bradpagelee1

hello, can someone make out what model this is and how old, generally, what is a classic, is it just age of the bike. what would this Torelli be classified as. the paint work/colour scheme is questionable, really ugly. is it a respray. even the decals look shocking. i could only make out the word WELO on the cross member from a decal but that doesnt mean anything when i google it, does it mean anything to you. is this bike worth anything... please help.

KonAaron Snake 

Classic means different things to different people. To me classic means bikes that people will care about in 50 years...it's the best of the best and the bikes people would have without any other considerations.

This is not in any way a classic...few bikes are. Looks like entry-mid level parts. As to its value - I can't make out the parts level, or a tubing sticker, but I generally view the brand as about the same level as Atala. Not especially interesting. I think it's 105. It has brifters, so probably at least $300.

oldskoolwrench

Looks like it's early 90's 105, judging by the 1st Gen, 8s brifters, brakes and crank set. Like KonAaron said, it's an average bike... nothing mega-spectacular.

That being said, "Beauty IS in the eye of the Beholder". If everything works well, it fits you, and you like the way she rides then go for it! The ultimate judgement of its value is up to you.

Bianchigirll 

Personally aside from the brifters I think most of the 105 is older like '88ish. The 105 was 105SC with that creamy champagne finish, much shallower crank spyder and dual pivot brakes.

I don't think Torelli had model names for their bikes just frames. The sold frames and I think Sachs kits I don't recall them selling shimano. Their big claim to fame was you could get into a nice riding SL framed Italian bike for about 30% less than a DeRosa or Merckxx.

I kind of like the colors but I think may be a bad home spun respray or partial to get a two tone effect

3alarmer 

...there actually were some decent top of the line Torellis, but this one has been rode hard and put away wet.

Here's one that won't exactly stop traffic, but is a nice riding bike:


It was an American importer of Italian frames that were contract built.
The contractors varied from year to year, and presumably model to model.

At least some of the early ones were built by Mondonico, so at least some of them are good Italian frames.
It's very difficult to figure them out, the whole history of the business makes it hard.

Many of the bikes sold under the name were less than exciting.

Henry III

I didn't Torelli was an Italian company actually and was made in the US? Kind of like Medici but without the drama behind it. lol. I never really looked into them too much so I could be wrong.

unworthy1

No, AFAIK it's like 3alamer says: an American importer's brand, in this case SoCal-based and the builders varied but some of them were built by A.Mondonico...they didn't have any US frame production to my knowledge.

Antieverything

The lugs and Fork look correct for that style (vintage Italian) of frame, you can look at the bb shell and see if theres some sort of serial number and/or decorative cutaway. Torelli is a American distributor of handmade Italian framesand the 80s Torelli's like mine did not have a model name. Mine was built with 8spd Shimano 5500 STI but i have since changed the STI to 7700 downtube shifters and 5500 aero brake levers. It should weigh in the lower to mid 20s. There were a few variations on the 80s framesets, mine is Columbus SL and has a aero or hidden rear brake cable routing.

Bianchigirll 

Yes they were imported by Torelli Imports, and I want to say at one time maybe '90ish they were built by (atleast some) Bilato bi=ut I don't remember for sure. As already mentioned a few times good basic frames but nothing special.

Road Fan

Torelli is the name of an importer that brought in Pogliaghi, Mondinico bikes and now, Mondonico-branded bikes (I say this because Antonio Mondonico retired in 2005 and it's not clear if his son Mauro is building any bikes or contracting them out, or running a wine bar for that matter). Torelli is their brand name on frames that follow the geometries and designs of Mondonico, and used nearly the same tube sets. There were a range of Torelli frames, with names. They were claimed to be made by capabie builders in Italy, but the builders were rarely named if ever. I've always assumed they wrote specs based on Antonio Mondonico's designs and shopped them around to builders, contracting frames based on the business deal. Former owner (Chairman Bill) is an avid cyclist and fan of racing, and would write race reports on local races when he went on buying trips. I think another feature of the line was painting the frames in the US, but I'm not sure about that. Torelli frames bring (IMHO) surprisingly good prices on Ebay, at least over the past few years.

Bill also brought in a personal selection of interesting and value-priced Italian parts and gear - I wish all that was still available.

Some of the steel tubesets were very light, using the more advanced steel stuff from Columbus. Like Mondonico. Torelli seemed to be selling Torelli on value and Mondonico on name. As the owner of two Mondos, I think their quality is superbe. I've never lived with a Torelli.

Road Fan

I wouldn't be at all concerned about the level or mixed-ness of the grouppo. All it takes to install a set of mid-level Shimano on any high end frame is a set of components with the correct threading. Any owner or bike shop can do that and many have. Many of what we consider high-end bikes were sold as frames and kitted out per the riders instructions, or by the rider.

Road Fan

Interesting that yours is '80s and seems to have no name. My silver Mondonico is about 1984 (bought it used in 1986), and it has no name. Way back when I discussed it with Chairman Bill, he thought he had received a few in the beginning (about 1984) with Columbus stickers that did not identify the tube set, chroming patterns that did not match his then-current catalog photos, and a little more rudimentary in lug finishing - describes my bike well. Mine was originally 126 spaced with Columbus dropouts and fork ends. It had been built up by a shop in Boulder with friction/freewheel based Shimano 600/6207 on it, so there's a chance its actually older than 1984. Bill was not clear on when Mondonico bikes actually showed up on his doorstep, and there may have been some imports before him.

The frame is light but not super light by today's standards, so I assume it is SL which would have been the norm back then. Internal inspection (of the seat tube) shows butting and pinning but no internal ridges or rifling in the frame. It's a great ride!

With Torelli I actually have no idea where they came from. I like to know who built it.

Antieverything

I have to disagree with that "nothing special" comment. Anything Columbus is above average. They may not be Bianchi special in your eyes but a hand built Italian frame is a thing of beauty to look and as well as ride!

KonAaron Snake 

I've seen plenty of Columbus tubing frames that looked and rode like nothing special. It's the builder, not the tubing.

As far as hand built - I think this can be a highly misleading term...plenty of horrendous bike boom, mass produced frames were hand built. Badly. I've only seen maybe a dozen torellis, and never ride one, but nothing I saw stood out in any way.

Antieverything

everyone is entitled to an opinion....mine is still that they are above the average. again, anything columbus is above the average. they may not be colnagos or whatever but still they are far above the standard. they brought good quality frames at lower prices, there werent a gazillion made, and most were ordered and built to customer specs. hat trick.

KonAaron Snake 

You are entitled to believe what you will, but you are mistaken if you think tubing alone makes a bike. As far as Colnagos, those are about average for the most part.

Most torellis I've seen were price point bikes and looked it. There is nothing special or interesting about them...at least the ones I've seen. I'd rather have a Miyata.

Drillium Dude 

I wish I could make out the model of the Campy rims. If those are Atlanta 1996 rims, pull the wheels and sell them separately - Atlantas bring in good money (the first generation of Campy aero rims).

Regarding the Torellis, well, according to details in the June 1996 Bicycle Guide road test of the Countach OS, the top tier frames came from Italy's Lombardo region (Colnago, Masi, DeRosa, Mondonico) and the lower tier frames from the Veneto region (Battaglin, Basso, Faggin). As the article notes, the frames from Lombardo were done by houses that put more detail and fine-finishing into the final product, while the frames from Veneto were more production-oriented. The frames from the Veneto region were the ones painted in the US. Garrett Lai's "Counterattack" notes on the Countach described the handling as quick, responsive and that steering 'round potholes or sewer gratings required little more than thought. A blend of handling swiftness with a comfortable ride. He also rated the complete bike (with Campy Veloce) as a "pro-quality bike, one you could keep and race for years".

Not to be sniffed at, it seems. I've only seen a couple of them over the years, but they've both been very nicely made and the details were nice. Kinda wish I'd gotten a chance to ride one.

DD

Antieverything

Good for you then. I'm sure that Miyata is just as fricken awesome to you as my Torelli is to me. I agree tubing alone does not make a bike but it is a integral part in what the bike feels like to ride and how it looks. If you have full supercalifragalistic record everything but no frame, all you have is a box of parts.

KonAaron Snake 

Let me be clear - if you have a set of nice tubes, and the builder uses geometry that doesn't work for you, you have a crappy bike for your usage. If you have a set of tubes that the builder built poorly...for instance too much heat...the tubing sticker doesn't really matter much. Your bike is likely 80s IC lugs, so craftsmanship doesn't enter into things the same way...but sloppy is sloppy. Take a look at bike boom Raleighs from the early 70s...Reynolds 531 didn't stop my Raleigh International from being a turd. A turd is a turd - regardless of the tubing in the turd.

The tubing is not really an integral part of how a bike feels - what the builder does with that tubing is an integral part of how that bike feels. I'd rather chase bikes from builders I like than specific tubing, nor does tubing make a bike special in and of itself.

FYI - most of the top builders use a variety of tubes in customs...because they're parts matched with the builders skill. The tubes have no intrinsic special qualities that recommend them in and of themselves. Vanillas don't have tubing decals

Road Fan

What are you saying? The geometries were on the Torelli site. The frames were not designed for the individual riders. Painted to order, perhaps. Equipped to order, yes.

Antieverything

*sigh* forgive me for not placing a comma between ordered and and. Bash if you will, it will not change the awesomeness of my bike, in fact it will probably increase the awesomeness. Now I am done with this topic. Feel free to yap away, I'm going for a ride....on my awesome Torelli!

Road Fan

You seem to think you're being victimized. You're not. I wanted to know what you are trying to say. Honestly, I still don't.

Sheesh!

There are people here who don't think Torellis (presumably any Torellis) are quality frames. I'm not one of them. I wouldn't buy one, because I'm very happy with the bikes I have. If I get more, they will probably not be Italian.

You want to like Torelli, I say good choice. i wish they were still the company they were. You want to invest in them? I wouldn't. But a lot of posters on several sites have liked them, and they seem to have sold more widely (I guess due to price) than Mondonico. You have a good ride? Enjoy it. Most bike brands have somebody who likes them.

3alarmer 

..
...boy, this went south in a hurry.

Reynolds 

It's hard to say for sure from those pics, but that frame doesn't look very special. And the stem is set too high, might be dangerous using it that way.

dddd

The OP's bike is a mystery to me, I can't identify any frame detail features in common with either my 1980's or ~1990-model Torelli.

Both of my bikes were sold with lower-level Campag equipment, the earlier (now sold) one with Ofmega/Modolo cranks/brakes, and the 1990-ish one with a Xenon Synchro-7 full gruppo.

Frame tubing on mine are Oria, mid-level tubing. Craftsmanship is clean but workmanlike, not much in the way of lug thinning for example, and the lugwork is minimalist and simple.

I came to highly respect whoever the contract builder was, they are very responsive and ride about as well as anything out there imo.

Though the angles are steep, the stability is good, very confidence-inspiring when riding with fast company.