HELP. Atala experts. Please advise! Thanks
 

Hi guys,
A friend of mine has this bike. He wants to know more about it. I cant find a Seriel number. Looks like a repaint but I'd like your opinion on it.
Looks like braze ons were added. What are your thoughts?

THanks!

John Haboush
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...21bbc52bb9.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ec741281d4.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...07182ac4fd.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...56790a67a5.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e08586e38e.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...88f763f6f2.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c9f2e8ab5a.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...af7104f2e3.jpg

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have never seen Rizzato employ that crown

makes me suspect fork a replacement

one simple check you could make would be to see if fork ends are a match for dropouts

lug pattern is Prugnat 62/d

appears to be a respray with braze-ons added

the first generation 3TTT Record stem is a clue if original to the bicycle

it launched 1971 and was superseded by the second generation in 1974, thus bracketing cycle to a narrow time slot

you should be able to read the serial marked on the side of the seat tube about five cm below the seat lug
it was there when the cycle left the plant
may have been filled with paint or filler to where it is unreadable
try looking in very strong light

it will begin with a single letter of the alphabet, most likely an A

this is followed by several numerals, the first two of which indicate the year of manufacture

you should be able to read a "23" in two places on the underside of the bottom bracket shell


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My knowledge of Atala is minuscule compared to the vast compendium stored in the cranium of Mr. [MENTION=333224]juvela[/MENTION] since my knowledge is based only on the ownership of a single Atala frame but mine appears to be the exception to the rule since the two numerals indicating year of manufacture "73" precede the single letter "A."
Brent

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righty-o!

me "braine"/"memory" hath done me in once again

two Rizzato built Maino -

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...80a19dd409.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...760f2f9a7a.jpg

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serial absence likely to be no accident

the two most likely possibilities are that it was filed/ground away or else filled in

someone must have known or suspected cycle to be thermally aggrandized


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Paramount fork? ;)

Located in St Charles? If so, a buddy sent me pics of this recently. Agree on a repaint.

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the similar appearing crown employed on Paramount bicycles is the NERVEX Professional pattern Nr. 5

the crown on the subject machine is the NERVEX pattern Nr. 7

expect cycle will turn out to have been produced in either 1972 or 1973 which places it squarely in the height of "the boom"; crown may be what Cesare was able to obtain to keep the production going at a time of shortages and backorders...

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e92beb25f0.jpg

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I knew you would set me straight. :thumb:

that fork crown was pretty popular on the higher end bikes of that era. I went riding with a friend of mine who had a 1973 Paramount P13 and I was on my Mondia of the same year. We stopped for a soft drink at a beach cafe up north and I was looking at both bikes. The similarities were amazing . They both had the same chrome lugs and fork crown. The main difference that I could see was the eyelets on my drop outs and fork tips. The bikes had similar equip with the exception of the bar and stem.

my suspicions are you may be giving this non-original fork (and the crown) more pedigree than it deserves...maybe.
I think the edges are more rounded than the sharp edged Nervex Nr. 7, and the "chevons" on top also look different to me.

I'd guess this crown is a bulge-formed copy-cat.
Sure I could be wrong but now I stuck my neck out!

Also what about the (doubtful) 531 decal? I know there were a few Italian makes that used it over Columbus but was Atala ever one of them?

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wrt tubing -

one easy check between Reynolds and A.L. Colombo is to look at the chain stay dimples

Reynolds ones have a somewhat rounded floor as though made with a round edged tool

A.L. Colombo dimples have a sharp edged floor as though made with a knife edge

this is the only image provided which shows one of the dimples and it is inconclusive; we would need a better image to make a decision

​​​​​​https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c9f2e8ab5a.jpg

that one darn spoke got itself right in the way - :lol:

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I stripped the paint from my Atala and was surprised to discover Reynolds logos on several of the tubes including the fork blades, and a Columbus logo on the steering tube.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Roc...MG_2255-XL.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Roc...MG_2257-XL.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Roc...MG_2259-XL.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Roc...MG_2254-XL.jpg

Brent

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there was a belief/assertion circulating in the trade back when the subject cycle was produced with regards to the question of Reynolds/Columbus in Italian production frames that the placement of a Reynolds transfer was a kind of code

if on the down tube it meant that the taper tubes would be Columbus (or Falck)

the argument was that it was more trouble (with the possibility of miscommunication) to order taper tubes due to the differing measurement systems (and language) between the U.K. and Italy

have no idea if the suggestion carried any validity but it was oft heard within the trade

perhaps our framebuilder members could tell us if it carried any grain of truth...

bulgie Doug Fattic scarlson


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brent -

your fork crown is Agrati N. 025.8058

and is a part of the "SPORT" lug ensemble ART. 000.8050/E/U


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