Quick Answer: The 3Rensho Super Record featured here is a one-off custom road frame from Yoshi Konno’s Chiba workshop, built in Ishiwata lugged steel with fastback seat stays, under-bottom-bracket cable routing and a chromed SR Export fork. It served as a show bike at Yellow Jersey and has covered fewer than 200 miles, still wearing its original candy blue paint, decals and a Dura-Ace 7400/7700 8-speed group. Unridden originals like this are among the most desirable 3Rensho road bikes. |
By James Hickman, former USA Cycling Expert-level coach and Masters-category racer
Special thanks to BikeRecyclery.com for the images and information in this article.
This Week’s Japanese Bicycle of the Week
This week’s Japanese Bicycle of the Week is a 3Rensho Super Record that most collectors will only ever see in photos. It is a one-off custom, built by hand rather than pulled from a catalog, and it has spent most of its life being admired rather than ridden.
I have stripped and rebuilt a lot of Japanese steel, and my instinct is usually to take a bike apart and freshen it up. A frame in this condition gets the opposite treatment. With under 200 miles on it, the right job here is preservation, not restoration.
A Show Bike With Almost No Miles
This Super Record served as a show bike at Yellow Jersey, the longtime North American importer of 3Rensho. The original paint and decals are intact, and the candy blue over a metallic base has a depth that photos flatten out. On an original finish like this, I would stick with a gentle bicycle cleaner rather than an aggressive polish.
The frame number, 9380086, is stamped on the bottom bracket. Unlike some Japanese bicycle manufacturers, 3Rensho did not use a serial-number system that reliably identifies the year of manufacture. Dating a 3Rensho therefore requires looking at other clues, including frame construction details and components that can be tied to known production periods. See our [General Asian Serial Number Guide] for more information.
Yoshi Konno and the Origins of 3Rensho
3Rensho was the work of Yoshi Konno. In 1973 he helped found Cherubim in Tokyo with his brother Hitoshi, and around 1974 he opened his own shop in Chiba. The name San Rensho means “three victories,” for a keirin rider who wins the qualifying heat, semi-final and final on consecutive days.
Konno taught himself by taking apart Cinelli frames, then designed his own lugs, fork crowns and fittings. His shop trained apprentices who became major builders, including Masahiko Makino and Koichi Yamaguchi. Konno’s building career ended after a 1995 car accident that left him paralyzed, and the marque closed soon after. No new 3Rensho frames will ever be made.
The Frame: Fastback Stays, Cable Guides and Filed Lugs
Three details set this frame apart. The first is the fastback seat stays, which wrap smoothly into the back of the seat lug for a clean, compact look.
The second is cable routing under the bottom bracket. 3Rensho did not use this widely until after 1987, so it is an unusual feature and a useful dating clue. If you’re servicing similar cable routing on a vintage bike, a quality cable and housing cutter makes getting clean cable ends much easier.
The third is the lug work. Every lug has been finely filed and thinned for smooth transitions into the tubes. That is slow, skilled handwork, and it is a big reason 3Rensho frames are mentioned alongside the best Italian builders of the era.
Ishiwata Tubing, Tange Dropouts and the SR Export Fork
The main frame is Ishiwata lugged chrome-moly steel paired with Tange rear dropouts. Up front, the fully chromed fork borrows from the Super Record Export, with a semi-sloping crown, Tange steerer and Shimano fork ends. To compare it with the later aero model, see our 3Rensho Super Record Export Aerodynamics feature.
The Dura-Ace 7400 and 7700 Build
The group is mostly Shimano Dura-Ace 7400 series 8-speed with a few 7700 parts mixed in. An RD-7402 rear derailleur and FD-7400 front derailleur are controlled by ST-7403 STI levers, with matching 7403 brakes. Keeping a drivetrain like this clean starts with a good drivetrain cleaning brush.
The FC-7402 crankset runs 53/39 chainrings on 175mm arms. Dura-Ace 7700 hubs are laced to Mavic Open Pro SUP rims, and the pedals are 7700 as well. A Dura-Ace SP-7410 seatpost holds a new San Marco Regal perforated leather saddle. For riders who regularly use a classic road bike, a compact bicycle multi-tool with a chain tool is also worth carrying.
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Why Original Condition Matters
Original 3Rensho paint and decals cannot be convincingly reproduced, and the collector market rewards preservation. If you own a frame like this, keep the work narrow: clean it gently with a bike-safe cleaner without polishing through the decals, service the bearings with quality bicycle grease, replace worn cables using a proper cable cutter, and check the chain with a chain-wear gauge before replacing it. Store the bike indoors out of sunlight. Photograph the serial number and every decal now.
This Super Record shows what Konno’s shop could do when it set out to build one bike exactly right.
Frequently Asked Questions About the 3Rensho Super Record
What is a 3Rensho Super Record?
It is a high-end lugged steel road frame from Yoshi Konno’s 3Rensho shop in Chiba, Japan, built mainly in the 1980s with Ishiwata tubing. Export versions reached North America through Yellow Jersey.
How do I date a 3Rensho frame?
3Rensho serial numbers do not follow a decodable sequence. Use the fork crown, seat stay design, cable routing and original components instead. Under-bottom-bracket cable guides generally point to 1987 or later. A small LED inspection light can also help when checking serial numbers and component markings in hard-to-see areas.
What does 3Rensho mean?
San Rensho means “three victories,” a keirin rider winning the heat, semi-final and final on consecutive days.
What components are on this Super Record?
Mostly Dura-Ace 7400 series 8-speed with STI levers, plus Dura-Ace 7700 hubs and pedals, Mavic Open Pro SUP rims and a San Marco Regal saddle.
Should I restore an original 3Rensho?
Not if the paint and decals are intact. Preservation keeps far more value than a repaint. Limit work to gentle cleaning, bearing service and consumables.
James Hickman is a former USA Cycling Expert-level coach who has worked with cyclists at every level, from beginners to competitive racers. He served as a coach for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training program, helping riders prepare for and complete century events. A Masters-category racer himself, he competed and earned podium finishes in Southern California events and holds a Platinum finish at El Tour de Tucson, completing the 100+ miles in under five hours.
Related Reading
Bike of the Week 3Rensho Super Record Export Aerodynamics: Konno’s 1980s Original |
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Brand History |
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