1990 Cratoni Maximum

[KayOs]

Hi guys,

I think it's a good idea to start a build thread here, or rather a restoration thread.

If I'm wrong and it's not interesting or this is the wrong place the thread will just disappear into oblivion or could be deleted.

I'm supposed to get this Cratoni Maximum fit again.
It's seen a lot, especially in the Alps, but has just been standing around for the last few years. However, it's too good for that and now it should go back on the road.




I haven't been able to find a frame number on the bike yet and can only guess at the year of manufacture. My guess is 1990.

 

[grantoury]

That is a nice bike and certainly in the right section. Knowing your work, I am interested to see what you do with it.

 

[KayOs]

That is a nice bike and certainly in the right section. Knowing your work, I am interested to see what you do with it.

Thank you for the praise, I will do my best. I promise.

I found a description of the bike online a seller wrote some time ago. I hope its okay to post it here.

"This Cratoni Maximum is again such an absolutely special and rare steel bike from the last era of steel frames around 1990.

Cratoni is a small family business (Krauter - Cratoni) in Rudersberg near Stuttgart, which built very high quality road bikes in the eighties and early nineties. After the advent of production lines in the Far East and the switch of many manufacturers to the material aluminum, Cratoni has moved into the helmet business. There the company is still active today.
Cratoni tried everything again around 1990 to reach a demanding audience with special frames. They tried to win over the best frame builders in Italy and had two different frames built at the time. The company founder drove both frames himself many kilometers for testing purposes, and then, at least that was the plan, to have them built similarly in a newly created factory in Germany. The problem at the time was only that hardly anyone wanted to buy or pay for the very expensive frames from the new Columbus Multishape or Max. Thus Cratoni had received only 25 prototypes of the Max from Italy, which differed also again somewhat in the building method of the frames. To the real series production of the frame it never came. The 25 Maximum frames produced are therefore an absolute rarity and really special. Not only visually is this very elaborately built frame with its many chrome a masterpiece..."

I have also enquired at Cratoni here in Rudersberg, they are very friendly but unfortunately had no further information for me.

If anyone knows anything about those bikes I'm all ears.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

A stunning bicycle Kay, I'm sure it will be even better once you've sorted it out.

 

[KayOs]

It's going to get normal road bike handlebars again and, if possible, STIs and a slightly shorter gear ratio.

Step 1 is done, the broken tyres have been swapped for a few from the leftover box so that I can ride the bike into the shed.
But first there's a coffee at Fietsen.



Next step is finding parts..........
Thanks for the help and suggestions so far @Guinessisgoodforyou

 

[sjcprojects]

Looks like a fantastic bike to restore. Just to see it with standard road bars will be a massive improvement.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

@Frankenorange

 

[CTK]

Really nice!

 

[ferrus]

Oh that's lovely

 

[vtwinvince]

Krauter=Cratoni? I'm confused already. Nice bike BTW.