COPPI "DALLA LIBERA" 60s FRAME SET

[Jesper]

I would not have pursued this frame having just gotten the Faust Coppi "ESA" frame, but I have been looking for an original Fiorelli built frame with the tube style fork crown (similar to Raleigh) and this was a super good deal as well as being an odd (I love odd!) marque from what I now know to be an old Italian bike shop that marketed Coppi frames under their own badge. It has original paint with no Coppi decals just the Dalla Libera HT, DT and ST decals, but it does have the Coppi fork crown "medallions" clearly showing it to be a Coppi frame made by Fiorelli (early Fiorelli forks also had the same style crown with their own name on the "medallions") and apparently it is pre '70s per all references I have researched. I do not think it is early 60s based on the difference in the fork crown "medallion" which is somewhat concave and apparently and insert as opposed to the early 60s forks having the same style crown, but using a convex "medallion" fitted more as a cap. I have no idea what to build it up with, but I do have some 60s Campy drivetrain components, and Universal Mod. 68 brakes on hand.

As usual, if anyone can shed more light on this Dalla Libera marque and/or the early Fiorelli made Coppi frames I would greatly appreciate it.

I will post photos shortly as the present ones are not of high quality to show the details.

[Criminal]

Is this the same maker as your other COPPI frame?

[Jesper]

(05-18-2021, 09:12 PM)Criminal Wrote:  Is this the same maker as your other COPPI frame?

It is a different builder than the fluted "Fausto Coppi" frame which may have been designed by Giovanni Pelizzoli (original maker of Ciocc frames), but was more than likely a contract built frame by a company supplying frames to various brands. This frame should be a Fiorelli built frame since they had the rights to produce bikes using Coppi's name. The Fiorelli bikes were badged only as "COPPI" and not "FAUSTO COPPI". I believe that Fiorelli stopped making "COPPI" bikes in the early 80s; Fiorelli was sold in '88.

The build quality is very good on this frame; especially when compared to the 80s "Fausto Coppi" frame. I am not sure if the "LATINA" label on the DT and chainstay decals is indicative of the model as marketed by Dalla Libera, or if it has some other significance. Headset is OFMEGA, but it is not original. BB stamp of "53" matches the seat tube length (c-c)(54.5cm c-t); no other marks other than the front and rear Campy dropout stamps. TT 54.5cm c-c, HT 10.3cm,. BB shell 70mm Italian thread, rear fork 122mm. Steerer tube is Columbus with 5 helical ribs. I assume that the frame is probably also Columbus tubing.

Edit: I was informed that "LATINA" was the area of the Dalla Libera shop in Italy

Here are some photos showing the details on this presumably '60s frame set.

   
   
   

[Jesper]

"LATINA" on the decals refers to the region in Italy where the Dalla Libera shop was located. I did some research because I did not think it had anything to do with Spain. An Italian member from an Italian forum corroborated as to the same. Also, it has been mentioned that the frame might be newer than the 60s due to the braze-ons. Only trouble is that the fork (original to the frame) style cannot be found except in the 60s and earlier. I have yet to see an example from the 70s that reflects that crown type unless the given years of the bikes were incorrect; no way to verify that without some sort of catalog/pamphlet evidence.