Italian Bike experts Legnano
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Italian Bike experts Legnano
This was in an old house being restored . Looks in good shape other than being dirty,
Can anyone tell me about this bike? Thanks
Can anyone tell me about this bike? Thanks
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Not the best of shots to garner. It looks like a five speed 120 rear spacing. Hard to tell, need a full shot drive side to see better, cable routing, parts, do a shot of the head tube and badge.
looks to be upper end model
looks to be upper end model
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What year did Legnano switch their unique seat lug and binder bolt design to a traditional one?
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Looks like an early '70's professional-level model (seat binder arrangement is from after the merger with Frejus). Campagnolo Record rear hub, seat post, shifters; Universal mod. 61 brakes; Reynolds 531 double-butted tubing throughout.
High-end Legnano bikes were considered to be among the finest factory-built racing bikes available in the '60's and into the early '70's, when (I think) they ceased production.
Great find. Others will weigh in on the likely value in this post-COVID period of slipping prices for classic/vintage pro bikes.
High-end Legnano bikes were considered to be among the finest factory-built racing bikes available in the '60's and into the early '70's, when (I think) they ceased production.
Great find. Others will weigh in on the likely value in this post-COVID period of slipping prices for classic/vintage pro bikes.
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This may be of some value Condorino Site
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the very top of the range model of its day
cannot be earlier than 1971 for that is the launch date for its 3TTT Record model stem
the stem received a revision for 1974 which brackets the date to between 1971 and 1973
appears all original from what can be seen in images posted
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the very top of the range model of its day
cannot be earlier than 1971 for that is the launch date for its 3TTT Record model stem
the stem received a revision for 1974 which brackets the date to between 1971 and 1973
appears all original from what can be seen in images posted
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Might refer to this:
https://condorino.com/legnano-timeline/
might be good for inquiries to be qualified a bit.
https://condorino.com/legnano-timeline/
might be good for inquiries to be qualified a bit.
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According to the Condorino site (I'd never heard of it before - thanks for expanding my horizons), Legnano started calling their top-end bike the "Olimpiade Record Specialissima" in 1970," so that's as early as this one could be. it also says they stopped using Universal 61 brakes in 1972. Add juvela's dates re the 3ttt stem, and we are looking at it most likely being 1971 or 1972. The site also says the distinct Legnano seat post bolt set-up was "'fully' discontinued" as of 1075, which goes against the 1971-72 theory. But the wording suggests that it might have been phased out over several years, so my guess is this one is one of the "early adapters" to the new-fangled style.
In any event, it looks like a cool, high-end bike and I learned some new stuff. I call that a good day.
In any event, it looks like a cool, high-end bike and I learned some new stuff. I call that a good day.
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Nice bike. I have an earlier model, ‘69-‘70. I’d say the bike shown is 1972 or 1973. Best guess given what the photos show. Could be newer.
#10
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Beautiful bike.
On the 3T Record stem, it would be interesting to know if it has the same compression crack my two 3T Record stems do?
I ride one of them and observation shows the crack has not progressed.
Admittedly I don't honk on it too much barreling down or up mountains.
General opinions were it happened in production and is quite common.
Hard to see with naked eye. I only saw it after polishing.
On the 3T Record stem, it would be interesting to know if it has the same compression crack my two 3T Record stems do?
I ride one of them and observation shows the crack has not progressed.
Admittedly I don't honk on it too much barreling down or up mountains.
General opinions were it happened in production and is quite common.
Hard to see with naked eye. I only saw it after polishing.
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If the original poster returns, I hope we can get a picture of the whole bike from its right side, i.e., a drive-side photo.
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Beautiful bike.
On the 3T Record stem, it would be interesting to know if it has the same compression crack my two 3T Record stems do?
I ride one of them and observation shows the crack has not progressed.
Admittedly I don't honk on it too much barreling down or up mountains.
General opinions were it happened in production and is quite common.
On the 3T Record stem, it would be interesting to know if it has the same compression crack my two 3T Record stems do?
I ride one of them and observation shows the crack has not progressed.
Admittedly I don't honk on it too much barreling down or up mountains.
General opinions were it happened in production and is quite common.
If so, that's where/why the crack started.
Next (uncracked) one, ditch the bolt and get a conventional arrangement.
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According to the Condorino site (I'd never heard of it before - thanks for expanding my horizons), Legnano started calling their top-end bike the "Olimpiade Record Specialissima" in 1970," so that's as early as this one could be. it also says they stopped using Universal 61 brakes in 1972. Add juvela's dates re the 3ttt stem, and we are looking at it most likely being 1971 or 1972. The site also says the distinct Legnano seat post bolt set-up was "'fully' discontinued" as of 1075, which goes against the 1971-72 theory. But the wording suggests that it might have been phased out over several years, so my guess is this one is one of the "early adapters" to the new-fangled style.
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Last edited by Oldairhead; 03-05-24 at 06:58 PM.
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Same deal on a stem on a Torpado I just worked on with the splined nut.
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I have a 1974 Legnano Gran Premio which still has the "old style" binder bolt, so perhaps the "new style" was phased in before that on some top end models. But by1975 with the death of Emilio Bozzi, Legnano had all but disappeared from the marketplace. Some decades later the marque has been resurrected but these bikes are not relevant to the discussion.
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Sig. Bozzi vectored to his reward in 1936.
the Red Brigades story is one of those urban legends like Fred Rogers being a sniper in Viet Nam
having been born in 1873 he would have been over one hundred at the time of his "murder"
https://condorino.com/2016/11/02/who...-emilio-bozzi/
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Thanks for the gentle reminder. I must confess that I wasn't particularly familiar with the story, I just read a brief summary and inferred the rest into my timeline.
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as one might imagine the topic has come up multiple times here on the forum
it's one of those accounts with "legs"
have often wondered if it may have had an innocent beginning with someone conflating another story such as the abduction & murder of the Italian film director Pier Paolo Pasolini in 1975
that case remains unsolved but is suspected to involve organized crime rather than a political terrorist group
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as one might imagine the topic has come up multiple times here on the forum
it's one of those accounts with "legs"
have often wondered if it may have had an innocent beginning with someone conflating another story such as the abduction & murder of the Italian film director Pier Paolo Pasolini in 1975
that case remains unsolved but is suspected to involve organized crime rather than a political terrorist group
-----
Last edited by juvela; 03-05-24 at 08:02 PM. Reason: spellin'
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More photos coming is part 2
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Legnano part2
Here are more photos of this bike. I don't think it was ridden much but has sat inside
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Looks to be a nice survivor.
If you clean the hair and gunk off the top of the rear derailleur, you will find a date code. The front derailleur has a circlip and is of the newer style which should put it 1972-73 era at the earliest, if it’s original.
The downtube decal changed from oval ends, to a parallelogram style as shown on your bike in the early ‘70’s.
Still has tubular rims, look to be Fiamme, can’t tell if they’re yellow label, or red label that has faded.
It may have been mentioned in the other thread, but Mark Campbell’s Condorino site has extensive information on Legnano bicycles, and some Frejus as well. There is a timeline where you can closely estimate the age of your bike.
https://condorino.com
If you clean the hair and gunk off the top of the rear derailleur, you will find a date code. The front derailleur has a circlip and is of the newer style which should put it 1972-73 era at the earliest, if it’s original.
The downtube decal changed from oval ends, to a parallelogram style as shown on your bike in the early ‘70’s.
Still has tubular rims, look to be Fiamme, can’t tell if they’re yellow label, or red label that has faded.
It may have been mentioned in the other thread, but Mark Campbell’s Condorino site has extensive information on Legnano bicycles, and some Frejus as well. There is a timeline where you can closely estimate the age of your bike.
https://condorino.com
Last edited by satbuilder; 03-07-24 at 03:32 PM.
#23
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That will clean up nice!
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Agreed. Evaporust and some Quik-glo chrome and it will be shining.
Rusted clamp shifters are often problematic though. They tend to snap.
Rusted clamp shifters are often problematic though. They tend to snap.
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Neat bike! Looks like it was owned by a golden retriever.