Christoff anyone?

[PeteV]

G'day, I'm new here and recently back into cycling for health reasons. I'm looking for info on a bike I have inherited.
My father handed me down his old roadie, a Christoff, which he said he bought from the builder Jan Christoff in Adelaide in 1984. It has been reprayed a couple of times so the decals are long gone, but most of the original equipment is on it. It is loaded with Campagnolo super record parts including crank, hubs, downtube shifters, brakes and brake levers. Rims are Mavic SUP. Dad had the rear wheel rebuilt as it originally had a super record 5 speed screw on casette and now has a 8 speed casette/free wheel.
I can't find any info via google and was hoping someone here might know something! Will post up pics once I get my post count up.

Cheers

[stevendavid75]

am interested in this bike, what size are talking??

[im_no_pro]

It's rubbish... you should go and invest in a newer, safer, lighter carbon bike. I will even do you the favour of coming around and getting rid of the Christoff for you.

I'm joking, and im jealous. PM the link to the pics to me and I will insert them in your post for you.

[PeteV]

Thanks for the offer Im_no_pro, but it's staying in the family hahaha. Heres a couple of pics I took of lugwork, etc, bear in mind it's a rather battered shade of awful orange at the moment and I only have a camera on my phone.










Other info I have on the bike/builder is that he lived near Valley View in Adelaide's N/E suburbs and made the bikes at home, this one was his prototype for a couple of bicycles he was trying to get the riders at the 1984 Olympics onto.

[rogerrabbit]

That is a very nice looking frame. The BB is a high end Japanese model used in the late 70's by Centurion for their Professional model (Cinelli copy). The lugwork looks first class too. Nice hand-me-down!

Hope you do something nice with it!
Roger

[PeteV]

Cheers for that, the plan is to have it powder coated in a pearl white if that colour is available as that was the original colour. Rechrome the forks and fit all the original equipment which I have sitting in a large box, once it is all painstakingly polished. I haven't ridden a bike with downtube shifters since I was in my teens so could get interesting!

[PeteV]

The rebuild is finally underway! I have sourced some small parts which were missing from the bike but some have just proved impossible to find such as a Campag screw on hub with 32 holes. Also have discovered the original Campag rear derailleur has a crack through the tab where you tighten the cable. Have decided to keep the 8 speed cluster at the rear and the Shimano derailleur (unsure of which model). Yet to decide whether I will stick to the later model Sora dual control levers the old man put on or the downtube campag shifters.
This bike is going to be ridden frequently so will see what provides the better riding experience!
Frame stripped, am having a go at painting it myself. If I stuff it up, well then it shall go to the powder coaters!

edit: forgot to add, apon stripping have discovered drop outs are Campagnolo. Tried to contact the relatives of the builder with no success. Would've been good to find and original decal set!

[jaseyjase]

spotted this one on ebay, all the way in the states!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Road-Bicycle-Frame- ... 27b835d51c

[PeteV]

You, my friend, are a DEAD SET LEGEND! Thanks heaps for finding that, hopefully now I can get duplicate decals made!

[drubie]

You, my friend, are a DEAD SET LEGEND! Thanks heaps for finding that, hopefully now I can get duplicate decals made!

The 8 speed stuff was mostly cassette - the wheels show up reasonably frequently on ebay around the $200 mark. Sachs made a compatible 8 speed freewheel which works so-so (doesn't have the ramps on the gear teeth to facilitate shifting, uses the old technique of fractionally angled teeth, but the cog spacing is the same as 8 speed campagnolo).

8 speed Ergo shifters... how long is a piece of string? If I put all the bits off my Elan into your pile we could make one nice bike I think. However, I'm not prepared to let my 8 speed Record Ergo levers go as they are sublime.

8 speed Mirage shifters show up semi-regularly for not too much cash - the lever is identical to the original record Ergo other than some detailing - they shift identically. If you want to ride 8 speed, buy those and wait patiently for the better ones. Throw the Sora levers as far as you can.

[craigmcgair]

Hi mate,
wow that bike brings back some memories! Mr Christoff was my mentor from the age of 13 til age 20ish and made me realise that cycling and his cycles were all about standing out from the crowd. Mr Christoff or (jon) didnt actually build the frames but i believe that Bryan Hayes Re: Euro sport frames, AIS bikes was responsible. Such a classic bike.

[singlespeedscott]

If this frame is a Euro Sport don't go any where near the powder coaters! Take it to a real frame painter and bring it back to what it was when your old man was young.

[PeteV]

The bike hasn't been powder coated, I'm still sorcing parts and wanted to get a better story on the history before I rebuilt it. I spoke to Brian (really helpful man!) and he didn't build frames for Mr Christoff, Ron Whitehorn did. Unfortunately Ron has killed a few years back in a hit/run so it looks like the history ends there.

[bpm]

you could track down his son dean whitehorn who also built frames

[bbw101]

Hello PeteV

Just wondering if you are still out there playing with your Christoff.

I picked one up quite a while ago and am looking at info on the brand / machine.

Cheers
Peter

[Alister Smith]

Re Christoff.

I believe Jan was Brett Aitken’s coach at some stage. And his wife handmade Aitken’s jerseys.

I’ve got a Christoff. Will try to post a photo

Alister

[RPR]

Hey PeteV and others. I have a Christoff purchased from Jon Christoff in 1984. I also have the original shoes he sold me to fit the Camp. cages - G. Bianchi's. The bike is still in use and has all it's original transfers still on it and all the original gear except for one cage as I could not find super record replacement. It has not been re-painted. This includes a transfer of his signature. I did have some jerseys made by Mrs. Christoff but they fell apart after about 25 years. My understanding is that the 4000m Team Pursuit used a very similar machine to win gold in LA. Video of that race seems to support this. People in Adelaide in the know could ask Mike Turtur about this, I have seen a pic of him on a bike 1986 which has "Australcorse" stickers on the frame which is the same as I have today.

I'l try to get some decent pics of this machine to put up. Many still have a Christoff or was a purely boutique Adelaide product?

Rob

[RPR]

If someone could inform me how to put up pics I have some ones of the original Christoff decals.

Rob

[P!N20]

If someone could inform me how to put up pics I have some ones of the original Christoff decals.

Rob

Instructions here; http://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/viewt ... =6&t=23303

Sounds interesting, can’t wait to see it...and those shoes!

[Sambamboo]

Purchased this candy apple red Christoff back in 83 has seen a few parts from the group set disappear with various house moves through the years possible have the original hubs and cluster at my folks place in Adelaide.

I'm getting a bit old in the tooth now so may be willing to part ways if there's interest?

Vintage Jon Christoff Steel Racing Bike circa 1983
Built by Ron Whitehorn (for Jon Christoff)
Suntour Pro Frame 58cm
Reynolds Tubing (501 i think)
Original candy apple red over gold paint
(a few scratches and chips but good condition for age)

Campagnolo Super Record Groupset
including - Front and Rear Derailleur (2nd gen Matt finish)
- Brake levers 4062 (non original hoods)
- Brake Calipers (v2) with original Pads
- Seat post
- Cranksets 52 42 (170 Strada)
- Shifter levers
- Original Grey Outer/Inner Brake Cable

(missing original Pedals rear cluster and Hubs)

OMAS Headset
10cm Cinelli head stem
3T handlebars 38cm width 15cm drop
Selle San Marco Concor Supercomfort Racing Saddle
Wheels and Pedals are kinda meh.

IMG_20190206_133224 by Sam Catford, on Flickr
IMG_20190206_133440 by Sam Catford, on Flickr
IMG_20190206_133459 by Sam Catford, on Flickr
IMG_20190206_133303 by Sam Catford, on Flickr
IMG_20190206_133244 by Sam Catford, on Flickr
IMG_20190206_133100 by Sam Catford, on Flickr
IMG_20190206_133039 by Sam Catford, on Flickr
IMG_20190206_133018 by Sam Catford, on Flickr
IMG_20190206_132947 by Sam Catford, on Flickr
IMG_20190206_132905 by Sam Catford, on Flickr
IMG_20190206_132856 by Sam Catford, on FlickrIMG_20190206_132843 by Sam Catford, on Flickr
IMG_20190206_132814 by Sam Catford, on FlickrIMG_20190206_132754 by Sam Catford, on FlickrIMG_20190206_132742 by Sam Catford, on FlickrIMG_20190206_132712 by Sam Catford, on FlickrIMG_20190206_132828 by Sam Catford, on FlickrIMG_20190206_132542 by Sam Catford, on Flickr

[Wheelsman]

Hello All
I have a Christoff painted bike given to me by an ex-racer (who regularly shopped at Christoff's) it was purchased from Pud Brooks (was originally black) and was re-painted as pictured (has since been cleaned and original cranks fitted).
Specs as follow;
Bars-Fiammie
Stem-Cinelli
Seat post-Campagnolo
Seat-Ideal 2001
Hubs-Campagnolo H/F
Rims-Ambrosio 1976 Montreal Olympic *with original tubs*

[Clydesdale Scot]

Hello All
I have a Christoff painted bike given to me by an ex-racer (who regularly shopped at Christoff's) it was purchased from Pud Brooks (was originally black) and was re-painted as pictured (has since been cleaned and original cranks fitted).
Specs as follow;
Bars-Fiammie
Stem-Cinelli
Seat post-Campagnolo
Seat-Ideal 2001
Hubs-Campagnolo H/F
Rims-Ambrosio 1976 Montreal Olympic *with original tubs*
IMG_1848 by Wheelsman., on Flickr
IMG_1849 by Wheelsman., on Flickr
IMG_1850 by Wheelsman., on Flickr
IMG_1851 by Wheelsman., on Flickr
IMG_1852 by Wheelsman., on Flickr

can we have some current photos as well?

[RPR]

Let me see if these images come up. Interested in comments on the bike/shoes. Rob

https://postimg.cc/gallery/1le7aij1g/

[Wheelsman]

Hello
Sorry for the late reply the bike wasn't in the easiest spot to access.
I have included a picture of the seat clamp area as I thought it was an unusual shape/cut out and I am currently trying to identify the original frame make. I definitely think it is Italian from the 60's and has been suggested to me that it could be a Cinelli frame.
Thanks.

IMG_2128[1] by Wheelsman., on Flickr

IMG_2129[1] by Wheelsman., on Flickr

IMG_2130[1] by Wheelsman., on Flickr

IMG_2131[1] by Wheelsman., on Flickr

[P!N20]

Let me see if these images come up. Interested in comments on the bike/shoes. Rob

https://postimg.cc/gallery/1le7aij1g/

Very nice. So did Ron Whitehorn build all Christoff frames? They certainly look high quality.

Those shoes are interesting - I assume they're not related to the famous Italian bicycle marque. Although it looks like the leather has seen better days they'ed probably still pull a few bucks on ebay.