What is an “erba” ? Who was “H. Hagiwara”? Mysteries, so you turn to the clues you can find, one of which are the decals in Italian on this bicycle. Here’s what the web translations say about the English meaning to these Italian words and my sense in applying them to this bicycle.
Words:
Corsa – race/racing
Cicli – cycles
Grappone – Japan
Elaborated da – Processed by
Erba - grass
Phrases:
Cicli corsa erba giappone - racing cycles grass Japan (Japan grass travel cycles)
Cicli corsa - racing cycles (travel cycles)
Erba corsa – Erba race (grass travel)
Eloaborated da erba Hagiwara Giappone - Elaborated by grass Hagiwara Japan (processed by Hagiwara Japan grass)
What I think?
Cicli corsa erba giappone – Erba racing cycles Japan
Cicli corsa - racing cycles
Erba corsa – Erba race
Eloaborated da erba Hagiwara Giappone – Erba made by Hagiwara Japan
The translation of “erba” as "grass" has been commented on in other internet posts with the idea that this was some sort of joke by the builder e.g. we are all grass, etc., but I think this is wrong. I think this because "Erba" is an actual town in the North of Italy at the foothills of the Italian Alps. The Giro di Lombardia is raced there every fall and it is one of the last professional races of the season. I think it must also be an important race just looking at the names who have won it multiple times:
Multiple winners
WinsRiderNationalityEditions
5Fausto Coppi Italy1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1954
4Alfredo Binda Italy1925, 1926, 1927, 1931
3Henri Pélissier France1911, 1913, 1920
Costante Girardengo Italy1919, 1921, 1922
Gaetano BelloniItaly1915, 1918, 1928
Gino Bartali Italy1936, 1939, 1940
Seán Kelly Ireland1983, 1985, 1991
Damiano Cunego Italy2004, 2007, 2008
2Giovanni Brunero Italy1923, 1924
Aldo Bini Italy1937, 1942
Mario Ricci Italy1941, 1945
Jo de RooNetherlands1962, 1963
Franco Bitossi Italy1967, 1970
Eddy Merckx Belgium1971, 1972
Felice Gimondi Italy1966, 1973
Roger De Vlaeminck Belgium1974, 1976
Francesco Moser Italy1975, 1978
Bernard Hinault France1979, 1984
Gianbattista Baronchelli Italy1977, 1986
Tony Rominger Switzerland1989, 1992
Michele Bartoli Italy2002, 2003
Paolo Bettini Italy2005, 2006
Philippe Gilbert Belgium2009, 2010
Joaquim Rodríguez Spain2012, 2013
Vincenzo Nibali Italy2015, 2017
[Wikipedia]
The Giro di Lombardia follows a race route that passes the Chapel Madonna del Ghisallo,
dedicated by none other than the Pope, to Racing Cyclist with a museum at the top of the climb also dedicated to Cycle Racing. It is also one of the oldest bike races having started in 1905.
Mr. Hagiwara would have known of this, especially if he studied bike building in Italy. To me "Erba" is not about "grass" but about this place, literally the spiritual center of bike racing. There is too much craft, too much soul built into this bike.But again this is my speculation on the facts I know, it is my hope at the Eroica this year someone will know more, to hear “Hey, I know that bike….”
Wish me luck. 