My stable of old steel

Nice frames! Yes, I think Shimano 600 (Ultegra) will be perfect for the AB, both time- and colourwise.

Re. the A-frame, did you have a look at my Gazelle Champion Mondial site: jvs.webklik.nl? Using the frame number (under the BB) you can determine the year of construction. There are some brochures/spec sheets from around '76 on the site as well.

Lots of possibilities for the A-frame. You could go for a Japanese mix of SunTour (VX or Cyclone) derailleurs, Sugino Mighty or Sakae RIngyo (SR) crankset and Dia Compe or Weinmann brakes. Italian is another possibility, with Campagnolo (Gran) Sport derailleurs, crankset and hubs and Universal brakes. Or perhaps a French build with Simplex derailleurs, Stronglight or Nervar crankset, Mafac centrepull brakes and Normandy hubs? Any of these choices would look good on that orange!

I like the sound of a herd of Gazelles... maybe I should change the thread title?

Thanks for the info. I will have to check what bits and pieces i have - i would seem to have a mixture of all the bits you have mentioned (except Campag) so i might not have to spend too much to get them built.

Thanks,

Richard

Lovely collection of bike thanks for sharing, I have trouble convincing my wife that it's OK to have 5 bikes (in various stages of restoration).

You should try and get to the 'it's ok to have x+1' stage and then start hiding them!!!

Gazelle Champion Mondial AB-frame - 1982
Baikalblauw (Baikal blue), Reynolds 531

After I bought the 1978 E.2 Standaard above I had two golden yellow bikes. The other one being the 1977 A-frame fitted with SunTour Superbe.
The red-accent Superbe brakes were available from about 1980 onwards and are therefore not entirely period-correct for a '77 frame. So I 'needed' ;-) another frame for the groupset.
I specifically sought and found an early eighties AB-frame in Baikal blue as I thought that the red-brown accents and shiny metal of the Superbe components would go well with that colour. After assembling the bike I still think it does. I chose white cables and handlebar tape to match the white Gazelle decals and I am quite pleased with the way the white complements the bright blue.

Hey again,

Lovely bike and a great build. I like the Superbe bits but they are getting costly (like everything!!) The white tape etc looks good but my top tip is make sure your hands are clean when you are touching it - i learned the tip recently - to my cost.

Richard

Thanks! Yes, it sure takes time to get some of the rarer parts like pedals and headset in good condition for reasonable prices.

1978 Gazelle Champion Mondial AA

Gazelle Champion Mondial AA-frame - 1978
Reynolds 531, in Brussels blue

The bike still had its original 1977 Nuovo Record derailleurs when I bought it. The Sugino Mighty crankset and Dura Ace brakes appeared original too. Instead of this mix of brands, I decided to use a full NR groupset. I used parts of the ivory/carmine A-frame for the new purchase. The Nuovo Record parts being more appropriate for a top-level frame like this AA than the slightly lower graded A-frame.

The bike had silver-grey cables when I bought it. These looked good on the dark blue of the frame. They do not draw the attention away from the frame as white cables would and are just a little different from the usual black. So I continued to use silver cables and carried the colour combination further with some light grey cotton handlebar tape.

Love that deep blue colour. Did you have to retouch it a lot, because the ´as bought´ pic makes it look like it was properly ridden for years. Must say the frame carries that more modern look very well too, although your interpretation outshines it of course. The silver cables are a nice touch. I´ve always liked the see through type that have a similar metal effect with interesting looking coiling, although I don´t really know if those were available at all in the seventies.

It didn't need a lot of touching up. Only where the bolts of the second bottle holder had been rubbing against the seat tube and the usual spot on the down tube where the front brake arm touches when the handlebars flip over.

I am not sure when the transparent cables first arrived. Pretty sure though that CLB were the first with their alloy coiled ones. Could have been late seventies...