Bikerider007

Was apparently at a foreclosed house and then sat for four more years in new owners garage until cleanout today.

Will probably just break down and clean up like the Olmo https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...rt-olmo-2.html for now. I'll post the breakdown and clean up when I get around to it. I am not up to speed on Legnano but appears early to mid 70's. Crank is diamond 73 and nut on hubs are stamped 73'.

Lots of chain rust and some surface. Seatpost not stuck :-) Looks mostly original. 54.5 ctc, Silver with red that faded.

As picked up, dirty but I brushed all the dust and webs off.

bikemig 

That's a cool bike. I'll bet it will will clean up well.

gugie 

Close up of the headbadge, man!

It's the money shot ona Legnano!

T-Mar

1973 is about right. Legnano stamped the serial numbers stamped on the bottom bracket from the very late 1960s to early 1970s. The R stamps indicates that it's built with Reynolds 531DB. The fading on Legnano was very common due to the transpatrent paint. This is the top end model form a highly regarded manufacturer that was linked to several legends in the sport, including Bartali and Coppi. Great acquisition. Too bad the previous owner converted it to touring.

markk900

In so many cases patina is just another word for "neglect" but in this case a clean up and polish is all I could see doing - looks great!

juvela

Congrats on this wonderful find Bikerider007!

The 3TTT Gran Prix is anachronistic for 1973 as the Record model had been out for a year or two by then. Perhaps Emilio had a supply of them with his stamp to work through. Rear skewer is CPSC. Nice that it still has its Nitor. Are the Gaslos yet in place?

rootboy 

Campy triple is a nice score.

Kilroy1988 

Super cool find, indeed! Is the head tube all chromed?

Bikerider007

Unfortunately its not the cool badge but Ill add some pics.

The headtube appeared it was red but paint faded off to due being a darker color, underneath the chrome is not finished.

Thanks T-Mar, the seat post is 27.2 so that is good to know.

I was hoping someone would bring up touring as I was wondering if it was common to have tubulars, a triple plus the Campy Rally touring rear. Would these have maybe been an option?

Thanks Juvela, good eye on the bars. Odd thing it also has Universal 61' brakes, levers and hoods. That's why I am not sure of age but I did find some others that came with those brakes in the late 60's/early 70's. The rear derailleur only has "patent" on it. It appears one of the skewers was changed but both are campy.

Your other comments are like a foreign language to me (and sometimes what you say actually is ) but always want to learn and would like to know about the "Nitor" and "Gaslos" comment.

Tires held air.... so of course I squirted oil on chain and hub and went around the block, could not resist. I kept it straight as much as I could as glue is gone, but they still held.

One last thing, does the dropout help with year? I think most of mine are the wraparound type lettering.

randyjawa 

That is a Grail Bike for me. Long have I wanted a Roma to keep my Grand Premio company.

John E

Fabulous frame and components -- major score!

juvela

[QUOTE=Bikerider007;19031894]Unfortunately its not the cool badge :-( but Ill add some pics.



The headtube appeared it was red but paint faded off to due being a darker color, underneath the chrome is not finished.



Thanks T-Mar, the seat post is 27.2 so that is good to know.

I was hoping someone would bring up touring as I was wondering if it was common to have tubulars, a triple plus the Campy Rally touring rear. Would these have maybe been an option?



Thanks Juvela, good eye on the bars. Odd thing it also has Universal 61' brakes, levers and hoods. That's why I am not sure of age but I did find some others that came with those brakes in the late 60's/early 70's. The rear derailleur only has "patent" on it. It appears one of the skewers was changed but both are campy.

Your other comments are like a foreign language to me (and sometimes what you say is :-) ) but always want to learn and would like to know about the "Nitor" and "Gaslos" comment.

Tires held air.... so of course I squirted oil on chain and hub and went around the block, could not resist. I kept it straight as much as I could as glue is gone, but they still held.

One last thing, does the dropout help with year? I think most of mine are the wraparound type lettering. QUOTE]





Thank you for the additional pictures Bikerider007

Nitor is the Cinelli brand name for their saddle and saddle pillar products (also variously seen as Unica and Unicanitor) ; they even produced add-on bag loops.

Gaslo is an Italian brand of handlebar raiments. Adhesive cloth tape and alloy handlebar caps were offered. Happy to see from new photos that machine still has its Legnano marked ones.

Gaslo advert of 1957:



Gaslo bar wrap:



Gaslo cap set marked for your machine's very close cousin:



Gaslo caps when not private labelled:



Backside of caps:




I have no wish to argue with those more knowledgeable than meself but am leaning toward a dating of slightly earlier than 1973. Multiple possible reasons exist for the hub locknut date. For example, replacement of axle set or it may be that when owner had machine converted to three plateau gearing they had the original hubs built into new wired-on wheels. If they subsequently decided to re-explore the tubular option they would have had to get new wheels. Also possible original wheels were stolen or damaged. Note also that spokes are plain gauge galvanised. Factory would have employed butted inox raggi from a maker such as Alpina or Redaelli Lario on a machine of this calibre at this epoch. Not quite enough res in photos to make out spoke logo. If it is something like Union that clinches it as U.S. built wheels, likely done at a Schwinn shop. Am certainly no Bozzi expert so am delighted to defer to the forum's numerous ones.

With regard to the presence of the Universal 61 arrestor set - it was common practice for machines which were NR kitted to be supplied with non-Campag stoppers well into the mid-seventies.

repechage

I think the bike received a few upgrades over time, cranks and spindle, front derailleur, rear mechanism to handle the triple and as mentioned the skewers, or at least parts of them.
Hub shells marked Campagnolo or Legnano

juvela

What makes you think front mech non-original?

Bikerider007

@repechage Hubs are marked Campagnolo Record. I wish they were the Legnano Campy ones...

repechage

The circlip front body is to me just a bit later than this bike.
Might be wrong, but the prior simplified design had a reputation for distorting, the upper link when under load bending the pivot boss.
I lost one that way long ago, from a bike bought new in 1972 after about two years of use.
I like the earlier screw back design. Spendy to buy now.

juvela

Thank you, my error. Did not look closely enough at front mech. Had assumed second gen. Campag timeline at Velo-Retro gives 1972 date for beefing up seat of upper pivot post. Says earliest ones with beefed up post seat did not have circlip. I cannot actually see the circlip in any of the photos due to photo angle.

Like you, I strongly dislike the second gen R front mech for its tendency to allow the upper pivot arm to walk off the back of the post. Had one on a bespoke built 1969 Urago that gave me fits. LOVE first gen.

Bikerider007 -

Waiting to hear news of spoke head logo and whether or not a circlip is present on front mech. Are bb cups R or NR? Thank you.

zebede

Here is a 1952 Legnano Headbadge (from a friends bike, here on the forums)

exmechanic89

Sweet bike. Sad to see how something like that ends up shelved/neglected.

Bikerider007

Some of the puzzle solved as I broke it down this morning, @T-Mar is the man and of course was correct :-) The triple was definitely an add on.

I took some pics so you can figure out the derailleur and spokes. I don't know if this is considered a better or average one or not. You guys lost me on that once again.












Sugino and Superbe bb




Saved the end for the tape and the metal chainstay protector



A little aluminum polish just to see how they look.




Brev Campagnolo axle



Complete bike. I always degrease everything first, then move steel to evaporust to sit overnight. Will polish aluminum throughout the week.

repechage

Spokes are Union Berg, appear the "rustless" version.
German. Rims are later , as seen by the label style. So, wheels are not original, as you know the bottom bracket is a replacement.
Circlip is behind the upper pivot arm of the front derailleur, it holds it in place under load. I am pretty sure it's later, but a typical wear replacement item.

juvela

Thanks very much for this update.

Spokes are indeed Union. Wheels definitely not built in Italia.

Bottom bracket spindle marked 68 yet shell would have been 70. Is it 70 now?

repechage spot on, como normale, regarding mech anteriore.

Those Leggy Gaslos can be quite dear:

capsula gaslo legnano brev n. 368045 (come da foto) | eBay

Bikerider007

Thanks repechage

Wow, nice perk I did not even consider.

I decided to go red on the tape, try to bring some color out. Newbaums color is not overwhelming and fades quite easy so it should fit nice and still look classy. Couldn't find any Gaslo and based on above I imagine its not cheap. I'll keep my eyes open though and may pick up if I find a fair deal. I did some light polishing of the decals in areas to see how they would come out and a good amount of color came back. A little more flat than original but look pretty good.

Going with gray cable as the original was. It looks brown in pic but was yellowed, ends were gray.

Debating on the hoods, any generic Universals out there? The NOS stuff is higher than campy. The originals are in bad shape. Not trying to turn this into an expensive project as its not original or clean as I prefer.

juvela

Colours selected sound just perfect!

Great choices. So many vintage bike restorations wash out the bike with harsh & bright trim hues.

Keep an eye out for some Binda straps in natural or red. Sometime in the mid-70's they introduced a laminated model which was only available in a neutral colour. That might make a good choice. Those Avocets certainly were not original. The Avocet marque did not exist when cycle left works.

BB spindle presents a bit of a puzzle. #MW 68 is a model intended for two plateau use in a 68mm shell. Yet we have three plateau gearing in a (nominally) 70mm shell. Can only wonder what chainline was like. Was inner c/w almost touching chain stay? How was lockring engagement on adjustable side; it looked "normal" in the photos.

Very nice work you are doing there in aridity terra. Thanks so much for sharing it with us!

OT: Appears someone in the home is a Cardinals fan. Were they a fan when team billeted in Saint Louis? Heck, you may have not been born yet when team in that city!

Ride-Fly

That'll clean up nicely! Can't wait to see it in the refurbed state!! Congrats!!!