Here is a list of some of the very best (most expensive) road bikes that were made during the 70s and 80s. I’m sticking to the best 2 or 3 models from each brand by time period that were super bikes for the time. These bikes are all lightweight for their time and use great components from Campagnolo, Shimano, and Suntour.
Qualities of a vintage super bike
Frame: Most use the best steel like Reynolds 531, Tange Prestige, and Columbus SL. Towards the end of the 80s there were some great titanium, aluminum, and even carbon frames.
Components: Earlier bikes almost always have Campagnolo Record and later Super Record. Later in the 70s Suntour Cyclone, Superbe, and then Superbe Pro were great. Early Shimano offered Crane which would later become Dura Ace.
Atala Record Professional
1971 – Columbus double butted tubing with Campagnolo Record drivetrain and Universal Model 61 brakes.
Bianchi Super Corsa
1981 – Columbus reinforced steel tubing frame with Campagnolo Super Record derailleurs and crank set.
Bianchi Super Leggera
1983 – Columbus SP and SL tubing with Campagnolo Super Record components,
Bottecchia Professional
1972 – Columbus tubing with Campagnolo Record components.
Bridgestone Grand-Velo 3100
1986- CrMo double butted steel tubing frame with Shimano Dura-Ace components.
Cannondale SR2000
1987 & 1988 – aluminum frame with chrome-moly fork and Shimano Dura-Ace components.
Centurion Prestige
1985 – Tange prestige tubing and Shimano Dura Ace components.
Centurion Professional
1973 – Columbus double butted tubing with Campagnolo Record components and Universal brakes.
Centurion Semi-Pro
1977 – Tange Champion tubing and Suntour Cyclone components.
Cinelli Supercorsa
Colnago Masterpiu
1988 – Columbus Gilco frameset with Campagnolo C Record components.
Colnago Super
1978 – Columbus SL tubing with Campagnolo Record components.
Eddy Merckx Professional
Fuji Professional
1983 – quadruple butted molybdenum steel tubing and Suntour Superbe Pro drivetrain.
Fuji Team Fuji
Fuji Titanium Dura Ace
Gitane Super Corsa
1983 – Super Vitus 971 manganese alloy tubing with Simplex SLJ derailleurs and Mafac LSX brakes.
Holdsworth Professional
Kestrel 4000
1987 – first full carbon frame with alloy fork and Campagnolo Record C or Shimano Dura Ace components.
Klein Team Super
1988 – lightweight aluminum-magnesium frame with Campagnolo Super Record components.
LeMond Team Pro
1988 – built by Roland Della Santa in Nevada with Columbus SPX tubing. I believe Campagnolo Chorus components were standard, but could be upgraded.
Look KG86
1986 – Carbon/kevlar tubes with alloy lugs and Campagnolo C Record components.
Lotus Supreme
Maruishi Professional
1986 – Tange Prestige tubing with Shimano Dura Ace components.
Masi Gran Criterium
Mercier Service des courses
Miyata 912
Miyata Team Miyata
1981 – chromoly double-butted tubing with Shimano Dura-Ace components.
Miyata Pro Miyata
Motobecane Le Champion
1977 – Reynolds 531 double butted tubing frame with Campagnolo Record components.
Motobecane Grand Record
Nishiki Carbon
1987 – Carbon/kevlar tubed frame and aluminum fork with Shimano Dura-Ace components.
Nishiki Cervino
Nishiki Competition
Nishiki Fusion
Panasonic Pro 7000
Peugeot Super Competition CFX10
Peugeot PX 10 E
1974 – Reynolds 531 steel frame with Nervex lugs, Simplex Super Competition derailleurs and Mafac Racer Professional brakes.
Peugeot PX 10 LE
Pinarello Super Record Special
Raleigh Competition GS
Raleigh Professional
Scapin Prestige
1981 – Columbus SL tubing with Campagnolo Super Record components.
Schwinn Paramount
1974 – Reynolds 531 double butted tubing frame with Campagnolo components.
Schwinn Peloton
1986 – Columbus SL and SP tubing frame with Suntour Superbe Pro components.
Schwinn Superior
Schwinn World Voyageur
Specialized Allez
Specialized Allez Epic
Trek 759
Trek 760
Trek 770 Pro
1986 – Reynolds 531 double butted tubing frame with Campagnolo Super Record components.
Trek 959 Pro
Trek 5000
Univega Competizione
1985 – Chromoly triple butted tubing with Suntour Superbe Pro components.
Univega Superspeciale
1985 – Chromoly tripled butted tubing with Campagnolo Super Record components.
Univega Superstrada
1985 – Chromoly triple butted tubing with Suntour Superbe Pro components.
Vitus 979
1985 – Bonded alumunum frameset with Shimano Dura Ace components.
Windsor Professional
1975 – Columbus 510 double butted tubing with Campagnolo Nuevo Record drivetrain and Universal Super 68 brakes.
Zebrakenko Olympic Ace OM-6
1981 – cro-moly frameset with Suntour Superbe components.
Zeus Professional
1970 – Durifort steel frameset with Zeus Criterium and Gran Sport components.
I’ll be adding more info and images for each bike. I’m sure I’ve missed a few good ones, so please comment with suggestions.
Have any images? If you have pictures of any of the above bikes that you could share, please send to bikerjima@gmail.com.
Links
List of Vintage Bicycle Manufacturers and Brands
Vintage Bicycle Component Companies
What, no Cinellis? No Colnagos? No Masis? Italy in general appears to be lacking in your list. Since the Trek 5000 barely fits your time frame (being introduced in 1989) I’m glad you included their earlier hand-built steel frames (at least one of their frame builders went on to start his own custom frame-building company). You might want to add their first foray into carbon (the 2300/2500). I’d consider the introducers of “exotic” frame materials (Graftek for one of the first production carbon frames, Carbonframes – later Calfee – for the first all-carbon frame, Vitus for an early aluminum frame, Teledyne Titan for an early titanium frame – also Merlin by the mid-80s). Many of the folks who could afford the top of the line in this days bought framesets and had the local bike shop build them up. Several English and Italian frame builders come to mind, plus a few Americans.
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I’ll look around for those brands for my next update. Any specific models you would suggest?
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Not offhand, as they are high end companies in general (and it’s past my bedtime). Graftek, Carbonframes, Teledyne, and Vitus each started with one model that I recall. Colnago was famous for custom tube shapes in their high end models (they had a cloverleaf shaped tube set).
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I have a bike from the 70’s vintage.. trying to sell it actually.
just had to re-follow you.. not sure why.. hadn’t seen you in awhile ..
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What brand is it?
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What about Scapin? Can’t say any specific models but I own a late 90’s made in Italy model with Columbus Nemo tubing and they started in the 50’s.
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Thank you for the suggestion. I have added Scapin to our list of brands and manufacturers. Will add to best road bikes if I can find more info on models.
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