fastereddy

I recently purchased a beautiful Tommasini super prestige. It came with full Suntour Superbe Pro components. I was wondering if anyone could tell me if Superbe Pro would have been original for a mid 80's Italian Tommasini? Any info would help thanks fastereddy.

randyjawa 

The Tommasini Prestige would be most commonly fitted with Campagnolo Super Record components, and often times with Shimano Dura Ace. Both group sets were top of the line in the day. I see no reason why the bicycle could not have been issued with the Suntour Superbe Pro group, another top offering, but I am no expert. My Tommasini did come fitted with Campy SR and it is a lovely bicycle...

gomango

Our shop gave you choices with your Tommasini purchase.

Framesets: Super Prestige, Sintesis, Tecnos, etc. You were free to install whatever wound your binder.

or built with Campy or DA. For example, in the 80s you could get a Prestige with Athena or Chorus gruppos pre-installed. I don't recall if the bicycles came from Italy pre-built or if the dealer installed at point of purchase.

I've owned quite a few of these over the last decade, and all were originally sold as framesets.

If a person wanted to install Suntour Superbe Pro, our shop would have graciously accepted the order.

Do you have any pics to share with the Suntour components?

fastereddy

Thanks that helps a lot. Your Tommi is stunning! Mine is the grey, white, black and gold marbel finish. Does yours have a bolted on head badge? They are really cool. Thanks for the info, fastereddy.

T-Mar

The only groups that I recall coming stock on the Super Prestige from the distributor (William Lewis Imports)) were C-Record and Dura-Ace. The vast majority were purchased as framesets and built up with customized component packages. The early 1970s boom days were long gone, when you could sell a high end bicycle in stock form. The importance of proper fit had been recognized and smart shops marketed this by offering component packages with choice of crankset length, gearing, stem length, bar width and drop, etc. When you're spending that much on a bicycle, you want it to fit properly and meet your specific needs in the first place and not have to pay for swapping out parts. Consequently, most high end shops offered framesets with a selection of groups (C-Record, Croce D-Aune, Chorus, Dura-Ace, 600 Ultegra and Superbe Pro being the most common in the late 1980s) and further options for bars, stems, rims, tires, saddles and pedals.

The frame may be slightly newer than you think. The mid-1980s Tommasini used retinato paint jobs. I'm not sure exactly when the marble made it's debut but it was in offered by the very late 1980s. Given that the frame was almost certainly built up by a shop, the probability of the group not matching the frame vintage is much higher than with a factory or importer assembled bicycle. Pictures may allow us to narrow down the era.

fastereddy

Your amazing, I'll put some up I just need to put this project back a couple of days because I've been restoring 2 amazing bikes I just bought, an Italian Basso Loto and a rare Italian Mirella circa 1973 with Nuevo Record. Your knowledge is immense and I would really like to pick your brain some more. Back soon and thanks tons fastereddy.

Tinkel

I have a Colnago with Suntour Superbe Pro and it may look odd as we are most times hammered with campy or shimano
All i know is the looks are just amazing esspecially when in good condition
I doubt if the quality of the parts is any less than campy
So dare to be diffirent is my motto :-)
Enjoy the toma its a amazing colour scheme

DMC707

I vividly recall a Colnago Titanium Bi Tubo with a stunning copper and gold paintjob at my LBS in 1994 or 5 decked out with a Shimano 600 tri color build kit.

I recall the owner being a rancher from Texas who just wanted something to ride around his property (thousands of acres) --- He wasn't impressed enough with the performance of D-A over 600 to spend the extra bucks and Campy didn't tickle his fancy

Such a pretty bike -- I remember the owner too as he didn't look like the type to usually patron a bikeshop. Kinda stocky guy with a beard back before beards were "cool" with his jeans tucked into his muddy work boots