Domenic's in Tempe/Scapin
12-27-07, 10:40 AM
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Bikes: '72 Bob Jackson; '82 Austro-Daimler Starleicht; '85 Scapin; '80 Peugeot PKN-10; '81 Trek 610; '87 Hunter Corsa; '72 Italvega and '75 Motobecane Grand Jubillee frames built into freewheel singlespeeds.
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Domenic's in Tempe/Scapin
Long story short: I just picked up a mid-80's Scapin on eBay (more threads with other questions later) and found out in the back-and-forth with the seller that he bought it new in '85 from a bike shop in Tempe, Arizona called Domenic's. Research on another eBay bike which I missed (a Tommassini frame painted in "Domenics Team Strada" colors, the racing team sponsored by the shop, built up with Ultegra) showed that the shop was started in 1979 by Domenic Malvestuto, an Italian racer who emigrated to Canada and ended up on the Canadian national road team in the 60's before getting in to the business side of things, ultimately ending up in Arizona. Here's the question:
The bike is a really interesting mix of parts, all original per the first owner. The derailleurs are Campy, seatpost and hubs (laced to tubular rims) are Cambio Rino, the bottom bracket and cranks are Gipiemme, and the brakeset is Modolo Flash. The frameset is Columbus Aelle, which I've seen criticized here, but it's a 60cm bike which weighs in at 20.5 pounds. I'm guessing that this bike didn't come from Scapin built up the way it is, but that Domenic's imported the framesets, and built them up with their preferred parts.
Original price was $770 in 1985, FWIW.
Does anybody know the history of this shop, and whether my theory about the parts mix fits?
Why I wonder about this stuff is beyond me, but I do ...
The bike is a really interesting mix of parts, all original per the first owner. The derailleurs are Campy, seatpost and hubs (laced to tubular rims) are Cambio Rino, the bottom bracket and cranks are Gipiemme, and the brakeset is Modolo Flash. The frameset is Columbus Aelle, which I've seen criticized here, but it's a 60cm bike which weighs in at 20.5 pounds. I'm guessing that this bike didn't come from Scapin built up the way it is, but that Domenic's imported the framesets, and built them up with their preferred parts.
Original price was $770 in 1985, FWIW.
Does anybody know the history of this shop, and whether my theory about the parts mix fits?
Why I wonder about this stuff is beyond me, but I do ...
12-27-07, 07:09 PM
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Call the shop
Long story short: I just picked up a mid-80's Scapin on eBay (more threads with other questions later) and found out in the back-and-forth with the seller that he bought it new in '85 from a bike shop in Tempe, Arizona called Domenic's. Research on another eBay bike which I missed (a Tommassini frame painted in "Domenics Team Strada" colors, the racing team sponsored by the shop, built up with Ultegra) showed that the shop was started in 1979 by Domenic Malvestuto, an Italian racer who emigrated to Canada and ended up on the Canadian national road team in the 60's before getting in to the business side of things, ultimately ending up in Arizona. Here's the question:
The bike is a really interesting mix of parts, all original per the first owner. The derailleurs are Campy, seatpost and hubs (laced to tubular rims) are Cambio Rino, the bottom bracket and cranks are Gipiemme, and the brakeset is Modolo Flash. The frameset is Columbus Aelle, which I've seen criticized here, but it's a 60cm bike which weighs in at 20.5 pounds. I'm guessing that this bike didn't come from Scapin built up the way it is, but that Domenic's imported the framesets, and built them up with their preferred parts.
Original price was $770 in 1985, FWIW.
Does anybody know the history of this shop, and whether my theory about the parts mix fits?
Why I wonder about this stuff is beyond me, but I do ...
The bike is a really interesting mix of parts, all original per the first owner. The derailleurs are Campy, seatpost and hubs (laced to tubular rims) are Cambio Rino, the bottom bracket and cranks are Gipiemme, and the brakeset is Modolo Flash. The frameset is Columbus Aelle, which I've seen criticized here, but it's a 60cm bike which weighs in at 20.5 pounds. I'm guessing that this bike didn't come from Scapin built up the way it is, but that Domenic's imported the framesets, and built them up with their preferred parts.
Original price was $770 in 1985, FWIW.
Does anybody know the history of this shop, and whether my theory about the parts mix fits?
Why I wonder about this stuff is beyond me, but I do ...
12-27-07, 07:27 PM
#3
juneeaa memba!
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Nothing wrong with Aelle, or the parts mix that you described. that is about what a budding racer would have chosen in 1985 or so, and been very competitive (especially at that weight.) Cool that the shop has such a racing pedigree. I like history that can be traced.
07-25-19, 09:04 AM
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Hello folks, I have also recently acquired a late 70's-early/mid 80's 50 cm Scapin. Frame is Columbus Aelle, chromed fork with pantographed crown, panto'd seat stay caps, full braze ons. It's in fantastic shape, white paint with black lug highlights with gold decals that match the 1978 catalog. Has Modolo Flash brakes, Campy 980 der's and shifters. Rino seatpost, headset, cranks with black anodized drillium chainrings, hubs laced 36 to Nisi clincher rims. 3TTT bars with black panto'd stem. Previous owner had installed Nashbar pedals, darn; I've put Ofmega quills on to keep it Italian.
Rides great, am gonna keep it forever. Probably the nicest retro/vintage sexy Italian bike I'll ever own.
Have scoured the internet trying to date it and get more info., any personal experiences or suggestions?
Thanks!
Charles
Rides great, am gonna keep it forever. Probably the nicest retro/vintage sexy Italian bike I'll ever own.
Have scoured the internet trying to date it and get more info., any personal experiences or suggestions?
Thanks!
Charles
07-25-19, 10:31 AM
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There are catalog scans for 2 years ('81 and '83) in Mark Bulgier's collection...take a look:
bulgier.net - /pics/bike/Catalogs/
bulgier.net - /pics/bike/Catalogs/
07-25-19, 01:06 PM
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Columbus Aelle places it no older than 1978. Campagnolo 980, if OEM. places it no older than the 1981 model year, as the 980 signifies the September 1980 introduction date. If the rear dropouts are Campagnolo and have the Portacatena holes, it probably no newer than 1983.
07-29-19, 07:16 AM
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Bikes: '74 Ral SuperCourse II, '77? Ron Cooper, '82 Scapin Sprint?, '84 Ross Sig, '86 Voyageur, '86 Miy. 512, '87 Prologue, '87 Circuit, '91 MP21, '96? DeBernardi, '14 Dolan Mythos, Giordano Tandem, '18 Masi Alare.
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getting warmer
Thanks for your help folks, I checked the two catalogs and it isn't in those as it's configured, I will reexamine them. My bad on the ST and DT decals, they are NOT the gold background, but black letters with gold borders. I need to get tech savvy and post pictures! The dropouts are cast in "SCAPIN".
After closer inspection and detective work looking at VeloBase, I'm 99% sure the front derailleur is a Nuovo Valentino, it has rust on the back of the inner cage so that is almost certainly swapped in from another bike as it's inconsistent with wear on the rest of the bike. The braze on mounted shifters are Nuovo Record, so it's highly likely the aforementioned and the 980 rear derailleur were swapped in. The plot thickens and the game is afoot!
After closer inspection and detective work looking at VeloBase, I'm 99% sure the front derailleur is a Nuovo Valentino, it has rust on the back of the inner cage so that is almost certainly swapped in from another bike as it's inconsistent with wear on the rest of the bike. The braze on mounted shifters are Nuovo Record, so it's highly likely the aforementioned and the 980 rear derailleur were swapped in. The plot thickens and the game is afoot!
