Presto 1979

This Presto, build by Serier, is my favorite bike to actually ride on. Several times it has come with me to L'Eroica and the Retro Round of Flanders and it just fits me like a glove.

 

It's the former pro bike of Arie Kamsteeg, it was build in 1979 by master frame builder Peter Serier. In my humble opinion he is one of the best frame builders we have ever had in the Netherlands. This Presto is probably one of the last frames he produced at Presto before he started his own brand, Serier. Peter Serier learned the art of framebuilding from Jan Legrand at Presto.  After his time at Presto he started to build frames under his own name. Serier, however, was more of a frame builder than a businessman, and his own company  never really became a success. Until 2010, Peter still had a website. Around this time, he didn't construct and design bikes but mostly furniture, in one way or another often inspired bicycles. 

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Enough history, let's go back to this exceptional bike which belonged to former pro Arie Kamsteeg. Not a very big name at that time, but he had some nice results as a junior in the Amsterdam racing scene. I've attached a picture of him The bike is equipped with a complete Campagnolo Super Record group. Look at the beautiful details like the pantographed triple x's (xxx). This is Amsterdam's coat of arms. Or the slotted bottom bracket to guide the shifter cables or the square brake bridge.  The attention to detail on this frame is just astonishing and simply one of a kind.