apg

I've been working on building up an old french 10 speed beater for a while which I'm happy with now.

I'd really like to build an Italian fixie next from scratch. I love the look of the old Olmo frames and was wondering what people thought of them and if there were and bargains to be found out there?

Or are there much better options in your opinions for Classic Italian frames?

look171

An Olmo track bike? Olmo makes a damn fine bike. If you are looking ride quality, I think almost all italian frames ride the same or very similar. I found my old Gios a bit faster out of the corners compare to many of my other Italian frames. This was a time when I was racing, now I am sure they all feel the same. My opinion of course.

JPZ66

Finding one for a bargain price might be a little challenging, but not impossible....Go with what you want and if you're looking for better quality, look for quality material used in the frameset....most companies (mass produced) had a range of quality from entry level 'gas pipe' to fine quality Columbus or similar level tube sets.

No matter what you get, make sure it fits and please do not hack it up and cut things off, so that maybe one day it can be built up with derailleurs and such....! Good luck with your project and post pics when you do it !

Cheers,
Joe

look171

From what I understand, most of those famous small Italian companies do not really have an entry level bike from back in those time. Rare to find a race frame with Columbus AELLE tubing, but I have seen them out there.

KonAaron Snake 

Olmo wasn't that small and did make lower and mid-level models...you should be able to get one at a reasonable number (comparable to more desired brands like Colnago). I've never been especially impressed with Olmo and have no desire to own one.

I agree with JPZ - don't target a specific brand unless you know from experience that it rides especially well for you, target a bike that fits. I also like the smaller name Italians and you can usually find them at decent pricing since they have a smaller market. There is no best, just personal preference, taste and some mythology/branding.

repechage

An Olmo from the 50's or early 60's would be nice to have and unless you are very lucky not going to arrive cheap. I do not know there history but for a while they were out of business I believe, at least that was the comment from the bike shops when I was looking for my first road bike and had read that they were a good brand. In the late 70's-80's there was a revival of the brand for sure, to my mind it was in name only and only occasionally did I feel the bikes were special. I would not be surprised if they were contract built at that point.

gomango

Fit first, brand second.

Know your correct size.

Then starting looking at CL lists outside of Manhattan. An old friend lives in Manhattan and was only looking in Manhattan proper. He came up with quite a few overpriced, beat to death bicycles.

He widened the net and ended up finding a very nice Pinarello for $450 a couple of years ago.

It was located in Buffalo.

The seller was willing to ship as well.

It can be tricky buying a used bicycle w/o looking at it in person, but it worked quite well for him.

I've purchased over a dozen bicycles via this method and it has worked out ok. I was amazed that some made it to me due to poor packing regimens, but that's another story entirely.

Don't forget, we have a facilitator thread started by Khatful, so I would try that angle as well.

Fwiw I've ridden a couple of Olmos with Columbus SL tubing and they were just fine. Handled just like I thought they would.

Good luck.

KonAaron Snake 

Thanks - I've really only seen the 70s-80s ones and never felt much about them.

JPZ66

As for Olmo specifically, Giuseppe Olmo was a racer in the early days (1920's) and founded Olmo Biciclette in the 30's or so...... The good stuff from the 50's and 60's, I'm told, is comparable to any of the high quality bikes from that period....and do command collector prices. I have seen later examples though for much less money. I like the earlier models with fancy lugwork for sure !

Joe

Belg-Ital Steel 

I have seen where Olmo is being called "the Schwinn of Italy". Don't know much about them, but do like my 1980 Olmo Competition.

spacemanz

Did you happen to read my recent broken Atala thread? There's a link near the end, to a site where a guy who sounds like he knows, says that the tubing that Atala called Tullio, was probably an early iteration of Columbus Aelle. Maybe not in those exact words, but that was definitely the message they were sending. FYI, the middle of the line-up model, Gran Prix, used Tullio tubing, so it wasn't high-end or gas-pipe, it was right in the middle. I've only ever seen a few Olmo bikes, & they were definitely newer, like 80s or 90s, or maybe even newer. I'd love to be the guy who finds an older one, at a garage sale or something.

well biked

I've thought of Bianchi as "the Schwinn of Italy," just because of the sheer number of bikes they produced, and the wide variety.

JPZ66

Many of the vintage bikes we all lust after are more common in Italy...... If you really want to find something unique or scarce, I suggest opening up Google Translator and go to the following link....
https://annunci.ebay.it/ebay-annunci

Here you will find a great many wonderful old bicycles. Use 'epoca' or 'eroica' along with a name, such as "Olmo" and you will be amazed at the things you find. Not all are willing to ship to the U.S., but I have had several very good dealings this way...and not ever had a problem as of yet.

Maybe something like this even ?

https://annunci.ebay.it/annunci/bicic...gnolo/54942802


Naturally, prices are in Euros, so do the conversion and you will see items all up and down the condition and price range. I found Vintage Olmo anywhere from €99 - 1000 , from bare frame (teliao) to nicely restored examples....along with all sorts of other sweet makes and models.....

Have fun !

Joe

Belg-Ital Steel 

cut and paste from classicrendezous site follows: Giuseppe Olmo Spa has produced many bicycles in it's long history and has been called "The Schwinn of Italy". But, as with the Schwinn Paramount, Olmo has also produced some very refined high end models.

gomango

Chuckk,

That is a very attractive racing bicycle!

long john

go OLMO I hear they are the Schwinn of Italy but i cant find any low end bikes that they are said to have made. The one above rocks.

John E

That sounds a lot like the story of Otto Cap, the highly rated Viennese racer who founded Capo in 1930. His son, Harald, who is my age, runs the company today.

Over the years I have seen some really sharp-looking Olmos.

look171

yeah, those were the ones I remember seeing in races and training rides. I sucked many wheels of a couple of Olmos back in the days of our training rides. A silver and a blue with typ. Campy SR. I have never seen a lower end Olmo and I have seen a lot of race bikes back in the 80s. That was all steel columbus SL frames from most Italian makes. No carbon, no alum. Well, a Vitus or two..

look171

No I have not read that thread, but will look for it. I don't come here much.

Whatever the entry level tubing is called, the all pretty much ride similar. Some are slightly heavier, some lighter. By the mid 90s, I have lost interest due to work, so no more looking at or riding bikes. Olmo and most of the Italian high end bike started fading away due to their buy in cost. If you folded one during a race, you were out a lot of money. Everyone started riding alum, especially Cannondales. Heck I had one and it was a fine race bike. I haven't bought a steel bike since but have always like the way they look and feel. Modern bikes look like crap but they ride nice.