Gandolfi "Super" '85/'86

[Jesper]

I got this a couple years ago fairly low cost (I think due to its size) and it got packed, moved around, and buried. No refurbishing done, not even test ridden when first obtained though all components function fine (headset very slightly loose, tires/tubes-hold air).

Gandolfi is a shop in Brescia Italy that used to sell bikes indepentently under their own name, now just other brands as far as I know. Present staff is not aware if frames were built inhouse or not during the era of this frame. "Super" model; Columbus "SL" frame set w/"house" fork (could be Columbus; but no helical ridges in steerer so not an "SL" steerer or other sets that used the same design), and a variety of parts. Seat tube 49.5mm c-c/51cm c-t; top tube 52cm c-c, rear fork 128mm. Not sure what was original except stem; but I suspect all the OFMEGA, 3ttt, Campagnolo, and Universal parts are original. Everything included except OE chainring nut/bolt and bar plug missing.
At present:
-Campagnolo: Nuovo Record rear mech (PAT. 11, '85); Record front mech (3 hole cage), post (custom fluted; 27.2mm) and shifters (curved & panto'd)
-OFMEGA: Mistral crankset/BB (170mm; 52/42); Sintesi Pedals; Super Competizione headset; front hub (Gran Premio?);
-3ttt: Competizione bar (w/probably original Ribbon tape), Criterium stem (95mm; panto'd and milled)
-Shimano (replacement parts): rear hub FH-HG50 w/ 7 speed Hyperglide cluster (13,15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 26) with very little wear, QR skewers
-Universal: Mod. 77 brake set (hoods toast!: adjuster O-rings missing))
-Concor Super Corsa saddle (rear corners typical wear)
- Fiamme (replacement parts): Duran rims (622x14); era ?
-Michelin tires (20mm front-old/no good, 23mm rear-new)
-Miche post binder hdwr.
-Prugnat (?) lugs
-Super Record (brand) rear drop-out
-generic unbranded front drop-out
-generic replacement chain

Not sure how well the NR mech will shift 26t (I only go 23t-24t normally with Campagnolo inline mechs, but i have seen one NR do 26t with slight modifications to either it and/or the FW), but I assume if it was configured this way it must have worked okay. Newer cog designs should help shifting; should be interesting.

I know nothing about the "Duran" rims. Are they FiR made rims badged as Fiamme after the buy-out?

 

[Jesper]

More:

 

[Nob]

All very Lord of the Ringish…………

 

[grantoury]

I love that crankset.

 

[Jesper]

I love that crankset.

It is one of the most stylish cranksets of its time (I need it to replace an OE crank on a Cinelli designed Chirico built "Centurion Equipe). One the few components that costs more than Campagnolo parts.

 

[Jesper]

All very Lord of the Ringish…………

I need to find a pointy helmet.

 

[Jesper]

Another cycling mystery solved; only took 3 yrs!

After some more indepth research regarding this bike and its history I was able to speak with a resident of Brescia Italy. He informed me that Pierfranco Vianelli who was a multiple Olympic medalist from Brescia and who was building frames for Gandolfi (and others) in the '70s and into the '80s (my frame c.'84-'85). I was familiar with Vianelli's cycling and shop history; but I have not had (until now) one of his frames to be able to inspect and compare with other frames that have passed through my hands over the decades; nor was I aware that he had built for other shops being that Vianelli had a fairly small operation (or so I thought; he built for Benedetti, Foresti, Gandolfi, Gotti, et al.).

Shortly after winning a gold medal in the '68 Olympics; Vianelli retired and opened a bicycle business in his home town of Brescia building his own top end frames to be sold under his own name, as well as building and selling frames to small shops which ordered them with or without shop logo pantographs (depends on price point) and then branded them with shop livery.

The frame in this case is one such example of a Gandolfi badged bike that was built by a former pro/Olympic rider. Both Vianelli and Gandolfi started their businesses in 1974, and so I assume (knowing how close knit the Italian cycling community is) that they collaborated in business with both benefitting (Vianelli: more production volume and brand advertising; Gandolfi: able to source top quality frames locally and thus more cheaply, as well as selling a product with local historical appeal to the hometown clients who can boast about riding their local cycling legend's handmade bikes.)

This is nothing new (retired racers, pro and amateur, going into bike business and producing frames for others); but it is not always clear who is actually building the frames (e.g. Francesco Moser never built any of the frames he sold) or where they end up at.

For those trying to identify Vianelli built frames here are a couple images of features that define his work and apparently not used by other builders (if anyone has seen a "SUPER RECORD" stamped drop-out elswhere I would like to know about it). The drop-outs are an odd short horizontal design similar to a vertical drop-out, but horizontally biased. The "SUPER RECORD" stamping is something I had never seen before, but it would seem Vianelli used this design (d-o maker unknown; it might be an original Vianelli house design which was produced specifically for his shop by outside metalworks factory or a stock frame piece available to the masses) on many of his frames; but I've seen an '80s Vianelli frame with Campanolo d-o's.

Examples of this drop-out on Vianelli frames badged as Gandolfi have been found with the aforementioned "SR" stamp, as well as having "VIANELLI" stamped into it. Note: Vianelli branded frames often had Olympic rings engraved on them; those frames, as far as I know, were only badged with Vianelli livery and were never sold to others for rebadging.
I do not know if the drop-out was specifically used only on contracted frames or if he also used them on his own badged bikes.