steine13

Learned Friends,

This is a bicycle that my wife owned when I met her in 1988. She rode it on a tour of East Germany in 1991, and in '96, it was replaced by a Cannondale touring bike and relegated to the basement. This seems a shame, and I'm going to surprise her by sprucing the old girl up a bit. But what is she?

Original equipment was sew-up tires, probably (?) on 27" rims -- this was before the internet, mind you, so I was pretty dim on the difference.
I put Wolber Invulnerables on for a while, but don't remember the size.

There was a too-long-for-her stem, track-ish bars, both replaced, plus the brakes, bottom bracket, and cranks you see in the pictures.
I had the headset replaced with the Stronglight you see here.

She bought the bike used in Regensburg, Germany, in 1987, and that's pretty much all I know.

Except one thing: They got the color right.

Thanks in advance,
-Mathias

g-funk

Does it have 3M





stamped on the seat post lug? Gipemme rear dropouts?It looks like a Nuovo Racing (thanks T-mar). I have one I converter into a single speed cruiser. I think the fancier Italian Bianchis had campy drop outs.

T-Mar

Decals are replacements based on the poor placement. Definitely built in Italy based on the threading standard stamped on the cups. Frame features indicate early 1980s, Piaggio era, upper entry level to lower mid-range. It's appears to be the equivalent of the USA market Nuovo Racing but since it was bought in Germany, it's likely a Rekord variant. What size seat post does it take and what is the full serial number (on both sides of the seat lug)?

steine13

Thanks for coming through, guys!

g-funk:
>> Does it have 3M
Nearly.. one side of the seat lug says "3 * L", with punched-in 'dot' centered vertically.
On the other side it says "25 4".
And the dropouts are indeed Gipiemme.
Bottom bracket, crankset, derailleurs, and shifters -- should have photographed the shifters -- are Campagnolo.
Brakes are Modolo.

T-Mar

>> Decals are replacements based on the poor placement.
That seems unlikely; we certainly didn't replace them, and the bike was only a few years old when she got it -- I think the 'early 1980s' is correct.
I see what you mean from the pictures, but I believe it's a perspective issue.

>> What size seat post does it take
27.2 mm
>>[..] and what is the full serial number (on both sides of the seat lug)?
Going around, NDS then DS: "25 4 3 (dot) L".

The seat tube is 51.5 cm ctc; top tube is 54 cm ctc.

My wife is 5'3" with a short torso, and the frame is a bit long for her.... I'll start by putting a moustache bar on a short stem, or even a north road, and if she likes going in that direction, I might think about an internally-geared hub with 650b rims.
It would make a classy city bike.

If she goes "ewwww," which is likely, I'll go roadish with it and figure something else out.

There's a sprung Brooks saddle with it that should spruce up nicely.

Thanks a lot!
-Mathias

T-Mar

^ Based on the serial number it is a 1984 model manufactured in late 1983. Both 1983 and 1984 are Piaggio era and would originally have had the Piaggio decals on the seat tube. A 27.2mm post indicates good grade, double butted main tubes, either Columbus or Falck. The stays and fork blades are typically lesser grade material on frames on frames with dropout eyelets. Given German market, it would be one of the Rekord 84x variants. So, lower mid-range and equivalent to the USA market Nuovo Racing, as stated earlier.

g-funk

Mine had campy derailleurs, modolo speedy brakes, GOLD ones! and a bianchi branded crank, ofmega, or something. The sticker comment is wrong, my stickers are in the same spot and are original, and no piaggio sticker to be seen. Anyway, I think we have the same bike. It rides great and is my go to town bike. Is there a lightly stamped "1" before your "254" I always thought the 3M meant three main tubes. Mine also has a 27.2 seatpost. Celeste Bianchi's are the coolest!

steine13

Sorry for not getting to this yesterday.

>> . Is there a lightly stamped "1" before your "254"

There is not.

And the 254 is really "25 4" and I can't help but wonder if identifies the lug.. the seat tube is 1 1/8 inches, but the top tube is 25.4 mm. Then again, they all were at that time, so why bother?
After looking at g-funk 's pictures carefully, our bikes are if not twins then definitely siblings.

Finally I'd love it if this frame were made from thin and butted tubing, but after I got the bottom bracket out yesterday, I weighed it... frame alone, 2274 g on my kitchen scale, with everything removed except the headset cups.That's pretty heavy, considering how small it is.