Spoonz

I've found out from (the new) RIH that it was built in 1973 and was most probably finished in RIH red.

haroldkip

Thank you for the information, @jcdevos! Much appreciated. I think I'll pop by the RIH workshop; it's 'around the corner'.

haroldkip

Hi all,

I couldn't help myself. I bought another one ...

The framenumber on this one also puzzles me; I checked this forum for clues and although I found some, I'm not sure if my assumptions are correct. So I hope you can help me with this.
According to @non-fixie the serials on RIH frames built by Fongers (which is the one I have) before 1966 were preceded a letter. However, the frame I just bought has serialnumber U61203. And the U is not listed in the first post of this thread.

Can anyone tell me when this frame was built?

non-fixie 

'U' would have been 1962. I didn't know the alliance between RIH and Fongers started that early.

Nice frame, BTW. Thanks for sharing it. It would have had fenders, a rack and a chain guard by the look of it. Great colors too. Any plans with it?

non-fixie 

Just found some new information I had not seen before at Fongers.net. Seems they started building RIHs as early as 1961. Have a look here. Scroll down to see 'your' bike.

haroldkip

Thank you for your swift reply, @non-fixie! My assuptions - which I didn't even mention - were right; it is a 1962 RIH. How cool! My plans are a complete restoration according to the picture I just found on the link you provided to fongers.net. Because of the details on the frame, I already figured that it would've been some sort of randonneur. So because I already wanted to fit race handlebars on it, it wil most likely become that: a randonneur.

non-fixie 

Sounds like a plan! I'm looking forward to the result. Even better: start a build thread on this forum. That would be greatly appreciated by the community here, I'm sure.

BTW, the Pletscher rack in this picture is probably not original, as it doesn't use the braze-ons provided.

3speedslow

I have never seen a mid chain stay kickstand plate before. Is this common or a feature of the RIH bikes ?

or possibly a randonneur style ?

Very nice looking machine you have ! Would love to see a build thread.

haroldkip

Great idea! I wil remember that when I start restoring the bike

DimRvf

Hi i've a RIH luxe frame for years now it's a 55cm frame red and has a 6 numbers frame number (782487)on the front of the crank and it has bustraan holland on it. Can some one tell me more about it??

And how can i post a picture?

non-fixie 

Hello @DimRvf, welcome to bikeforums! The RIH Luxe machines were built by Cové in Venlo, as a result of a franchise agreement with the Amsterdam-based Bustraan brothers, the founders of the RIH brand.

The small Amsterdam shop on the Westerstraat couldn't cope with the growing demand for RIH sports bikes in the early sixties, and they made a deal with Fongers, in 1964 or thereabouts, to produce bikes to their specifications in their Groningen facilities, so the guys in Amsterdam could focus on the hand-built stuff. When Fongers was taken over by Batavus in the early seventies the agreement ended and RIH needed a new partner. Enter Cové. At first the Cové RIHs looked a lot like the previous Fongers products, but somewhere in the early eighties Cové managed to procure the rights to the RIH name from the estate of the late Bustraan brothers. After that they went their own way with the RIH brand and made it into what it is now.

In the meantime Willem van der Kaaij, who had taken over the Amsterdam shop, was allowed to keep building a limited number of racing bikes under the 'RIH Sport' brand.

Cové did build racing and touring bikes in the seventies and early eighties: the Luxe, Elan and Mistral being the best-known models. The Luxe is one of the nicer ones, built with Reynolds 531 if I'm not mistaken.

WRT posting pictures: there's a thread on that. Have a look here.

haroldkip

Hi guys & girls!

What do you make of this serial? I haven't seen this before ...

280046 and 243228 on the bottom bracket.

Auke

Hi all,
here's another RIH. I bought it a few weeks ago and use it for commuting. I've only changed the tyres and the handlebar/brakelevers.
Frame number is on the bottom bracket: 782081. Does that make it a bike from 1978? And does anybody know what is "speciaal" about it?
It has Huret gears and Weinmann brakes and fenders.

3speedslow

Looks nice. Are the Derailleurs original?

I hope you kept the parts you took off.

a fine bike for commuting with.

Auke

Thank you, I like the looks as well. And yes, original derailleurs. They look older then the 70s to me, but I'm looking into that...

non-fixie 

Hello Auke, welcome to bikeforums! That is a good-looking RIH Speciaal. 'Speciaal' was the model name of the RIH offering in the 'Super Sports Bicycle' market, as it was called BITD. It was built by Cové in Venlo, under license from RIH Sport in Amsterdam. The Allvit RD is quite probably original. Have a look at this test from 1977, which gives a nice overview of the Dutch super sports bike market at the time, and also shows the Allvit as the standard RD on the RIH. I'm not well-versed in the Cové serial numbering system, but 1978 could well be correct.

Auke

Thank you, non-fixie. Having read this nice test I obviously bought the wrong bike, and it confirmed my expectation on the not-so-supersport-weight: 15 kgs! But no rust on my frame, so on durability the test proves wrong imho.
Earlier in this thread you mentioned the numbering system where the first two digits state the year, but cove might have used a different system? Anyway, late 70s will probably be properly dated when looking to the rest of the parts.
What do you think of letters on the top tube? placed by a drunk? Monday morning issue?

Auke

Interested in the parts? It's more ore less the same handlebar as on the sport a few posts up. Too broad to weave through traffic for me.

3speedslow

No, no... I'm here in the USA. I say save the original parts so at a latter time it can be put back to how it came out of the shop.

Auke

fair enough, it's not that special anyway. But I do keep the parts, for later usege or maybe to exchange with others.
But have these bikes been sold in the US as well, or is this a european affair altogether?

3speedslow

RIH models I believe are rare in the US, cursed be us!

Auke

Surely there must be gorgeous looking classic american bikes? Which we don't have? Schwinn once sold beach cruisers here, very stylish.

kroozer 

Here’s my 1973 RIH Model Campagnolo, serial 8712. The frame has its original finish in very good condition with only a few small scratches and touch-ups here and there. I have set it up as a light sport tourer with a full Campagnolo Nuovo Record group, Soma RD cage, 3ttt bar & stem, Brooks Professional saddle, Super Champion Gentleman 700C rims, and Shimano 14-34 freewheel. The pump is a Tagamex from Mexico, for a bit of local flavor.

3speedslow

Really spectacular !^^^

That blue paint does look stunning. How does it ride?

kroozer 

I find the deep blue and white scheme very handsome, I like the old-school plain logos, and I'm always a sucker for chrome. I haven't put many miles on it yet, but I do like the feel of the bike. It a 531 db frame so it's light and responsive enough for my tastes, but not too responsive. It's also nice and straight-- something you never really know until you finish the build and take it out for a ride. On the other hand, I'm still getting the components dialed in and have had several issues, but I'm slowly working through them. The main thing I don't like is the 10-tooth jump to the low gear on the freewheel-- it's nice to have the low gear but the change is jarring.