Mystery Frame, with Columbus dove seat stays, Italian?
#1
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Mystery Frame, with Columbus dove seat stays, Italian?
Today's Craigslist find is an Italian? bike. It was listed as a Columbus brand bike.
Heart shaped cutouts in the lugs, and the Columbus dove on the seat stays and fork crown.
The BB shell has 2 cutouts and the number 8 on it. BB and FD are Campy.
Rest of the components are a mix... Suntour AP 7speed FW, Accushift bar ends, STX headset,
Modolo bars, 3TTT stem, Campy rear brake and Dia comp front.
Frame is a 48.
Aelle tube set.
No serial number or head badge.
Thanks in advance for any help.
eom
Heart shaped cutouts in the lugs, and the Columbus dove on the seat stays and fork crown.
The BB shell has 2 cutouts and the number 8 on it. BB and FD are Campy.
Rest of the components are a mix... Suntour AP 7speed FW, Accushift bar ends, STX headset,
Modolo bars, 3TTT stem, Campy rear brake and Dia comp front.
Frame is a 48.
Aelle tube set.
No serial number or head badge.
Thanks in advance for any help.
eom
#2
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The only bikes I've seen that used the dove panto were Billato brothers bikes. They built bikes for Performance and for Palo Alto - I'd guess one of those two.
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Nice frame!
I saw it while I'm searching info about my frame that had the same hearts in lugs and Columbus dove stamped in the seat stays end. Did you find any information about your frame?
I saw it while I'm searching info about my frame that had the same hearts in lugs and Columbus dove stamped in the seat stays end. Did you find any information about your frame?
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I came here 3 year later...
In a facebook group some members suggested that my frame (similar to yours) is a Vetta or a Columbus "promotional" frame (builded by the company to promote the brand), but I didn't find info about that
#6
Senior Member
The details of the OP's frame (dove pantographs on the fork crown and seat stay caps, as well as those bottom bracket cutouts) are consistent with Vetta frames I've seen.
Vetta used quite a few different pantographs over the years, so I'm not surprised it's hard to pin down mystery frames conclusively.
There's even at least two different styles of dove pantographs you'll find on frames that came out of the Vetta workshop.
Also, Vetta built a lot of contract frames and often there is no serial number stamped on the bottom bracket.
Here are some examples.
Bottom bracket shell:
s-l1600 (3).jpg
IMG_5805_zpsf5164efa.jpg

Seat stay caps:
s-l1600 (5).jpg

Fork crown:
98745850173556.jpg
Full bike:
s-l1600 (7).jpg
Here's another frame that shares several characteristics with the OP's. It's wearing Zanzi decals (presumably Cicli Zanzi of Bologna).


And more pics here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0a0273chf...rI-9Csx2a?dl=0
At lease some of the Zanzi frames were built by Vetta, like this second example below:

There were several builders that used dove pantographs of different styles, Biemmezeta being one of them, so it could've been built by
another shop, too. However, I've never seen a Biemmezeta frame without a "BMZ" stamped on the bottom bracket.
Interestingly, the mystery frame in the following thread may also be a Vetta (I guess I'll update that thread as well):
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...age-value.html
Vetta used quite a few different pantographs over the years, so I'm not surprised it's hard to pin down mystery frames conclusively.
There's even at least two different styles of dove pantographs you'll find on frames that came out of the Vetta workshop.
Also, Vetta built a lot of contract frames and often there is no serial number stamped on the bottom bracket.
Here are some examples.
Bottom bracket shell:
s-l1600 (3).jpg
IMG_5805_zpsf5164efa.jpg

Seat stay caps:
s-l1600 (5).jpg

Fork crown:
98745850173556.jpg
Full bike:
s-l1600 (7).jpg
Here's another frame that shares several characteristics with the OP's. It's wearing Zanzi decals (presumably Cicli Zanzi of Bologna).


And more pics here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0a0273chf...rI-9Csx2a?dl=0
At lease some of the Zanzi frames were built by Vetta, like this second example below:

There were several builders that used dove pantographs of different styles, Biemmezeta being one of them, so it could've been built by
another shop, too. However, I've never seen a Biemmezeta frame without a "BMZ" stamped on the bottom bracket.
Interestingly, the mystery frame in the following thread may also be a Vetta (I guess I'll update that thread as well):
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...age-value.html
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Thanks for your answer!
I'm new on the forum and I can't upload images. Soon I'll do.
Maybe my frame was builded by a chilean artisan, but at the moment, I only saw one frame very similar to mine (the only difference was the cable routing)
I'm new on the forum and I can't upload images. Soon I'll do.
Maybe my frame was builded by a chilean artisan, but at the moment, I only saw one frame very similar to mine (the only difference was the cable routing)

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