fiorelli project
 

Folks, I just picked up a Fiorelli frame off CL yesterday. No idea what the tubing or model is... any ideas?

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The cottered crank axle and center-pull brake cable hanger argues that it is a very low-level bike..I worked in a Fiorelli shop in 1974,and they did offer a full range of bikes..

Yeah, i am seeing that it is cheap... the chrome is really crappy on it, I am going to end up stripping the whole thing and painting from scratch and i actually found some forelli decals on Ebay...

Any idea of the year/model?

call me crazy, but i think the patina looks great. i would build it as is.


my girlfriend picked up an old low end bianchi out of the classifieds that had nice wheels on it, we sold the wheels for more than we paid for the bike, then built it up with with a chorus 3x8 component group i had and ended up with a great little 22lb bike. a lot of the campagnolo parts were either NOS or mint condition and the contrast with the scratched and abused bianchi frame it ended up looking pretty neat. she is happy with it at least :)

can't tell enough from those shots-- yes it could be a heavy gas pipe number from the bike boom, but it might be just an old one (when cottered cranks and CP brakes were state-of-the-art). Looks like at least the entire head tube is chrome plated, maybe the entire fork is, too. If the whole frame is chromed under the transparent lacquer, this is called "cromovelato"...still no guarantee of the bike's value. How about some more pics?
I'd sure want to keep that down tube decal intact, if it was my bike...priceless!

Measure the seatpost diameter. If the (presumably) 28.6mm OD seat tube takes a 27.2mm post, you have a butted frame, probably CrMo. A 26.4mm post indicates straight-gauge moly steel, whereas anything smaller suggests cheapo carbon steel.

On a 1970s bike, cottered cranks are definitely a low-end marker, but remember that the 1961 Schwinn Paramount came with cottered cranks and Weinmann centerpulls, as did both of my otherwise high end ca. 1960 Capos.

Where did you work? I was living in Norfolk where there was a shop that sold Fiorellis, which moved out to the Beach after I left for college. I took my Holdsworth there to have it straightened after it and me were hit by a Caddy.

Just a wild guess, but mid-70s based on the cotters and the down-tube graphics, kind of gentle psychedelic.

At least for Atalas, I've heard these mild-steel lower end lugged frames can ride really nicely.

Yes, before the rise of aluminum cotterless cranks, cotter pins ruled. FB, Magistroni, and Stronglight made some fantastic forged cottered cranksets for racing.

The chainstays were covered with rust, and the paint was all chipping pretty bad... not a good look in my opinion.

Any idea about the Bottom Bracket size on these, and if they are italian thread? I am going to put a square taper on it, but I have not even ventured to pull the BB yet as i think it is a bit seized up...

Where did you work? I was living in Norfolk where there was a shop that sold Fiorellis, which moved out to the Beach after I left for college. I took my Holdsworth there to have it straightened after it and me were hit by a Caddy.

! worked at the beach store at London ZBridge in the fall of 1973, then went on to Colley Ave....