1969 URAGO Cattaneo
06-24-22, 11:28 PM
#26
Newbie
Thanks gugie and droppedandlost for your warm welcome!
10 articles might be difficult...
Anyway, to find information on Anicet Cattaneo and to find examples of his bikes is even more difficult than finding info on Urago!
An interesting fact about Anicet Cattaneo is that he was a convinced antifascist and he has left Italy because of the political situation. Indeed, in 1932, he was one of the 'hottest' amateur riders in Italy, and had won the team event at the Coppa Italia at the end of May 1932. He was part of a team of 4 that included Giuseppe Olmo, another very strong amateur rider. Both of these, after the event, were selected to represent Italy at the Olympic Games of 1932 in Los Angeles. Aniceto Cattaneo refused the offer, because he would have had to become a member of the fascist party. And shortly thereafter, he emigrated to France, first to Lyon, and then he settled in Nice.
10 articles might be difficult...
Anyway, to find information on Anicet Cattaneo and to find examples of his bikes is even more difficult than finding info on Urago!
An interesting fact about Anicet Cattaneo is that he was a convinced antifascist and he has left Italy because of the political situation. Indeed, in 1932, he was one of the 'hottest' amateur riders in Italy, and had won the team event at the Coppa Italia at the end of May 1932. He was part of a team of 4 that included Giuseppe Olmo, another very strong amateur rider. Both of these, after the event, were selected to represent Italy at the Olympic Games of 1932 in Los Angeles. Aniceto Cattaneo refused the offer, because he would have had to become a member of the fascist party. And shortly thereafter, he emigrated to France, first to Lyon, and then he settled in Nice.
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06-25-22, 06:38 AM
#27
Newbie
What I do not understand entirely yet is the connection between Cattaneo and Urago. Obviously, they were both of italian origin. Almost clear also that Cattaneo made, for some time, the top bikes for Urago. But even that thing, at least for someone like me who just looks at particular solutions used on a frame, was not clear. Some solutions for frames branded as Cattaneo and the ones that have the 'Cattaneo fork' and are branded Urago are in fact quite different. I have, for example, only seen one bike branded as Cattaneo that has the typical seatstay over the top tube arrangement that make high end Urago bikes so typical. For his own bikes, he had also different dropout finishes of the tubes. Again, a discussion without pictures I am afraid...
06-25-22, 06:53 AM
#28
Newbie
What is relatively clear though is that Cattaneo was a very well known framebuilder in Nice, who supplied frames to pro riders in the '40s/'50s'/'60s. For example, there is an account of that on a known french website for Wohlhauser bikes (type Wolhauser velos on google, then a weebly.com website will appear). You will find a Cattaneo bike that he made for a known french rider called Malléjac in 1955 (found under 'pour les collectionneurs').
You will find other examples in the Daniel Rebour files, Jean Graczyk's bike from the TdF of '58, or the winning bike of Walkowiak from '56.
You will find other examples in the Daniel Rebour files, Jean Graczyk's bike from the TdF of '58, or the winning bike of Walkowiak from '56.
06-25-22, 07:43 AM
#29
Newbie
Gugie, for the Crippa bike:
A friend in Italy had found that bike in Monza. Salvatore Crippa was from Monza, and after a professional Career in cycling, he opened what seems to have been teh go to shop fro bikes in Monza.
I had to buy the bike because it was in incredibly good, original condition, plus it came with Campagnolo stuff that is really rare. A 'complete' first generation Nuovo Record group, guess that consists of the rear derailleur and the 144 BCD crankset? Really interesting is the fact that the rear derailleur did not come with the plastic, 9-tooth pulley wheels, but with the metal pulleys from the earlier Record RD. I believe that this was originally like that because the plastic pulley wheels were still not available then, but guess that 'Campagnologists' will deny that.
The frame was made by Volta in nearby Dergano. Volta was to Milan what Giuseppe Pelà was to Turin, a framebuilder who would never put his own name on the frame, but would build bikes for practically every shop in the area. I view Volta as a more important bike builder for the 'Made in Milan' sticker than anyone else in the '50s and '60s, more important than Galmozzi or Masi, at least indirectly.
Volta was the shop where Ugo De Rosa would stare through the window as a kid and where he decided to become a framebuilder. He learned the trade with Volta and his brother in law in '52/'53. Volta was also the one who built all the frames for Ernesto Colnago (who had no clue how to build a frame) until '68/'69, when Volta retired.
So the 2 major brands from Milan that are still alive had their origins tied to Volta (or the Volta brothers-in-law).
A friend in Italy had found that bike in Monza. Salvatore Crippa was from Monza, and after a professional Career in cycling, he opened what seems to have been teh go to shop fro bikes in Monza.
I had to buy the bike because it was in incredibly good, original condition, plus it came with Campagnolo stuff that is really rare. A 'complete' first generation Nuovo Record group, guess that consists of the rear derailleur and the 144 BCD crankset? Really interesting is the fact that the rear derailleur did not come with the plastic, 9-tooth pulley wheels, but with the metal pulleys from the earlier Record RD. I believe that this was originally like that because the plastic pulley wheels were still not available then, but guess that 'Campagnologists' will deny that.
The frame was made by Volta in nearby Dergano. Volta was to Milan what Giuseppe Pelà was to Turin, a framebuilder who would never put his own name on the frame, but would build bikes for practically every shop in the area. I view Volta as a more important bike builder for the 'Made in Milan' sticker than anyone else in the '50s and '60s, more important than Galmozzi or Masi, at least indirectly.
Volta was the shop where Ugo De Rosa would stare through the window as a kid and where he decided to become a framebuilder. He learned the trade with Volta and his brother in law in '52/'53. Volta was also the one who built all the frames for Ernesto Colnago (who had no clue how to build a frame) until '68/'69, when Volta retired.
So the 2 major brands from Milan that are still alive had their origins tied to Volta (or the Volta brothers-in-law).
Last edited by redo1; 06-25-22 at 03:50 PM.
06-25-22, 08:47 AM
#30
Senior Member
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All this beauty on display in one thread is quite a treat! "if you post your location you may get invited to some bike rides with those great people!" Unfortunately lists location as "AU" = Australia, so we just have to admire the bikes from afar. Don
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