Campagnerdo 

Hi Everyone,
I just picked up an old Italian frame. Dates from probably the early 60's or newer, and all decals are pretty much gone. There is a ghost on the top tube, "La Campagnola". I can post some pics later, but thought that this possible model name might ring some bells with someone. Thanks.

redxj

We are very visual people. We need pics!!!

randyjawa 

Are you sure the ghost writing doesn't say Campagnia? These were bicycles that I am aware of but nothing special, as I recall. Yup, better get us some pictures - make them clear, show frame set details and anything that you think to be a clue.

T-Mar

Randy,

I don't recall Campagnia, though there was Campania, which was a boom era, Japanese manufactured brand.

BlankCrows

I think the Campania marque was the one that was the company that bigbossman worked at for a few weeks in Southern California. OP, if the frame still has a headset on it look for a name on it and let us know what it says. If it says McIver on it then it is likely a Southern California build.

unworthy1

Since we're forced to guess without pics, I'll say it does ring a very faint bell: I have a vague recollection of some low-end model from *somebody* like Bottechia or Olmo that was called "Campagnolo" because it came with cheap Valentino gear. Hope I'm not insulting fans of those marques cause I really can't recall with certainty what brand it was.

triplebutted

I think its a Fuji, or Trek, or Royce Union, or Univega, or Gios Torino, or Bianchi bike that some hipster but some old stickers on it.
Pictures man! Pictures!

Campagnerdo 

I took some pictures, they are too big for the website to take. Tried to do some editing last night but was not successful in getting resolution reduced. So an additional delay to get the pictures up. The frame is very similar lug-wise to an early sixties OLMO, but no name on headset or seatpost clamp. Campy Gran Sport deraillers, Universal 61 brakes, Ambrosio aluminum stem(maybe bars also), no wheels, cottered steel cranks with no name but good quality(for cottered steel), Sheffield pedals. There is a serial number on the drive side seat lug. Rear brake cable concealed in top tube. Stamped steel drop outs. Whole frame may have been a chromovelato finish. Not a low quality bike boom version, looks more like better quality early 60's.

Picchio Special

Post the pics on a free hosting site and then post a link here. Sounds interesting.

Campagnerdo 

Here are some pics:

https://picasaweb.google.com/11402172...eat=directlink

MetinUz

The sticker is remnants of a Campagnolo sticker with the winged wheel logo. This is probably a Frejus or Olmo from 60's.

realestvin7

Sweet. Where'd you find this little gem?

Campagnerdo 

I had responded to a CL ad for a damaged bike frame that had some nice parts on it, and as I was walking out the back yard, this one was sitting in the dirt.

realestvin7

That chainring was a dead giveaway to where it was sitting. Good job.

rootboy 

I don't think so. Notice the laurel leaves, or whatever they are, surrounding the wheel? Also, that is definitely an "a" at the end of that word. Interesting as heck. I've wondered about, having seen Campagnolo spelled with an "a" at the end, a few times, mostly by English writers in the 70's. Perhaps you can list more about the components on the bike.

Bianchigirll 

I have asimilar problem. I have to 'scale' the Jpeg file before I can post them. I use an old HP program I got from one of my brothers years ago. it also makes the pics smaller for emailing too.

Otis

I have no idea what it was branded as but I would guess it was built by Fiorelli?

Maddox

ahson

Use 'imageshack.us' for hosting any pictures. Upload your pictures with them and select the size you would like to have (320x240 or 640x480 for forum), and there you go. You don't have to resize anything before you can share your pictures with us now.

RoboIsGod

I'm about 90% sure this is a Chiorda. They all use that seat cluster and lug style. Unfortunately they weren't really the best bikes, just bike boom stuff that was imported into the US. The internal cable routing is interesting though.

unworthy1

all those are good guesses, cause there were so many Italian brands that used the same (or very similar) lugs and that seat post clamp and "bullet" stay caps...so many that I couldn't guess with any certainty, but Olmo, Chiorda, Fiorelli, Atala, even Bianchi all had models with these features. The clues that are a little helpful are: the serial number stamped on the RH side of seatlug, the very rearward placement of the stay caps on that lug, the early internal cable sockets, and this maker used the World Champion stripes (but I guess nearly all the above makes could claim those, too).
As for the name: do you see enough of the beginning letters to know it's la Campagnola? I can only be sure of "la ___pagnola", and in any case I'm sure this is a feminine noun and might have some meaning like "Countryman" (or woman)...need to get an Italian speaker to weigh in, somebody like Citoyen du Monde.
Edit: babelfish translates it to mean "the countrywoman".

Kommisar89

First time I've ever seen a bike from that period with internally routed cables. I didn't know they did that before the mid-80's.

unworthy1

oh yes, there are even examples from the 40s that had it. Thing about those early internal cables: they usual did not have the convenient internal tube to guide the housing, so you really have to hunt to get the cable to exit once inserted. Hint: use the old cable as a "pull tape" to pull the new one through...cut off the old cable's lead end and spiral tape the new one on end-to-end.

randyjawa 

Actually, I have had a few pass through The Old Shed and all of them have been late sixties or early seventies Torpados.

At the moment, I am cleaning up an old five speed Torpado Luxe with the single shifter cable routed through the down tube, the bottom bracket housing and then out the chain stay...


And, I recently sold a Torpado frame and fork set with the rear brake cable routed through the top tube....

And I know I did something with this old Torpado, again featuring internal cable routing, but I cannot remember, for the life of me, where it went???


And, though I just realized I do not have one single picture of the cable routing on Bill's Torpado, a bike I built for a fellow, years ago, it, too had internal rear brake cable routing...

dbakl

I think Chiorda looks about right to me. Not like Olmos or Fiorellis or Bianchis or Atalas I've had.