non-fixie 

Great stuff! Thanks for the additional pictures.

I still wince at the memory every time I see this plant stand picture:

pullup

A very pretty bike with this gold theme Mel but to me the real bling was in the treatment of the frame details with the nicely filed superthin lugs, the drilled drops and the treatment of the BB.

Elev12k

Okay. The frame details:

They're not easy to identify, but this are Campagnolo 1010 drop outs. The drillings are for weight saving purposes, but more quirky is the back side treatment of the drop outs: Ko (Zieleman) filed/milled material away to save weight >>



Lower head lug >>



Elliptical cut outs in the shell for a lower weight >>



Only backdraw of all this effort: if you're not going fast on this bike, you can't blame the frame.

non-fixie 

I'd have thought the censor would have caught this pic ...

pullup

I found a teenieweenie Presto just before Christmas and i spent part of the holiday to clean and rebuilt it.

Changed some of the components to nicer ones I had as spares to finish it



I like this colour scheme a lot, metallic blue with a white headtube
Only 51 cm C/T seattube but it has a 54 cm top tube so i definitely go and try it out if the wheater gets a little bit nicer.

All the Presto traits are present; Chromed frontfork, square brakebridges, xxx markings on the seatlug and below the BB. One exeption is the use of 'normal' forkends in stead of the open ones characteristic to Presto's




Again a 77 example according to the framnumber so it is my third Presto frame from that year.

Nice metallic blue


headtube

non-fixie 

^ Nice! Great color combo too.

Brands

Nice Presto! What is the system of the numbering? I have seen bikes with 4 and 6 frame numbers?

Spaghetti Legs 

Here are a few hundred Copenhageners who want to show off theirs while they are at work.

Couldn't resist. Bike rider heaven.

Edit: OK I'm a complete loser, these are Danish bikes, not Dutch, although I saw plenty of Crescents which I believe is a Dutch brand. Next time I'll wait until I finish my coffee before posting.

non-fixie 

Have two. Crescent is Swedish. *sigh*

Spaghetti Legs 

OK I'll just be over here in the corner with my dunce cap.

non-fixie 

Just yanking your chain. Sorry, couldn't resist.

non-fixie 

In defence of @Spaghetti Legs: I just read this blogpost on American views on Europe. And I'll quote the most relevant part:

jimmuller 

He! I knew that Crescent bikes were Swedish but I didn't want to call anyone out.
(Really, I did know that.)

That Presto is really nice! Another name I'd never heard of until it got posted here.

pullup

I got the info from this thread: https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...ampagnolo.html

jimmuller 

I just noticed the chainrings on that Presto and the one in that other thread. Let me guess, the terrain is flat where these bikes are made, right? I've never seen a bike with a ring combination of 52 and 51-1/2.

pullup

As flat as a pancake as far as you can see

The only hills around here in Amsterdam are the little bridges spanning the canals and on of my tours I can include the only serious 'mountain' in the neighbourhood, the infamous 'Kopje van Bloemendaal' ( a dune near the North-sea ) which reaches a whopping 30 meters.

The ring combination is 52/48 and is perfect for criterium races. It used to be a not to common but useful combination around here.
The blue Presto came with it and the Zieleman I owned during the seventies had the same 52/48 set up.

juvela

Thanks very much for sharing this beauty! What a treat.

In 1976 I had a customer come through my workshop in California who had just returned to the U.S. from living in Nederland. He brought with him two Presto framesets. They had the distinctive Presto touches like the X brake bridge. One way they were different from this example is that they were not fitted with headplates, employed a transfer instead. Did they go back and forth between headplates and transfers? His framesets would have been made about 1974.

Harhir

1980s Gazelle. Not exactly sure how old it is. It is my wife's old bike. Pretty scratched up but solid. I wanted to sell it a few years ago since it was too heavy for her. But decided that it would make a great shopping bike. Plus it has a large frame. Prefect for a tall guy like me. Replaced the skirt protectors last year. Added a Brooks saddle. The Conquest. However I don't like the shape of the saddle. This is a more mountain bike saddle and I want to replace it with a Brooks B66 or similar.
I also added some folding baskets and a front basket. If I can find a cheap wheel with a 7 or 8 speed internal hub I would like to replace the 3-speed hub as well.

juvela

How about the Sachs Orbita system? iirc that was an IGH 6V arrangement.

Harhir

I am not sure that bike is compatible with that hybrid system. Plus by adding the cassette and derailer I would probably need to get rid off the completely enclosed chain guard which I love and which looks cool on that bike. Right now there is a guy on ebay selling a 700c wheel with shimano 8 speed hub + roller brakes for $170 with shipping. Including shifter grip. But I am not sure yet as I don't drive the bike that often.

But I love the hybrid gear sets. On my daily 1994 commuter bike I have the Fichtel & Sachs 3x7 which I think was later renamed as the SRAM Dualdrive.
Sachs and SRAM Internal-Gear Hubs
Especially for city commuting with lots of stops at traffic lights and stop signs I love that hybrid system. Plus One still can use a half closed chain guard since there is no derailer in the front.
Unfortunately not many bike manufacturers still offer that system on their bikes.

Of course the dream would be the 14 speed internal hub from Rohloff. But that thing is freaking expensive....

juvela

Thanks very much for this thorough response.

bwilli88 

Working on replacing rear wheel with a 635 rim with a SRAM 2 speed autohub on the rear and replacing the front 622 rim with a 635 and Schwalbe Marathon Pluses
New crank and chainring.

kroozer 

1973 RIH Model Campagnolo
I bought this frame from a Polish Ebay seller last year ($40 shipping to the US!). From what I've read, the serial number on the front of the head lug indicates an Amsterdam build, and I think the Model Campagnolo was only built in the Bustraan shop. The number 8712 puts the manufacture date at 1973, although the experts can feel free to correct me on any of this. I believe this was RIH’s top racing model. It’s built with Reynolds 531 db throughout, with Campagnolo dropouts. The original paint, chrome, and decals are in very good condition, and it tracks nice and straight. I have built it up with (what else) a complete Nuovo Record group, along with a Brooks Professional saddle, Super Champion Gentleman 700C wheels, and 3ttt bars and stem. I installed a long derailleur cage and a 14-34 freewheel to give me some lower gears for the mountains around here.

jimmuller 

That RIH sure looks good!

OTS 

^^+2
Beautiful build kroozer