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microcord

Maximum Pace
Aug 28, 2012
1,650
1,193
While looking for something rather different a few days ago, I encountered this auction, for a maker-unknown "Emperor" brand 54cm frame "road" bike, unfashionable (steel, shifters on the downtube, even a side-stand) but seemingly in good nick.

I'd imagine that "Emperor" implies Maruishi Emperor. Even if it's in as good condition as one might hope, it's unlikely to win any races. Still, it looks pretty decent, and its buy-it-now price of 14,500 is a lot less than what you'd pay for some far tattier bikes. The delivery price may be exorbitant (I didn't look) but the seller welcomes takeaways.

I sent a PM to this fellow. No response. (Not that I minded at all. I'm just saying.) And it's too small for me.

Two related questions for when I make a discovery like this a second time. First, are public postings of alerts to auctions welcome, merely tolerated, irritating, or unwelcome? Secondly, is there any interest hereabouts in bikes whose design is dated?
 
Two related questions for when I make a discovery like this a second time. First, are public postings of alerts to auctions welcome, merely tolerated, irritating, or unwelcome? Secondly, is there any interest hereabouts in bikes whose design is dated?

quick answers ; no and yes.
 
The probably with this kind of auction is that you can't be 100% sure it's actually what it claims to be.

This bike has obviously been resprayed and laclks the original decals as well as head badge.

In regards to is this kind of thing welcome - to be honest we have very few "vintage affacido's" here so maybe there are some here that would be interested but most are well on thier way to be weight weenies.
 
Yes, certainly auction offerings needn't be what they first seem. Other auctions have more detailed photos, and more of them -- and even such better photos might not reveal serious problems. (My own POV would be: it's a calculated risk, and here the investment is small.)

Certainly I don't want to bore people with news of what doesn't interest them. It doesn't, so I'll shut up.
 
Certainly I don't want to bore people with news of what doesn't interest them. It doesn't, so I'll shut up.

Keep talking, have you seen how many posts FE and Owen have?

Weight weenies get fat and then go back to retro, keep posting.
 
And every single word complete and utter gold. :)

true-story-neil-patrick-harris.png
 
For me personally, tho that auction is not something I'm interested in, I do enjoy a little variety. So I would appreciate it if you list the occasional odd auction find for public criticism here.

It'll probably get shot to pieces, but hey, that's the reality of the auction world.

***

Also, in the past auctions have been used to illustrate what generic steel frames are available to build up a bike.
 
[...] I do enjoy a little variety. So I would appreciate it if you list the occasional odd auction find for public criticism here.

A sentiment to match your splendid avatar! Well, since you're holding a gun to my head, er, ... how about this Humber? Derailer gear plus Sturmey-Archer hub gear: already an unusual combination. But on top of that it has, um, what are they called, a "stirrup" (?) front brake (connected by rods, not wire). I've never seen that with derailer gear. And yes it has Humber's very own double forks.

The bicycle world is full of oddities, from whimsical wavy chainstays to "crankforwards" and the rest, but looking at this contraption I somehow get the impression that, forks aside, it's not the result of whimsy or a desire to be different; it just sort of turned out the way it did, thanks to this or that part being available or not available at any given time during the decades since it was first built. (A "vernacular bicycle"?) No I don't want it, thanks; but I do hope that the buyer, whoever he (she?) is, doesn't just hang it up on hooks to decorate a cafe but instead gives it TLC and rides it around.
 
I like the way the rear brake is by the bottom bracket for aerodynamics :) BTW my first bikes had rod connected stirrup brakes. You pulled hard & if you were lucky it squeaked a bit to warn pedestrians that you couldnt stop
 
stanc;52585BTW said:
my first bikes had rod connected stirrup brakes. You pulled hard & if you were lucky it squeaked a bit to warn pedestrians that you couldnt stop

I think you are confused, those are Campagnolo Delta brakes.
 
BTW my first bikes had rod connected stirrup brakes. You pulled hard & if you were lucky it squeaked a bit to warn pedestrians that you couldnt stop

My first one did too. It was a Phillips, and it therefore had the very handsome Phillips lion badge on the head tube.

Wikipedia tells us that Phillips also sold a "Gadabout". Gadding about, gad yes! Badges and names ain't what they used to be.
 
Yes. I always wanted a pair of those till a friend had some & found out how rubbish they were :)

I bought a pair, about thev same time Shimano bought out their dual caliper Dura ace brakes, I sopent a lot of wasted energy trying to climb back on the wheel of the Dura ace riders after every sharp corner. "I could have been a contender" but they were something to look at.
FE I think you are right they are nice head badges......disguised as brakes. That and the FUBAR 3.5mm hex key needed to adjust the cable lock nut meant they were short lived o my racing bike. 3.5mm who the hell has those?
 
I bought a pair, about thev same time Shimano bought out their dual caliper Dura ace brakes, I sopent a lot of wasted energy trying to climb back on the wheel of the Dura ace riders after every sharp corner. "I could have been a contender" but they were something to look at.
FE I think you are right they are nice head badges......disguised as brakes. That and the FUBAR 3.5mm hex key needed to adjust the cable lock nut meant they were short lived o my racing bike. 3.5mm who the hell has those?

Funnily enough I have a complete "off set" of allan keys.

But it was always the one thing that put me off buying Italian - great designs, esthetically pleasing but you need to drop the same amount of money on specific tools if you want to maintain it and knowing that as soon as next years model is released the processes starts all over again and all the old tools and kit will be obsolete.
 
I bought a pair, about thev same time Shimano bought out their dual caliper Dura ace brakes, I sopent a lot of wasted energy trying to climb back on the wheel of the Dura ace riders after every sharp corner. "I could have been a contender" but they were something to look at.
FE I think you are right they are nice head badges......disguised as brakes. That and the FUBAR 3.5mm hex key needed to adjust the cable lock nut meant they were short lived o my racing bike. 3.5mm who the hell has those?

I the hell have one! :)



Came in the box with the groupset (1989 maybe) I'm amazed I haven't lost it after all these years and moves. The other tool in the back is a set up tool that holds the calipers in alignment so you have two hands free to get the cable sorted.

I had a Dura ace bike and C-Record bike. More than the brakes not working, the STI (brifters) really were the advantage. The ability to change up while sprinting out of a corner really anoyed the guys with friction downtube shifters. I remember it being suggested I was cheating during one lap race. Each time we neared the crest of the hill I could stay out of the seat and shift up gear by gear as the guys behind me had to sit down, make a risky gear change, stand, repeat, repeat.

On the other hand, not having easy braking power or gear shifting with the Campagnolo groupset forced me to 'race'. In criteriums especially, to avoid running up the back of the 'Dura ace guys', I would have to get to the front to take a better line through the corners. In one criterium it worked well. I was getting really tired hands from having to apply so much force to match the other guys braking power every few hundred meters, and without even index gearing I was not selecting efficient gears through the corners , so I got up to the front and tried to take my own line. By entering the corner wider, and cutting in close, I wouldn't touch my brakes. I could maintain speed and didn't have to change gear. On the first corner I tried this, I got a good gap and had the road to myself. I lapped the field that day.

I saw this done in the rain at a tour of NZ, too. We asked how he got on with no brakes (deltas). He said, "I had no choice but to get out front and take a line that didn't require much braking". He didn't lap the field, but he won by a good margin.

I did cheat with my Deltas though. I used Dura ace brake shoes in them. That halved the amount of effort I needed to get decent stopping power. I still use this groupset today! Last year I bought a 'new' reformulated Campagnolo brake shoe for the Deltas which I used until about 4 months ago. They gave me more braking performance than the Dura ace blocks, but I'm back to Dura ace shoes because they are easier to get.

The Emperor looks a little expensive to me.

I think Campagnolo copied the design from that Humber. Deltas would perform a lot like them, lol

Dave
 
I had a Dura ace bike and C-Record bike. More than the brakes not working, the STI (brifters) really were the advantage. The ability to change up while sprinting out of a corner really anoyed the guys with friction downtube shifters. I remember it being suggested I was cheating during one lap race. Each time we neared the crest of the hill I could stay out of the seat and shift up gear by gear as the guys behind me had to sit down, make a risky gear change, stand, repeat, repeat.

LOL reminds me of the first race where i encountered a rider using the new STI shifters - we were on a long climb and as we neared the top he did exactly what you did however he just looked across and smiled as he did it...... I still remember his bloody name! Johnathan King. BASTARD!
 
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