Description
1930s and 1940s were interesting times when it goes to cycling equipment. Even though derailing systems have been around for a while, Italian companies have gone their own way. One of the most dominant was the design invented by Tommaso and Amedeo Nieddu. It was first introduced in 1932 and called Vittoria Margherita. The first version was basically a very robust chain tensioner operated by hand. It didn't have any derailing mechanism and a rider had to push the chain from one sprocket to another simply by his fingers or foot. Obviously, this wasn't just dangerous, but very very difficult to do as well. This didn't stop Alfredo Binda winning the World Championship Road Race though.
The design we show you here was introduced in 1935 and it has been improved by adding a clever set of metal flippers on top of the chinstay to shift the chain. They could be operated using a flexible rod and a handle, which, as you can imagine, saved many fingers from being seriously hurt for sure. It became so successful, that five consecutive Giro d'Italia victories were achieved using this derailleur.
And here were present you a classic road bicycle which sports this piece of cycling history. Looking at the frame, it is clear that it is very nicely made. Altough it is Bianchi branded and Some parts are Bianchi too, we struggle to assign it to any particular model of this ancient brand. Not that there were no similarities. The seat lug with a bolt in front of the seatpost, the headset is integrated in a similar way, as on Bianchi bikes of that era and it is painted in iconic celeste color.
Regarding the equipment, it is not all about the shifting. It has other nice parts like Bianchi crankset, steel stem and bars with a bottle holder, F.N.I. leather saddle or a beautiful pair of M.Brruzzo profiled wooden rims.
Classic Italian bicycle with nice parts, which will be just perfect for tackling the Eroica routes.
Size Information
| Size (Center-Top) | 56 cm |
|---|---|
| Top Tube | 57 cm |
| Head Tube | 13 cm |
| Standover | 79 cm |
Details
| Brand | Bianchi |
|---|---|
| Shifters | Vittoria Margherita |
| Crankset | Bianchi; 170 mm; 48 ratio |
| Bottom Bracket | Cottered |
| Seat | F.N.I. |
| Hubs | F&S rear - 4-speed; 22/18 ratio |
| Rims | M.Brruzzo wooden; 700C tubulars |
| Tires | Pirelli Specialissimo Corsa Leggero (rear); Vittoria Mondiale (front) |
| Stem | steel; 65 mm |
| Stembar | steel; 40 cm |
| Chain | Velo |
| Pedals | Not included |