Ed.

Indeed, my first true love in the bicycle world. She 'replaced' my Dawes Double Blue which was wrecked when the sweet young thing looked right through me and pulled out... My Father bought the Torpado from a person in his exercise class - this was circa 1967. IIRC, the individual bought it in Italy. Based upon the cone locknuts, I believe she was made about 1961.

So, to whet your appetite while I sort thru the photos I just took - this was her first day in the sun for over 30 years, and I'm not exaggerating when I say my fingers tingled a bit. Too bad the rear Clement Paris-Roubaix (oops, speelling problem here, I think) Seta won't hold air, I could have a least taken a coast!



More to come.

Ed.

Obligatory garage-door photo:



Being called for dinner. Isn't she beautiful!

randyjawa 

Torpado Luxe 5 Speed...



Torpado Luxe 10 Speed...



Torpado Super Racing...



And I have another all chrome plated Luxe waiting for me, or you, to clean it up and put it on the road...

Ed.

Canada - Land of Torpados (thanks to Baggio - more on that, later)

Very nice, but one hot-blooded Italian lady is more than enough for me (and, with the Frejus, I'm already in trouble), thank you!

More photos:



















The barrel of this hub has some rust issues - suggestions?

Ed.

Oops, cut off, too many photos.





That's it in the photo dept.

The front hub - in the photo there's an accumulation of 30 years of oil and dust, that's not peeling chrome, but there is some.

She was my main ride until I fell under the sway of Raleigh, then I had to make do cobbling up a bike from a returned Pro frameset and whatever I could scavenge to equip it. Before the Team Pro I actually had a very nice built-up Pro frameset (in turn partially scavenged to build the Team Pro).

I'm working at getting ready for tomorrow - more Torpado tales, later.

Pogliaghi

1939 Torpado I purchased from the original owner in Canada. Sadly at this point I do not have any good photos of the bike but here are a couple of the headtube and badge.

Essthreetee

As purchased from Blue Devil


As changed to fit (stem was too long, seat post was too short, stock seat hated me, changed cranks to longer and compact)

Ed.

That's easily fixed - take some more!

Ed.

Details, details, all the knooks (sp?) and crannies.

Ed.

Same thing, the Devil is in the details, let's see them!

Bianchigirll 

Hub Shiners

Pogliaghi

Okay here they are:

rootboy 

Really beautiful, Ed. By the way, how is the handle end of that pump held in place? I don't see a clip or anything. Neat bike.

Ed.

PFM... (I need to find the clip.)

Ed.

Pogie, she's a beauty! (But where's the garage door...)

Was it originally purchased in Canada, or, like mine, bought in Italy and brought back? If Canada, was Baggio selling bikes back then?

Pogliaghi

You said "(But where's the garage door...)" - that's funny. Yes I do normally put bikes up against the garage door to be shot! In this case I had actually taken these pics on the patio a couple of years back. When I bought the bike I got the owner to write down some history on the bike - I will dig that letter out and refresh my memory and let you know.

Ed.

So, in 1972 I got the word I could take a week's vacation, at the height of the bike season, no less. I had noted that there was some brinnelling happening within my Torpado's headset (that notchie feeling), and had somehow discovered Baggio, in Montreal, was the source of all things Torpado. Now you might as why didn't I call, or even write - I can only say that I was young and dumb and needing some adventure, so I decided the best thing I could do was to show up on Baggio's doorstep. Being as I was heading off on vacation I took off my watch (which I never put back on) and headed for Montreal.

I'd planned to fly up, and ride back, but I discovered that the airline wanted crazy money to take my bike, so I took the bus instead. Upon my arrival in Montreal I took the bike out of the box, and reassembled the bike right there in the bus terminal. At that time the bike was as you see it above, but I had put a Stonglight 93 Crank on it, fitted with 47-50 chainwheels, and a 38-tooth one was stashed in my panniers. Somewhere between the bus terminal and Baggio's there was quite a hill and (as some one here says, 'You can't believe how fast I used to be.') I got into a race with one of those infamous Solex? motorbikes going up that hill. Then I was able to uphold the honor of all bikies - today it would have to be someone else doing that, LOL, and blew him off.

When I got to the door Baggio greeted me like a long-lost brother. He quite literally fawned over my bike, and then I told him why I was there... There was to be no joy found at Baggio's for me that day. He did still feel for me, and treated me to the above water bottle, and a sumptuous Italian dinner, but after that it was to be week's worth of riding thru Quebec Province and New England to get me home.

There's much more, or at least some more, to this story, but I'll need to continue it later as I have to head out to my next paying engagement.

Pogie, not to be a PITA, but I'd love to hear the details when you have a minute.

juvela

hello rootboy -

can't you see? claude rains is holding it in place.

santé -

is your machine's rear mech a simplex of Italy?

Ed. -

are torpado built italvegas welcome on the thread?

Pogliaghi

santé -

is your machine's rear mech a simplex of Italy?

Yes it is an Italian Simplex Campione Del Mondo. The crank is branded Torpado and brakes are Universal Model 39.

Ed.

Early on in my tenure here it was noted that I was a 'lug Nazi' - I don't ever want it to be said that I'm a head-badge Nazi. Whatchagot?

juvela

Ed. -

thanks for the response. have no wopvegas to post. was just asking for others in case they may have such they would like to add to the thread. always forget, is it torresini or corresini? the script transfer on the chainstay is too stylized to be sure if the first letter is supposed to be a t or a c.

thanks very much for commencing the thread. really enjoy seeing your handsome blue and white steed.
trivia minutia question - is that a ball bearing that has somehow stuck itself in the drive end of the bb spindle?

have had two or three torpado from around this era which have passed through my workshop.

torpado anecdote - was at a flea market in san jose california a bit over thirty years ago when spotted this frame. it was a juvenile which looks to have been constructed for 550a wheel. she was without a fork and the only fitting attached was the bb with a rh crankarm and fixed c/w. someone had painted it flat black. hand written on the downtube in aluminum roofpaint were the words "hodaka rules the track." it had the same torpado nameplate as your machine and those of our mr. jawa. evidently it was built to be a derailleur three speed or five speed. cables were routed through the frame. it is constructed of the same agrati lugset and shell as your machine. guessing it to be either a late fifties or early sixties item. had it blasted and painted it with dupont centari acrylic enamel. it is a darkish metallic red with yellow panels. has been sitting in the rack all these years as do not have a fork for 550a.

sig. sante,

thank you for the information on your stern mech. had not seen your headplate previously. that is going back a few anni!

hope other readers will be able to add their machines to the thread.

-holiday76

not as cool as any of the bikes here,but i just won this repainted orange Torpado for $55 shipped on eBay.

nesteel 

You have no idea how badly I wanted to bid on that. Just a touch to big for me though.

-holiday76

i certainly don't need it, but for $55? Ok.

nesteel 

Oh, I didn't NEED it either, but the color is cool, and it would be a good stablemate to my pearl beige Super Strada.