[CR] Pics of 1978 Mondia Super on Wool Jersey

(Example: Framebuilding:Technology)

Date: Sun, 17 Jan 2010 16:19:51 -0800
From: Jerome & Elizabeth Moos <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net>
To: classic rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
In-Reply-To: <75d04b481001171450oa15c067o1f9bb245cdab55b6@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: [CR] Pics of 1978 Mondia Super on Wool Jersey


I've posted on Wool Jersey pics of the 1978 Mondia Super I bought recently. This was sold on eBay by list member Jack Gabus before Christmas.

http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/jerrymoos/1978+Mondia/

I've loved Mondias since I first saw them in the early 70's in Lakewood (OH) Cycles owned by the late Heinz Linke. This one is a classic Mondia with chromed cutout headlugs and 3-color fade paint with pinstriping. The post is 26.4 so this is almost certainly metric gauge 531. Oddly, Mondias, like most Swiss bikes, although they used metric gauge 531, usually had the 531 decal in English rather than French. Haven't removed the HS, but I suspect the steerer is French threaded. But also ilke other Swiss bikes, it has a 22.2 stem despite the probable French steerer.

I've made a few changes from the bike as shown in Jack's eBay auction:

http://ebay.com/<blah>

I've usually seen Swiss bikes with a mix of French and Italian components, with perhaps Swiss-made Weinmann brakes, although Mafac is common as well. This one came mostly Italian, except Specialized (probably Sanshin) hubs. Brakes as purchased were Universal 77, most other components were Campy NR. No pedals.

I've changed out the intermediate logo Cinelli bars and too-long Cinelli stem for a shoter 1A with some 26.4 circa 1980 Ambrosio bars. Changed the Universal 77 to Weinmann Top 570 SPs. The saddle as received was an uncovered (bare plastic) Unicanitor on a Campy NR 26.4 post. I changed to an alloy rail Ideale 90. The special clamp on the alloy Ideales requires a straight post so I changed the post as well. I kept the original Campy NR derailleurs and Campy barends, but added hoods to the bare barends. I replaced the Specialized wheels with some Campy NR low flange wheels I had with Mavic Open 4CD rims, although the rims might be slightly too new for 1978. Actually, I had to replace the rear rim as I had apparently warped it a bit in a long struggle to remove a stuck FW from this wheel. Couldn't get the rim to true up properly, so I rebuilt the wheel with an excellent used Open 4CD.

As no pedals were included, I continued the French/Italian theme with TA track pedals, Lapize straps and ALE black anodized alloy clips. Added a Zefal pump and ALE chromed steel bottle cage.

Jack advertised this as a great rider, but I think it looks really good as well. Jack had done a thorough job of cleaning, so I just had to touch up several small chips and apply my customary 8 to 10 coats of hand rubbed Mothers Carnuba Gold. I always use nail polish for touchup and as the late Sheldon Brown once pointed out, one of the great things about a predominatly red bike is that nail polish comes in every conceivable shade of red. So I was able to find a very close match. The rear stays, forks and perhaps downtube seem to be fully chromed under the chrome, so some spots of worn paint just reveal chrome beneath.

No sure how Jack dated this as 1978, but the serial number on the left seatstay cap, another distinctive feature of Mondia and some other Swiss bikes, does seem to fit into the Mondia serial number series discussed in a recent thread somewhere around the stated 1978 date.

Nice day today, 36 degrees at 8 AM but warmed up to a high in the 60's. Took the opportunity to put in 50 km on the Mondia.

Regards,

Jerry Moos
Bog Spring, Texas, USA