Progiosa (the best of Gios Torino in one frame)

First ask you al a question. Is it ok to make a report about a steel classic frame with modern parts?

If not I can understand but I think this can be a nice project.

I'm an old man and did cycling in competition and many many years as a cyclotourist. Did al the great mountains in the Alps and al major classics like Paris-Roubaix, Milan-San Remo, Tours the Flanders ect.
When the years are counting more and more you make other choices:
- Friendship is number one! And I have some great cycling friend over Europe
- Good time with great food. The second part of my live I become a amateur cook and most of my cycling friends love great dishes
- See great landscapes and great culture. Cycling for me I the number one way to discover a great part of a country with a great number of moments
- A bike not just must be a bike but a bike has to be PASSION!

In those 44 years I ride a lot of bike: Cycle Tourmalet, Visser Vainqeur, Gazelle, Gios, Rossin, Alan, Bianchi, Benotto, Coppi, Silk, etc etc.........

Al lovely bikes. Some are good for a criterium (it that the proper word?), some for cobblestones, some for climbing and some just to ride to the pub..............

A few brands are my favorite in all those years: Masi, Bianchi and Gios Torino.

You can spend a hole life on these 3 brands :shock:

For me Gios is #1. It goes a back to 1977 when Roger de Vlaeminck take hius fourth victory in Paris-Roubaix. I was in the army and supposed to stay on gard. NO WAY! I looked TV how Roger wins his 4th Paris-Roubaix.

Aldo Gios was in the car and now many years later Roger and Aldo both are my friend.

But Aldo didn't go to sleep after the great successes off Roger and developed some fine details.

In the 65 anniversary Gios put a frame to the market with the name PRODIGIOSA

It's a joke while the word means: miraculous! But also it means project by Gios

I already had two Gios bikes but.....................I had to have one.

So this spring I traveled to Volpiano (Turin) to pick up a Prodigiosa. On the left it's me and on the right it's Marco Gios (son of Aldo)


At home I put the frame in a show case. Other souvenirs are from the Gios Rando.


But then. What to do whit this frame? As a pasta holder? It's Italian so far..............


More..................

The fork on the Prodiosa is great. Coins like the 1978 Super Record and greater value then the Euro :shock:


I love to do some drawings and. Use the bike for cobbles? For retro rides? For climbing? What a hard choice :idea:


But first I opened a fund for making money for this project :mrgreen:


If you all ok when I build this bike with modern parts I do some reports.

Campag Athena Silver Polished 11 speed would looks nice against the background of the frame pictured IMO

It really is a knockout colour isn't it? The one time in my life I've had a frame commercially resprayed, they asked: "What colour?" There was a Gios hanging on the wall. I pointed to it and said: "That colour".
A week or two later I call in to pick the frame up. It was now blue, yes, but really it wasn't even close to that blue. The bluest blue you could ever hope to see.

torqueless":2mhdpeui said:

The bluest blue you could ever hope to see.

Click to expand...

+1

I consider to put black parts on the bike. My other Gios bikes are with alu color parts so try something "new" :mrgreen:

Nob":5ubfb983 said:

Campag Athena Silver Polished 11 speed would looks nice against the background of the frame pictured IMO

Click to expand...

This is a great idea - salivating already...

Gastheerg":3toe5oje said:

I consider to put black parts on the bike. My other Gios bikes are with alu color parts so try something "new" :mrgreen:

Click to expand...

Gerard, I've seen a lot of your bikes on your blog and other forums and I can understand you wanna try something new with this special beauty. So why not consider some Shimano Dura Ace 10 speed downtube shifters , keeps it lightweight.

Thanks for sharing the information. I found the information very helpful.

Nob":2khyey5k said:

Campag Athena Silver Polished 11 speed

Click to expand...

Remeber I already have 3 Gios Torino in blue with alu parts:

Al are Gios Torino Super record.
Left: Reissue of the Brooklyn 1977 Paris-Roubaix (only 35 are made) - mostly 50 anni parts
Middle: 1980. Repaint by Gios Torino and bike is a copy of my first Gios - al Campa Super Record
Right: actual model of the Super Record. Veloce en Centaur parts. Modern 10 speed.


A 4th blue Gios with alu parts is welcome but..................it's nice to do something else

This project of the Prodigiosa has some delay:
- Wintersport
- dive vacation
But more delay are the two times they bring me into the hospital...............both times a crash with the bike (the right one).

At the moment a broken clavicle some broken ribs etc................. Not my fold but..............

Last days using the computer gets better so I ordered some parts for this project.

Campa parts (Veloce and Centaur), Cinelli seatpost, stem and handlebar, Zonda wheelset (when i go i to the mountains I have a pair of Neutron) and handlebartape and saddle in a warm color:


So blue, black an brown....................

Tyres will be a classic type like the Challenge or Veloflex.

Shoulder (I hope cycling within 2-3 weeks) need some more rest but in a few weeks I will speed up this project.

Oh, sorry to hear about your crash(es)! Hope you will recover soon... But in the meantime: keep us updated about your progress on this italian beauty