Originally Posted by
Kommisar89
Now you could point out that the frames were an older design, but that design was the standard Italian stage racing geometry through the 60's (and we're talking early 70's here I assume) and rode quite nicely. And the frames were relatively light. With aluminum rims and crank the bikes could come in under 25-lbs vs around 21-lb for a typical high-end bike. And while Campagnolo Valentino wasn't the best, it was certainly more reliable than it's primary competitor, the Simplex Prestige.
I had a Falcon in this class, not a bad ride, but not as good as the Real Italian I got after it.
I think the Valentinos shifted a bit worse than the Simplex. I rode my friends' Raleigh Gran Prix and UO-8s, and the Simplex usually worked better than the Campy.
I think this bike could date back to as early as 1966 thru 1970. After '70 this class of Italians were starting to come through with some Japanese gruppos. Better function, same frames and saddles.