Classic & Vintage - Italian Marinoni??

Some seller on Ebay is selling an Italian Marinoni (http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180564445114&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT). Though too big for me, I am tempted to purchase it just to straighten this fool out. An Italian Marinoni is an extremely rare beast and must be worth a great deal of money.


The seller insists the bike is Italian, in spite of several people telling him that it is Canadian made. He argument is that since Guiseppe Marinoni is Italian and from Italy, and even though the bike was built in Canada, it is, in fact, Italian.

Good grief. The bike even has a Canadian maple leaf on the seat tube. Good grief.

I did email the person, asking where I could find information pertaining to the Italian Marinoni. And he, or she, told me to Google. "Do a search of Marinoni bicycles and you will get quite a few hits. They still operate out of Canada. Also search "vintage bicycles Marinoni"".

I did that many times over the years, and, more often than not, my website comes up.

Anyway, that is about as ranti as I get. But this arrogant behavior really bugs me.

He argument is that since Jim Miele is Italian and from Italy, and even though the bike was built in Canada, it is, in fact, Italian.

Good grief. The bike even has a Canadian maple leaf on the seat tube. Good grief.


Wouldnt that be Guiseppe Marinoni, not Jim Miele?
Sounds like the seller is an idiot.

+1 that he's an idiot, but at least he publicly posted the "questions" that point out that he is wrong.

Wouldnt that be Guiseppe Marinoni, not Jim Miele?

A silly mistake and I just edited the post, removing Jim's name and adding Mr. Marinoni's.

Not a complete idiot, at least he's not saying Guiseppe Marinoni built the bike.

Wow, that is a beauty and in great shape, think it'll hit $500?

Did you ever see the movie Deux Secondes?

Ask him if a Gucci bag made in China is Italian and whether it should fetch a premium.

I don't really understand the seller's argument. I mean I do in that the bike is built in an Italian style, but everybody knows Marinoni is Italian and lives in MTL so why push the point?

+1 that he's an idiot, but at least he publicly posted the "questions" that point out that he is wrong

Actually, he is no longer posting questions for others to read. Neither of mine showed up in his listing.

I am interested to see how this one does. I just picked up a 52cm Marinoni Special frame, the one with internal cable routing, and intend to offer it on Ebay this week. Of course, mine is a Canadian made Marinoni, and no where near as valuable as the elusive Italian model.

171690

191 sales and 100% positive feedback.
Obviously his statements are true in his own mind.

And if the bike is in good shape and is a real Marinoni and the price is right, it doesn't really matter if he calls it a Malaysian bike.

And if the bike is in good shape and is a real Marinoni and the price is right, it doesn't really matter if he calls it a Malaysian bike.

To you and me but what about the poor person who buys the bike, only to find out that it is not of Italian origin? After all, the Italian vintage road bicycle is the legendary grail of vintage road bicycles. More so to the newly initiated. Come to think of it, they are grail like to me also and I have been at this for a little while.

Wouldn't that be Guiseppe Marinoni?
Sounds like the seller is an idiot.

Actually, no it wouldn't be Guiseppe Marinoni. His name is Giuseppe with the "i" before the "u". Secondly, just because it is a Marinoni does not mean that it was built by Marinoni or even in Canada. He had some bikes built by Vianelli in Brescia Italy (I have seen them with my own eyes!), so I would be somewhat more cautious saying the seller is wrong. He is likely wrong, but none of us can be absolutely certain.

He had some bikes built by Vianelli in Brescia Italy (I have seen them with my own eyes!)


And this is what I was asking the seller to show me. Like you, he claims that they do exist but this, though I am no expert, is the first I have heard of it. Again, how can I verify this? Which bikes did he have built in Italy? What vintages? Do you know where I can find any information on these bikes?

The Canadian made Marinonis are exceptionally nice... one of the mechanics I know here got the last lugged frame they built and this was by special request.

His shop has had a long standing relationship with the company so indulged him and built him one of the nicest racing frames I have ever seen.

Some folks have really chugged back too much of that Italian Kool Aid... there are builders outside of Italy who make bicycles that are every bit as good and quite often better and to me, Marinoni is much Canadian as it is Italian.

We used to have a pretty thriving frame building community here in the 80's and 90's and my partner is the only one of those original builders who is still building and a few younger fellows are coming up and building some pretty nice bikes.

I too hope to carry on that tradition and even though my name is not Luigi I think I will be able to build some surprisingly nice bicycles.

one of the mechanics I know here got the last lugged frame they built and this was by special request.

Virtually every bicycle I feature on MY "TEN SPEEDS" (http://www.mytenspeeds.com/My_TenSpeeds_1/) belonged to me, at one time or another, however...

I would love to see a picture of that last frame set, or even more than one pic. Granted permission, I would also like a chance to write, and publish, a feature article on the bicycle. I do this sort of thing because I hope to offer others a resource on Canadian made vintage road bicycle and because I like to write. I might add that this would be a big step for me since, so far, all MTS content is of my bikes, hence the name, My Ten Speeds. But the last lugged Marinoni built!!! I will even write an article on the Sekine SHX270, even though it was never mine.

Anyway, if there is a chance that the above could happen, let me know. Thanks. And even if that is too much to ask, how about a picture for the rest of us to view here?

I too hope to carry on that tradition and even though my name is not Luigi I think I will be able to build some surprisingly nice bicycles.

Wait. Your name is NOT Luigi? I'm so disappointed!

And this is what I was asking the seller to show me. Like you, he claims that they do exist but this, though I am no expert, is the first I have heard of it. Again, how can I verify this? Which bikes did he have built in Italy? What vintages? Do you know where I can find any information on these bikes?

I don't think that it would be easy for you or me to recognize the difference. I don't think they were meant to fool anybody into thinking they were buit in Canada, just that teh building style was very similar if not basically identical. It would appear that they were built at a time when Marinoni was not able to keep up with demand. I must say that I was somewhat shocked to see them, as I had previously owned various custom-made Marinoni frames in the late 70's and early 80's.

Virtually every bicycle I feature on MY "TEN SPEEDS" (http://www.mytenspeeds.com/My_TenSpeeds_1/) belonged to me, at one time or another, however...

I would love to see a picture of that last frame set, or even more than one pic. Granted permission, I would also like a chance to write, and publish, a feature article on the bicycle. I do this sort of thing because I hope to offer others a resource on Canadian made vintage road bicycle and because I like to write. I might add that this would be a big step for me since, so far, all MTS content is of my bikes, hence the name, My Ten Speeds. But the last lugged Marinoni built!!! I will even write an article on the Sekine SHX270, even though it was never mine.

Anyway, if there is a chance that the above could happen, let me know. Thanks. And even if that is too much to ask, how about a picture for the rest of us to view here?

I will see what I can do... the owner of the bike is the former owner of the shop he now just works at and is a pretty decent fellow who appreciates this kind of thing.

This rather old and established shop has had a relationship with Marinoni for a very long time.

I have to swing by there soon as they have a few boxes of dusty old parts they want to pass along to me. :)

Seeing this frame on Ebay makes me feel even better about my recent Craigslist deal on my '83 Special.
CDM - thanks for the clarification - I had no idea that the Marinoni workshop had some frames made elsewhere. Also - thanks for setting me straight on the correct spelling of Giuseppe's name ;)

Sixty Fiver - +1 - I think "Italian fever" hit its high point in the mid to late 80's, and began after "Breaking Away" was released. I know many of the classic workshops began producing average-quality frames when the demand required higher production than they were (perhaps) prepared for. I know Colnago quality dropped off after '84.

I am impressed with the quality of workmanship on my Marinoni, and I consider it to be a Canadian frame :) (yes, made in the Italian style).

I think I was a bit harsh in calling the seller of that frame an "Idiot" - however, I think he's handled the questions poorly.

This is a quintessentially "Canadian-identity" question, so hope y'all others'll bear with me: just out of curiosity, what threading does a Marinoni's bottom bracket use? After all, it is a frame fashioned by an artisan of Italian heritage in a French-speaking province of a country that is a member of the British Commonwealth (and shares tooling with the United States.) The only thing I'd bet for sure that it is not, is Swiss.....

This is a quintessentially "Canadian-identity" question, so hope y'all others'll bear with me: just out of curiosity, what threading does a Marinoni's bottom bracket use? After all, it is a frame fashioned by an artisan of Italian heritage in a French-speaking province of a country that is a member of the British Commonwealth (and shares tooling with the United States.) The only thing I'd bet for sure that it is not, is Swiss.....

Italian I believe, and Giuseppe Marinoni is a Canadian of Italian descent, the company 'Cycles Marinoni' is a Canadian company always has been what's the problem, the bikes are Canadian period.

Higher end Marinonis like the Special were made to order so a person could have had an Italian BB installed. My old Marinoni had an Italian BB and it was painted with the Italian flag, maybe the original owner was Italian. But, it had a Dura Ace 7400 group on it...?

It rode really well, I wonder what the hell I was thinking when I sold it....

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j103/jetsanchEz/Marinoni45-1.jpg

Italian I believe...<snip>... the bikes are Canadian period.

+1, mine has a Italian BB, came with Campy parts and Cinelli bars/stem and is a very well made bike. I really like the mapleleaf on it too ;)

My "Special" has an Italian BB

More of a MONTREAL bike than a CANADIAN bike.
sorry but I always thought "CANADIAN" referred to a whole lot of nuthin--

More of a MONTREAL bike than a CANADIAN bike.
sorry but I always thought "CANADIAN" referred to a whole lot of nuthin--

:wtf:

More of a MONTREAL bike than a CANADIAN bike.
sorry but I always thought "CANADIAN" referred to a whole lot of nuthin--

That is a pretty rude comment!

naw man, a Montreal bike is a rusty U0-8 with a milk crate bungee corded to the back. Though Montreal is awash in Marinoni and Miele bikes. Usually around 500-600 for a special on CL

This thread has gotten ugly and I'm afraid it's my (unintended) fault that the tone went sour. This response...


Italian I believe, and Giuseppe Marinoni is a Canadian of Italian descent, the company 'Cycles Marinoni' is a Canadian company always has been what's the problem, [emphasis added] the bikes are Canadian period.

to my (intended) light-hearted question about what bottom bracket threading would be used in a Marinoni made it sound like I was casting aspersions on Mr. Marinoni's bona fides as a Canadian or on the provenance of his beautiful bicycles. I am so sorry for this: he and his bicycles are as Canadian as hockey fights and back bacon, and much more worthy of being proud of. If I was making fun of anything, it was the narcissistic obsession that Canadians of my generation have with figuring out what it means to be Canadian. If Terrors is younger than I am, his missing of my point just probably means that this weird thing I grew up with is not on the radar screen of his generation, and that's a good thing.

So yeah, maybe the jibe that "CANADIAN referred to a whole bunch of nuthin" isn't too far off the mark if it was being aimed at me. I just feel like a jerk now.

I can corroborate that Marinoni had some frames manufactured outside his Lachenaie facility, having being issued one for the 1991 season. All the contract built frames I've seen bore dual serial numbers, one being the manufacturer's and the other being Marinoni's. There were even some Japanese built frames.

All the Marinoni built frames I've owned and worked on, up to and including a couple of 1991 models, have had Italian threading. Forum member Cyclotoine has a 1992 with English threading, so there may have been a switch sometime during 1991/1992.