Gazelle Champion Mondial 1985 Neo Retro build

Evening everyone. I'm brand new to the site and this is my first post on the forum.

I started a new job at the beginning of March and planned to start cycle commuting again (having sold my cheapie last year to help pay my rent). Having cycle commuted fairly consistently over the past 10 years I am totally at ease on the busy (and some would say dangerous) streets of London. But before I could start the 10 mile a day round-trip I would need a bike.

As a result of the current popularity of cycling and the high price of new bikes, the amount of bike thefts has also increased, particularly in major metropolitan cities like London. So I had two choices:
 
Option 1: Buy a cheap bike with a semi-decent frame but cheap parts and then spend lots of time (and money) in the bike shop having it repaired.
 
Option 2: Buy a mid-to-high range priced bike, invest in some decent locks, get some bike insurance and hope that the bike doesn’t get stolen.

While contemplating my options I found myself taking more notice of the bikes around where I live and stumbled onto Super Secret Option 3……get a vintage 1970s or 1980s steel frame, buy some high quality parts and build a neo-retro bike myself!

To that end, I have just won this very lovely 1985 Gazelle Champion Mondial AA Special from a Dutch seller on a well known auction site.

Here is a brief description of the frame:
Gazelle Champion Mondial AA Frame and fork made from Reynolds 531 tubing
A few stone chips and marks from normal use, frame is straight. No dents.

Campagnolo Record headset
Campagnolo Record Bottom bracket
Seat tube centre centre 56 cm.

Tubing: Reynolds 531
construction: lugged, brazed
dropouts: Campagnolo 1010B
fork blades: Reynolds 531, curved
fork crown: Bocama microfusion with Gazelle logo
brake bridge: Cinelli
bottom bracket shell: pressed steel

So, what, I hear you ask, are your plans for such a fine looking frame? Well, I am currently narrowing down which parts I plan on buying (all brand new for the most part) but the only thing that has been decided at this point is that it will be a single speed (not fixie, as I prefer having front and rear brakes when negotiating London traffic and roads).

More updates and pictures to follow in upcoming weeks.

Why not buy higher quality parts than you could afford new by shopping for good condition used things on the classifieds here? It's quite a busy classifieds and has a wanted section for specifics you're after.
Great looking frame to start with.
Welcome!

Wise words, I'd do the same. There's a pletora of parts on here that'd make this build cheaper.
Always like a Gazelle, got one, my ex is riding it.

You can have front and rear brakes on a fixed wheel bike too.

#saynotoBrakexit

Good luck with your build. I'm new on here too and also building a neo retro bike.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I got a salary advance from work in order to build this bike, so I have a budget of £700 to spend on the frame, parts and (if I decide to go this route) paint for a respray and new decals.

Lovely choice, I have a 1981 gazelle that is my winter trainer and don't regret it at all.

Don't respray it, looks in perfectly fine condition.

Welcome to the forum!
^Sound advice from PhilDAS.

The frame looks in good condition (from the photo), I'd say stick with the original paint.

Subscribed.

I had an AA Champion Mondial until it got stolen. One of the all-time great steel road frames. Good choice, will be following with interest!

I'd like to thank everyone for the warm welcome and words of advice.

Bought first piece of kit for the build: a Deda RS 01 seatpost (which will match the Deda flat bar I intend on buying this weekend). I read really good things about the seatpost online only to discover it is currently out of stock everywhere. Everywhere except Amazon, where it was £10 more expensive than anywhere else I checked.

Thank god for the well-known auction site. Managed to pick it up for a bargain.

Nice project. +1 vote for keeping the frame original. Re your new seatpost: https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/251045/

Thanks for the link russmeyer. Quick question (and please excuse my naivete/ignorance) but why would I want to remove the logo?

might look a bit sleeker without the logos, but it also runs the risk of looking a bit cheap/shit too, I'd leave them on for now personally.
I removed logos in the same way on a stem the other week with nail polish remover though and it does work really well!

Ah, ok. Thanks hp93.

Definitely gonna keep the logos for now and wait till the whole thing is built before deciding on something like that.

I just realised that I neglected to post a photo of the inspiration behind this build.

At the beginning of the month when I was trying to decide which frame to buy I stumbled upon this awesome picture of a Mercian bike.

Instantly fell in love with many aspects of it and am using it as inspiration for my build.

I might be completely wrong but I have a feeling it may be been resprayed already at some point:

The stickers that separate the chrome from the paint in the rear triangle (with a kind of 'rasterised' graphic effect) are go are part of decal set from '88 onwards I think.

Nice project anyhow - I have an old Gazelle currently serving as my daily ride; they're great.

Hi Lmananimal, thanks for the comment on the frame. I'm no expert, but I was wondering the same thing as I hadn't seen that graphic effect anywhere during my research into Gazelle frames from that period. I will check in more detail when the frame arrives.

It bodes well that so many people have really good things to say about Gazelles.

Lovely frame! Regarding period vs modern, have you thought about splitting the difference and getting some quality used 90s stuff to put on it? You can get good 90s groupsets relatively cheap on here or well known auction site and it would look a little more at home on that frame than brand new modern stuff. For example - I had 90s 105 (with STI levers) on an 80s frame at one point. It made for a nice classic look, but was very practical, reliable and rideable too.

Hi AlexD,

Haven't made any firm decisions yet, except for it will be single speed and will have a flatbar. But, will be posting updates as and when decisions are made/parts are bought/build is started etc.

Ah, sorry I missed the bit about it being single speed!

Hehehe. No worries. It happens :)

Latest purchase for the build:

depends what you're ultimately going for, but if you're going with modern components you could also consider one of these to go with your current seatpost.. but you might first want to think about handlebars and clamp size

http://www.wigglestatic.com/product-media/5360065255/deda-DSR80.jpg?w=700&h=700&a=7

second thoughts i reckon your stem will look better.