some, collecting stuff especialy when specific items. I'm like that too.
The whole thing is like: I've bought frame, then swiped it for other one and then swiped it for this one. There's was a velodrome in Bratislava but under really nasty circumstances brought down so these bikes had its purpose at the time. at rare occasions I come across the stuff like wheels, componets used at velodrome
thanks

gomango 

Quick question please.

Would a 1977 Gazelle CM take an English threaded bottom bracket?

I have a complete Campy Gran Sport gruppo that I would like to use on my project.

CV-6 

Yes

CV-6 

I like the color. I have never seen a JDR with so much chrome.

gomango 

Thanks!

ultraman6970

Thanks... Neither do I Actually wrote to the reus shop asking for this frame in specific, the guy asked for details and pictures and I'm still waiting, wonder if the actual owner have all the registry books and stuff.

About the color... is like a velvet cherry red and so far no clue if its a base or a candy over something else, would love to refinish the whole frame at some point. Under sunlight the color turns like metallic bright cherry, indoors turns velvet. Finally installed the BB tonite, crankset in place and ready to run cables and freewheel. Incredibly enough havent been able to find a single descent seatpost binder for the right price...

ultraman6970

Marek I like your bike man... If i was still doing track I would have tried to get a RIH track, always found them sexy, manly and with a darn terrorizing presence

Marek

hah! Not a big deal mate, I'm just posting to have a look for anyone. Some build bikes, some collects, some ride, some gain knowledge and we all have different views what is the best for us.. funny thing is that I believed RIH is Austrian brand.. cheers

ultraman6970

There is a RIH in Austria aswell. Not related.