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Bike-Pgh, what the hell did I just buy? v. Fondriest

So I bought this bike tonight with the intentions of using just the groupo but now Im actually probably going to keep it since I've been searching for something obscure anyways. Its a Fondriest XStatus with Campy Record shifters and Campy chorus brakes, crankset, cassette, f/r der., ect... Any more insight on this thing? Ive been able to find very little about Fondriest.


http://images.craigslist.org/3m33p23o15Y05Z45T2b69258221508f021382.jpg


http://images.craigslist.org/3me3p53lf5Z45W35R2b6927b505ea98f8175b.jpg


boostuv
2011-06-10 02:36:45

they seem to have a fairly legitimate website, so I doubt it is a bikes direct bike which was my first thought :-)


dmtroyer
2011-06-10 02:48:18

This thing is probably 8+ years old, and its in incredible shape. Im just not sure if this was a high end bike or one someone just through some Campy stuff on.


boostuv
2011-06-10 02:53:17

Craigslist drives me crazy. Most of the time, it's full of listings for old crap that somebody thinks is "vintage" and is asking a king's (well, a prince's, anyway) ransom for. $350 for a Free Spirit??!?!?! Those bikes were junk when they were new.


And then, on the other hand, you snapped up this. If it is really in incredible shape, then you got a nice deal. Is this the 9-speed cluster or the 10-speed? There should be a label on it somewhere that names the grade of tubing that was used. Might be on the seat tube or the downtube.


lyle
2011-06-10 03:26:32

"Craigslist drives me crazy."


+1


I love when people sale a used bike that's maybe three or four years old and actually want more than they payed for it?!?!

On the other hand, I scored a three year old $700 bike for $200 because it was "just sitting in my closet."


headloss
2011-06-10 03:59:28

I'm pretty sure that at some point in time (in recent history) a PRO team was riding bikes with Fondriest livery. Whether Fondriest actually made the bikes is another thing....


bjanaszek
2011-06-10 10:37:51

@ Lyle I know what you mean, I regularly watch it just in the off chance that something like this pops up and was able to jump on it quickly. Its a 9speed with 53/39 front rings. I looked it over last night, but I'll look this afternoon for the tubing grade.


boostuv
2011-06-10 10:42:46

If it's a 9-speed, it's probably more than 8 years old. Not that that's a problem. I'm still riding 9-speed gear though I've gone through a few cassettes and other small parts. There's a little doohickey in the right brifter that wears out, but you can replace it (assuming you can still get the part), unlike the Shimano brifters that are not serviceable :( Oh, wait, I'm thinking of the Chorus brifters -- I don't know about the Record ones.


I'm guessing it's Reynolds 753, which is a nice lightweight tubing and still durable. It might even be something fancier than that, but I have no experience with the newer tubing.


I should commission you to watch CL for me...


lyle
2011-06-10 12:06:11

Damn, I was trying to get my friend to snag that bike... saw it last night and texted him as soon as possible. oh well.


Steel Fondriests use(d) dedacciai tubesets, as I recall.


dmg
2011-06-10 13:01:15

Maurizio Fondriest was the 88 world champion! He was

a badass.


Like Merckx and so many others he started making

bikes. Im guessing this was actually welded in

Italy in the 90's. I think they have trickled

out in the past few years.


When I raced some guys on the Japanese national

team (team nippo) they all had carbon ones.

This was around 2005, so the company was

still around then. I would google it on

google.it


steevo
2011-06-10 13:33:35

Looks like you snagged something nice!


edmonds59
2011-06-10 13:49:48

@boostuv and @lyle: I have a nearly new 9 speed Chorus cassette and Record chain sitting around that I'll never use. Not sure if I have the lockring. Send me a PM if you want them for when yours wear out. I don't have the time to try selling them, but I'll gladly give them away to someone who will use them.


jmccrea
2011-06-10 13:50:52

Steevo's basically spot on. Looks like an early 2000's bike (assuming that's a threadless headset). I'm not good at IDing Campy.


You got a nice bike no doubt about it. Some of that older Campy stuff is rare but should serve you just fine till it breaks. There are a lot of good Campy resources on line, it might be worth figuring out what you have and if they still make it.


Basically it's a sweet Italian bike from a few years ago. I assume, but do not know, that Fondriest is like a lot of Italian brands that were rad and made in Italy, then went under, then got brought back but are now made in Asia.


mayhew
2011-06-10 16:25:46

record 9 got phased out in the early 2000s. i bought a record 9 groupo in 2000 and had a hard time finding new parts by 2005 so i switched to dura ace.


the record 9 stuff is still going strong on a couple of friends bikes though. solid stuff.


cburch
2011-06-10 20:41:07

Very rare, only millions made!


marko82
2011-06-11 14:24:33

Craigslist bicycle section is the bitchiest section on there. SOOO many comment queens insulting everyone else's inteligence. If you are on CL then you are just as able to research what something is and place your own value on it. I saw that Fondriest and that was a good deal on a great bike. Congrats!


unclebob
2011-06-13 00:18:24