1979 - Zeus 2000 Superchronos - Espana Olé

There are many different and contradictory stories told about Zeus. Which really are true I can´t say.

Nevertheless, Zeus Industriale SA was established in the Basque region in 1926 by Don Nicholás de Arregui in Eibar. Initially they produced small parts, then components and finally complete bicycles. In addition Nicholas de Arregui filed a few up to some patents until 1964.

Starting with 1958 a man called  José Luis Eibar, who was acclaimed to be the owner of Zeus in an 1961 advert published in Le Cycliste did the same until about 1969.

Furthermore and in order to increase confusion, both Eibar and Arregui are names of Basque towns also.

Thus it fits well when one of the unprooven stories about Zeus tells, that Zeus invented the parallelogram derailleur in the 30s and therefore many years before the 1951 Gran Sport was introduced by Tullio Campagnolo, and prior to Cervino or Nivex and others also.

Well, Nivex had a parallelogram derailleur in 1938 that was produced in numbers. Disraeligears shows one from the french JIC or Super Inax company called Super Inax Sport Derailleur that dates back to 1946.

Surprisingly Zeus patents shown at Disraeligears start in the 40s only and show more likely copies of the Simplex Tour de France derailleur and derivations of the old pull-chain design. Same with the Zeus Gran Sport patent which dates back to 1952 making it more likely a copy of the 1951 introduced Campagnolo Gran Sport derailleur than the original beeing copied by Tullio.

Next some sources claim something like a secret up to a not really published (commercial) relationsship between Campagnolo and Zeus. On one hand Zeus should have been sub-contracted for ‘difficult’ production work like titanium axels, on other hand Zeus should have carried out design work for Campagnolo.

Again I can´t proof these stories but there could be something in some of this. It would be surprising if Campagnolo did not use sub-contractors for some component parts especially when demand was exceedingly high.

The third story surrounds Luis Ocaña´s 1973 victory at the Tour de France by claiming he won on a Zeus bike using Zeus gears, but the team Ocaña was riding for was sponsored by the French consumer goods company BIC and got their bicycles from Géminiani or Motobécane.

Indeed Ocaña rode for Fagor in 1968/69, beeing a Basque company and team, that might have been supported by Zeus.  Thus it might be valid claiming that Ocaña won the spanish Championship in 1968 riding a Zeus and Zeus gears.

Nevertheless we reach out the seventies, when Zeus decided that instead of slavishly copying Campagnolo (with their Gran Sport and Criterium derailleurs and group sets) it might be a better idea to make the pace rather than following it.

In the mid of the seventies they introduced the Zeus 2000 group set

and their top of the line bicycle Zeus 2000 Superchronos.

Sometime in the late 1980’s or early 1990’s Zeus seemed to have ceased production. Orbea, also based near Eibar, had bought the name and produced a variety of parts and bicycles branded with the Zeus name until about 2002.

But back to this 1979 Zeus 2000 Superchronos bicycle:

Bottom Braket: Zeus 2000 Superchronos
Headset: Zeus 2000 Superchronos
Crankset: Zeus 2000 Superchronos
Front Derailleur: Zeus 2000 Superchronos
Rear Derailleur: Zeus 2000 Superchronos
Shift levers: Zeus 2000 Superchronos
Brake Lever: Zeus 2000 Superchronos
Brakes: Zeus 2000 Superchronos
Wheelset: Zeus 2000 Superchronos with MAVIC rims
Saddle: Zeus 2000 Superchronos
Seatpost: Zeus 2000 Superchronos
Stem: 3ttt
Handlebar: 3ttt
Pedals:Zeus 2000 Superchronos

Frame tubing: Reynolds 531 SL
Fork tubing: Reynolds 531 SL

That´s the condition the Zeus was found by a friend of mine. The photography on top shows the state I´ve got it from this friend.

1978 - Koga Miyata Pro-Racer

Andries Gaastra, former Sales Manager at Batavus, founded Koga B.V. in 1974 when his father Gerrit sold the Batavus business. He joined the first two letters of his wife’s surname with the first two of his own to form the brand name Koga.

Gaastra built the very first Koga at his own home in Oranjewoud, near Heerenveen. Once Koga had become an importer of Shimano components, a network developed including other Japanese cycle manufacturers. Among them was Miyata, founded by Eisuke Miyata, a gunsmith employed by the Hitachi Kuni Kasama Clan. Miyata built Japan's first conventional, modern bicycle at the Miyata Gun Factory in 1890.

That met Gaastra´s aim to bring an exclusive range of lightweight bicycles at reasonable costs and prices to the market and took immediate advantage of more leisure time people could afford because of working weeks had become shorter.

In 1992 Andries Gaastra left Koga Miyata when Koga was sold to Atag Holdings.

Until 2010 Koga frames were produced by Miyata, and therefore the brand name got Koga Miyata with the first lightweight modell Road Racer fully equipped with Shimano 500 launched in 1976; in 1980 touring bikes and Randonneur Bikes completed the portfolio.

Very early Andries Gaastra supported sports an stepped into sponsoring the “IJsboerke” racing team in 1977, the Capri Sonne team and  Peter Winnen won the Tour de France stage over L´Alpe d´ Huez in 1981.

The winning bicycle used by Peter Winnen was delivered to L’Alpe d’Huez by Team Capri Sonne only on the morning of the stage. This special, even lighter version of the team bike had in fact only been finalised the day before, and was transported overnight to the Alpe d’Huez stage start personally by Koga assembler Aart Boer. Some of the riders decided on the spot to use this new team bike, and among them was Peter Winnen.

In 2008 Marianne Vos wins Olympic Gold in the points race at the Olympic Games in Beijing. Specially for the Olympic Games Koga developed the unique Kimera track frame for Bos, Vos and the other riders of the Netherlands core squad.

In 2004 Koga returns to the Tour de France with the Skil-Shimano Team and in 2012 Teun Mulder wins a bronze medal in the Keirin race at the Olympic Games in London.

The Pro-Racer was besides the Pro-Luxe the top of the Line Product with a frame made of Tange Champion tubes and equipped with the new and extraordinary  reliable and light Shimano Dura Ace EX components.

I´ve came along a 1978 modell some time ago and managed to re-build it to factory standards

Bottom Braket: Shimano Dura Ace

Headset: Shimano Dura Ace

Crankset: Shimano Dura Ace

Front Derailleur: Shimano Dura Ace

Rear Derailleur: Shimano Dura Ace

Shift levers: Shimano Dura Ace

Brake Lever: Shimano Dura Ace

Brakes: Shimano Dura Ace

Wheelset: Shimano Dura Ace with MAVIC rims

Saddle: YFC/ Koga Miyata
Seatpost: Sakae Royal P1 SL
Stem: Sakae RY-110 SL
Handlebar: Sakae Royal Custom
Pedals: K.K.T. Pro Ace

Frame tubing: Tange Champion
Fork tubing: Tange Champion

1979 - Gazelle Champion Mondial AB-Frame

Gazelle of the Netherlands has been in business since 1892. Mostly they will be known for their typical town bikes called "Hollandrad" also. On other hands they build high quality lightweights also.

The Champion Mondial is known to be one of the most famous european pro road frames of the 70's and 80's and was hand built with nice lugwork, constructed with Reynolds 531 tubing only and get some changes in design over its 30 year of production, resulting in five different models.

First there was the A-Frame with fender eyletts and a longer wheelbase, second the AA-Frame with a shorter wheelbase, chrome on Chainstays and fork and an upgraded Bottom Bracket shell, third the 80s AA-Special with Reynolds 531 SL tubing and internal cable routing, forth the AA-Super with again a shorter wheelbase, indented seat tube and wishbone seat stays and at last the AB-Frame with a tighter geometry than A-Frames but no fender eyletts and without chrome.

Recently I came accross this light green metallic Gazelle Champion Mondial AB-Frame dating back to may be 1979. It came with a Stronglight A9 Aluminium headset and Campagnolo Super Record Bottom Bracket. Obviously this frame was asking for a Campagnolo setup.

Bottom Braket: Campagnolo Super Record

Headset: Stronglight A9 Aluminium

Crankset: Campagnolo Super Record

Front Derailleur: Campagnolo Nuovo Gran Sport

Rear Derailleur: Campagnolo Nuovo Gran Sport

Shift levers: Campagnolo Nuovo Gran Sport

Brake Lever: Tektro Inverse Levers

Brakes: Campagnolo Nuovo Gran Sport

Wheelset: Campagnolo Nuovo Gran Sport with Mavic tubular rims or Normandy Luxe Competition with Mavic tubular rims

Saddle: Lepper Voyager with Reynolds 531 frame
Seatpost: Selle San Remo Aero
Stem: Sakae
Handlebar: Sakae Road Champion cut to time trial/ bull horn
Pedals: 2 Danger

Frame tubing: Reynolds 531
Fork tubing: Reynolds 531