Gandolfi "Super" model 1985-86 racing bike

[Jesper]

                                       

Cicli Gandolfi, an independent Italian bike shop brand. Assumed to be a contract built frame by a local (as yet unknown) builder and not built by the actual shop (still exists as of a couple years ago; I conversed with the son of the founder).

An odd frame having that many panto's which generally reflect the builder's name and/or logo (and cost!); but less common for a shop to do the same, though occasionally shops have their higher end bikes well marked other than using only decals as advertising and a sign of "quality". Although panto's do not guarantee quality in materials or workmanship, they generally indicate higher expense and time for the builder (and pride when it's the builder's name) and are thus reserved for the higher tier frames.

Nearly 3 years waiting; but now it is getting done.

Columbus "SL" frame w/Super Record brand drop-outs; generic fork with unbranded drop-outs. This was probably one of the shop's top offerings; but I doubt it was the premier model given the s mix and frame details (top model frames of the time were generally full "SL" frame & fork w/Camp. d-o's).

All components original (including bar tape), except wheel assys & FW. Considering overall parts wear it had not been used much over its 40 year lifetime; at least not in an abusive manner.
-Campagnolo Nuovo Record RD (date code "PAT. 11" = 1985); Record shifters (curved & panto'd), Record FD & post (27.2mm, custom fluted, 2 bolt)
-OFMEGA Mistral crankset (52/42 170mm), Sintesi pedals (no cracks) and cages with Errebi straps
-Universal Mod. 77 calipers w/OE pads (still supple), slotted levers w/OE hoods (trashed)
-3ttt Stem (panto'd & milled), Competizione bar model w/ Ribbon bar tape (still in very good shape!)
-San Marco Concor SuperCorsa saddle
-Shimano hubs, QR's, Hyperglide 7 spd FW (13-26); not OE
-Fiamme Duran rims (I believe these are FiR made rims); not OE
-Michelin tires (20mm front; 23mm rear)

Frame being left untouched except cleaning, waxing (decals are not available, paint touch-up tough to match). Drivetrain is being removed and replaced with different OFMEGA parts; other parts needed for OE equipment on a much rarer bike, Campagnolo parts reserved for future work.

[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 '74, 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 were not used by other builders (per anecdotal comments). 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 (its 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 have seen an 80s Vianelli frame using Campagnolo 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.

   
   
   
   

[enkei]

B E A U Tiful!

Lovely bike and excellent posts, thank you again!

I went a little weak at the knees seeing that panto stem.

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I just noticed that the paint appears completely unmolested in the cable guides under the BB, so this bike has had very little use, indeed.