uluchay

As I mentioned before on a tubular vs. clincher thread, I got myself an old Olmo Gentleman. I've been meaning to post some pictures but I was lazy. Today's the day!


First 65k. Borrowed the saddlebag & Look pedals from the Trek for the day.
Fun Fact: The town on the other side of the lake is called "Bellagio"


Found it on eBay, asked the guy (in his mid 50's) if it was his. He said it belonged to a friend of his, had a knee injury, was too emotional to sell so he asked this guy. Asking price was 120€, I said I cannot give more than 100€. The guy accepted in the blink of an eye I probably could've gotten it for 80-90€. Still a good deal. Arrived like this:


Probably factory installed tubulars, used to exhaustion. Decent brakes with horrible pads (Universal)
Deceleration was similar to a freight train. Extra tire strap under saddle. Useless frame pump. Universal top cable levers.


Decided to change a few things in the cockpit. Old school Universal brake levers (above) are impossible to operate from the hoods, got a pair of XLC brake levers (manufactured by Tektro). They're not the old Campagnolo type but the new ugly ones. Functions great though. Re-taped with white cork tape. Not so white anymore. Also got a very cheap pair of brakes to replace the Universals. I still keep the levers and the brakes just in case if I decide to participate in L'eroica 2015.


Red front brake cable is an homage to my late (stolen) fixie which had the first half meter of the very same cable.


3ttt stem and bars. Grayish tape



A friend owed me some money and I told him to order a new Prologo saddle for me instead of wiring the money. I installed it on the Trek and swapped the Bontrager R saddle with the velvety Concor saddle. Also changed the seat tube with a longer one.


Unnecessary yet fun cosmetic touch with the bar plugs. Red: front/Black: back. Just in case I forget some day.


Transmission is fully Campagnolo Nuovo Gran Sport except the Olmo customized 172.5mm 52-42 Ofmega crank. Some Gentlemen and Super Gentlemen are listed as 12 speed but mine is 10. Has a Regina ORO 5 speed freewheel (15-17-19-21-23). 42-23 is not really an ideal gear to climb and breaks a good sweat but I rarely use it. In the city I keep the back at 19t and change just the front when necessary.


RD, Campagnolo skewers and Gipiemme dropouts. It's amazing how Campagnolo to this day uses the springy
RD cable.


FD. Excellent craftsmanship on the clamp. Wing logo on the outer plate.

Not quite visible but the wheels have Campagnolo hubs and QR skewers. The freshly installed Continental Giro tubulars hug the 36h Fiamme rims. 150psi makes the ride a little shaky, especially on cobbles but not a big deal. After all it's a born-and-bred road bike.


Somewhat necessary Kryptonite cable.


The bike (with pedals) tips the scales at an incredible 10.4kg! (just short of 23lbs) According to specifications, it has to have Columbus Zeta tubing but I couldn't find a sticker on the frame. There is also no signs of a serial number at the bottom bracket but maybe it's somewhere else. I guess it's built between 75-79.

I was looking for a cheap road bike to do groceries and get around in town and the bike surpassed all my expectations. I can't say it's an excellent bike, even in it's prime it wasn't. But it's a very very (insert a few more verys) very good bike. It certainly has character. A true work horse. Aside from all my bike obsession, I bought this bike as a vehicle of transport. It was its sole purpose. I thought I would use it until autumn and sell, maybe start a Colnago build but I don't really see that happening. I'm deeply attached to this fine Gentleman and I guess it will keep it's place on my stable for many years to come.


Family photo.

John E

Beautiful scenery and bicycle!

If you plan to keep the 52-42 chainrings and a 5-speed freewheel, consider 15-17-19-22-26, which will give you 9 usable non-redundant gears, including a decent enough granny. If you can fit a 6-speed cluster, consider 14-16-18-21-24-26 (or -28, if your derailleur can handle it).

uluchay

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. I guess the RD can handle 26 but not sure about the 28. It's pretty short cage. I guess 6 speed also means a new chain so for now I'll stick with what I have.

Besides, when I need to do some serious climbing I do it with the Trek.

The Golden Boy 

Beautiful bike!

Is the Trek "exotic" there? I mean, are there a lot of Treks in Italy?

Trek's headquarters is around 50 miles from here- Treks are all over the place, I kind of gather they're about as popular all over the US as right here.

bradtx

uluchay, Thanks for sharing the photos, your backdrop is tough to equal. Olmos were marketed for only a brief period of time in North America and those of us with one in the family enjoy seeing other's models.

Brad

uluchay

Can't say that they fall under the "exotic" category. Trek used to base their team in Luxembourg, Europe is definitely a huge market for a brand like Trek.

I see guys with Madones almost regularly, we also have a somewhat official Trek dealer in the city. I can say that there's an equal distribution of brands, I see Cannondales and Wilier Triestina's a little more frequent than others.

Colnago's and Pinarello's are definitely more exotic than Trek.

uluchay

Thanks,

I guess I live in cycling heaven. Our roads have amazing views and very few traffic.

From what I've read, Olmo started as a small family manufacturer and kept it that way. They still produce nice bikes (Taiwanese imports mostly) but they can't compete with the big guys. I was surprised that they were officially sold in the US.