I hate steel bikes but I LOVE vintage Olmos. I think the default response to someone building up a new Rivendell is to slap them and tell them "you
could have had an Olmo!" To me the standard answer for the Olmo is does it have the original fork. If it does then you have to restore it. My thoughts on how vintage steel bikes ride aside, Lugged Olmos are beautiful. On top of that you can dress the bike up with all the pantagraphed Campagnolo components that say Olmo everywhere. I almost kept a 60cm Olmo with pantagraphed Olmo/Campagnolo Gran Sport. I ride a 69cm bike, but that wasn't the reason I didn't restore my Olmo. It didn't have the Olmo fork.
Most C&Vers don't know the history of Olmo. Sheldon Brown certainly never bothered to learn, repeating the "schwinn of Italy" mischaracterization. During the bike boom Olmo's were only imported at the top end and were more expensive than equivalent Colnagos. Colnago then focused their marketing on the US, and Olmo basically didn't care to chase the US market at all. That's why every orthodontist and anesthesiologist in the 80s and early 90s had their Colnago. Its because its what they were told was a top end Italian bike. Most people had never even heard of Olmo. Yet they are, were and have been one of the best biciclette builders in Italy, and certainly in the world.
A bit of history:
Olmo in 8 tappe
Giuseppe Olmo raced in the United States, in Los Angeles at the '32 Olympic games, winning Gold in Team Road & finished 4th in Individual road.
Guiseppe Olmo won 20 Giro stages, finished on the podium twice but never winning it. He also finished fourth once.
His best Giro was '36 with 10 stage wins finishing 2nd to Gino Bartali (that Giro had a split peloton w/46 team riders & 44 independents)
Olmo was the Italian National Road champion in '36.
Olmo won Milano-Torino in '32.
Olmo won Milan-San Remo in twice in '35 & '38.
Olmo won the Giro dell'Emilia in '36.
Olmo held the most prestigious world Hour record eclipsing 45km in '35 at Vigorelli Velodrom in Milan, which would stand for a year.
Olmo won the track championship in '40.
While no one on your group ride may know what an Olmo is, as they don't exactly advertise in Bicycling or Bicycle Guide in the US, Olmo was a household name in the nineteen thirties and built up one of the worlds most dominant bicycle brands. They never catered to the US market, but the quality of their bikes could NOT be further from the erroneous characterization as "the Schwinn of Italy." Olmo manufactured some of the best bicycles in the world, a far cry from the low end stuff Schwinn churned out. Check out their modern lineup:
Olmo
Everything from uber Italian design shop Olmo Time Trial bikes to road racing bikes with Campagnolo Super Record 11. They also make Mountain bikes and comfort bikes and cruisers, but these are QUALITY bikes not like the low-end crap we see in the states at price point. Think more along the lines of a Bianchi Cafe cruiser and much less like a boat anchor Schwinn. Some of their city/cruiser bikes would still stop traffic in Boulder (where the Rene Herse brand was purchased and relocated) their lineup is just incredible even today:
Fun, City & Comfort
Someone on C&V once posted the following model breakdown for C&V Olmos with their components:
Competetion “C” Titanio – Campagnolo Super Record
Competetion “HF” Telaio Corsa – Campagnolo Record
Competetion “C” Special – Campagnolo Nuovo Record
Competetion “C” – Campagnolo Nuovo Record
Competetion “A” – Campagnolo Nuovo Record
Olimpic “C” - Campagnolo Nuovo Record
Olimpic “A” - Campagnolo Nuovo Gran Sport 10 speed
Gentleman - Campagnolo or Huret 10 speed
Super Gentleman “Z” - Campagnolo Nuovo Gran Sport
Gentleman “Z” - Campagnolo Nuovo Gran Sport
Grand Prix “C” - Huret or Campagnolo Valentino 10 speed
Nuovo Sprint - Galli Sport
Nuovo Super Sprint - Campagnolo Nuovo Gran Sport
Professionista (Team Replica Bike) - Campagnolo Super Record
See anything that "looks" like a Schwinn above? You won't see any cheap Suntour or low end Shimano on a vintage Olmo. Sheldon Brown for whatever reason wasn't an Olmo fan, and mischaracterized Olmos. Olmo is not Schwinn, Olmo is/was Colnago with more scale and resources, think Trek/Klein/Bontrager/Lemond multiplied by Cannondale only with a better pedigree and authenticity.
Look at the Olmo on this page and tell me if it doesn't seem like the Lemond Maillot Jaune bikes were manufactured by Olmo (Sport Illustrated cover):
olmo | Velo Finds
http://www.bikeforums.net/profession...eg-lemond.html
Olmo decals for restoration are readily available. You can bring a good undamaged Olmo back to C&V glory!
I'm a huge Klein/Cannondale guy, but like they say on Top Gear you're not a petrol head until you've owned an Alfa Romeo, well with bicycles you're not a real cyclist until you've owned an Olmo. Everyone knows Ferrari and Lambo, but real car guys also know Masaratti. Think of Colnago as Ferrari and Masaratti (pre-acquisition) as Olmo. Only Olmo is a HUGE manufacturer of bicycles, not a brand to be acquired.
Restore that Olmo! Look for vintage components with the telltale Olympic rings engraving or pantagraphing. The Olympic rings indicate they were OEM on an Olmo (Campagnolo, 3T, etc.).
For the record Campagnolo was founded in '33 and Olmo in '38. Colnago? Pfff, they don't show up until 1952.
Restore that Olmo, and I don't even like steel bikes. However, if it has to be steel, make it an Olmo. Supposedly Olmo imported some 66cm bikes and much like the Klein 69cm bikes, I've never seen either. They are unicorns. If I ever find one you can bet your a$$ I'll have it in the stable and reacquire all the Olmo Pantagraphed Campagnolo Gran Sport I sold off with my Olmo. Will it outride my Cannondale STs? It will be my most beautiful bike, will it ride better than my C'dales? That won't be the point. It's an Olmo!
Olmo is a great candidate for your best bike, and having a good Olmo example is the sign of being a serious C&V collector, in my mind. Olmo might be the only bicycles that would make me wish I was five foot nothin' so I could cruise around all day on Italian on Italian, and I don't even like vintage steel bikes.