Andy_K 

Having just finished my Bianchi build, I was reflecting on the Italian bikes in my stable. I couldn't help but think this.



(In order to communicate with my 20-year old daughter, I've had to learn to think in memes.)

What do you think? Fair?

Do you prefer the mainstays like this or smaller marques?

randyjawa 

1958 Rabeneick...


1968 Legnano...


1969(?) Torpado...


2000 Marinoni...

nlerner

I'll let you know once I sort it all out.

merziac

Yes, no, wait, maybe, all of the above.

repechage

Listing would be telling.
Like Lizzie Borden, 41 is a good number.

gugie 

I can't remember all of the bikes in my collection, but I do know that I need one more.

Andy_K 

Maybe I disguised my question too well. The question is, do you prefer well-known and respected brands like Colnago and Bianchi, or would you rather have some lesser known craftsman brand? Of course, a lot of us will say "both" but which is your preference?

I like obscure brands a lot, but I don't really have any. The closest thing I have to an uncommon brand in my collection is my Stella. I've told the story here before that I was going to Bob Freeman's barbeque and bike show a few years ago and trying to decide what bike to take. I was considering my De Rosa, but I decided that there would be a lot of De Rosas there so I should take the Stella instead. Someone else had brought the exact same model of Stella and in more original condition. No one brought a De Rosa.

Roger M

Predominantly from the west coast, and from makers that nobody's ever heard of.

Spaghetti Legs 

Well Andy I’m sure there was/is a DeRosa tucked away in one of Bob’s closets. You and the other Stella owner “will always have North Bend” and a good story to tell. If you ask Gugie, that’s always the most important thing to consider.

I have all of those mentioned in your OP, although the Masi isn’t up and running yet. As you know I have a thing for Italian racers but that itch has been scratched pretty hard so it takes something pretty special along those lines to spark my interest now. I picked up the Masi only because it was a good price and in my neighborhood. I rode your Supercorsa today BTW and yes, it was spectacular!

Kabuki12

It all started back in the late seventies with my Kabuki Diamond Formula and , silly me, I thought I had the only bike I needed. It was lighter than most , even more expensive bikes, and it just fit … perfectly. Then i was given a mid range Stella by a close friend who I rode with back when my Kabuki was new. I realized owning more than one bike was ok. Then in 2016 I found this forum and through that realized that not only was it ok to own more than one bike, I had some catching up to do! You guys are to blame and once the obsession started, it was already too late. There’s no stopping me now. The good news is that I actually have a shop to keep them in and I can ride them whenever I have free time. It is something a lot of folks don’t understand. I get asked by some “ why do you need so many bikes?” Or “ another bike, what the heck for?” I try to answer with some form of logic but still looking for suggestions.

bikingshearer 

My current riders are a 1967 Paramount (my BART/city bike), two mid-1960s Cinellis, a 1978 Eisentraut, and a 1982ish Ron Cooper. None are remotely as they would have been set up when new - well, the Cooper is kinda-sorta close, but not really. All but one have been repainted. All are marques I lusted after as a teenager in the mid-1970s. I traded a 1986 DeRosa frame & fork to get one of the Cinelli frames.

I'm not sure what this says about me, but I sure like my bikes. A lot.

bikemig 

This is why I don't show anyone pics of my garage,

sthurman

My collection is currently:
1991 Eddy Merckx Corsa Extra, Columbus MAX, Team Telekom colors, Campy Racing T gruppo
​​1978 (ish) Super Mondia, full Reynolds 531, chrome Nervex Pro lugs, first gen Dura Ace black gruppo.
1972 Gitane Tour de France, lovely original orange paint, upgraded to simplex SLJ 5500 RD and gold anodized mafac competition brakes. Also converted to a sort of touring bike look with velo orange chrom fenders and front+rear racks.

jdawginsc 

Basso, Rossin...no more Faggin...<tears>, stove pipe patina-ed Fiorelli, and a Vanni Losa Cassani frame of which I have no clue...

Oh and a Spanish Massi made in Italy, and a Van Tuyl likely made there as well...

I think I have successfully avoided valuable Italian friends...

...of course there is a certain Bianchi I have a desire to get, but...

merziac

We call that "a good start".

Andy_K 

Actually, I'm not sure there is. Bob is not basic. I spent a lot of time going through his bike sheds and shipping containers, and I don't remember seeing a De Rosa.


That's kind of where I am now with my bikes. It's not something that serious collectors would marvel at, but I have enough of a well-rounded set that I've managed to stop bringing home every interesting stray that pops up on Craigslist. Now, I can finally see a nice bike for sale and appreciate it without feeling like I have to buy it if it's my size. Instead I think "Which bike would I get rid of to make space for that?" And that eliminates most candidates. Nevermind that I've got an entry-level Nishiki that I built for a Clunker Challenge a couple of years ago and a Performance Bike Superbe still sitting around. I think of them as placeholders that I can pass on if anything really special comes along (like the next Supercorsa that comes my way).

And that's kind of where my mind was headed with this thread. With a couple of particular exceptions, there's not a mainstream brand that I would buy just because I found it at a good price. At least, that's what I'm telling myself. But something obscure and cool, I'm not making any promises.

Bianchigirll 

In answer to your question, I like more unusual bikes so I can have something no one else has. My Bianchis are somewhat like that and I think the Cornelo certainly falls into the unusual especially in the US.

I have mostly Bianchi bikes now. I never really had that much interest **huge gasp** in Colnagos although I admire their paint, or De Rosa. I wouldn’t mind trying a Merckx especially a MAX one.



then there is my Fauxgno, the beautiful crimped Cornelo.



then the still unidentifiable Ugly Betty.




most recently I acquired this fabulous Speckled Trout Bertoni.



I almost forgot my early ‘80s Batavus Professional

Andy_K 

The West Coast has had a lot of great builders. There was a beautiful Rodriguez for sale here for over a year. I was very tempted many times, but couldn't bring myself to accept the asking price.

steelbikeguy

I never caught the Italian bug, but I do have a heavily pantographed Olmo Competition...



My collection is small, but it is fun to have some quirky stuff, like a Hetchins...


or something that has been raced successfully, like the Raleigh Team bikes with 753 tubing.


I suppose that uncommon cool bikes are better than the common cool bikes, so a nice Sachs or Weigle or Della Santa, etc., would be among the most desirable.

Steve in Peoria

Bianchigirll 

^ That Hetchins is beautiful. I really regret having to pass mine along.

Andy_K 

You've got a particular affinity for Bianchi bikes, and I can appreciate that. I guess I'm still searching for my identity as a bike collector.

There was a thread recently asking about the most desirable vintage bikes. I posted some pics of mine. Then @iab said something about having shown his bikes enough and provided a link to some albums. Looking over some of his bikes I felt like somebody talking about his favorite beers being Guinness and Sam Adams then having a wine collector casually mention a bottle of some French wine from the 30's that he has in his cellar.

Andy_K 

That seems to be a common story. As a teenager, I'd have been thrilled with a mid-level Schwinn, but I never had anything that nice and didn't even know most of the bikes I own now existed.

Mad Honk 

Andy,
I'm now back to cycling after a 30 year hiatus, and looking back I have been very lucky. I was allowed to ride a lot of great bikes, and sample what they were like. Rauler, Piccio, Patelli, along with the higher end from Trek, Gitane, Raleigh, Colnago, and many others; so now coming back I find that I only have a few that will be special rides for me. I now have a Guerciotti, Patelli, two late model Paramounts, (1987&1991) one Raleigh of unknown age, two Othon Ochsner bikes, one Masi, and perhaps soon Jdawg's Faggin. It will have to be a very special bike before it gets to be in the stable here. I know I am stuck in the 1970's and 1980's but it is a very comfortable place for me. Smiles, MH

sloar 

As I get older and wiser, I’m getting more into the Japanese and American built touring bikes. I’ve been thinning out my race bike collection.

bwilli88 

A Zunow
A Roberts built Geoffrey Butler
A British built Witcomb
A British built Raleigh RRA from 1983
A couple of Centurion Pro-tours
An 83 Gazelle Opafiets
a couple of Raleigh Gran Prix, 3 Supercourses, & 2 Gran Sports