LucasHartong

Friends,

New member of the family at home! What I know until now: it's an Aquila, but which one?

Date of birth: 8/1976 (dates stamped on saddle stem and brakes)
Frame: Columbus 'tubi speciali rinforzati'
'Special World's Champion'
Quite a few Sakae parts: cranc, frontblade, saddle stem.
Front derailleur: Shimano 60
Back derailleur: Shimano 600
Brakes + handles: Shimano Dia Compe 'G'
Rims: Mavic Championnat du Monde sur Route
Naves: Campagnolo Record
Fork: Tange chrome

All together not bad! I really like it and am preparing her for the road again. Takes some time and I can pose some questions here: which type of Aquila is this? Does anyone know more about this Italian brand? Was it always built in Italy? And what kind of Columbus steel is this? Thanks for reactions!

LucasHartong

Some more pics of the Aquila.

LucasHartong

Last ones.

LucasHartong

Sorry, forgot the most important one... drivetrain.

T-Mar

I've never seen a Columbus decal like that. To the best of my knowledge, the two winged dove was only used on the pre-1978, borderless decals. This one has a a unique partial border and uses the quotation marks found on the pre-border decals. It also has a unique wording that's atypical of Columbus decals and lacks the registered trademark symbol. However, it implies that the frame has butted main tubes.

I see over the BB shell cable routing with clamp on shifters and a single set of bottle bosses. The combination of Campagnolo dropouts and a Tange fork crown is is interesting, to say the least. It is obviously a frankenbike. My overall impression is a late 1970s, mid-range model. It would interesting to know the seat post size, as this will give us a good indicator of the level of the main tubes. Have you verified that it does, in fact, have Italian BB threading (i.e. 36 x 24 stamped on the cups)?

LucasHartong

Thanks for the reaction! The dating of the decal is quite right. It's a 1976 (august) bike, although the crank is dated 1978 (J = january?). I'd never seen this decal before and can't find it anywhere. Aquila was probably 'frankenbike' To me it looks like an Italian hand-built special, not the average pruduction. The parts are all very lightweight, which could be an indication for a special too. The seat post is an SR Custom P3 'melt forging'. Don't know the size. I'll check the Italian BB threading!

LucasHartong

And presto! Italian BB threading 36 x 24.

T-Mar

If you remove the seat post, the diameter should be stamped on it, somewhere below the insertion mark.

The "J" stamp on the crankset indicates October (i.e. 10th month, as J is the tenth letter of the alphabet).

The build workmanship is clearly is mid-range, mass production for the era.

By frankenbike I meant that a number of components are clearly not original specification and that it has been rebuilt to a degree. During this era, it would be rare to mix Italian and Japanese components, let alone frame pieces.

LucasHartong

Could it be 22.2 on the seat post? Hard to decipher...

LucasHartong

I agree it's an unusual mix unless it was built on request for someone who wanted these specific components? They are all period-correct, even date-stamped... so I prudently figure the components were put on the bicycle at the same time? The only other option is that in a later stadium some owner took off the 'original' parts and put 'new' ones on the bike with period correct parts, which to me seems unlogical. But I'm just trying to decipher what I see now...

juls

Stronglight heaadset throws me-its a beauty for sure!!

LucasHartong

This seems to be another Aquila, bit older than mine, with quite some similarities (fork, ballhead...): giroditaliadepoca.eu - Bici del Gide: Aquila di Stefano Senna My Italian is not that good and Google Translate... well... I also found out that the bikes were (probably) made in Montevarchi (Tuscany), later in Castelfiorentino.

LucasHartong

And they even had a Touring? https://troppebici.wordpress.com/201...-touring-1970/

LucasHartong

Thank you! It sure is a beauty! Concerning the headset: I also took it for a Stronglight at first sight, but as there was no lettering on it (which Stronglight always has) I started searching (on Velobase). I believe it to be a Tange MA-60 headset, but could be mistaken. The fork is a Tange too, so it would make sense as a set?

LucasHartong

The mystery starts to unfold... Message from Italy! "Aquila was/is a producer located in Montevarchi, Arezzo. It was founded and directed by Dr. Pierluigi Picchioni. They built 'raw' frames in the 50's and 60's. After this they built sports- and racebikes for men and women. Aquila had a painting department and assembled bicycles to request, on the desired level. During the past years they sponsored good racers like Giuseppe Petito of Civitavecchia."

This could indicate that my bike was indeed built on request, with the original parts as is. Oh, the world of cycling. I love it!

LucasHartong

Tubing identified as Columbus SL/SP. One more piece of the puzzle solved. Freewheel turns out to be an Atom 'SGDG' (5 speed, black cogs).

juls

What's not to love??? How bout a pic of the full montey?

Bianchigirll 

I agree it looks like a nice bike. That rear reflector is fabulous.

LucasHartong

Here you go, 'full Monty'! Rims have been cleaned, new (Vittoria) tubes received, will be put on the bike later this week. In the meantime I discovered ONE (!) other Aquila with the same decals, but frame only so without parts. I visited my bike-shop today and they nearly dropped their coffee. Does anyone recognize the bottom-part by the way?

non-fixie 

Have a look through the posts in this thread. There are quite a few with similar holes, some even Italian.

LucasHartong

Thanks. Some have a resemblance, but still a mystery not solved...

non-fixie 

Another bike these pictures remind me of is the Union Rini Wagtmans. I've seen them with and without top tube cable guides, shifter braze-ons, and apparently they could be had with different kinds of Columbus tubing, including a 'tre tubi' version.

I haven't been able to find a definitive name for the builder of these frames. Motta is often mentioned, but he could also just have been acting as a go-between. Wagtmans himself mentioned in an interview somewhere that "they came from Italy".

Have a look at this thread.

LucasHartong

Interesting link. Some Italian frames it seems were imported to Belgium, Sint Niklaas, and sold there in the '70s-'80s. The name that pops up is Van den Berghe as distributor. I don't know if this was in the form of complete bikes or just frames that were assembled with parts in Belgium. This probably was the way my Aquila came to Belgium. But it's guessing with the bits and pieces I was able to gather... The Aquila was produced in Montevarchi, Arezzo.

LucasHartong

Pretty much finished with the Aquila. Everything has been cleaned and oiled thoroughly, new tubes glued on (first timer...) and ready to roll. Waiting for some nice sunny weather this coming Sunday. Can't wait! It probably wont win any concours, but I really really like it! And that's what vintage biking is all about, isn't it?