Help identify a really old road bike
07-17-09, 05:02 PM
#1
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Help identify a really old road bike
Old bike. only with a "C" on the badge. older style brake levers, not with suicide levers, cotter cranks, rear brake line stays on top of bar with what seems to say "REG" on them. breaks, and levers say Balilla. front derailleur says made in france.
any idea what this could be
**UPDATE**
okay, got the bike and cleaned it up. i have before and after pictures. like i said before, the break components are Ballila, and the shifters and front derailleur are Simplex, but the back derailleur is shimano lark ss, which im guessing isnt original. the simplex components say made in france and the ballila made in italy.
it came with a front wheel only, with the tire marked as Pirelli. The tire has additional writing on it- " AV. Alexandre De Gusmao 48(?) Santo Andre S.F". the hub is stamped " Brampton Made In England."
The badge only has a C. i have found no labels anywhere else and there is no visible serial.
So my question to you, bikeforums, what make is this bike? is it worth anything? My best guess is its something Italian. i originally planned to just clean it and sell it for whatever it was worth, but now after taking the parts off and cleaning it, i think the bike looks quite nice, maybe even right for a fixed conversion. would it be worth a complete restoration or should would turning it into a fixed gear bike be more appropriate? i was thinking if its not really worth much, i could get it repainted and have the head badge painted on because right now its flimsy and falling off.
(im pretty sure the yellow paint around the lugs was painted on by some idiot)
Before:
After:
Thanks!
any idea what this could be
**UPDATE**
okay, got the bike and cleaned it up. i have before and after pictures. like i said before, the break components are Ballila, and the shifters and front derailleur are Simplex, but the back derailleur is shimano lark ss, which im guessing isnt original. the simplex components say made in france and the ballila made in italy.
it came with a front wheel only, with the tire marked as Pirelli. The tire has additional writing on it- " AV. Alexandre De Gusmao 48(?) Santo Andre S.F". the hub is stamped " Brampton Made In England."
The badge only has a C. i have found no labels anywhere else and there is no visible serial.
So my question to you, bikeforums, what make is this bike? is it worth anything? My best guess is its something Italian. i originally planned to just clean it and sell it for whatever it was worth, but now after taking the parts off and cleaning it, i think the bike looks quite nice, maybe even right for a fixed conversion. would it be worth a complete restoration or should would turning it into a fixed gear bike be more appropriate? i was thinking if its not really worth much, i could get it repainted and have the head badge painted on because right now its flimsy and falling off.
(im pretty sure the yellow paint around the lugs was painted on by some idiot)
Before:
After:
Thanks!
Last edited by RoboIsGod; 07-21-09 at 08:56 PM.
07-17-09, 05:08 PM
#3
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sorry I'm looking at it now, can't take a picture.
rear derailleur is a Shimano Lark SS
rear derailleur is a Shimano Lark SS
[/IMG]
07-18-09, 01:52 AM
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I bought a bike with a C on the head tube. Don't know what make it is. No model name either. Here is a pic of it.
07-18-09, 04:15 AM
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The Balilla brake levers and the French derailleur say it's old (way older than Cannondale). Old enough that the equipment is probably only partly original (so the Shimano rear derailleur is irrelevant), and that the build spec is inaccessible. That means we can't say anything about the frame maker based on the parts. The only way we're going to be able to say something about the frame is to see pictures of the frame.
So, come back when you have some.
So, come back when you have some.
07-18-09, 04:21 AM
#8
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Obviously need a picture. Ballila brakes were used on older (1960'2) era Italian road bikes. Simplex derailleurs were used on French, Italian, etc., European road bikes.
07-18-09, 05:03 AM
#9
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Looks like a department store mountain bike to me.
07-18-09, 05:24 AM
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OK I,m rubbing the envelope against my forehead and I,m seeing -----Casati !
07-18-09, 10:37 AM
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So call now! That's One Nine Hundred, Bike Psychic, One Nine Hundred, Bike Psychic. Only $1.95 a minute to answer all your cycling questions.
Do you lay awake at night wondering what's going to break next?
Are you bothered by an unidentifiable ticking noise is at the bottom of your left pedal stroke?
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What is that bike with no decals you bought at the flea market?
Just call Bike Psychics for all your answers.
Do you lay awake at night wondering what's going to break next?
Are you bothered by an unidentifiable ticking noise is at the bottom of your left pedal stroke?
Should you keep that Swiss thread Phil Wood bottom bracket in case it's needed in the future?
What is that bike with no decals you bought at the flea market?
Just call Bike Psychics for all your answers.
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Still stupid and seriously neglected..
Still stupid and seriously neglected..
07-18-09, 10:43 AM
#13
Dropped
RoboIsGod, why would he need a bike psychic?
07-18-09, 02:36 PM
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I'm just troubled that a bike from the 1970s is described as "really old." What does that make me?
Neal
Neal
07-18-09, 02:52 PM
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72 Frejus (for sale), Holdsworth Record (for sale), special CNC & Gitane Interclub / 74 Italvega NR (for sale) / c80 French / 82 Raleigh Intl MkII f&f (for sale)/ 83 Trek 620 (for sale)/ 84 Bruce Gordon Chinook (for sale)/ 85 Ron Cooper / 87 Centurion IM MV (for sale) / 03 Casati Dardo / 08 BF IRO / 09 Dogma FPX / 09 Giant TCX0 / 10 Vassago Fisticuff
72 Frejus (for sale), Holdsworth Record (for sale), special CNC & Gitane Interclub / 74 Italvega NR (for sale) / c80 French / 82 Raleigh Intl MkII f&f (for sale)/ 83 Trek 620 (for sale)/ 84 Bruce Gordon Chinook (for sale)/ 85 Ron Cooper / 87 Centurion IM MV (for sale) / 03 Casati Dardo / 08 BF IRO / 09 Dogma FPX / 09 Giant TCX0 / 10 Vassago Fisticuff
07-18-09, 04:24 PM
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07-18-09, 04:39 PM
#17
Steel is real, baby!
07-18-09, 04:45 PM
#18
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hey, sorry for not having pictures yet guys. i submitted my original post from my phone as i was looking at the bike.
The bike is definitely a nice old road bike, all white with yellow lining the lugs. the break levers are those i've only seen on really old bikes, single lever with no suicide lever, no hoods, just metal levers. again, the badge of the bike just has a fancy C on it. i couldn't find a serial #, but i plan on going back to the guys house and either picking it up or taking some pictures. i could probably get the thing for $15, think its worth it?
The bike is definitely a nice old road bike, all white with yellow lining the lugs. the break levers are those i've only seen on really old bikes, single lever with no suicide lever, no hoods, just metal levers. again, the badge of the bike just has a fancy C on it. i couldn't find a serial #, but i plan on going back to the guys house and either picking it up or taking some pictures. i could probably get the thing for $15, think its worth it?
07-18-09, 04:56 PM
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Whoops, that's not the OP's bike.
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07-18-09, 04:58 PM
#20
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hey, sorry for not having pictures yet guys. i submitted my original post from my phone as i was looking at the bike.
The bike is definitely a nice old road bike, all white with yellow lining the lugs. the break levers are those i've only seen on really old bikes, single lever with no suicide lever, no hoods, just metal levers. again, the badge of the bike just has a fancy C on it. i couldn't find a serial #, but i plan on going back to the guys house and either picking it up or taking some pictures. i could probably get the thing for $15, think its worth it?
The bike is definitely a nice old road bike, all white with yellow lining the lugs. the break levers are those i've only seen on really old bikes, single lever with no suicide lever, no hoods, just metal levers. again, the badge of the bike just has a fancy C on it. i couldn't find a serial #, but i plan on going back to the guys house and either picking it up or taking some pictures. i could probably get the thing for $15, think its worth it?
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In search of what to search for.
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07-18-09, 05:16 PM
#21
Dropped
Velobase.com has a headbadge gallery. Maybe it's there?
https://www.velobase.com/HeadbadgeGallery.aspx
C's start on page 8 as of this posting.
https://www.velobase.com/HeadbadgeGallery.aspx
C's start on page 8 as of this posting.
07-18-09, 07:40 PM
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For $15 it's got to be worth it - Balilla levers alone could fetch more than that. When you've bartered the price down to £10.00 and taken it home, show us some photos! - Oh, and sorry - I'm pretty sure the C isn't going to stand for Confente!
07-18-09, 07:51 PM
#25
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i looked on velobase and the closest badge seemed to be that of Casati. the badge that i saw did not have the triangle in the background, or the words Casati. i think i might try and pick up the bike tomorrow.
https://www.velobase.com/HeadbadgeGal...2-9661e3fc2a8f
https://www.velobase.com/HeadbadgeGal...2-9661e3fc2a8f