Namida12

From the decal on the steering tube I thought it was Corelli, but a friend corrected my reading of the brand, tis a Torelli Bicycle...

Company is still in business...
https://www.torelli.com/

Both Tires are flat, front one split, and the frame has a number of paint chips, scratches and it is dirty in need of a proper cleaning. I have had this Bicycle for about 3 weeks but was unable to take any photos until this morning...

My neighbor came round and took a few photos with her hand held camera... I have cropped and posted a few images, could someone tell me what i have purchased. Hopefully I have enough pics on-line to determine what i have found... Ordinary bicycle from a Italian manufacture I should have updated and ride for my enjoyment, or something a collector should have to preserve a bit of biking history...









I have not touched this Bike, nor cleaned as you can see from the photos. This is the lightest bicycle I have ever picked up, and thought it might be something special. I am a weekend biker trying to get comfortable riding a Trek 700 after 25 years layoff. The front decal is scratched and lose, there are also other blemished areas that make me ask, before using a degreaser and cloth...

Any information to guide me with this older Bicycle will be appreciated...

JR

wrk101

Looks like an ordinary bike from an Italian manufacturer, which is still darn good. But this is not a museum piece or what I would call a collector's item. Search is your friend. Most of your questions have been discussed many times. So you can get a lot of value from reading prior discussions. Ofmega cranks and Modolo brakes tended to be on mid grade stuff, the top end had all higher grade (NR) Campy parts. I have an Italian Bianchi with a similar mix of parts. I would consider my Bianchi to be a rider.

There should be a label on the frame noting the tubing brand and grade. Lots of grades of tubing, and that drives value. Looks like it could be on the seat tube underneath the bottle cage.


Chrome front fork looks out of place, but I am not that familiar with Torelli, it could be original. Anytime I see a generic looking chrome fork on a good bike, I check the top tube and down tube for possible damage (ripples, can feel them with your fingers). Chrome forks were often replacements after crashes. Not saying that is true in this case, could well be original. But the good manufacturers tended to have their logo cast into the fork crown.

Regardless, that's a super garage sale find, I usually find MTBs or really low end road bikes at garage sales. I saw at least 20 bikes at garage sales this weekend, one sale had five bikes, all 20 bikes were junk.

Use nothing abrasive for cleaning, no steel wool, no scotchbrite pads, no SOS, etc. Start with Simple Green and a rag. Italian paint and decals are sometimes fragile.

Namida12

Thanks cleaning is scheduled to be done... Then to get some tires on, and then clean out old grease, and check the bearings, and lube them... I am amazed the very light weight of this bicycle, and should ride nice... No ripples or odd feel on the front steering tube, crossbar, or down tube. No logo cast into the fork crown, on front, outside or inside of the front fork...

JR

ftwelder

Torelli is/was a very reputable distributor/importer who cruised small Italian builders for unique products and bought small lots for sale in the states. I am sure they were involved with Masi at one point. If you rode that frame in Italy you would find frame builders stopping you in the street to tell you that Torelli helped them at some point when they were new and less popular. It may also be an over-run from a larger factory building for another brand.

The lug experts may provide some better info. The head angle looks really steep. I can't tell you much more but would like to know the head angle. Some cell phones have angle finders built in. Are the dropouts stamped with a manufacturer?

Bianchigirll 

I agree Torellis were/are nice frames. I could never persuade, neither could the sales rep LOL, the owner of the shop I worked in to stock a few. in the late '80s early '90s you could get a nice Torelli SL bike or frame for a bout $100 or so less than the big name bikes.

what are the derailleurs on this? this looks something on parr with a mid '80s Bianchi Campione. can't wait to see it clean and shinny

Namida12

Bianchigirl, I am still cleaning and polishing. Just had the bicycle serviced hub bearings, bottom bracket, headset now the wheels spin forever... Bicycle is nice and I have included a links for the dérailleurs as you asked...

Please remember this is before I started cleaning and polishing... Not finished yet...

I would like to find a replacement rear wheel (Ambrosio 19 Extra ) and 6 speed cassette. I have changed the tires for a set of Michelin Pro race Blue/Black 700x23 that look quite striking with the Red Color of the Bicycle...

JR

Bianchigirll 

Ah Campi 980 derailleurs. what is wrong with the rearwheel? you current setup looks like a freewheel not a cassette

anadredins

I have the same bike and saw a rusty one listed about a week ago in Ebay that went w/o a bid at $350+ $100 shipping. Yours is ridden a bit more as the lettering is worn from the crank arms - says modolo if I recall on less used ones. Bike is a little heavy but smooth riding. Takes some real seriving to get the back shifter to stop clacking. Pedals are different than original - Its about a 1989. I real the corelli the same as its about the only model with that block script instead of thinner lettering .

Namida12

Bianchigirll, the rear dérailleur is quiet, but spin it up with wheel off the ground and there is a noticeable back and forth movement in the chain, a slight wobble in the freewheel (thought it was a cassette), might it be a bent axle, or could it be the hub? A good wheel and gear set was only a wish, as i have not investigated as much as i want... Question: Cleaning the spokes, will Steel Wool be OK? Or should i try to find some bronze, or brass wool instead, and what paste or liquid cleaner? YourBianchi's & Other bicycles always look amazing, thought i would ask your secret/suggestion...

Anadredins, I keep looking at other torellis, and have seen a later example for sale @ $1,220 (San Francisco), and a very attractive light colored early original Torelli in San Diego for $650 with the bike shop sales receipt... We have a fixie here in Vegas CL for $350 that was built with using a Torelli Frame, the seller has none of the parts that would have been removed to create the Fixie... Same decals as mine... I did not see the one you described on eBay... One in Arizona was nice also, but smaller frame than mine...

On the bottom of the down tube near the bottom Bracket their is a number that reads 000120 haven't a clue how to date this bicycle...

JR

anadredins

Last 2 numbers on frame BB is the year. Mine is about 87 but I'll flip it over to look . Yours doesn't have enough #s.
I had good luck on surface rust with a soft sponge with sort of tuffy grid on one side . Use a safe tuffy like product as bike cleans easier than I thought. I use a car wax and paint liquid cleaner on paint . Collinite boat wax and cleaner .

Bike is more like 23-25# unless frame is small. Value is frame as you only get more $$$ by upgrading components to more speeds better newer derailleur or indexing. I'm just fixing the annoying spots first - for me its noise on the 980 campy rear derailleur . I'm trying service and clean , new wire but if that doesn't work I've read a 6-7 speed athena , or chorus derailleur will make it shift better . A cheaper fix might be a shimano sis 6-7 speed as then I can still go to index later. These are under 50 fixs. You may want to look at
better 6-7 speed campi rear axel if you think its the axel as its same width I think 126 - Any more gears is wider than yours and you'd need to spread rear to fit.

You can also date bike by components.

anadredins

Here;' the craiglister I mentioned and mine is same color as this and yours
Revised on year - campy 980 derailleurs are 1980-1985 so I'd quess 85/86.
Torelli still uses that color if your red has little sparkle in that red - its candy apple

Bianchigirll 

the wobble in the freewheel is OK unless it is very out of wack or it takes more than a few degrees of pedal rotation to engage it.

I would not put too much stock in the serial numbers and matching them to models and years. I believe Torelli contracted with different manufacturers to make their frames.

anadredins

Well the same Torelli bike is still languishing a 2nd time on ebay without a bid listed at $300 plus $65 shipping .
That should ballpark the value as the rest of the value is tires , tune up , truing that the ebay bike does not have. I'm on to another set of tires/tubes on mine as it had pretty old Continental super sports and then truing the wheels.

My # on the frame 1050 - Beats me but I'm pretty sure its a 57cm assembled in 1985 based on dates for crank and derailleurs

repechage

In this market, someone will really have to have it for $300. This is not to say it is not worth it, if one rode it they probably would be willing to buy if for that price. This was a price point bike, Torelli would from time to time spec and buy a run of a bike like this, note the seat stays are just bent over, not capped or plugged, works well enough, just inexpensive. Chrome is probably original, easier to stock chrome than paint the fork to match. At the time of this bike, the Japanese had the price point component market, a customer had to ride one and upon feeling the difference between a Japanese bike and one of these then make their choice. So, the market was thin as by this time there were decently designed and built bikes from Japan, and even Taiwan.

Torelli also did a "gios" blue bike, they knew who to associate with visually.

tyler_fred

This bike is a Torelli Corsa Strada, the low end of Torelli bikes back in the mid-80's. Torelli sold four different bike models that year, the Corsa Strada, the Super Strada, the Tre Tubi and an aluminum bike whose model name eludes me right now. This particular bike I believe is made from Oria Tubi tubing. The crank is an Ofmega Mistral; derailleurs are Campy 980. I didn't look at the pics closely but Torelli used Gipiemme Chrono Sprint brakesets on the Super Stradas; not sure on the Corsa Stradas. The Super Strada sold for approx. $550 new, so the Corsa was probably $475 - $500 new.

TF