The Vittorio "museum".
 

I had to share this, even though for most of you, there is nothing you can do to see it. :(

I was at my bike builder's place yesterday (picking up the real Campa sprockets I should have had in the first place - that's another story), and he showed me what he had upstairs, where I had never ventured. It is a veritable museum of cycling history.

Frank's grandfather started the business, his father spent his whole working life in it, and Frank - the current owner - is near retirement as well. Over all that time, they have been collecting bits and pieces.

They have about fifty bikes, going back to at least the '20s, and probably farther. Jerseys and photos from "the old days", and display cases full of old bike bits. I am reading "The Dancing Chain", and have now seen a bunch of stuff from the early chapters. It is fascinating! And he showed me that it actually works!!! I might not have believed it from the looks of the photos in the book.

When I go back for our bikes' 500 km check, I will spend a few hours there. What a treasure trove.

Cheers...Gary

Gary, was the winterbike with double rims still there ?, i believe the bike belongs to guy called ralph, (goes to Siberia) this is really a fine piece of bikecraftmanship, Vittorio, gosh they are expensive!

I didn't see the bike yesterday, but I did see it when I was there initially ordering mine - he was just building it. Three wheels bonded together with two huge spiked tires. Quite a beast. I expect by now that it is on the river.

And at the same time I saw the lightest bike he ever built. Someone had retired, and was treating himself to an ultra lightweight. It really was. I almost threw it through the ceiling when I picked it up.

Cheers...Gary

re "gosh they are expensive!"

At first I thought that was a question. Now that I see it is a comment, I must disagree.

I have a custom fitted, hand built to order, fully lugged, steel (Columbus Thron) frame, with custom mods to the basic racing frame design for "softer" riding; full Campa Centaur 3x9 gruppo with ErgoBrain 10; Ambrosio wheels with DT Swiss fittings and Vittoria Rubino tires; TTT stem and bar; VP pedals (my choice for various reasons), ...

The lot cost me about $1700 USD. Looking at the myriad ads for off-the-shelf bikes, I think this is a heck of a deal!

Cheers...Gary

I went to Vittorio last weekend for a free checkup of the bikes. While there, I got a few more piccies - this one is of a 1948 Campa setup. The rest are on my Web site - www.masong4.demon.nl

toolfreak: the "ice bike" was there this time! Turns out that while the river was frozen, it was in very bad shape, so the guy didn't get far on his ride last winter. However, Frank is doing some mods to the bike, and the guy is going to cycle ... wait for it ... across Greenland!

Cheers...Gary

I have always wondered how one shifts a half-step front changer with a Cambio Corsa rear. I suppose one releases the rear QR, pedals forward to change the front and/or pedals backward to change the rear, then recinches the QR.

I like the wet weather shoes.

Hey Gary, i liked your site!
Funny to see that you experience The Netherlands as laidback, i find it overcrowded with to many trafficlights :D

I also liked the Klomp with SPD- cleat, excellent idea for a bike party! :thumbup:

Hi Gary,

I too like your site. Love the cambrio stuff but couldn't imagine
trying to use it.
I noticed that in all of the pics of your bikes parked, none of em
seem to be locked. No bike theft? I found Vienna like that,
very open trusting city, wish it were that way here.

Marty

On the contrary - bike theft is major here. If they are our bikes, we are there with them or they are locked. I think what you may be overlooking is that many, many bikes are sold with AXA locks. They are a little semicircle bolted to the seatstays. You push down a lever and take out the key to lock, which completes the steel circle through the wheel.

I agree on the traffic lights, but I guess I am used to them. If I lived here for many years, I might run them like many of the natives. :o

Cheers...Gary

When I saw the title to this post, I thought it was about the Vittoria Collection of Cycling Art.

http://www.vittoria.com/gallery.htm

Only marginally related, but still pretty cool.