Re: [CR]Help??Tour de Suisse RS555??

(Example: History:Norris Lockley)

Date: Sun, 01 Jul 2001 23:41:49 -0700
To: "Eric Elman" <tr4play@home.com>, <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
From: "Joseph Bender-Zanoni" <jfbender@umich.edu>
Subject: Re: [CR]Help??Tour de Suisse RS555??
In-Reply-To: <010001c10298$03b71820$3004b418@enfld1.ct.home.com>
References: <3B3E01C5.8384.1743AC2@localhost> <3B3E4523.4466862E@penn.com>


I own one of these. Orange too. It is a Mondia. Swiss of course.

The ones I am familiar with came out of Ridgewood Cycle in Ridgewood NJ. The owner bought a bunch of these. Supposedly the bike was to supplied free in a deal with Finair so you could ride around Scandinavia and the deal didn't work out so the bikes were a surplus deal.

Here are differences on mine as I got it: Tahei seatpost, brown leather covered plastic base saddle, Sunshine HF hubs (old types with round holes in flanges), Wienmann 27 X 1 1/4 rims, Sugino Mighty crank, Shimano Titlest front der.

It is really the same as a regular Mondia frame of the period except for Campy droputs and fade paint job.

Great find!

Joe

At 09:40 PM 7/1/01 -0400, Eric Elman wrote:
>I picked up a bike at a tag sale today and have never heard or seen one
>before. Odd mix of components and frame.
>
>It is a "Tour de Suisse RS555" per the decals on either side of the
>downtube. The headtube and seat tube each have a matching "Tour de Suisse"
>decal. Frame is Reynolds 531DB throughout and forks. Nervex Professional
>head and seat lugs, unknown bottom bracket. Pressed/stamped steel dropouts
>but nicely finished. Chrome headlugs, fork crown and all stays front and
>rear. Paint is original and orange. Transition area on stays and fork
>chrome to paint is a fade job, not a clean line. Top of seat stays wrap
>around top of seat lug. Rear centerpull cable bridge is cheap stamped
>steel. Workmanship is so-so - not bad but not anything special either.
>Stem is mid 70's 3ttt Record and the bars are also 3ttt Competizione(sp?).
>Seatpost is a 3ttt micro adjust with a Brooks Pro saddle. All pretty high
>end stuff for that period. Brakes are Weinman 999 long reach calipers,
>levers have white hoods and Q/R's. Hubs are Shimano H/F 333, rear rim is a
>Super Champion 81 and front rim is a Mavic MOD E2, both with Schrader
>valves. Crankset is Campy Copy Shimano and Derailleurs are Shimano Crane
>units. Pedals are unbranded cheapies with AFA clips and straps.
>
>Seems odd to have full 531/Nervex Pro but stamped dropouts and brake cable
>bridge. Also odd to have some high end stuff and meduim/low end stuff.
>What's original and what's not? Where and by whom was the bike made? Any
>and all info greatly appreciated.

>

>Thanks in advance,

>

>Eric Elman