For sale Rondinella 23 inch 531 track bike

Fabulous restored Rondinella track bike.

Rondinella bikes were built by Vic Edwards in Romford in the 1970's and 80's. His frames were always recognized as being clean, strong, straight and with great attention to detail.

I am the second owner of this bike and originally bought it in the mid 80's and raced both Welwyn and the now demolished Harlow tracks for the Verulam CC - wining the club track trophy for two years.

In the winter of 2011/2012 the bike was totally restored. The frame was stripped and sent to Argos cycles in Bristol who re-brazed the forks and enameled the bike in its current colour scheme of white and orange. They created the Rondinella transfers for me.

For the restoration the bike had brand new :-

Shimano Dura Ace new old stock bottom bracket

Stronglight splined track chainset

Shimano Dura Ace track chainring

Campagnolo Gran Sport new old stock headset (it had had an Ofmega alloy headset but the cups had cracked on Harlow wooden track so a new steel Campagnolo headset was put in for extra strength)

Mavic GP4 32 spoke sprint rims (again found new old stock) built into modern sealed bearing System X track hubs with sold spindles and lock nuts.

KMC plated track chain.

In addition to the new items listed above the bike has its original Mavic 12cm handlebar stem, 3T track bars, Campagnolo Record seat post and Cinelli Volare SLX saddle.

It is finished with Continental GP4000 tubs and Prologio bar tape.

There is just one mark on the top tube that I have photographed otherwise the bike is as new.

The front fork is drilled for a brake but has not had one fitted since the rebuild.

It was again raced at Welwyn track league during the summer of 2012 - that is the only use it has had since rebuild.

The bike has a wheelbase of 38.5 inches and this combined with all new bearings throughout the bike means it rides with a smoothness and responsiveness that would not be found in a road bike.

Bike to be sold without pedals, please do contact me if you have any questions.

Price £695, bike located near St Albans, Hertfordshire

Richard 07778590111

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Is there no rondinella stamp?
I thought that was his signature?

Yes the bottom bracket is stamped R077161, I can provide you a picture of this if you require.

Many thanks,

Richard

On the face of it that's a good price. Nice.

Price drop to £645 - this a stunning fully restored bike with a mixture of Dura Ace and Campag, cost over £1100 to restore/build

Treat yourself to a chrissy present - N+1

Richard

Lovely! I've got a rondinella track frame too....

Price drop - having decided to sell I would like it gone, otherwise it will get put in bubble wrap and next see the light of day when my son clears out the loft when I am gone! He won't know what to do with it as he doesn't ride bikes!

NEW PRICE £495

Grab an absolute bargain for a complete, restored bike with great history and provenance.

Put a pair of straight bars on it and have fantastic pub/cafe bike for those summer evenings - at least it will then still be ridden.

Richard

That's a great price. I'm meant to be looking for a Langston/Plug/cheap OTP so I must close this thread now. Right now.

Honest, such a good frame from a master builder.....iirc, vic built the frames for the GB team in the commonwealth games....I want to say 1977, but I could be wrong?
Anyway, great price, great bike GLWS!

What a classy looking machine, built by Vic when I was 17 :)

Yep, the first the digits are the year so 1977,. The 161 isn't the number of frames that year but the reflects the total number he built under that marque.

Tempted :)

Shaun

Dammit and Midlife thank-you for your kind words.

Some more pictures to show the detail, a real clean functional bike as good as they come.

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Front brake fitting is presumably for an old style caliper?

Yes, but I am sure I can find a brake in among my old bike stuff that would fit it. When I was a teen/early twenty's I rode it from St Albans to Welwyn to race with a Wienmann 500 brake on the front, took the brake and lever off, raced then put them back on with lights as well to ride home happy but very knackered.

When raced in my very late forties I drove it to the track in my car - going soft in my old age.

Best place with the bike when I came back to racing was a second missed the win by millimetres in the photo. I swore so much getting second not a first the club president told me off. I was beaten by a young'un riding an aero bike. If I had had a modern aero I would have won that sprint but the bike was therapy for me.

I would like the bike to be enjoyed, Dammit, don't let a brake stop you I will add a brake to the bike for you if needed no problem at all.

When I buy personal things like this I always wonder "Why is it for sale", I was knocked off my bike 5 years ago in a way that damaged my neck quite badly. I now have degenerative damage to my C5 and C6 that means that my nerve connection to my feet and legs will never be the same. Basically even if I retired tomorrow and had the time I could not race again. Time to sell this I hope someone enjoys it.

Richard

Bloody lovely.

Do it, @Dammit.

It's orange and white. Gnngggh.

Question is, ultimately, how much of a thief magnet is this likely to be?

Would it go locked up like this? Waterloo.

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Dammit, ride it, own it, if after a while if you still don't like the colour scheme then paint it - it wouldn't cost much to personalize the paint again.

I know the colour scheme is very different, however all I can say I wanted something that I would never see anywhere else that was of its era including the font of the graphics. Nobody on the track had anything that looked like it, but if not to your taste a straight repaint in a scheme you like would not be that much.

Richard

Not at all- I love the colours and have had a number of frames painted in them.

For example:

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If you're locking it up at Waterloo, I'd put it in the multistorey racks, my hunch being that a non flashy bike will be pretty indistinguishable in that space, and hopefully there would always be more tempting targets

Richard if you can chuck a front brake on it I'll take it. Extra points if you have an old lever in your spares box that can go on and off without stripping the tape.

Very happy to give you a front brake, will do my very best to find a lever that will fit, will look tomorrow. Will also give you a bike fit to make sure you are happy (I used to mechanic for Nigel Dean), will leave the pedals on for now so you ride it before buying to make sure you are happy with the bike.

My mobile number is on the first posting please text me your number I will then confirm by text how I can sort out the front brake for you. If you are happy with that then I will make sure the bike is ready for you.

Many thanks,

Richard

pmd via text

It'll be fine. Just leave it mucky