My buddy just gave me an Atala frame set. I love it. I just want to know more about it.
Its yellow and from early 70's I guess. The serial number is stamped on the seat post.
C721916663
Im going to build it up with nice components. I REALLY love the 70's steel frames.
ANYHOW....any info i can get I would appreciate.

Tater

Pictures my friend!

Atala made a wide range of steel frames, from basic gaspipe to high-end double butted Columbus CrMo. Look for a tubing pedigree sticker and/or measure the diameter of your seatpost, and report back to us.

And no pedigree = gas pipe.

Look for even remnants of a decal.

Or a plumbing supply sticker.

I guess I'm not an Atala expert, but didn't those classic Atala racing frames from the '50s, gray/olive paint with fancy chrome lugs, come without tubing labels? I don't know if they were made with pedigreed tubing, but those are not in the same league as "gaspipe" frames. Plus many top shops left off the sticker if they built with a mixed set.

Remnants of a decal is a positive sign. Lack of a decal is a clue, not an indicator by itself. If there's no decal and the frame ends and lugwork are of high quality, it's probably a good frame.

The serial number indicates a 1972 frame. What do the lugs look like? Any model designation? What kind of dropouts/fork ends? Does it still have a bottom bracket and/or headset? If so, what type? Any chrome? Where?

Pictures would help a lot.

Here's a 1973 advertisement that might help:

Most likely Falck tubing. Nothing wrong with that.

Or the sticker came off. With a few pictures we can tell what model it is and what tubing, sticker or no sticker.

If Campagnolo dropouts and chrome, could be a nice frame... stamped dropouts and chrome, maybe not, depending on era.

Exactly my point. My '60s Rossignoli had no stickers, but it was a great bike. Never did figure out what it was made of, back when it was new. Price was right, though!

I've often wondered what was special about the "Tullio" tubing that Atala advertises for the Grand Prix model. There must have been some difference between "Best Quality Seamless Steel Tubing" of the two lower models and the "High Tensile "Tullio" Seamless Tubing" of the Gran Prix for them to make note of it in the specifications.

On occasion I've tried, mostly unsuccessfully, to drum up discussion on the idea that "good" bikes in the 60's - mid-70's did not use DB 531 or Columbus tubing. At the time that was the best available frame material and only used on top of the line bikes much as all that high modulus carbon monocoque wiz-band stuff is found today on the top of the line $5000 and up bikes. I no more imagine a typical cycling enthusiast in 1970 was riding around on a 531 or Columbus full Nuovo Record pro bike than one today is riding around on a full carbon 11-speed Super Record or electronic Dura-Ace pro bike.

As I remember it, a "good" bike at that time had a hi-tensile steel frame of lugged construction and the tubing, while not a hi-tech alloyed steel, was relatively thin and light when compared to the actual entry level "gas pipe" bikes of the time period and this was made possible because they were lugged and brazed rather than welded. I would go so far as to say that the lower end Atala models of the time like the Corsa and Giro d'Italia were probably equivalent in market position to $600 to $1000 bikes today and the Grand Prix to maybe a $2000 bike today. Most people would not say there is anything wrong with riding a modern bike in the $600 - $2000 price range so I don't understand why those old bikes get so little respect. They weren't intended to be professional racing bikes and they served their intended function admirably and still would today if well maintained.

Actually, we were!

If you advanced beyond the bottom of the barrel 10-speed you soon learned what constituted a better bike. Reynolds made its way down the line on many bikes, especially British, even if it was only plain guage.

The typical pattern was: start with a junky bike; realize you like riding. Sell it and buy something new, middle of the line and upgrade the parts as you could afford it. Ride that awhile, take your better parts off, return it to original, sell it and buy that frame you always dreamed of. Or replace that junky bike with an older used frame or better bike and upgrade as you went. Things didn't change much in those days... a 1970 bike lwas the same more or less until about 1984.

Of course, there are those that are still riding their Varsity untouched since 1969. And I knew a 15 year old at the time who were riding full Campagnolo Colnagos... if fact, he had two! What a butt!

In 1972, I sold my Gitane hunkojunk for 90 dollars, bought a 60s Carlton 531 frame from a friend and built it to full Campagnolo by 1975.

BTW, in the early 70s, a low end 10-speed was about 100 bucks, 275. would get you a PX10, 500. would get you a Raleigh Pro, and a sweet Italian bike only a little more. A nice used all Campagnolo bike could be had for 200.-250. or so...

Very good points, Kommisar. Never really thought of it that way. I guess we just like to have the fancy stuff. I know some people on here are after the bikes they lusted for when younger. But for some people all they want is a good quality bicycle, ands that's exactly what we talk about here on C&V. Sometimes we just get a little elitist about our bikes, and ourselves occasionally.
-Gene-

I've had a few Legnanos in Falck, comparable to Reynolds/Columbus in theory...

Hmmm, I don't know. It probably varied by location and what year we're talking about as prices rose quickly during the boom but I think a low end 10-speed in the early 70's was more in $65 - $75 range and available at your freindly neighborhood hardware store, auto parts store, or department store. $100 would get you a decent quality entry level bike from a respected European manufacturer. $140 - $175 would get you a nicer bike two to three models up from there but still hi-ten steel. Maybe in the $175 - $200 range you could start to find some 531 straight gauge bikes. $250 was a lot of money in 1972 and $500 was unthinkable for most people I knew to spend on a bicycle. That was a nice used car or downpayment on a new one. There's a joke here in Colorado that you can tell a native by the $5000 bike strapped on the top of his $500 car and I guess there have always been folks willing and able to spend the money to get something they really wanted. But I'd still argue that a heck of a lot more bikes in the $100 - $200 range were sold, ridden, and enjoyed back then than the over $200 bikes and those bikes were not department store junk bikes but decent bikes that you would find at a quality bicycle shop. I'm still riding a UO8, Prestige derailleurs and all, with just the upgrade of alloy rims and cotterless crank and it's quite a nice ride, not at all what I would describe as low-end or junk or gas-pipe or whatever.

It has a 25 stamped under the bottom bracket.

The little round sticker says Prodotti Speciali

It looks just like my "Grand Prix:"



N.B. The fork is not original on mine; the frame is designed for 27" wheels with lots of fender clearance and the brakes I wanted to use wouldn't reach. I cobbled up a drop bolt for the rear, but decided to use a different fork with less clearance for the front.

It is a nice ride -- more laid-back than my other bikes.

Yes, it's the Grand Prix model, Tullio hi-ten tubing. The Prodotti Speciali sticker is a Campagnolo decal. The bike originally had Campagnolo Nuovo Tipo hubs and Valentino derailleurs.

That is one beautiful old Bike.

I have a soft spot for stuff like this, this bike might have been someone's dream come true, the goal of a summers worth of scrimping and saving, the pay off of months on a paper route or washing dishes at some diner.

Every bike like yours, every Raleigh Grand Prix, UO-8, Bottecchia DeLuxe, Motobecane Mirage...ect..... has a story to tell.

thanks for all your help with my Atala. I want to put just one chain ring in front and a cassette(trying to use the right terms) in the back. I live in Los Angeles and there are a few hills but nothing like Georgia where I grew up. Any suggestions on components? I'm not looking to break the bank but I do want some decent stuff.
I also posted pics of the Zebrakenko I just got at a thrift store. Its a tank but I love it. I had to put new rims and tires on it. evrything else is OG! I rebuilt the neck berrings and the bottom bracket.

Campy drop outs will usually mean its a high-end frame. My old Atala was made with Columbus steel, the top tube was faintly stamped with the Columbus emblem a few inches behind the headset. Normally, the Columbus sticker would be located just above the "Handmade in Italy" sticker.

My own Atala was a sweet-riding bike, and I enjoyed many a fun mile on it.

Interesting, my Mondonico is stamped this way but on the head tube.

Until the early 80's Columbus marked the long-butt end of their tubes with the dove emblem to indicate the end from which to trim the tube. Thus you're more likely to see these stampings on large frames than small.

After the early 80s Columbus marked their tubes with a graphite discharge electrode instead of stamping them.