1966 Bergamin Special

[DSH]

The latest arrival. Found on an Italian site (subito.it). Purchased from the original owner who raced for Bergamin in the late 1960s. A total Time Capsule: Columbus steel, Campagnolo record front rear and chainset, Universal mod.61 centrepull brakes, Nisi rims on record hubs and a Brooks saddle. The best thing? The previous owner collected it himself from the framebuilder in Turin, some bloke called Giuseppe Pela

 

[argonsixar]

Love it.

 

[Jamiedyer]

Fantastic find and such a rich history not to mention a beautiful looking machine in it's own right. Superb!

Jamie

 

[DSH]

Fantastic find and such a rich history not to mention a beautiful looking machine in it's own right. Superb!

Jamie

Many thanks! A lucky find more than anything. I like Tommasini's and regularly look around Subito for them: with Tommasini's link to Pela I occassionaly have a search for his bikes as well. The search threw up this bike and I thought I'd investigate further.

I made contact and using google translate as I only have "food Italian" and the owner doesn't speak English. Over the course of a few messages I got the story. The owner had ridden for the Bergamin team, stopped when he became a baker and started again in his 60s doing eroica 9 times. He's now in his 70s and has stopped riding, he wanted the bike to go to a good home and the fact that I like Italian bikes, knew a bit about Pela and have ridden a few eroica's helped me convince him I was okay. The whole process felt like meeting a girlfriend's parents for the first time!

I transfered the money, organised the courrier and a few days later it arrived. Nice surprise hed had included his old jersey wrapped with some bay leaves to "keep the moths away" thanks google translate. All I need to do now is lose enough weight to be able to squeeze into it.

The low gear is 42-26 so I'm not sure I'm riding it in Gaiole, but it will be going to "In Velo Veritas " next month

 

[zerogravitas]

Really lovely. Great to have the full picture of ownership and the jersey too! Fab.

 

[Chopper the ex Copper]

What a lovely patina.

 

[avi.1990]

Toscano Pelà form le porte di Grosetto like his student Irio, and last but not least Faliero Masi from tuscany too

Cittadinanza onoraria a Irio Tommasini, lo storico artigiano delle due ruote - IlGiunco.net

CASTIGLIONE DELLA PESCAIA - Buriano, Castiglione della Pescaia e la Maremma sono conosciute nel mondo anche grazie alle biciclette realizzate

www.ilgiunco.net

what about the Gios and Pelà link ;- )

'In 1948,' Irio Tommasini continues in his story, 'my uncles opened a bicycle shop and I, overjoyed, after school started with them what for me is the most beautiful job in the world. In 1956 I spent some time in Milan, at Fuchs, where I met Faliero Masi, mechanic for the Nivea Fuchs team (Captain Fiorenzo Magni) and a well-known racing bike builder. Perhaps it was because we were both from Tuscany, but a good relationship was established between us and his suggestions were of great help to me in the future'.


'At the end of the 1960s,' he reveals, 'I finally managed to meet what I knew to be the builder of the frames of almost all the most important racers of the time, Giuseppe Pelà. He lived in Turin but, as he himself was keen to point out, he was born just outside Grosseto and after a while it felt like we had known each other forever, like relatives. Many times I went to his workshop and there I learnt his construction techniques and in 1972 I took over his company'.

 

[avi.1990]

left Pelà
right Losa
brazing master class