Velo Classique

SOLD – Confente #65

admin — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:14:41 +0000

It’s not often we have a bicycle this rare and desirable available here at Velo Classique. That bike is Confente #65 built by Mario Confente in California in 1977. Frame size stamped in the BB shell is 59.5. Typical of Confente and Masi, that measurement is from the BB center to the point on the seat lug. Center-to-center measurements are 58cm seat tube and 57cm top tube, so this frame is a very attractive size not often found. The frame was built specifically for bar-end shifters, so it has cable-stops, not shift bosses, brazed on the down tube. The frame has original paint, which is black with a gold head tube and gold lining and fill, and is in excellent overall condition. There are a number of small chips and scratches in the paint, all very minor except for a couple on the underside of the BB shell. I have chosen not to do any touch-up of the paint so that everyone can see the really true condition of the frame. Touch-up on this frame would be quite easy, and the frame would then look outstanding. One of the highlights of the paint job on this particular frame is the lining/pin-striping. The lining is much more extensive than what I’ve seen on other Confente frames, with even the top tube cable guide points, seat lug binder ears, BB cable guides and brake bridge bolt mount all lined in gold, as well as all the usual lug lining.

The frame was ordered originally for a customer of a shop in Delaware, and ordered through Rexart Cyclery in New Jersey. I acquired the bike from the original owner and included with this sale is the original documentation of the order for the frame from Rexart, and the original Confente sales brochure. The bike was built-up by the customer and the shop using a mix of components chosen by the customer and purchased through the shop. According to the original owner, some of the parts were purchased even before the frame was ordered. All components on the bike now were represented by the original owner to be original to the build except for the brake set. When I got the bike it was equipped with Shimano Dura Ace long reach brakes, but the frame was built for short reach brakes. Consequently, I changed the brake set to the Gipiemme set currently on the bike. The rest of the components, an eclectic and interesting mix, are as follows:

Campagnolo Record 1973 crankset with 42/54 rings
Campagnolo Record bottom bracket
Campagnolo Record 1973 rear derailleur
Campagnolo Record front derailleur
Campagnolo Record headset
Gipiemme brakeset with black DiaCompe anomtomic-style hoods
Weyless seatpost
Weyless pedals
Weyless hubs
Fiamme Ergal gold label tubular rims
Cinelli oval-logo 1A stem, 12cm R.Hoenin pantographed
SR World Randonneur bars, measured 44cm at outside of flared ends, wrapped with black Benotto tape.
Shimano bar-end shifters
Cinelli toe clips
Christophe tow straps
Avocet Racing III saddle
Wolber Classic 290 tires (glued and still hold air!)

Detailed pictures can be seen here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/veloclassique/sets/72157629423826227/

This bike is sold.

PreciRay in Action!

johnraymond — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 20:51:31 +0000

Small Vid of PreciRay in action. More step by step usage coming soon.

PreciRay

johnraymond — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 17:41:49 +0000

Snagged this “Wheel Building Machine” at Copake swap meet. Cleaned up pretty well and is fully functional. VAR still distributes these machines.

Last Minute Cirque Teaser

WayneBingham — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 22:29:35 +0000

Everybody who is anybody will be are Le Cirque du Cyclisme this weekend in Leesburg, Virginia.

http://www.cirqueducyclisme.com/

Here’s something I managed to finish up late last night, and took her for a spin early this morning. A sweet ride and a nice make-over for the old girl. Just a peek for now, she’s still a little shy. Come see her “coming out” party at the shop tomorrow and the Cirque for the weekend.

ALE Water Bottles from Italy

WayneBingham — Fri, 28 May 2010 15:40:10 +0000

We have some samples of ALE vintage style water bottles made in Italy by Allara. These bottles are essentially the same as the bottles Allara has been making for many years. We think it would be really cool to have an option to most of the water bottles currently available. These bottles are available in three sizes, including the 550cc bottles that are so classic looking, and that almost nobody makes anymore. The bottles are available in white, black, red blue and yellow. There are also three types of caps available, a separate little tethered spout cap (the most classic looking), more common snap plunger type or full snap-over cover. All of these attach with the ring around the throat of the bottle, so they are actually changeable and/or replaceable . There is a fairly high minimum quantity for ordering these, so we have not yet decided to commit, but we are certainly thinking about it.

Below are some pix of the two smaller sized bottles There is a larger 850cc bottle available too. There are also pix of the three types of caps, and a group of caps showing the colors. We have no idea why we got a green sample bottle when that color is no listed as one of the available colors.

Stay tuned! We might just decide to pull the trigger on getting these because we really like them.

Silca Vintage Tire Pressure Gauges

WayneBingham — Fri, 07 May 2010 20:10:13 +0000

So, you want an accurate hand-held tire pressure gauge for those high pressure tires on your classic bike, but don’t want to chance the wrong mojo that might be conjured up by using some digital read-out thing? Well, here’s the real deal. Vintage Silca tire pressure gauges. I can envision a pro race mechanic in 1973 with one of these hanging around his neck, having just checked that the tire pressure on Gimondi’s bike was just right!These are new old stock, made in Italy by Silca and the lanyards are either red or blue. There’s only a few of them, so please call for price and availability.

Recent Gitane Finds! – Gitane Bicycle Forks and Stickers

admin — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 03:14:50 +0000

Ran across some great Gitane items in the warehouse and took a few shots. NOS Tour de France forks and a number of great stickers and Bernard Hinault w/team postcards.

Tweed Ride, Here We Come!

admin — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:41:42 +0000

Spent some time yesterday tweaking the old Raleigh for tomorrow’s Tweed Ride. She’s a ’73 Super Tourer that’s been “hot rodded” a bit. Seemed like just the thing for a jaunty roll through DC on a Fall afternoon. Looks like it will be a beautiful day, after several days of rain. In fact, 70 degree tempetures are predicted, which is actually warmer than I had hoped because I wanted to wear lots of wool and, well, tweed.

For the ride, the Raleigh got new leather grips, real TA clamps for the bar-mounted bottle cage, and my cool flask and cage I got from Joseph Ahearne . I think she’s all ready to go. Now all I have to do is fill the flask with some of that Lagavulin 16 year old that’s here in the shop!

Tweed Comes to DC!

WayneBingham — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:00:12 +0000

Hey, just learned about this. Here at Velo Classique, we have been kicking around the idea of trying to organizing a Tweed Ride in DC for a while now. We’ve always been a fan of the Tweed Rides in San Francisco, Chicago, Portland, London, etc., and, quite frankly, jealous that there wasn’t one here locally. So, we sat around and talked about it a lot (there was probably beer involved), and actually had the framework of a plan, thinking Spring would be a good time. Well, it now looks like we’ve been beaten-to-the-punch on this one. That’s cool, ’cause we’re happy to have someone else do the leg-work so we can just don our dandiest dudes and enjoy the ride!

More info about the event can be found by going here:

http://dandiesandquaintrelles.blogspot.com/

To summarize, the ride happens on November 15th (that’s 9 days from today!) and will begin at 11:00 AM on 8th & H Street N.E. “behind the big bank”. That’s in the immediate neighborhood where the “old” 9:30 club used to be (for those that remember that sort of thing). The Velo Classique crew will definitely be there, so come out and join us. BTW, Velo Classique also still has a small supply of wool jerseys and even a few pair of vintage wool-blend knichers, just in case your tweed knickers are at the cleaners. Now, where did I put my wool argyle knee sox?

Bottecchia Project

WayneBingham — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:23:01 +0000

This is a vintage bike project we are working on for a local client. It’s a 1968 Bottecchia Professional. The frame was purchased at the Cirque du Cyclisme swap meet back in June. We are outfitting it with an eclectic mix of vintage components, and a few “modern classic” bits too. This Bottecchia is meant to be a “rider” not a show bike, and the parts were chosen to best suit the owner and the way he intends to use the bike. At the same time, parts were chosen to create a bike that still maintains the original vintage spirit, and a bike that might be something like what the original owner had riden and upgraded over time.

As you can see by the size of the frame (63cm), our client is tall, and needs the right complement of components to get proper fit and function. We’ve chosen a Stronglight 93 crank set (not shown) with 175mm arms, because we can use the desired 52/39 chain ring combination.

We are using a Cinelli 1A stem and 64-42 bars. Brake levers are Modolo Professional, pulling CLB brake calipers. Campagnolo Nuovo Record front and rear derailleurs and shifters are installed. All the components came from our inventory.

Hard to believe that this frame is more than 40 years old! The fact that it is nickle plated under the paint went a long way toward preserving it. It has a few “battle scars” that needed to be touched-up, but nothing that will detract from the overall character and image of the bike. The chrome still shines, the decals are intact, and the paint still gleams with a good cleaning and a simple coat of wax.

We’ll post more pictures of the finished project, and then go for a ride with the owner!

Cheers!