brooklyn_bike

hello from the pacific northwest. i recently acquired and built up this Medici Gran Turismo

i rode it for a few rides as 700 x 38 and have now been trying it out as a 650b conversion . it’s a terrific riding bicycle. nice and smooth and swift. a perfect bike for moderate to long distances carrying a light load over a mix of road and off-road trails : which is the type of riding i’ve been doing most often lately .

serial number 58 044T . from what i’ve been able to gather that’s a 58cm frame and possibly created around 1979 - 1980 ? any info / feedback is welcome and appreciated thanks !

juvela

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thanks very much for posting

as you have likely ascertained from your researches there was more than one builder for these

do not know if there is a means of determining a specific builder for an individual example

your date estimate looks spot on from here


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Kabuki12

I am not familiar with this model but it looks very comfy the way you have set it up. My Medici is the more common Pro Strada and it is a great bike . I personally think they are under appreciated.

repechage

fortunate are the frugal, for they will buy Medici.
I have seen an uptick in prices, not stellar increases, but no longer the screaming deal that @Kabuki found.
might be that those who were adults when Medici started are exiting the bike world.
memories fade out.

when I see Medici Gran- Turismo - a video game comes to mind.

Kabuki12

Even though mine is set up for a completely different type of riding , it sounds like you have found the same enjoyment I get out of mine. I have owned it for a few years and have found nothing that I don't like about the bike. I do mostly flat riding with the exception of only mild climbs so it works for me with the Campy SR set up and a 14-28 FW and a 53/42 chainring set up.

Feldman

if the bike has always lived in Portland I may have sold it while working at Bike Gallery. We sold a number of Medicis including a few GT's.

brooklyn_bike

Feldman : i happen to have purchased and refurbished an old Bridgestone RB-T for my wife with a Bike Gallery sticker. your post made me curious to check the bike shop decal and it looks like it came through Nomad Cyclery in SF. i was surprised to see they were still in business !

somepetalhead

700 x 38? are you sure? I have a size 50 frame and with brakes I havent thought A 38c can fit.... how much clearance in 650b do you manage? I have some Paul Racers I just slapped on but would love to rock 650b if I don't finish building it up and selling it.

brooklyn_bike

700x38s did fit altho my digital calipers read 35mm actual tire width. it was still very tight to the bottom of the brake calipers. with 650b i ran a 42mm Compass in the front with plenty of clearance and a 38mm Compass on the rear with decent clearance . i was able to fit a 42mm on the rear but it necessitated pulling the rear wheel all the way to the back of the horizontal dropouts.

somepetalhead

are those tektro 559's? or velo orange cru brakes?

somepetalhead

hahaha I thought about putting a spare SRAM AXS 12 speed on mine. stuck with 10 speed Dura ace 7800.

Dfrost 

I’d be interested in the how the bike “feel” has changed between the fat-ish 700’s and the even fatter 650 ‘s.

brooklyn_bike

​​​​​​​tektro R559

brooklyn_bike

i'm pushing 50 and have put in a lot of miles over the years. 650b conversions are my favorite these days - i've done a few : 650b bike has the tendency to float and glide more and i feel fresher after a long day of riding. it also allows for more mixed terrain / gravel / dirt / road and feels quite a bit more stable with larger volume tires and bike sitting very slightly lower . i definitely am a big advocate for trying it out