KonAaron Snake 

I saw one being worked on at a shop once and I can believe it...the frame details were beautiful.

joe englert

ha ha not me its poglititti (isnt that right???

texbike

I love Italians and have been fortunate to have owned: Pinarellos(s), Colnago(s), a Pogliaghi, Cinelli SC(s), De Rosa(s), Bianchi(s), a Zullo, a Bottechia, Olmo(s), a Guerciotti, a Torpado, and a couple of Pegorettis.

I really liked all of them (some more than others), but my absolute favorite Italian is this one:



Texbike

Giacomo 1 

That is quite a list. I consider you to be a very lucky man to have owned so many iconic bikes. Got any pictures to share? I just realised that we didn't see enough Italian bikes in this thread!

I must say that I've never heard of a Cucinotta. But wow, what a gorgeous frame! I will certainly be hunting for one on e-bay....

Picchio Special

Marastoni, Masi, Marnati, Milani, Mozart, Macallan, Monroe, Masarati, Michelangelo, Mingus, Martin OM, Moss.

Next ...

(And yeah, I get that these aren't all Italian - I'm just following up on Italuminium's throw-down)

seypat

The thread is starting to fade so let me ask a question. Just one or two responses are needed.

How come you never hear anyone raving on about lower and mid level Italian bikes like they do the French ones? Are the Italians below the top level all POSes. I don't know so I'm just asking.

WNG

Some impressive lists presented, bikes and other nicely built Italians.
Ironically, I still haven't acquired my Italian bike yet, even though that's what I lusted for in my youth.
One day I'll find that Bianchi...classic Colnago, Cinelli, Gios, or De Rosa.

Meantime, my favorite Italian ....

(hope this is Work Safe!)

bigbossman 

Frankly, I wonder why people go nuts over the low-end French stuff. I've had several - I don't get it.

WNG

I'm not aware of too many factory-produced Italian brands that are in the scale of Peugeot or Motobecane.
Maybe Atala or Bottecchia made gas-pipe 10 speeds, that's as far as I'm aware of. Perhap this is the reason why. Hand-made Italian stayed to the up scale market. Didn't bother to compete with British and French mass produced bikes.

KonAaron Snake 

+1...

The key word in his statement was raving.

KonAaron Snake 

Bianchi and some of the Olmos.

miamijim

Others can correct me if I'm wrong but with the Italians they usually made bikes that either had top tier tubing or 1 level below (Columbus SL/Chromor) or with components that were at the 600/Chorus level or higher. Only a few companies, primarily Bianchi made full lineups but then agian they didnt go as low Schwinn or Peugeot and make $200 bikes.

If you scroll through old catalogs its literally SL/SLX/531 or nothing. Bianchi and Bottechia would have Allele and Cromor bikes and go down to 105 or Exage level components with even lesser tubing.

French, Japanese and American bikes......Hi-ten tubing and non name grand components throughout.

Italuminium

Believe me, there's a lot of low end italian stuff about, but it rarely left Italy, except for the aforementioned Bianchi's, Atala's and Benotto's.

I do understand why people love those French bikes - they're so full of charm! My sisters UE-18 mixte weighs a full metric ton, but it rides nice and it just looks so elegant. Same with french components, they have a distinct look that's hard to grasp, but almost never fails to charm (delrin simplex or low end huret does fail though). It's like the 2CV: ugly, ungainly, slow and dangerous yet followed by many rabid fans and universally charming.

martl

Holy grail:

Top of the tops:
Gloria (Garibaldina) - when Herse/Singer are the Bugatti Atalante of bicycles, Garibaldinas are the Lancia Lambda.

Close seconds:
Pre-war Ganna, Maino, Umberto Dei, Breschi-Stucchi; almost at same level: pre-war Bianchi

Their heritage in pre-war racing lift them above the rest.

Then: early Masis, Colnagos, Cinellis, De Rosas, Pogliaghi up to the 60ies. Also 50-60ies Bianchi Specialissimas - just gotta love the details, integrated headset and such

Then: various other 50ies bikes - copper plated Wiliers, Girardengos, Guerras, Torpados etc etc.

Then: small shop builds: Chesini, Grandis, Pegoretti, Zullo, Casati, Guercotti, Milani etc. One of these with especially nice details or racing heritage might move up a step or two.

second from last:
late (70ies and newer) Colnagos, De Rosas, Gios, Benottos, Pinarellos. "small factory bikes". Possibly would prefer a 70ies Benotto in team livery above the others.

last: The not so sexy marques like Vicini, Paletti, Ciöcc, Olmo etc. Also the big factory stuff: late Bianchis, Atalas, Legnano. Too much of those around, unsexy.

KonAaron Snake 

I don't know what size the OP rides, but if I were looking for a high level Italian bike, and if this fit, I'd be all over it:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI...ectorid=229466

It has a lot of Dura Ace on it, but at the time most riders prefered Dura Ace. I'd wager this will go below your price threshold and you could always change parts out to Campagnolo. Frankly I don't think you'd find a bike that matches this build quality from any of the larger names and it likely will sell below what the De Rosas, Colnagos, etc. will sell for.

jet sanchEz

I have a lot of Italian bikes and my favourite is the De Rosa but lately, my new-to-me Colnago Master Extra Light has been getting a lot of saddle time. The Colnago is very peppy and agile and feels a bit quicker than the De Rosa but that might be because it is a smaller size than I am used to riding. I have a couple of Cioccs too and they are fantastic handling bikes.

dbakl

Hey, get this one, its red:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Vintage...c#ht_990wt_485

753proguy

That's pretty, but worth maybe half the opening bid (like most bikes seem to be on eBay, these days, unless they're worth one-third or one-tenth!). None of the parts is original to the frame, the brakes are the wrong reach, etc., etc. Bet it doesn' sell....

lotek 

get this one:

aixaix 

Great Italian bike thread, and nobody mentioned Frejus yet? Then again, I could have missed it...

ciocc_cat

"Not so sexy?" Uh, of course you are most certainly entitled to your opinion, but have you ever actually ridden a real Pelizzoli-built Ciocc? Just curious.

Italuminium

+1 on the copper plated Wiliers! Just curious Markl, were do you place ALAN's in your scheme?

art*deco

I like the lesser known Italian brands (= lesser known by normal people, not by you C&V demi-gods). Mainly because they are slightly cheaper around here.

* Olmo.
* Basso.
* Ciöcc.
* Rossin.
* Battaglin.

* Somec. (= And a slightly more expensive brand, that is a rarity around here)
* Gios (you can find them easily in Belgium because of Roger, but most are in bigger sizes.)

unworthy1

was there ever one that actually had copper plating? All I've seen were copper colored cromovelato, that is: colored transparent lacquer over chrome plating.
I have seen some copper plated frames but those were old Libertas or Flandrias and some very recent Mondonico...even with a clear coat I bet they develop some nice green verdigris pretty quick.

Picchio Special

Yes, at least some of the early Wiliers were copper plated:

https://www.classicrendezvous.com/Italy/Wilier_bik1.htm

The cromovelato technique was used later. Wilier actually folded in 1952, but was reconstituted under new ownership in 1969.