It's often stated that people on this forum seek out the bikes they wanted when they were teenagers but couldn't attain then. When I was a teenager I wasn't really aware of any bikes above the basic entry level stuff, and I didn't even know the names of those. I had "a bike" and all my friends had "bikes" and I was happy with that state of things. But that doesn't mean I'm unfamiliar with the feeling. The bike that really got me into collecting vintage bikes was a 1984 Pinarello Gran Turismo. It wasn't one I couldn't attain, exactly. I bought it. It just didn't fit me. I saw it. I had to have it. I spent a year in denial about the fact that it was too small for me. Finally, I sold it to @
Andy Antipas who it does fit. But even as I did, I told myself that one day I'd find one in my size.
Here's the bike in question, fully demonstrating how much it didn't fit me.
A few years later, I bought a beautiful chrome Pinarello Montello, and you'd think that would settle things, but it didn't. It turns out, the color was a huge part of what I loved about the bike above and the chrome Montello just wasn't scratching that itch. Then last week, while I was on vacation, Charles Nighbor shared a Portland CL ad to the Facebook SiR group for a 57cm Pinarello Treviso that was the spitting image of my old love. I spent a few days worrying that someone would buy it before I got back. Then yesterday, despite being wiped out from travel, I swung over to SE Portland and brought this beauty home with me.
I know they all say "Treviso" on them, so I'm not entirely sure that's what this is. The 1985 catalog shows several models, including the Treviso, with chrome seat stay caps like this one. It doesn't show anything with both chain stays chrome (except the Montello, and this definitely isn't a Montello). Based on the lack of downtube palmarès decal, I think this might be a 1984 model.
@
T-Mar -- you were able to identify the Gran Turismo. Do you happen to know which model this is?
More detail pics:
It's possible the decals are reproductions -- they are intact after all. The components are all Super Record except for the wheels and saddle, which are unlikely to be original (Bernard Hinault Turbo saddle and Fiamme/Maillard wheels).