What makes Italian bikes so sought-after?
03-17-15, 09:57 PM
#127
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Don, its just the way i like them or remember them. A 52x42 crank and a tiny 19 or 21 freewheel. Real ball buster. In fat my old age I ride a 23 now. Beautiful bike you have there.
03-17-15, 10:59 PM
#129
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03-18-15, 05:53 AM
#131
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03-18-15, 10:26 AM
#134
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Don Marco, assuming that's perhaps you in your avatar(?), was that an Italian bike you were on?
Perhaps also no one will mistake my old English Raleigh for a sleek Italian bike, sorry to say, no matter how many races I won on it (exactly one). Style was secondary!
Yet it was a good bike that I was able to do my own work on and and I felt lucky to have it. Note that the forks, front wheel and caliper were definitely not stock at the time this picture was taken, and I see that by this time I also had removed the original safety levers!
Perhaps also no one will mistake my old English Raleigh for a sleek Italian bike, sorry to say, no matter how many races I won on it (exactly one). Style was secondary!
Yet it was a good bike that I was able to do my own work on and and I felt lucky to have it. Note that the forks, front wheel and caliper were definitely not stock at the time this picture was taken, and I see that by this time I also had removed the original safety levers!
03-18-15, 01:29 PM
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Last edited by Don Marco; 03-18-15 at 01:32 PM. Reason: just because
03-18-15, 01:38 PM
#136
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Nothing wrong with right front brakes. I still do it.
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03-18-15, 02:55 PM
#137
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Two very good reasons to have the front brake on right:
1. The rider is right-handed
2. The rider also rides motorcycles
In the US and other right-side-of-road countries it also enables maximum braking and signaling in traffic at the same time. Whomever was so misguided as to decree that front brakes should be on the left is also probably the person that decided Phillips screws should be the 'preferred' screw type.
1. The rider is right-handed
2. The rider also rides motorcycles
In the US and other right-side-of-road countries it also enables maximum braking and signaling in traffic at the same time. Whomever was so misguided as to decree that front brakes should be on the left is also probably the person that decided Phillips screws should be the 'preferred' screw type.
03-18-15, 03:18 PM
#138
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***Novice Opinion Alert***
The following post may contain content certifiably dumb-*ss in nature due to the fact the author has only four years in cycling.
I have to chime in here on this thread because suddenly I'm an Italiano Afficiando.
When I started, my best option was to build my rides from aged or beater used bikes. My first, a truly gas pipe Puch provided much mechanical insight, but was plumb ugly to look at. I was fascinated by those old bikes with LUGS.....chrome LUGS were even more eye-popping!! Besides, I read right here that lugged frames rode SO much smoother. I gotta get me somma 'dat!
After a year's search, I found and built up an old Atala commuter styled bike. Granted, it was built as a fixed gear, so eliminated much that could go wrong with an older bike. What I got was so surprising that I continue to be amazed at the comfortable ride, straight tracking and good looks. For not much more than the Puch cost ($25), I got a bike with tapered seat stays, chain stays and a lugged frame. Would do it again in a second! In fact, I'm on the lookout for a more prominent Italian brand for the N+1. I don't know if it's due to the "Italian" factor, or not, but it rides like a dream.
**Disclaimer**
The author raves about his Atala, but did not mention the sloppy brass splatter around said lugs, or the lousy paint job that covered it all up. Nor did he mention the ugly interior in the BB shell where unfinished tube ends seemed to be stuck in randomly with plenty of excess brass everywhere.
The following post may contain content certifiably dumb-*ss in nature due to the fact the author has only four years in cycling.
I have to chime in here on this thread because suddenly I'm an Italiano Afficiando.
When I started, my best option was to build my rides from aged or beater used bikes. My first, a truly gas pipe Puch provided much mechanical insight, but was plumb ugly to look at. I was fascinated by those old bikes with LUGS.....chrome LUGS were even more eye-popping!! Besides, I read right here that lugged frames rode SO much smoother. I gotta get me somma 'dat!
After a year's search, I found and built up an old Atala commuter styled bike. Granted, it was built as a fixed gear, so eliminated much that could go wrong with an older bike. What I got was so surprising that I continue to be amazed at the comfortable ride, straight tracking and good looks. For not much more than the Puch cost ($25), I got a bike with tapered seat stays, chain stays and a lugged frame. Would do it again in a second! In fact, I'm on the lookout for a more prominent Italian brand for the N+1. I don't know if it's due to the "Italian" factor, or not, but it rides like a dream.
**Disclaimer**
The author raves about his Atala, but did not mention the sloppy brass splatter around said lugs, or the lousy paint job that covered it all up. Nor did he mention the ugly interior in the BB shell where unfinished tube ends seemed to be stuck in randomly with plenty of excess brass everywhere.
05-02-15, 08:24 PM
#139
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I have tracked down my Quattro Assi to be initiated in America through Bill Lewis Imports who had the frames made in Italy - the steel was from Mannesmann in Germany. Then the bike was shipped naked to the US where Bill Lewis Imports painted it and private labeled it - with an Italian sounding name.
05-03-15, 03:04 AM
#140
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05-03-15, 04:09 AM
#141
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+1 on the surprisingly sprightly performance and feel of the contract-built Italian frames, such as by Mondonico, Biemmazeta, Bilato, and Ciocc.
Even their lower-level offerings seem to have it, like those sold as Torellis.
Come to think of it, even Campag's lowest-level gruppo from 1990 or so, Xenon, is a slick 7sp indexed gruppo that needs only a modern 9s chain and some lube inside of the shifter to thoroughly compliment the performance of one of these fine contract-built frames.
But this is not to say that the bikes and parts from other countries weren't also good, or as good. Many of them are.
Even their lower-level offerings seem to have it, like those sold as Torellis.
Come to think of it, even Campag's lowest-level gruppo from 1990 or so, Xenon, is a slick 7sp indexed gruppo that needs only a modern 9s chain and some lube inside of the shifter to thoroughly compliment the performance of one of these fine contract-built frames.
But this is not to say that the bikes and parts from other countries weren't also good, or as good. Many of them are.
i do believe that Mondonico served as contract builders, for Torelli at least as well as for racers who loved the qualities of a Mondonico but had to race in team colors or branding.
Before he set out his own shingle Antonio managed frame building for larger local manufacturers.
All this info used to be on the Torelli site, but I'm not sure if that is even still up.
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