Last ride 76 

ridden less than 100 miles and put in storage. Model Competition "C" Titiano

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I was originally interested in this bike to use the rear derailleur for rebuilding my '74 Ron Cooper. After getting acquainted with the bike, I realized how unusual it is to have a 40 year old bike with mint condition original parts. (Mine aren't bad, but not in this league. I got an estimate of $1000 dollars. I'm hoping that's because I took lousy pictures. I am willing to forgo a couple of hundred dollars to pass this bike along intact (as long as my wife never finds out).

Given the scarcity of the components in almost NOS condition (look at the pedals) and the level of milling and pantographing, I am asking for an appraisal of the bike taken as a whole and also as the sum of its parts.
Extra-special details:
1) 1st gen Super Record rear derailleur pat '75 with titanium bolts
2) Elegantly re-profiled and relieved Super Record cranks (imagine mexico style cranks done by bugatti)
3) Milled pre-CPSC Super Record brake calipers.
4) 1st Gen Super Record Bottom Bracket, with alloy cups, titanium axle
5) Olmo pantographed Cinelli 1a stem
6) Milled shift levers
7) Cinelli Unicanitor suede saddle
8) Super Record pedals with titanium spindles

Thanks for looking,
Eric

PS. It was suggested to me to keep it to ride. I have good bikes to ride, just not in this condition.

big chainring 

How 'bout a picture of the whole bike?

I think you have something special there.
$1000 would be giving it away. Might be worth double that.

american psycho 

Looks like a 56 - at the top of the size range for Asian buyers. Right around $2000 maybe a bit more.

I had a similar condition 1974 pantograph Molteni Colnago Mexico that fetched $2600 to a US collector. A bit older, way prettier, and a bit more cherished than a root beer Olmo.

beautiful bike - put it up for a fixed price and wait for the right buyer.

Kactus 

With all of the milling and pantographing, I wonder if that may have been a show bike.

repechage

The cranks, other than the through milling of the spider arms I think were done by Campagnolo. In early 1975 at the shop for which I worked got in a Cinelli Supercorsa that had cranks that looked just like that save the extra milling. They were NOT common. Only set I saw until decades later. We wondered the why/how. One shop rat suggested that they began their life as production error cranks then got lots of hand labor and maybe some machining before… who knows.

This bike is difficult to estimate, the Olmos in the USA received more attention earlier, then the importation stopped essentially. So they are a bit forgotten. Italy might be a better audience in this case. $2k is possible, but maybe not a "snap it up" sale.
I would reference shipping to Italy and be ready to provide a reasonably knowledgable quote.

kroozer 

Is this an Olmo? I don't see any of the usual engraving on the fork crown, seat stay caps, brake bridge, etc.

repechage

I think so. The "engraving" I think came in the later 70's onwards.

Bianchigirll 

Simplicity! Nice color too



The original 'Skeleton" brake?

sandy79

wow beautiful

Chombi

It's a bit puzzling that this bike does not seem to have anything that outwardly says it's an "Olmo" except for the stem pantographing.....
I'd be more conservative and go with around $1800 max because of the bike's identity being a bit unclear. If it had more "Olmo" names pantographed on the components and graphics and a headbadge on the frame also saying so, then I can see $2K and higher..... Higher, if provenance saying that this might be a special custom showbike build for big shows can be proven.
Except for the milling/reprofiling of the crankset, which is really beautiful, most of the pantographing and milling although very well/cleanly done is not really that unique, compared to what other's were doing back then.....

Last ride 76 

I was told by the previous owner, who saw it, and who later bought it from the first owner, (I have no documentation to prove this) is that it was the display bike at the New York Bike Show.

The decals for the show were apparently put on in a hurry and never clear-coated. They were sprayed with WD-40 and unintentionally wiped off. The lettering on the chain stays seem to bear this out, as they also have no clear coating and can be rubbed off with a thumb.

The craze for stamping stay caps and brake bridges etc. became more wide spread in the years after 1975.


"It's a bit puzzling that this bike does not seem to have anything that outwardly says it's an "Olmo" except for the stem pantographing....."

Sorry for the delay in posting additional corroboration as to it's being an Olmo Competition "C" titiano. The paint and panto infill, but in particular the distinctive long fluted seat stays that stand out in the catalog picture and the photos I took should be sufficient to validate the identity of the maker.


"I'd be more conservative and go with around $1800 max because of the bike's identity being a bit unclear. If it had more "Olmo" names pantographed on the components and graphics and a headbadge on the frame also saying so, then I can see $2K and higher..... Higher, if provenance saying that this might be a special custom showbike build for big shows can be proven."

I have not been able to a find a copy of the magazine (Bicycling?) article that profiled the bike at the time.

I did not want to bring this up until the bike had been discussed on its own merits, because of my inability to provide proof.

Sorry it took me a few days to respond this time.

Thanks, Eric

terrors

beautiful bike! the one in the Olmo ad has a radial laced front wheel, I wonder if that was just for appearance.

Last ride 76 

No, that was the original plan for the show too, but they also spec'ed Campy's ill fated titanium hub axles, and that didn't work out so well... So the story went. I'm not sure exactly at what point these wheels were added.