Thanks for such a quick reply. I forgot to mention that it did have a Tange 2 sticker on it and I can understand now that it wasn't top of the line but still nicer than a lot of other old bikes out there now. It definitely rides really smooth and comfy, comparable but not as nice as a Davidson Impulse I had which had Prestige tubing. Yes, Rexart was the name on the fork dropouts. It's great to get more information about these bikes, they're certainly worth the attention. It seems this bike may have been built by Joe Starck or Ted Kirkbride as mentioned in the article below but it could also have been relegated to others there.
http://www.raydobbins.com/
Philip Chan
Hacienda Heights, CA
> From: Michael Howard <95rivieramike@gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [CR] Medici Serial #'s (How's this for timing?)
> To: "Philip" <nokema@yahoo.com>
> Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Date: Monday, June 8, 2009, 11:34 PM
> Hey guys, Mike Howard here. The El
> Dorado model was a lower line frame that we built for a
> short time trying to expand our sales base. I was never very
> gun-ho on them but had to do what the boss wanted. Thats
> not to say they weren't nice bikes just not the same
> quality as the Pro-Stradas and generally had cheaper
> components. They actually were a great bargin but no
> customizing, all standard geometry and components, no
> chrome. The first few hundred were made of Reynolds 531 that
> we had laying around and then later went to the Tange Cr-Mo
> tubing which was a higher quality tubing then most wanted
> to admit. Unfortunatly we were rather bad at keeping records
> of serial numbers and I don't know where what
> little records that we did have are now. Gain
> Simonetti may have more info on that. That front dropout
> may have said Rexart which was a dropout that we had made
> but didn't use for long. Rexart was our parent company
> name. We used that name with the Idea that we might market
> them to other builders someday and thought that other
> builders would not want a competitors name on there forks.
>
>
>
> On Mon, Jun 8, 2009 at 11:05 PM,
> Philip <nokema@yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>
>
> I came across a Medici Camino Real/El Dorado painted a
> bright Flourescent pink that was exactly as described by
> another member which I quoted below. The fork is chrome and
> from the chipped parts in the paint, I don't believe the
> frame is chromed underneath. Campy dropouts but the fork
> dropouts, I forgot the name exactly, but spelled like
> Nervax. This one had no paint matched pump and a full
> Shimano 600EX Ultegra group with the downtube shifters (7spd
> I believe) and a Dura Ace aero seatpost with Turbo saddle.
> The latter two items removed by the seller. The rims are
> Omega Omicron Strada and are plain, not anodized any color.
> It also had a very nice panto 3ttt stem with black ano 3ttt
> bars. The paint did seem on the heavy side as it was hard to
> make out the stamped Campagnolo on the dropouts but looked
> to be of good quality. Not much feathering and some areas
> did lack attention, for example, the shoreline on one side
> of a headlug wasn't as smooth as the
>
> other. The bottom bracket read 58 305 differing from the
> older Medici number's others have posted but the group
> gives a good idea of when it was made. Has anyone been able
> to contact Mike Howard for the serial # records?
>
>
> Omicron Strada Polished as seen here in the 1991 catalog,
> may have came out in other years but I don't have the
> Campy bike DVD to reference.
> http://www.campybike.com/
>
>
> "
> Bought the local Medici which didn't reach reserve on
> the bay. Chainstay decals say "Camino Real",
> and the seattube stripes have "El Camino" in
> script above and below the requisite rainbow stripes (can
> those be justified?). Build quality is very basic,
> minimal lug feathering, but also absolutely clean.
> Reminds me a bit of the post-Yoshi Specialized Allez
> frames, and the fork crown reminds me a bit of a Yoshi
> crown, as well -- semi-sloping, with a triangular cut-out
> outside of the blades. Large, Masi-style, seat-stay
> flutes. Recessed brakes. Braze-on f der, two bottle
> sets, pump peg, tt cable guides and shifter braze-ons, of
> course, and under-BB cable guides. Campy drops, chrome
> fork with handsome sweeping radius. Straightforward
> sport geometry -- 57 square (58 and change c-t), 40
> inch/101.75cm wheelbase, with the rear axle pushed forward.
> Blue-white-blue fade paint, which looked so homely on the
> bay,
>
> turned out to be almost shop-new, save for a few chain
> chips, and much more appealing than I'd anticipated.
> Serial "58 222". Shop sticker --
> Bellflower Bike Shop 867-2306 (no area code, in the
> 90's??). In a web
>
> search, Bellflower Bike shop comes up in the 310 area code,
> but I wasn't able to get a call through. Maybe the
> area code is wrong. Bonuses: steel Campy pump head on
> paint-matched Silca, black panto 3ttt stem, Campy Omega
> 32-hole rims.
>
> "
>
> Philip Chan
> Hacienda Heights, CA
>
> >Jim,
> >
> >How's this for timing? Mike Howard just called me
> from Medici to ask if
> >I knew where to find tooling for their very old V.A.R.
> framebuilding
>
> >machine. Looking for reemers and cutters to use on one
> of the machines
> >that Mario originally got. He tells me that they (now
> Simonetti Cycles)
> >are moving from Chino to Huntington Beach to continue
> framebuilding
>
> >there along with a retail storefront! The new location
> is appearently
> >only a few blocks from the original Wizard workshop.
> Mike seems to have
> >a renewed interest in the future of the operation,
> which is a change
>
> >from the last time I spoke to him about six weeks ago.
> >
> >I asked about Medici serial numbers and he said that he
> had most of the
> >records. If you want info on ser. #'s call him at
> (909)591-5881. He
>
> >doesn't have email. They will be moving very soon
> so you may have to
> >call another number if you wait too long.
> >
> >I also asked Mike about how Mario and Recht originally
> hooked up, and
> >about the period when both Confente and Medici were in
> LA. Mike told me
>
> >some very interesting things about the early
> "before my reappearance"
> >period of Medici. I will relate this information later
> today, some of
> >which alters the course of things I've specutated
> on. Does a lot to
>
> >clarify the relationships between Mario, Recht, and
> Medici. Soap Opera,
> >anyone?
> >
> >Brian Baylis
> >La Mesa, CA
> >>
> >> Is there any way to determine date of manufacture
> of Medici frames by
>
> >> their serial numbers? Thanks!
> >>
> >> Jim Cole
> >> Memphis, TN
> >>
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