Did my sister buy a Pinarello at Walmart in the seventies?
05-13-20, 02:18 PM
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Did my sister buy a Pinarello at Walmart in the seventies?
Okay, here’s the deal. My sister bought a bike at Walmart in about 1974. I know that It was made in Italy and for some reason I seem to remember it was a Pinarello. At that time I knew nothing about road bikes and the Pinarello name meant nothing to me. I recently asked her if she remembered anything about the bike brand and she said “ I think it started with a “P”. So now I wonder if I am remembering correctly. The bike was very lightweight and Walmart replaced The first one she got when I hit a sharp dip in the road and the stem snapped sending me flying.
I have found nothing on the internet to support my fuzzy memory. Did it happen or am I crazy?
I have found nothing on the internet to support my fuzzy memory. Did it happen or am I crazy?
05-13-20, 02:28 PM
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Got me. Don't know that I knew there was such a place as Wal-Mart until about 1982.
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05-13-20, 02:37 PM
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First Walmart in 1962. If the philosophy was the same as today, highly unlikely. Pinarello never made mid to low level bike frames. Nearly all were purpose built for some kind of racing and/or following market. Early ones were custom built, CMIIAW!
I would be surprised as Pinarello didn't win much until 1984, 30 years after it was founded.
I would be surprised as Pinarello didn't win much until 1984, 30 years after it was founded.
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05-13-20, 02:39 PM
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Perchance Pogliaghi?
Po-tay-to, Po-tah-to...
Pinarello, Pogliaghi...
Po-tay-to, Po-tah-to...
Pinarello, Pogliaghi...
Last edited by tyler_fred; 05-13-20 at 05:36 PM.
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05-13-20, 02:57 PM
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There was a German company that made Pinarello-branded bikes in the 70's. I've seen them on Craigslist several times. Not great quality, though probably not terrible. They may have sold those at Walmart in the 70's.
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05-13-20, 03:06 PM
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05-13-20, 03:12 PM
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Could be
That my be it. I wonder what the German company might have be.
05-13-20, 03:16 PM
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05-13-20, 03:30 PM
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This forum is awesome. Finding out about the Germany thing was great. A search for German Pinarello turned up several threads. She had a white one And that picture sure looks like I remember it.
Thanks guys, I feel better now. I might not be crazy after all .
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05-13-20, 04:51 PM
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05-13-20, 05:29 PM
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Whoa!
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05-13-20, 06:19 PM
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Well, at least they were better than the Italian Pinarello brand in one aspect - decals.
All kidding aside, this sort of thing turns up more often than you would expect. If Pinarello hadn't trademarked their brand in Germany or the USA, there would be nothing to stop a German company from manufacturing bicycles with the Pinarello name and selling them in the USA. In the case of Pinarello (Italy), I believe the brand wasn't trademarked in the USA until GITA started importing them in the very late 1970s. In fact, I believe that it who GITA who originally held the trademark. That could have caused a real predicament if GITA had fallen out with Pinarello. Effectively, GITA could have prevented Pinarello from selling the under their own brand name in USA.
All kidding aside, this sort of thing turns up more often than you would expect. If Pinarello hadn't trademarked their brand in Germany or the USA, there would be nothing to stop a German company from manufacturing bicycles with the Pinarello name and selling them in the USA. In the case of Pinarello (Italy), I believe the brand wasn't trademarked in the USA until GITA started importing them in the very late 1970s. In fact, I believe that it who GITA who originally held the trademark. That could have caused a real predicament if GITA had fallen out with Pinarello. Effectively, GITA could have prevented Pinarello from selling the under their own brand name in USA.
05-13-20, 06:24 PM
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05-13-20, 06:36 PM
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05-13-20, 07:30 PM
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That bike is identical to a K-Mart All-Pro I once came across.
So, Pinarello's may have been All Pro. At least then.
I knew those professionals were buying off the rack.
So, Pinarello's may have been All Pro. At least then.
I knew those professionals were buying off the rack.
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05-13-20, 08:39 PM
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Yes, Robbie. All of them.
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05-13-20, 09:52 PM
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Oh man, another department store bike of lore (which was the the store?) to look for.... the German Pinarello.
05-13-20, 10:13 PM
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No matter who actually made that stem, it's a design that could lend itself to snapping that deserves to be up there in the Death Stem Hall of Shame. It also means that the snapped stem may be the closest link we'll have (to date) to correlate the possibility that Wal-Mart once carried German Pinarellos.
That may be the wildest thing I've heard on this forum in a long time.
-Kurt
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05-13-20, 10:33 PM
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Interesting you mention that. The photos of those German Pinarellos are pitiful, but I spy stems that have lug patterns on them. Can't tell whether they're PIVO or AVA, but this photo of the white one above shows a stem that follows the same design as the AVAs of the period: A hollow, tapered clamping area at the bar.
No matter who actually made that stem, it's a design that could lend itself to snapping that deserves to be up there in the Death Stem Hall of Shame. It also means that the snapped stem may be the closest link we'll have (to date) to correlate the possibility that Wal-Mart once carried German Pinarellos.
That may be the wildest thing I've heard on this forum in a long time.
-Kurt
No matter who actually made that stem, it's a design that could lend itself to snapping that deserves to be up there in the Death Stem Hall of Shame. It also means that the snapped stem may be the closest link we'll have (to date) to correlate the possibility that Wal-Mart once carried German Pinarellos.
That may be the wildest thing I've heard on this forum in a long time.
-Kurt
I am honored. I’m glad I lived through that crash so I could share it here. Now it’s starting to get interesting.
05-13-20, 11:18 PM
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Incredible narrative.
These look about like a Steyr Clubman level bike, same componentry and do I spy a "tin" fork crown trim?
The frame geometry would be interesting to know, and what few sizes were offered.
The question of what factory built these looms large. Seems like rather few countries with the ability to build bikes didn't have a go at supplying the bike boom.
Sickening though that they stole the Pinarello name.
These look about like a Steyr Clubman level bike, same componentry and do I spy a "tin" fork crown trim?
The frame geometry would be interesting to know, and what few sizes were offered.
The question of what factory built these looms large. Seems like rather few countries with the ability to build bikes didn't have a go at supplying the bike boom.
Sickening though that they stole the Pinarello name.
05-17-20, 10:26 AM
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the white and yellow bikes look French to me. that would explain the
Pivo/AVA stems. the earliest full race Pinarellos were made by Cinelli.
Pivo/AVA stems. the earliest full race Pinarellos were made by Cinelli.
