juvela

This vintage RIH road machine is presently adrift upon the waves of the embaymenture of the U.S., although billetted in Slovenia:



















Listing -

non-fixie 

Very nice! Thanks for the adult-sized pics! .

Unless I'm mistaken this is an Austrian machine. I'm not well-versed on the Austrian RIHs, but to my knowledge there's no connection with the Dutch RIH brand.

juvela

Danke mein herr oberst!

non-fixie 

I do think it's a nice bike. Not €1,200 nice, mind you, but nice nonetheless. I wouldn't mind one in my size.

Here's a little more info on 'Radsport RIH' of Vienna, and another example of a Super from the same era.

juvela

Thanks so much non-fixie!

You are definitely a researchmeister. 8^D

Was wondering how much of cycle in listing might be original. Noticed wheels do not match.

timecce

I want to call on the knowledge of fellow RIH afficionados:
Does anybody know why there is a difference between "Bustraan Adam" and "Bustraan Amsterdam" and "Amsterdam"

I've seen RIH with "Bustraan Adam", both with 4digit serial (Made in Amsterdam) and 3digit-letter serial (Fongers-RIH). The same thing goes for the "Bustraan Amsterdam" painted text.

Is the Adam text used in a certain era? For certain types of frames?

cdstheboss

Hi non-fixie, thanks for a very informative site. I've enjoyed reading the posts and, especially, looking at the bikes.

I've acquired a restored RIH (I think), which I swopped for a pair of early Campag Boras. I've included some poor photographs, but just to show the fairly good level of restoration.

However, I can't find a serial number, either on the head tube, or the BB, or anywhere else. I know the paint might be thick, but even so, it usually leaves some indication of a stamped number, but I can't find anything.

My guess is, looking at the lack of cable guides, the fork etc, that this is probably a 60s or early 70s model, but any ideas would be welcome, so I know what to dress her in!!!

non-fixie 

Welcome, @cdstheboss! The frame looks like it could be a early sixties RIH, although with those lugs it could be older than that. In any case it should have a number on the lower head lug.

non-fixie 

Hello @timecce. Sorry you didn't get a reply to your post. I honestly haven't a clue, and apparently no one else does either. Should you find an answer, please post it here!

cdstheboss

I still can't find a serial number, my guess is the paint is too thick, but it looks like I was a little too hasty in contacting you!!!

I checked through the docs I received with the frame and the history of the frame is as follows:

Owned from new by Albert Spaargaaren who . rode with Fedor Den Hertog in the same club in Holland, before emigrating to South Africa.Serial number is 6841

From the list on page 1, suggests it's late 50, probably 1958.

non-fixie 

Ah! You've got Sven's bike! So he didn't re-chrome it after all. Flip back a page in this thread and start reading at post 231.

cdstheboss

Yes, I got the frame from Sven, whom I've known quite a few decades!!!

Have you any idea what components the original bike might have had?
Please?

I've looked through hundreds of photographs, but none are of high enough quality for me to make out the components.

Any ideas would be welcome.

Most of my bikes are from the 70s and 80s. The only other 50s bike I have is a Fiorelli, which has mostly lower end Italian components.

non-fixie 

The parts would have been spec'ed by Albert Spaargaren, and they would have been what was popular with the Dutch professionals at the time. In 1958 there was a combined Dutch-Luxembourgian Tour de France team, which was highly successful, so it should be easy to find a lot of pics. Gerrit Voorting and Wim van Est won stages and Charly Gaul won the tour.

I'll do some digging later. BTW, I expect the Dutch bikes from that era to have been equipped more like the French than the Italians, so no Universal, but MAFAC brakes, for instance.

juvela

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New forum post today stating that Radsport RIH of Vienna produced some of the machines badged as Girardengo -

https://www.bikeforums.net/19321966-post4.html

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non-fixie 

If I read @martl's post correctly it may have been the other way around. But perhaps he could be so kind as to drop in and clarify.

non-fixie 

Based on what I've seen so far my suggestions for a period-correct build would be:

Brakes: MAFAC (Dural Forge) centerpulls or Weinmann sidepulls (500 or 730, depending on reach needed)
Derailleurs & hubs: Campagnolo Gran Sport
Bar & stem: Titan-Maes or Philippe Professionel
Cranks: Stronglight 49D
Chainrings: TA Criterium with Professionel adapteur
Seatpost: Titan
Saddle: Brooks B17
Rims: Weinmann

@Anyone: please feel free to add and/or correct.

juvela

Fine descripton non-fixie!

What anent pedali? Something francese one would imagine...

Peut-etre monsieur Berthet?

WF or Verot jeu de direction?

non-fixie will know!

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martl

Sorry if i expressed myself in an unclear manner According to this website -> Rih ? Fahrradmonteur it were Viennese RIH bikes (no connection to dutch RIH) which also were sold as "Girardengo" bikes. There seems to have been some kind of cooperation. I myself haven't found yet a good way to tell a RIH-Girardengo from an Alessandria one, they seem to have used the same headbadges and numbering, also both used a variety of common-of-the-era lugs, for all i can tell.

That website itself names as source the book "Wiener Mechaniker Räder 1930 - 1980 - Eine Rundfahrt durch mehr als 100 Wiener Fahrradmarken Autoren: Michael Zappe, Walter Schmidl, Martin Schubreiter, Werner Schuster" which is a very well-made, knowledgeable and thoroughly researched affair.

juvela

Thanks very much for this clarification.

Perhaps one of these days I shall learn to read me native tongue...

More solid information to help @Oldairhead with the Girardengo barn.

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non-fixie 

Yes, great suggestions! The Lyotard Berthet would be really nice, and they can still be found for reasonable prices, I think. Actually forgot to mention the Stronglight P3 headset. WF would do fine as well, but may be harder to find.

non-fixie 

Thanks for chiming in so quickly, martl. Much appreciated!

3speedslow

@non-fixie Would those B17 saddles have been carved and re shaped or left as is. Curious as to this practice being local or widespread.

Enjoyable material to read in this thread.

cdstheboss

Thank you for your input. Some of the components you list I have already, others I'll have to start collecting

Half the fun though, but frustrating.

non-fixie 

Sorry for the tardy reply; wasn't paying proper attention.

And to make matters worse: I don't know the answer to your question either.

But, being a rather curious fellow myself, I took this opportunity to dig out the only example of a blocked and butchered saddle I own. These are the remnants of a Brooks B17 Champion something that has really been slaughtered. Not quite the Ottusi level of sophistication.







I haven't tried it yet, but now it's on my desk I might as well put it on one of my current projects, which is of a similar age as @cdstheboss' frame.

3speedslow

@non-fixie No worries, I appreciate the response. Let us know the results of your ride. I think this step was done for weight reduction and ?.

That saddle looks like I feel right now, slaughtered by this cold...