SolBadguy

My 1985-ish Torpado Super Racing yesterday on a beautiful day in Boston.

sloar 

I bought this off ebay, it was totally shot, rust, with a horrible repaint. No one bid on it because shipping was way to high. I was about an hour away, so I got it super cheap. Slapped some paint and new decals, shined up some components, turned out pretty good.

Ed.

NESTEEL - No photos, didn't happen!

PS: Maybe a 'Torpado' grouping at next year's Lars Anderson show?

RunForTheHills

juvela suggested I post a picture of this bike here. It is an Italvega Superlight that my Dad bought new in the mid 70's. I don't remember the exact year, but it probably was 75 or 76.

Tom

squirtdad

here is my torpado 1984 Super strada

It is mostly original, the paint is patina (to be kind) as it outside in a backyard for years before I got and brought it back to life

it is also a product of bike forums as Bianchigirll provided the ofmega BB, Holiday76 the pedals, and randyjawa a line to a ebay postinng for the seatpost (orginal destroyed in getting it loose)

currently it looks like this.....





When I fist built it was a bit of a city bike with vo orange postino bar...but it was so fun to ride I went back to drops

nesteel 

Personally it looks better with the drop bars. Is the paint a true white, or is it like the '85 Super Strada with the pearl beige paint color?

Glad that seatpost went to someone who could use it. Got a PM about it also, but had already purchased a Campy Aero post to go with the group already on the bike.

squirtdad

Pearl beige, but very well faded....you can't see the super strada on the top tube. I have the pantographed chain ring also (swapped the crankset out for a different Ofmega after finding cracks in the spider of the original)

I have thought about repainting, but right now am just enjoying the ride.

torpadoguy

Hello, My first time here. Just registered so I could see some of the photos. I am a long time Torpado nut started young at about 14 years old in 1962 in Montreal. Read Baggio Sport. So I restarted 50 years later to collect Torpados. Since I live in the Montreal area I am in Torpado Heaven. I have collected about 10 in the last year. I will post a few here. I still need some help with serial numbers to identify year, but I am getting a feeling for the vintage. I have a mid 1950's Chrome Campagnolo equipped and up to a mid 1980's NOS Superlight. So here are few photos to start. I also collect other bikes, Marinoni, Benoto, Giana Motta, Elvish, Limogi, Ryffrank, Bianchi, etc. etc.

mid 1950's Chrome

torpadoguy

Hello again I will try to get the photos larger. Still learning how this works.

Last winter while getting it built

Ed.

OMG, look at the water bottle! Hardly any miles on that baby.

Beauties!

torpadoguy

Hello, I put about 600 KM on it this summer.
Still learning how to get full size photos onto this site.
I need help with the serial Number on this one 1957? Campagnolo drop outs.

juvela

just ran across this eighties era midliner road machine on cl.

it is in a very sorry state, but the price is right.

advisory - photos not for the faint of heart.

Vintage Italian Torpado Road Bike Campagnolo parts-needs TLC

torpadoguy

Hello again,
I will try to link the photos here of my 3 best Torpados.
First 1950's Chrome -Campagnolo
Second 1970's No model but Campagnolo High flange hubs on tubulars.
Third - Superlight NOS - one of the last ones racing steel bikes they built.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/3291499...7646764578444/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/3291499...7649036386796/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/3291499...7649075086112/

Have many more but for now I will see if these links work.

juvela

Vecchia Pista -

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...ect-drive.html

torpadoguy -

the lug set on your chrome bike is Agrati BRIANZA model.

Numbskull

Thank you for posting this. I had a very similar bike I bought in 1971 except it was silver instead of white and set up full Nuovo Record. God I miss that bike and would buy a replacement in a second. Wonderful ride.

torpadoguy

Thank you for the information. I still don't know the year but I think about 1957 anyway the first part of the serial is a 7.
Torpado used these lugs for many years, all of the the fifties and into the 60's. I have 2 chromed frame Torpados (I built up fpr my 2 brothers) from 1966? They had the headtube with these lugs but not the seatpost or BB. My Torpado name plate in Brass has rivits on both sides. Earlier Like you pista Torpado had rivits top and bottom. Still working on a serial number identification, especially the serials on the top of the seatpost on the RH side.(like mine) I think these are from the 50's. Not all Torpados were created equall as they made some run of the mill bikes in the 70's. I have several heavy 70's chrome bikes with steel rims and chromed frames with fenders.
Anyway thanks for the info, I will keep it on my search for Torpado history.

Eric S.

I got this Torpado/Columbus Aelle frame on local Craigslist a couple weeks ago for $50. All I needed to build it up was a fork, headset, shifters and seatpost. It's a little bigger than I normally ride but I am in love with it.

juvela

hello torpadoguy,

thanks for sharing these finds with the forum.

the first character in the bicycle's serial number looks to be a triangular symbol rather than a numeral or letter. cannot make it out.

suspect the machine may be slightly later than you suggest, perhaps early sixties. one fitting which may prove an aid to dating is the Campagnolo Gran Sport rear derailleur, model 1012. there are different generations of these and the forum's Campag experts may be able to narrow down the dating somewhat with detail photos. of the existing photos it shows up best here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/329149...7646764578444/

the differences in the various generations are illustrated at velobase.com; here is one of them:

VeloBase.com - Component: Campagnolo 1012/4, Gran Sport

did the bicycle come with its original bottom bracket cups? if so, these may provide a suggestion as to what the ex-works crankset might have been.

does the handlebar stem which came with the bicycle have any markings? is the expander plug inclined or conical? the brake levers which came with the bike appear to be Cherry brand or similar. it is possible someone fitted a complete stem and bar set with levers from another machine.

are there any markings on the cycle's brake calipers?

one plausible pedal for the bike if you do not wish to spring for Campag would be Sheffield.

thank you again for sharing your bikes.

torpadoguy

Hello again,

I have done some research on the derailleur - I think it is a 1012/1. Here are some photos which I compared to Velobase. The bars, fork, crank are not original. Only the 2 derailleurs and shifters are original to the bike.
The brakes are Universal 51 type, likely original.
The serial number starts with a triangle with a T in it. (see photo) I have other Torpados with the same symbol.
The Campy cataloge shows black paint? around the name after 1961. Also of interest is the adjuster?
Thanks for the help. I have Gran Sport pedals for it. The 3 arm Gran Sport crank is mid 60's and I have a Campy BB.

juvela

hello torpadoguy,

the 3-arm GS crankset she is presently wearing is about twenty years later than the cycle itself:

VeloBase.com - Component: Campagnolo 3320, Gran Sport

even the Campag Sport model is about ten years later than the machine:

VeloBase.com - Component: Campagnolo 3320, Sport

it is likely she came with a Magistroni set of some kind. she looks to be a midliner model. one suggestion in this direction is the Way-Assauto headset.

torpadoguy

Hello again,
The story continues. I bought the GS 3 arm crank on ebay in France because I wanted Campagnolo and lightweight.
In those years Torpado used a steel crank. (Heavy) I put in a Campy BB.
The headset and fork came from a "donnor Torpado" which I bought to "Borrow" the fork and headset. It was a heavier frame with hidden cables but a full "Agrati BRIANZA" lugset. (now that I know). I had the fork threaded down and cut off about 1/2 an inch to make it fit the 53CM bike. The fork was not fully chromed but I just polished the rest and try not to go out in the rain. I will get it rechromed by Marinoni - near where I live. It also had a broken and poorly welded rear seatstay.(photo attached)
It also had a headbadge like yours (rivets top and bottom) Photos.
The serial number on the "Donner" frome is on the LH side of the upper seatpost. (rummored to be made by a sub contractor)Photo attached. SN 33116 with no Triangle with T in it. Note this frame had seatclamp not bolt.
Thanks for your interest and help.

juvela

hello torpadoguy,

thank you for the additional information.

your donor frame is quite similar to the juvenile i have. have never had occasion to measure but suspect from appearances that it is built for 550A wheel. took it in without a fork. iirc it has a bulge-formed head. interestingly Agrati offered the BRIANZA set with either true headlugs, as seen on your examples, or a bulge-formed head. the BRIANZA seat lug was also offered two ways. one could have either a Malaguti, as seen on your frames, or a plain seat lug intended for seat stay attachment to the sides. should have another look at mine to view its serial number...

an ambrosio champion might make a plausible stem and bar set for your bicycle.

juvela

good day torpadoguy,

had the opportunity last evening to pull out my frame for a look at its serial number. the frame in most of its details is very close to your donor frame. the serial number is on the right side of the seat tube. it reads triangular symbol 111264. is there a known code for determining the date from the serial number? it came with the same wraparound world map headplate as seen on your bikes.

your chrome example is marked 53 on the seat lug. i take this to be the frame size in cm. my frame has a 26 in this spot which must refer to a wheel size. the bicycle was made for the export market if it came from the factory with 26" wheels. a domestic italian model would more likely have come with 650 wheels. all this time I assumed the frame to be a juvenile of some sort since the rear triangle was not large enough to accept a 700 wheel. live and learn! it has a 3-piece BRIANZA head rather the the bulge-formed one I incorrectly remembered. rear gear cable is internally routed but rear brake is not. brake bridge is double drilled for brake and fender mount. it came with a cottered bb and a righthand crankarm with a single c/w swaged on. so it is likely it was originally a derailleur geared three or five speed model.

thank you again for sharing the information about your Padovans.

SF VELO REHAB

Here is a 51 cm Torpado that I found mostly stripped in poor condition. I refurbished it from the paint up. It is a joy to ride. Vintage 80s Torpado - Pedal Room

randyjawa 

Having owned a half dozen, or so, Torpado bicycles, from the sixties to the eighties, it seemed appropriate to post in this thread again, since I am building up my fourth all polished chrome plated Torpado...



This was the first really neat vintage road bicycle (Torpado) that I found, years ago. Asking price, at the yard sale, was $15.00 but I managed to get it down to $12...



In my attempt to free up a stuck seat post, on this silver Torpado LUXE, I snapped both seat stays off of the seat tube lug - POOEY STINKO!, but a lesson learned...



And what about my present project..?