unknown bike make/model
 

Looking at a bike I am interested in buying.

Seems to be an older Italian road bike, looks repainted in a baby blue color.

All components are Shimano 600.

There are no markings on it really whatsoever, the only thing I could find is on the handlebars it has stamped "Mod Italia Super Training Made in Italy" inside of a flower like logo.

Does anyone have any idea what this bike is?

Thanks!

Sounds like it could be a Cinelli handlebar. Pics of the bike would help a lot. Show the lugs by the steering stem and the seat.

invisibike is probably not italian.

Hard to help with 0 photos.

Handlebars aren't usually indicative of a bike manufacturer, so going by markings won't really give you much info on the manufacturer of a frame. Handlebars are usually made by companies that specialize in handlebars and components. Cinelli and 3TTT are what most valuable vintage Italian bikes were equipped with.

Look for any markings on the frame, fork crown, or underside of the bottom bracket. Also look to where the seat stays meet the seat tube for distinctive markings or welds.

There are no markings that I could find, I looked just about everywhere.

I'll try to get pictures up soon, gotta get them sent to me first.

finally got some pictures, not the best though. any info is still helpful. i did another search for markings, found nothing.

Still hard to identify. The same or similar lugs are used on a number of bike manufacturers during the 80's (if the bike has Shimano 600 it's probably 80's). With no headbadge and no serial numbers or threading information, it's going to be very difficult to make a positive ID. Virtually all of the normally identifiable/telltale signs on the frame are missing. Those are pretty nice lugs, though, so it was probably a relatively nice bike (midlevel or above) to start with.

There are serious causes for concern, though. I don't know who you're considering purchasing from, but there are numerous alarm bells going of in my head...

Problems:
1. Forward deraileur: Where is it?
2. Cables Situation: See problem #1.
3. Why have all identifiable markers been removed unless there is something the owner/seller is trying to hide or to keep buyers from knowing?

Depending on the price, how it fits, and how it rides - it could be a good bike, even for parts (though it's missing an important one lol).

What are you looking for in a bike? Are you mainly interested in the frame, or buying a complete bike? -- Because a complete bike it ain't!

Yeah all the components are Shimano 600. I noticed the missing front derailleur, not sure what that's about. I was thinking about making it a fixie, so that wouldn't matter right?

It's currently sitting in the Exercise Physiology lab that I go to once a week, I'm still working on contacting the owner. Apparently it's been sitting there quite some time. Any tips on where to look for distinctive markings? Even if I don't end up getting it, I still want to kill my curiosity.

Likely not italian bike. Sports Touring geometry. Front and back eyelets, 600 EX Arabesque cranks (early 80s). Probably Japanese or maybe Ross. There are no screw holes for the headbadge, so you can exclude several manufacturers at this point.

yeah the only reason i thought it was italian was because of the handlebars.

Rats!,...I guess it ain't a UO8!.....Close up shot of the bottom of the bottom braket shell, might help too if it has some unique features on it like cutouts or even just serial numbers.....
Chombi

If its a repaint (which I'd suspect is why its got no decals of any kind) the screw holes could have been filled in.

...not the most likely answer, but its a possibilty.

Is there a number visible on the seat post?

On the bottom bracket cup?

You're correct, sir. In this case, the bike has already been 1/2 drewed.

EjustE is right - it's probably a mid level early 80's Japanese Sports Tourer. There wasn't really anything screaming Italian to me, but I thought I'd wait for some more experienced guys to give their 2 cents. It's probably a Miyata, Univega, Ross - something along those lines. 600 Cranks are nice, so you could reuse those for your fixie if you wanted. Since it's already missing the Forward Derailer and it's already been repainted, I'm going to commit C&V heresy and say it's prime for a fixie.

Get some serial numbers and maybe we can figure out more.

...especially if it's original owner is neglecting it. If the original owner isn't riding it, I wouldn't feel guilty at all taking his painted asian bike and making it into a utilitarian commuter/fixie. Of course do your best to contact the owner - I don't know why someone would leave 3/4 of a Shimano 600 groupo in a classroom and just walk away - but a bike is meant to be enjoyed. If you end up with it, enjoy it.

I would not call a bike with 600 Arabesque on it 'mid level', until I have a chance to lift it :) Very few 'mid level' bikes had 600 on it. Usually, it was kept for either the top of the line or second from the top in a lineup in the 80s. Very few lesser frame bikes (Ross Super Gran Tour XV comes to mind - and that was the second from top and the frame was DB CroMo, so not that bad, but 24.5 lbs vs 22) had that group...

Found a few markings. On the seatpost was "SR Laprade". On the down tube was either "NOD7149" or" NDD7149", I couldn't tell.

nobody?

We are looking for size or thread markings, such as 27.2 on the seatpost (you need to remove it first), or 24x1.37 on the bottom bracket cup (need to look carefully behind the cranks).

SR Laprade seatposts are like the most common aluminum adjustable seatposts back in the 80's They came as standard equipment on new bikes, but were also sold in the Bazillions as replacement seatposts by bike shops (I bet that you can still easily find them in great quantities out there as NOS)......Seat post size as the previous poster noted, can help a bit. anything with diameters smaller than 27.2mm starts to point to something maybe like a French bike....but still not definite....Finding out what the threading type for the BB and headset are will help too.
Shimano 600 components were usead on bikes from all over the world, plus you cannot be sure that the Shimano components are original to the frame anyway. Did you sheck if there are any markings on the rear dropout faces??

Chombi

Finally got ahold of the guy. He said he is still thinking about whether or not he wants to give the bike up, which sucks because he will probably never use it. If I get the chance to get it I probably will. In the meantime I'll try to get some more measurements/serial numbers/etc.

Did you ask the owner who manufactured it?

Long bump. I picked up the bike today and have it at my apartment.

Now, I really wanna figure out what it is...

I can take and upload pictures of anything or look for anything, just let me know what!

I was gonna say that the Prugnat lugs ID it as "not Japanese", but they may not be Prugnats. Centurion for one used lugs very much like that, and the Simplex-style rear axle stops also say "Centurion", and one of their uppper-end bikes. Like maybe a late-70s / early-80s Super LeMans? If so it's a shame about the respray as the original paint job would have included some nice pinstriping.

SP
Bend, OR

I won't lie, after looking at a few pictures of some Super LeMans, I feel like its a really close match

It is a Centurion LeMans exactly like mine Tange Hi Tensil Steel 1.2 0.9 is the sticker on mine