Northern California - Firenze GL5000...Anybody remeber this.

Matthews top of the hill Daly City giveaway bikes back in the 80s'

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/bik/898001063.html

Yes! I remember those adverts. Are those any good? I always thought they were stamped steel dept store junk.

My friend and older brother both had the dark grey mountain bike version with the combo stem + handlebar. Absolute tank and road like it. The brother chucked his off the cliff along the trail that used to exist that led to Land's end.

Buy two walkmans, get a Bike! Buy a Sanyo boombox, get a free bike!

Matthews top of the hill Daly City giveaway bikes back in the 80s'

[

Can I get a stereo with it?:roflmao2:

I think the ads were as obnoxious at the bikes!

I've actually scene a few of them still in use down hear in ChinaTown...

YouTube that will bring back some memories:

LINK (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BqeWQNyiQw&feature=related)

Jeez, those things were everywhere. I remember some bike shop Yellow Page ads that said "We will not work on Firenzes"

$195?? YGBFKM Anybody else feel like messing with this guy?

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh119/krotinger/IMG_3221.jpg

Despite being beyond low-end (cottered cranks?!), that thing is in immaculate condition. Not a bad looking frame, either.

No chance it's worth $200, though.

Judging by that Youtube ad, the whole Bike Boom era must have been something.

$195... LOL!!! You had to spend $200 or more to get one in 1986.

I'll admit I had one. I always think of my Panasonic DX4000 as my first road bike, but I need to scratch that. I was secure enough to ride it to school (wondering why I wasn't popular with the ladies). I can't remember what happened to it, but it wasn't that it wasn't built well, it was how it was assembled (think Wal-Mart). Also, The shifters were in a position to get you in the jewels in case you stopped short of the stem in a front collision. Double-trouble. Yeow!

Yeah, I've never seen shifters mounted on the top tube, and that's a pretty good reason for the rarity of such positioning. *cringe*

I wonder if there are shifter bosses brazed to the top-tube, or if it's just a clamp. [edit: Oops, one of the pictures shows quite clearly that it's a clamp. :rolleyes:]

Anybody else feel like messing with this guy?



I asked him for a close-up of the tubing sticker.


The tubing decal sticker says, "Competition CR1010 High Tension Tubing." Is that something special? Should I be asking tons more money for this bike? (: Happy to send a photo of the decal if you still need to see it.

I asked him for a close-up of the tubing sticker.


The tubing decal sticker says, "Competition CR1010 High Tension Tubing." Is that something special? Should I be asking tons more money for this bike? (: Happy to send a photo of the decal if you still need to see it.


.............................WTF!.........................:wtf:

Oh my god, CR1010?! HIGH TENSION?

Clearly this is a rebadged Colnago.

I asked him for a close-up of the tubing sticker.


The tubing decal sticker says, "Competition CR1010 High Tension Tubing." Is that something special? Should I be asking tons more money for this bike? (: Happy to send a photo of the decal if you still need to see it.

That is just wrong, messing with the guy. Maybe I'll offer him $250.:innocent:

Someone should send him a link to the Matthews Youtube video. The seller needs a reality check.

YouTube that will bring back some memories:

LINK (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BqeWQNyiQw&feature=related)

Jeez, those things were everywhere. I remember some bike shop Yellow Page ads that said "We will not work on Firenzes"

$195?? YGBFKM Anybody else feel like messing with this guy?



Wow another nice bike for sale. Sure is going to be tough trying to decide between the Pinarello
Surprise by the post and the Firenze. Wonder if I have enough money for both?

I had to reassemble a Firenze that belonged to a girl I was dating to get it to function somewhat like a bicycle. What a POS.

Those ads were classic, though. Paul from the Diamond Center, too. What's that one that still running, Shane & Co?

Wasn't Matthews at one time the largest bicycle importer in the US? Or was it the largest store in terms of number of bikes "sold" annually? Something like that...

Sweeett! Here's my chance to get some classic steel!!

When's the next steel's real ride? I'll be there with my pimpin' Firenze!! although it would be funny to bring that to a ride, you bike snobs! ;)

Paul from the Diamond Center, too. ...


OH! "That's when I had him. Nobody gets turned down for credit at the Diamond Center." Those were really cheesey.

The ones I miss though are the TV20 commercials where they had viewers' pets on a chair and then they'd watch the TV20 logo zoom by. (we've got what you're looking for.... TV TWENTY) There were cats and puppies and iguanas and parrots...

Bad Credit... No Credit... EVEN BANKRUPTCY. Paul was hitting those threes better than Larry Bird in that commercial. In '89 I was rehearsing at a studio on 20th & Harrison. A new band moved in and the first thing they hung up on their side of the room was a big framed pic of Paul with that stupid grin of his. It didn't go well with the centerfolds all over the rest of the room..

The ones I miss though are the TV20 commercials where they had viewers' pets on a chair and then they'd watch the TV20 logo zoom by. (we've got what you're looking for.... TV TWENTY) There were cats and puppies and iguanas and parrots...

:lol:

This thread should be renamed "You know you're old-school Bay Area when you remember..."

Sweeett! Here's my chance to get some classic steel!!

When's the next steel's real ride? I'll be there with my pimpin' Firenze!! although it would be funny to bring that to a ride, you bike snobs! ;)

Ewwwww......dude, don't come near my Merckx with that!!!!!!

:lol:

This thread should be renamed "You know you're old-school Bay Area when you remember..."

Creature Features on KTVU.....yeah.

I kind of want to post a "I just bought this bike, did I get a good deal?" thread in the C&V forum, then build it up with a modern Dura-Ace/Super Record and post it in the "Classic bikes with modern parts" thread.

Hey, "Firenze" sounds Italian!

I kind of want to post a "I just bought this bike, did I get a good deal?" thread in the C&V forum, then build it up with a modern Dura-Ace/Super Record and post it in the "Classic bikes with modern parts" thread.

Hey, "Firenze" sounds Italian!

Super Record 11 on that GL5000 would be an unforgivable sin :p

I kind of want to post a "I just bought this bike, did I get a good deal?" thread in the C&V forum, then build it up with a modern Dura-Ace/Super Record and post it in the "Classic bikes with modern parts" thread.

Hey, "Firenze" sounds Italian!

I would love to see the reactions. :roflmao2:

The ones I miss though are the TV20 commercials where they had viewers' pets on a chair and then they'd watch the TV20 logo zoom by. (we've got what you're looking for.... TV TWENTY) There were cats and puppies and iguanas and parrots...


They're doing this again! I had to do a double take when I saw it on TV. It really took me back.

http://www.ibabuzz.com/tvfreak/2008/10/08/kofy-channel-20-reclaims-its-identity/

Any one looking for a match to the red Firenze??

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/bik/900023871.html/

Super Record 11 on that GL5000 would be an unforgivable sin :pSounds like a good reason to do it right there. ;)


I would love to see the reactions. :roflmao2:Me too. I've always wanted to put really, really low end parts on a really high-end frame (think Shimano Tourney on a Cervelo), but the other way around sounds like fun as well.

I kind of want to post a "I just bought this bike, did I get a good deal?" thread in the C&V forum, then build it up with a modern Dura-Ace/Super Record and post it in the "Classic bikes with modern parts" thread.

Hey, "Firenze" sounds Italian!

It "sounds" Italian? The citizens of Firenze shudder once again...

The word Firenze is certainly Italian, but I wager the bike ain't. :P

The word Firenze is certainly Italian, but I wager the bike ain't. :P

Believe the country of origin was Taiwan.

So I saw this add on Craigslist, and after reading all these threads I think I can get away with buying it for $$50 instead of 100.. I am just a newbie when it comes to Road biking, and just need something to get me from A to B, and something in my price range for a used old classic like this..
Any opinions? heres the ad http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/bik/2569650732.html

I think you better go back and re-read this thread from post #1. ;)

Yea Lol I changed my mind on The GL5000. I wanna go with a classic Schwinn or Peugeot instead, then convert it into a single speed I think.

I have heard (and I think that another BF post somewhere backs this up) that Firenzes were bikes from Taiwan that didn't meet U.S. safety standards. Evidently a whole bunch of Firenzes were imported/distributed to America, but they couldn't be sold - so many were given away in assorted promos, lotteries and drawings by retailers.

In fact, here (http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-57459.html) is the BF post that tells the story.