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1915 Rola

Old 09-05-21, 06:52 PM
  #1  
iab
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1915 Rola

Alright. I think I finally my limit for old and janky, a 1915 Rola. Prior to WW2, but mostly stopped after WW2, major Italian builders typically carried 2 or more brands of bikes. Bianchi also made Touring bikes. Legnano made Wolsit. Gerbi made Gloria, which in turn made Airlog bikes (Gloria spelled backwards). Emmo Ghelfi made Frejus and Rola. I was made aware that my friend Marco had obtained it and after about a year, I convinced him to sell it.

Nearly all original. Some of the bits on the front brake were fabricated. Also, while the saddle probably is not pre WW1, Rolas were not made after WW2, so it is pretty damn old. I didn't take close ups of the rear rim, it is rusting through. Marco sent me a proper unrusted rim and hub that I will build into a rideable rear wheel. I did ride this particular setup around the neighborhood without failure, but I'll really only keep the original on for display purposes only. I didn't get a great deal of exposure to the ride, but what I did do was fun. Seems to fit pretty well and is certainly different from my other bikes, so I look forward to the rideable wheel. And these are the 700A wheels, 742mm bsd, I mentioned earlier.

All the pics - https://www.flickr.com/photos/681231...h/51427334282/

Rola 01 by iabisdb, on Flickr

Rola 03 by iabisdb, on Flickr

Rola 04 by iabisdb, on Flickr

Rola 09 by iabisdb, on Flickr

Rola 11 by iabisdb, on Flickr

Rola 15 by iabisdb, on Flickr

Rola 18 by iabisdb, on Flickr

Rola 23 by iabisdb, on Flickr

Rola 27 by iabisdb, on Flickr

Rola 34 by iabisdb, on Flickr

Last edited by iab; 09-06-21 at 05:39 AM.
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Old 09-05-21, 07:03 PM
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Soooo, next year's Cino bike, right?
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Old 09-05-21, 07:11 PM
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Originally Posted by johnnyace
Soooo, next year's Cino bike, right?
Took the words right out of my mouth.

What a fun find. I look forward to a ride report. With that alleged brake, I also expect that steep downhills will not part of your test ride.
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Old 09-05-21, 07:12 PM
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The spoon brake lever is sublime, like the rest of it.
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Old 09-06-21, 09:48 AM
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Wonderful bike. I am drawn to the lovely chainwheel….

The bike seems surprisingly modern in geometry (slack yes but less so that my 38 CCM or any vintage Peugeot). The only thing in my mind that is sort of “old fashioned” is the stem and bar combo. Very cool find.
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Old 09-06-21, 10:47 AM
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That’s old and cool.
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Old 09-06-21, 10:51 AM
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Originally Posted by markk900
Wonderful bike. I am drawn to the lovely chainwheel….

The bike seems surprisingly modern in geometry (slack yes but less so that my 38 CCM or any vintage Peugeot). The only thing in my mind that is sort of “old fashioned” is the stem and bar combo. Very cool find.
Thank you.

I have this bike, a 1925 Frejus, 1933 Frejus and I am slowly restoring a 1942 Frejus. Someday I plan to accurate measure the geometries to compare racing bikes from the same manufacturer over 3 decades. I did recently get a new fish scale. The 15 is 12.68kg, the 25 is 12.43kg and the 33 is 11.22kg. I expect the 42 to be well under 10kg when complete.
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Old 09-06-21, 11:00 AM
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Elegant! @iab I enjoy seeing all your oldies! True C&V.
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Old 09-06-21, 02:57 PM
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Fantastico! Beach rims would look so amazing. Would they come in 700a size? Are tires exceptionally limited?
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Old 09-06-21, 03:28 PM
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Originally Posted by pastorbobnlnh
Fantastico! Beach rims would look so amazing. Would they come in 700a size? Are tires exceptionally limited?
Well that is an excellent question. Did wood rims come in a 700A size? I don't know but I thank you for now I have something to do.

The problem does lie with the tires. I still only know of Vee Rubber selling 700A tires. Certainly they do not make tubulars, so it would need to be clinchers. On a side note, I wish they made a white 700A tire, but they don't.

Then, I wonder if CB Italia or Ghisallo would make custom 700A rims.
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Old 09-06-21, 06:27 PM
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What a spectacular bike!! I am REALKY looking forward to seeing/reading more as you progress. Please - DO NOT RESTORE!!
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Old 09-06-21, 06:35 PM
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Originally Posted by RustyJames
Please - DO NOT RESTORE!!
Never crossed my mind.
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Old 09-06-21, 06:50 PM
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Perfect for those hills in SW WI. Looks like a plan for next summer,
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Old 09-06-21, 06:55 PM
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Originally Posted by iab
Never crossed my mind.
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Old 09-06-21, 08:21 PM
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That front brake looks pretty scary. How well does it function?
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Old 09-06-21, 08:33 PM
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Originally Posted by cycleheimer
That front brake looks pretty scary. How well does it function?
Worse than you think.
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Old 09-06-21, 10:21 PM
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Originally Posted by iab
Well that is an excellent question. Did wood rims come in a 700A size? I don't know but I thank you for now I have something to do.

The problem does lie with the tires. I still only know of Vee Rubber selling 700A tires. Certainly they do not make tubulars, so it would need to be clinchers. On a side note, I wish they made a white 700A tire, but they don't.

Then, I wonder if CB Italia or Ghisallo would make custom 700A rims.
Some wooden clincher rims, some Vee Rubber tires sanded down to become slicks...

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Old 09-07-21, 07:37 AM
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Originally Posted by iab
Worse than you think.
Good brakes only slow you down...
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Old 09-07-21, 08:10 AM
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Originally Posted by iab
Worse than you think.
So you won't be wearing your best shoes on fast rides?
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Old 09-07-21, 08:47 AM
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Incredibly cool!

Any info on the component (pedals, hubs, etc.) makes?
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Old 09-07-21, 10:48 AM
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Great find! You seem good at getting the coolest bicycles. I am envious. Have fun with it.
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Old 09-07-21, 12:50 PM
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Very cool! Thank you for sharing it here.

I ran into a couple of guys riding 100-year old bikes at last week's Eroica Limburg and became very much aware of the challenges these machines provide.

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Old 09-07-21, 01:55 PM
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How do you operate this style of brake lever (on the 1915 Rola pictured)? Presuming your hands are on the grips in the dropped section of the bar...do you reach over with your thumb and pull the lever over towards the grip? Or do you curl your hand further under and grab the lever with your fingers and pull it over?
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Old 09-07-21, 02:07 PM
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Originally Posted by non-fixie
Very cool! Thank you for sharing it here.

I ran into a couple of guys riding 100-year old bikes at last week's Eroica Limburg and became very much aware of the challenges these machines provide.

Yes, I have a very similar bike. It rides like a schoolbus and stops so poorly that I rarely let it get up to a fast speed. I cannot imagine taking it down a steep hill and would likely die on a mountain, if I didn't already die trying to climb it.
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Old 09-07-21, 02:13 PM
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Cool bike iab! Maybe we need to arrange a race between my Desbois and your Rola. I'd say we could try it at your next Chicagoland ride, but who knows how long that will take, and I am not eager to ride that far on these. (I'll try to remember to get a photo of mine later.)

I need to get a replacement cotter, as I broke mine the last time I took it out. Having only one pedal/crank made a long ride home.

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