You can see the seat that came with the bike in the first two pictures here. It started to come apart so I taped it up with some Guerrilla tape. The third picture is a close-up of the joint under the handlebars. There is some kind of gray corrosion forming on the stainless steel near the white paint in some places. I tried using a small wire brush on a Dremel tool to remove it, but it leaves a yellower color which looks like its the metal underneath the stainless coating. I tried riding it this weekend. It feels like its rocket powered compared to the Schwinn. Its hard to imagine something human powered can go so fast. It feels like magic. Its amazing I can go so fast on it even if I'm 51 years old. I guess I'm not that old after all.

Hard to say what those spots are, but since its a stainless you should be able to polish it. Can it be something from the braze? The seat kind of baffles me; I know the seat you´ve got and they were all very common late 70´s ´til beginning of the 80´s. If its the original seat, then it is. Is that Suntour gearshifters you got there - I really like the look of them!

Hey! I´m 46 and do races on my vintage bikes! But it helps if you got a well built classic, and of course you´ve got one! So ride on, the Crescents will probably outlive us!:thumb:

Where I live, someone has a "Scandia" for sale. The frame appears to have been repainted but the lugs look like they could be Nervex. In a thread elsewhere someone mentions a mysterious Skandia made by Crescent (or Nordstjernan?). It's not a lot to go on but any idea what this frame might be?

http://newhaven.craigslist.org/bik/1357193171.html

EDIT: I have since found a thread that answers my original question:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...escent+skandia

This is my first post (though edited twice), if I am breaking some rule by linking to a craigslist ad, please let me know. I think I might need some tips on using the bikeforum search engine, as I don't know how I initially missed the thread with the Skandia pictures. Thanks!

Hello Kjell! You´ve entered one of the great MCB-mysteries! We´re some swedish folk trying to find out from where those Skandia comes from. They turn up with a mix of decals (I´ve seen one with Crescent, Monark and Nordstjernan decals). My guess is that they are bikes from the MCB-factory in Brazil. MCB bought some plant over there in order to get access to the south and north american market; the customs rules were more acceptable if the bikes were produced "not-in-Europe". Anyhow, there has been contacts with people in Brazil but no-one can really say anything about them Scandia. When you look at components and frame-construction they DO look like Brazilian MCB`s. That blue and white Skandia looks high end which is EVEN more surprising!!! rumour has it there were some bikes assembled in the US... (MCB = MonarkCrescentBolagen; MonarkCrescentCompany).

Jan, Thanks for the response. I notice in the pictures of the Skandia from the other thread, there is a "Made in Sweden" sticker on the seat tube. If in fact the frame was made in Brazil, someone is taking liberties with the idea of truth in advertising. And Swedes have the reputation of being so honest! :)

A Monark frame similar to your own, though not nearly as pristine, sold recently on eBay for an impressive $405 USD. I think it was owned by someone you might know. (To protect his privacy I won't mention his name, but he contributes to Cykelhobby.)

http://s695.photobucket.com/albums/v...nt=Monark2.jpg

I wanted to thank you too for posting the pictures of the Champion. That they were made at Torpado factory and have chrome lugs I wonder if they could be the same as the Italvegas that were imported in the US?

Lastly, although the emphasis is early- to mid-20th Century bikes, this is a good site for info on Swedish bikes:

http://www.cykelhistoriska.se/

Many exciting themes in this thread! Indeed there are difficulties to determine them Skandias. What seems to be determined is, that they were never made here in Sweden why the Made In Sweden sticker increases the riddle! Sometimes I wish I had more time to dig in deep into this matter... Your same-name-swede Kjell who works the cykelhobby.com pages is equally baffled (and if he cant get the answers about MCB-bikes who could?). The search goes on.

Italvega in conjunction with Champion! Why not! theres been several co-operations between swedish bike manufactures and others. The most unknown but prestigous must be that todays Nishikis for european market are developed and made in Sweden.

I know of the Monark-seller. Rather interesting object.

Finally, I pic of a Scandia. It was for sale in the US a year ago. I complement with one Brazilian made Crescent. EDIT: MISSED THE PICS - SEE BELOW!

Forgot the pics; first the for sale Skandia and secondly ad for Brazil made Crescents.

On the advertisement for the Brazilian line of Crescents, the 511 is blue. Perhaps this is what this guy has converted into a fixed gear?

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/zippy.htm

This is the first mention I have ever seen of a Crescent with Vitus tubing, and I wonder what the weird headset threading is? More mysteries (and fun)!

Well Kjell, you do come up with the phenomena of the MCB-world!:thumb: Theres only been one type of MCB-bike that I know of with Nervex lugs and Vitus tubes, and that is a Crescent 318 Pro made for the US-market! And you found one! Most certainly early 70´s. I´ll try to get some more info on the subject. The 318 Super Pro was to my knowledge only released for the US.

Hi Jan! I am afraid I don't have any more observations about MCB mysteries, though I will keep my eyes open for examples of Swedish road bikes in the U.S. Someday I would like to find a Crescent/Monark to call my own.

However, a couple of brief comments about the bikes I saw on my first trip to the capitals of Scandinavia--two months ago. Very few road bikes in Stockholm, though many utilitarian city bikes with fauber cranks; in Oslo mostly uninteresting (IMHO) mountain bikes; Copenhagen mostly city bikes but an occasional high-end European track bike. Although I no longer live in NYC, the bike-watching is pretty great. The status-conscious people insist on riding high-end vintage bikes even though the city is probably the bike-theft capital of the world.

Also I am looking for a replacement fauber one-piece crank for a 40s/50s coaster brake clunker from Stavangar, Norway. Any ideas where I could get one? Strangely, I think they might be more common in Sweden than Norway. Thanks!

Well yes on one hand; swedes are "conscious" bike owners and over here that means new bikes (we have the oldest car park in the world to balance that!!!), on the other hand theres rather many classic bikes turning up at races and gatherings. Price has gone up lately, only a couple of years ago you could make real catches over here. Now you can see overprices for junk!

Take a pic of that crank you´re looking for. I´ll keep my eyes open.

Here's a picture of the gearshifter levers. It says Suntour Power on them.

I have a spare couple of them Suntour power. They are really nice to look at (and feels good between your fingers). I googled a bit on stainless bikes and theres a guy in the US who rents your kind of frame for movies and such. So, you really got something there....:thumb:

PM me about the one piece crank you are looking for. I might have one that is about to go into the dumpster. Is it DBS?

Yes, they are exactly the same as mine. I pulled mine from the Monark when assembly a full "Shimano-group" and hopefully I´ll find some bike to match them on. MCB-digits are not accurate or precise, but when did you buy the bike? Would be interesting to know what years (and models) them Suntour were used.

Does anyone know what this rounded nut-like thing is that appears to be welded to the frame? Its threaded and might be there for connecting things to the bike.

See http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/vie...hp?f=3&t=20919 for some ideas.

That is exactly what it is. It is for attaching fenders or a rack.

yellowjeep:thumb::thumb::thumb: AGAIN! I´ll work on my pic insert skills! I just love the music; the kind of easy listening I usually go for when having my late night whisky:) Your instruction film should be forward in all forums - I think its needed; contact the moderator to make it a sticky?

Hey all!
just bought a crescent mark IX stainless on blocket for about 2000 sek, apparently I was the only one recognizing the frame on the auction picture! shocking.. besides that, the seller had listed th bike as a cresent, not a crescent. but spending some time on searching-methods finally paid of for me!

I will post some pictures of the wonder very soon, it is in great shape beside some grey dirt-thingy around the lugs, which seems removable when using polish paste such as autosol.

thanks for some interesting reading guys, can I actually sell this bike for 10.000 sek? not that I would!

Malthe,
Copenhagen

Hi Malthe! So, a swedish bike went to Denmark!? And I´ve just commented on another thread about danish retro bikes!!! Con grats anyhow - you´ve got a clear cut classic for a steal! May I ask if it was sold in Hagfors, Värmland?

A Ladie's Crescent 3 spd that I sold a few weeks ago. I have another just like it that I am going to work on.

I know, i don't really get it, "røverkøb" som vi siger på dansk!..
but yes, i bought from an elderly man in hagfors, vämland.. how would you know? something wrong with it? you're freaking me out ;)
but when you say danish retro bikes, what are you then referring to? I haven't seen one single good looking danish retrobike in copehagen, but crescent bikes are becoming a rather normal sight in copenhagen! (I take a part of the responsibility for that)

Malthe

Firstly, see my thread "Danish delight" or go straightly to www.vivabikes.com! Well as it is, that bike in Hagfors has been somewhat of a "talk of the town/country". I heard about it in late summer and understood it wasnt my size, so I allerted some friends whom some of them should have been eager to get it - but obviously they didnt... No, its an IX for sure and you took advantage of the total cock up!!! Personally, I´m up to my elbows restoring a mid-eighties Crescent 318 size 63 cm. I´m about to repaint - and the colour idea came from a Viva catalogue! Well, I suppose you´re gonna have one happy summer this year riding your IX. For sure you´ll have some envy gathered around you!

wow, seems like I was really lucky then! I understand the envy, it's such a beautiful bicycle!
anyhow, I was wondering.. would you happen to know a good place/site with restorising parts such as the weinmann hoods and red velox bar plugs? seems impossible to find anwhere..

about the Viva bicycle, they are not what i thought you meant by retro, but anyhow still some beautyful bicycles. good luck with your 318, is it this one? http://www.cykelhobby.com/bilder/318-81-1.jpg I've wanted one of those for a long time actually.

but yes, looking forward for the summer, the tubulars aren't going to let me cuise until spring, can't hardly wait!

Personally, I was always more interested in the model on the Crescent than models of Crescents . . . .

http://www.classicrendezvous.com/Swe...d_70's.htm