South Salem Cycleworks: 63cm Mondonico Rain Bike

Hi, Nate Taylor here. Please reach out to me at nate@sscycleworks.com for inquiries on parts availabilities and shipping estimates.

South Salem Cycleworks Museum:
Owner Michael Wolfe's 63cm Mondonico Rain Bike

Owner Michael Wolfe's 63 cm Mondonico Rain Bike

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The frameset:

Columbus ELOS/Zona pinned-lugged tubeset, American paint & chrome.
63cm seat tube
61.5cm top tube
20.0cm head tube
41.5cm chainstay
101.5cm wheelbase
7.0cm bottom bracket drop
1” threaded steel steerer
Built with pump peg and chain hanger.
22.5 lbs weight with pump, pedals and fenders
Built in 1999 built by Antonio & Mauro Mondonico.
Serial# 63M2G 03058

Components mounted on the frameset:

Avocet Air 40R 02 Titanium rail saddle
Campagnolo Athena (?) 27.2mm seatpost
Campagnolo Chorus alloy 10-speed ergoshifters
Campagnolo Chorus braze-on front derailleur
Campagnolo Record square taper 175mm crankset with 39/52 chainrings
Campagnolo Chorus Italian-threaded 102mm bottom bracket
Time Equipe Titan Mag pedals
C-10 w/Connex Masterlink chain
Campagnolo Chorus alloy rear derailleur with Tacx cartridge-bearing pulley wheels
Campagnolo Chorus 10-speed 13-26 cassette
Campagnolo Record Double Pivot brake calipers
Front wheel built 2-cross with Campagnolo Record 1999 titanium cartridge-bearing 32-hole front hub, Mavic Open Pro Ceramic rim laced with DT Revolution 15/17/15 spokes and DT 7005 alloy nipples.
Rear wheel built with White Industries LTA cartridge-bearing 32-hole rear hub, Mavic Open Pro Ceramic 32-hole rim
laced 3-cross on the drive-side with DT Revolution 14/17/14 spokes; 2-cross on the non-drive side with DT Revolution 15/17/15 spokes, all with DT 7005 alloy nipples.
Campagnolo Record quick releases
Rox rim strips
Michelin Airstop threadless tubes
Vittoria Rubino Pro 700c x 23mm tires
American Classic Trilock 1” threaded headset
3T Motus 13cm stem
Modolo 8X Extenos bar, 44cm outside-to-outside.
Cinelli Cork w/reflective strip handlebar wrap
Avocet 50 Altimeter
Elite Ciussi Gel Stainless Steel cages
Zefal HPX custom extension frame pump
Bushwhacker USA “Hondo” seatbag

About the bike:

A year went by after building the Mondonico 70th Anniversario and I realized I was spending as much of my riding time on my old Nishiki Prestige as on the 70th. I’d equipped the Nishiki with as much sealed componentry as possible for wet pavement rides.

I wanted the same ride as the 70th, but fender compatible. I asked Bill McGann of Torelli Imports, Mondonico's importer, if Antonio would build me such a frame, adding eyelets to the dropouts, and he agreed it could be done.

I asked to have it built with Columbus ELOS like the 70th, but Bill thought that was overkill for a rain frame. He suggested Zona, but we compromised, and while the three main tubes were ELOS, the stays were Zona.

Saturday morning rides were something to look forward to now, unless the weather was terrible, when in good conscience, I would ride the Nishiki. But those rides with potential rainfall, or sudden showers, the Mondonico rain bike was my delight.

Initially, the fenders were black SKS P35’s, and then changed out to matching blue when a customer sold me his custom bike that needed a re-paint. That ended one Saturday morning on returning from a ride up Gibson Road, and picking up a stick in the rear wheel, shattering the rear fender! I shipped a pair of P35’s down to Cyclesmiths with some frames to be painted, and had them painted to match the yellow on the bike, with a “il Mio Amore” logo in Italian colors on the back fender.

I’d discovered another route to the coast, and we began riding it at the same time as Reach the Beach. Paul, my stepfather, would drive us to Philomath and we’d ride on Hwy 20 until we reached the junction at Blodgett, where we’d head north on Summit Hwy until we reached Nashville, where we’d take a right onto Logsden Road. This meant climbing a 2-mile section of gravel road over and down a hill. If they hadn’t graded it recently, we could tentatively pedal over it, but if graded, we walked.

We’d stop at Logsden for lunch, and continue to Siletz, and then go north on the Siletz Hwy to join Hwy 101 to continue to Pacific City and cross the finish line of Reach the Beach before returning to Neskowin to spend the night. The local pizzeria was fantastic, getting us ready for the ride back to Salem following the Reach the Beach route.

The Mondonco rain bike was my first choice, despite the weather predictions, as we woke many times to a downpour that wasn’t predicted for the coast, and fenders really make a difference over the many miles. Someone would drive over with dry clothes and rainwear, so we were fortunate not to have to carry all those preparations. I had been selling Showers Pass rain jackets for some time and the single layer was nice for trips like this. I’d brought in some Louis Garneau jackets that were similar, and less expensive. Stuart Coffey had brought one on one of these outings and got completely soaked, miserable and cold. His exhaustion slowed him down and it was all we could do to continue riding at his pace, as we were looking forward to a hot meal in Willamina at Coyote Joe’s restaurant. We were fortunate that as we ate, the rain ceased. Louis Garneau had me return all of those jackets afterwards to him, a most honorable man.

I’d snapped a spoke on one ride coming down the gravel hill on Logsden Rd. Even with the quick release open on the brake caliper, the wheel would catch on the caliper. I set the calipers up with the barrel adjuster spun out so that if it occurred again, I could open the calipers further.

We’d ridden back to Otis a couple times, and gone back on Hwy 18 through the Van Duzer Corridor – not a pleasant experience, as the shoulder disappears at times, and the constant roar of rushing vehicles was so annoying that one couldn’t enjoy the natural beauty of the surrounding forest. But, at one time there was a bakery that had delicious cinnamon rolls, moist and sticky! As we left the bakery one time, the rain was rolling off the roof and it was a very wet grind to Grand Ronde. Our chains were squeaking, and being a Sunday, there was nothing open. I did find a discarded oil can in a gas station to lube out chains. I’ve always carried a small tube of chain lube in a zip lock on the rain bikes since.

Originally, I’d built the rear wheel with a ’98 Record Titanium hub, assuming naively that like the front, it was a cartridge bearing hub. After a year’s use, I overhauled it finding water in the cup on the driveside, and had to overhaul it again within 6 months, and finally 3 months later, I could detect the pits in the cup where the water had sat with the bearings. I had replacement cups in inventory, but on this model of hub, one had to remove the ratchet ring the pawls engaged in, before one could remove the retaining washer for the cup, and finally remove the cup. I was told there were only two removal tools in the US, one in Carlsbad with Campagnolo USA, and another in New York City. No, Campagnolo Italy didn’t have any of the tools to sell! I sent the wheel off to Carlsbad, but they returned it after an attempt, stating they were afraid they would pretzel the wheel if more force was applied. I rebuilt the wheel with a White Industries LTA and haven’t overhauled it since.

Later, I encountered a Serbian immigrant machinist, who claimed he could make the tool. I gave him the ’98 Record hub, and never heard from him again! It was too bad, as I thought about rebuilding a sturdy 26” wheel around the hub and sending it back to Carlsbad. Some years after that, a customer called wanting to buy a replacement cup for his ’98 Record hub, and I informed him of the procedure. He notified me later that Carlsbad could not find the tool . . . .

I replaced the Campagnolo pulley wheels with the Tacx cartridge-bearing ones. Riding in the rain washed the lubrication out readily, and one of my customers stated that he was riding in a gear higher after I replaced his Campagnolo pulleys with a set of Tacx. Nobody pays a mechanic to work on their own bikes, so I wish there were cartridge-bearing chains as well!

I’ve often heard that bicycle brakes are for modulating speed, not stopping! I chose Mavic’s Ceramic brake pads to enhance stopping, and used double-pivot calipers – not the differential version. Riding down Commercial one rainy night, I had to hit the brakes by Dunkin Donuts, where years before I’d had a car cut me off pulling into that parking lot without signaling and causing me to crash. Even though, I had thrown myself backwards on the bike, the rear brake locked up the wheel and I skidded, though I managed to stay upright. I don’t have a problem with single-pivot calipers on the rear wheel since.

I found that leaving the shop on a sunny winter morning ride, didn’t mean it would continue to be so. On more than one ride, I’d find with some elevation gain, that I would be surrounded by fog, and concerned about my visibility I kept a small elastic band mini-headlight on the bike for these occasions. I liked handlebar end lights, though the originals used watch batteries and would run down quickly. They weren’t well sealed either, and I’d find traces of water contamination. RavX, now a defunct company, finally made some that used a sealed unit with AAA batteries. https://sscycleworks.com/components/Lights-RavX.html#handlebar-endcap-taillights
Kinda fun, as they either flash or are steady. One can use them as turn signals!

I’d ridden the Nishiki more than once on Saturday mornings and found myself riding in slippery conditions, taking falls a couple times on frozen bridges or steep climbs. I left the shop one sunny winter morning on the Mondonico rain bike and rode to West Salem, thinking Orchard Heights would be exposed to the sun from the south and keep the ice off. On the final grade, I had unclipped one foot, and could feel the occasional slip of the rear wheel. Once I crested the top, I studied the descent in the shade, and steered myself to the center line of the road, seeing more gravel there. I immediately slid sideways and crashed, abrading my saddle and tearing a hole in the shoulder of my jacket. Walking up the hill would only mean navigating my way back down Orchard Heights, but continuing westwards was a long walk to the bottom to reach Oak Grove. I was fortunate to get a ride from a passing pickup. This event was the straw that led to building a bike with room for studded tires, the Ira Ryan.

One winter after completing the Mondonico rain bike, Bill McGann invited me fly with him to Italy in early spring to go riding for a couple of weeks. I asked what the weather would be like – would it be prudent to take a bike with fenders. There was a long pause on the phone. “Michael, only little old ladies dressed in black ride bikes with fenders in Italy” was his reply.

Photos of the 63 cm Mondonico Rain Bike: