# Romic Cycles - Ray Gasiorowski



## bikemonkey (Feb 13, 2018)

This Romic bike is on CL in my area and I thought it might be Italian when I first saw the name. Nope - it turns out this is USA built and the builder (from Texas eventually) was quite an interesting guy. He had factory ties to both Schwinn and AMF, he was a racer, and went on to build a successful frame shop/bicycle business.

He has now passed on, but there is a historical website with lots of interesting tidbits ranging across the cycling spectrum.

Ray also had ties to Daniel Boone Cycles in TX - one example is for custom building lightweight three speed "Gentlemen's" frames for their shop...seems like a lot of CABE roads lead to Texas.






(I posted a link earlier in the lightweight section - if admins need to delete a duplicate - plz take that post down as I think this fits better in this forum - thanks!)


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## sm2501 (Feb 14, 2018)

Here is Ray's Campy tool kit from his shop.

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5335809022&icep_item=302634547885


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## bikemonkey (Feb 16, 2018)

That is a sweet set - thanks for posting that! I hope they go to good hands.

Was trained on these tools in Va. Beach. We had the complete set plus extras in French & Italian - _nobody_ in the shop touched them until the owner was confident of their competence.


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## Smokinpig (Mar 15, 2020)

Hi,
It’s highly possible I worked on this bicycle.

on the right (and probably left as well) chain stay is the logo in scrip letters DS CYCLE PRO SHOP. This stands for the Dick Schwanke ...

Dick was a chemical engineer at Aberdeen proving ground in Maryland. He was also a physics and chemistry teacher at Harford community college. He was famous for ridding his bicycle to work every day regardless of weather. He owned a always brand new Volkswagen van which he kept a log book of trips and he only drove it bicycle races and on an occasional family trip. he would log 300-500 miles a year on the van.

If you pick up literally almost any American bicycle magazine from the late 70’s or early 80’s you will find a DS cycle add.

DS cycle was a landmark shop in the hey day of American bicycle touring. And also sold the highest quality racing bicycles. And Ray’s bikes were top notch. I know I had Custom built for me. I won countless races on it and raced it at Olympic trials in 1988.

Ray was an awesome guy. Extremely talented and a wonderful person who really cared about people and of course bicycles. Jerry his wife was very supportive and together they were a great team

I remember weeks when a custom Gary Klein. 2 custom Gary Fishers one a Mt tam. 2 custom Romics, and 2 custom medallions all got picked up buy smiling new owners. If you do the math that’s a lot of cash. And the whole business was run out of a coffee can where the tabs were written down by hand in pen on a small spiral bound book. There was no cash register.

If you ended up with that green Romic. it’s a piece of history and a great piece of craftsmanship!

here’s some specs... most are a historical guess from memory... Reynolds 531 throughout. 

Modolo brakes with metallic sintered pads. (These will wear the hard Annodizing off the rims but are unmatched in power in that era).
Probably a Phil Wood bottom bracket, but could be specialized, OMAS or campy. Avocet saddle. Cinelli bars and Specialized stem. Specialized crank. Yours has a triple with the classic half step middle ring and granny small the sweetest setup for someone who can read a gear chart. If you have silver rims probably weinaman. Hard Anno Mavic MA 40’s. Specialized sealed hubs. derailers are shimano early index 7 speed...

treat it well

Erik Lunsford


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## Smokinpig (Mar 15, 2020)

bikemonkey said:


> This Romic bike is on CL in my area and I thought it might be Italian when I first saw the name. Nope - it turns out this is USA built and the builder (from Texas eventually) was quite an interesting guy. He had factory ties to both Schwinn and AMF, he was a racer, and went on to build a successful frame shop/bicycle business.
> 
> He has now passed on, but there is a historical website with lots of interesting tidbits ranging across the cycling spectrum.
> 
> ...




I forgot to mention.

Romic is Polish for little ray
The eagle on the headtube is a Polish eagle.

effectively this bicycle is eastern block quality and heritage built in Houston Texas.


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## YankeeinTX (May 11, 2020)

Hello everyone. I recently have purchased a Romic off Craigslist. I’m having trouble figure out the model. Also, I have noticed that people often refer to a page on Romic history on a VSU webpage, but it seems like the link is broken or has been taken down. I can’t find any pages of Ray’s original registry, except an image that has two pages from the 1980s.

Any idea how I can come across the registry? Any idea what model this could be?


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## Kombicol (May 11, 2020)

Saw that one on CL 
Too small for me
Suggest you try Boone cycles
They might be able to help ID it
Chances are they sold it originally


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## YankeeinTX (May 11, 2020)

Ahh. I was surprised to see such a small one! Perfect for me. I reached out to Boone via email, let’s see what happens.


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## Smokinpig (Jul 16, 2020)

YankeeinTX said:


> Hello everyone. I recently have purchased a Romic off Craigslist. I’m having trouble figure out the model. Also, I have noticed that people often refer to a page on Romic history on a VSU webpage, but it seems like the link is broken or has been taken down. I can’t find any pages of Ray’s original registry, except an image that has two pages from the 1980s.
> 
> Any idea how I can come across the registry? Any idea what model this could be?
> 
> ...





YankeeinTX said:


> Hello everyone. I recently have purchased a Romic off Craigslist. I’m having trouble figure out the model. Also, I have noticed that people often refer to a page on Romic history on a VSU webpage, but it seems like the link is broken or has been taken down. I can’t find any pages of Ray’s original registry, except an image that has two pages from the 1980s.
> 
> Any idea how I can come across the registry? Any idea what model this could be?
> 
> ...



Hey, 

That is1980-1984. Headset and the over the top cable guides brazed on the bottom bracket give it away.

Looks to be a standard road model. Compact yet still adjustable drop outs at that time let people adjust the bikes geometry a Little within safe levels. Most people never-touched them...

It’s 531 but the bottom bracket is not investment cast... so probably a stock Road model with a bit more relaxed geometry.

happy riding... it will still last several lifetimes... and I’m sure it rides sweet!!


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## Romic86 (Jul 17, 2020)

YankeeinTX said:


> Hello everyone. I recently have purchased a Romic off Craigslist. I’m having trouble figure out the model. Also, I have noticed that people often refer to a page on Romic history on a VSU webpage, but it seems like the link is broken or has been taken down. I can’t find any pages of Ray’s original registry, except an image that has two pages from the 1980s.
> 
> Any idea how I can come across the registry? Any idea what model this could be?
> 
> ...







Smokinpig said:


> Hey,
> 
> That is1980-1984. Headset and the over the top cable guides brazed on the bottom bracket give it away.
> 
> ...





YankeeinTX said:


> Hello everyone. I recently have purchased a Romic off Craigslist. I’m having trouble figure out the model. Also, I have noticed that people often refer to a page on Romic history on a VSU webpage, but it seems like the link is broken or has been taken down. I can’t find any pages of Ray’s original registry, except an image that has two pages from the 1980s.
> 
> Any idea how I can come across the registry? Any idea what model this could be?
> 
> ...




I’be attached photos of my Romic, (I’ve owned since new) completed In April, 1986, thus the last part of the ser # very likely is the date of frame completion (mine: 4/


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## Romic86 (Jul 17, 2020)

....mine is dated 4/10/86, Yankee’s appears to be dated 6/12/86. Mine was a quasi -custom (68cm!) touring bike that has taken me across country several times and served as my only bike for a number of years. All original Shimano 600 components, except for BB and headset. Romic’s are very fine bikes.


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## Romic86 (Jul 18, 2020)

Here are the build sheets Gerry and Ray sent me when selecting my model (mine is a “Model 50 touring“). I don’t see any reference to these model numbers in either Yankee’s or my Romic serial numbers. Changes written in pen are Ray’s, not mine.


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## Veloise (Jul 21, 2021)

I'm not finding a serial number on this bike. Any suggestions?




It's for sale; my brother died in 2019. He was 6'7" and overjoyed to finally find a frame that fit him. I know he bought it from a Houston-area shop, but don't know when or where. 





Any additional info would be great, thanks!


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