Conference noted::bicycle

1236.0. "Vintage Fiorelli" by GAYNES::DMCARR (Those summer nites are calling...) Fri Jul 07 1989 11:35

    Hello. I've recently been looking for info on bike racks in this
    conference & decided to try to find an answer to a question that
    I've had for years: "Just how good a bike is my vintage Fiorelli?" 
    I've asked over the years at various bike shops & usually get the 
    answer: "A what? Never heard of it." (A search thru this notesfile turned 
    up only John Lee Ellis as the author of notes with Fiorelli in them. John
    was kind enough to provide some info regarding Fiorellis via e-mail, and
    thought other noters might be interested as well, hence this note).

    I've got a Fiorelli 10 speed that I've had since I was 14, making it 
    22 years old. My wife has been badgering me to give up my antique 
    for something a bit newer. I keep telling her that I own a classic ;-), 
    that's probably worth some $$ (most likely not). I refuse to give in, as 
    I love riding this bike since I've had it for so long. The original price
    was $75; I remember the Italian mechanic who set it up telling me that 
    this was one excellent piece of Italian machinery (could have been his 
    somewhat biased heritage, but what does an impressionable 14 yr old know?
    I was just happy to be getting a 10 speed when all my other friends were 
    riding those stupid banana-seat bikes. Besides, 10 speeds were not the rage
    back then & I wanted a bike that I could ride for years. Obviously, my
    philosophy worked :-) )

    Just curious as to the company - are they still in business (yes), did they
    make a decent bike? (obviously yes, its still on the road after 22 years).
    John's answered some of my questions already. I mentioned to him that I 
    could care less about the bike's current value; as I've had it for so 
    many years, its worth lots to me, if you know what I mean. But now, I am 
    just a bit curious as to what it could be worth.

    Details:

    It's essentially stock, except that I replaced the original side-pull
    calipers with center pull Weinmanns during my college days when it was
    my sole source of transportation. Unfortunately I tossed the original
    brakes. The bike's in fairly decent shape, though the paint is chipped
    and the chrome rims are badly pitted in spots.

    Frame: No idea as to make. Has brake cable guides welded onto the frame
	(rather than those chintzy little chrome clips that other 
	manufacturers of that time used which rotated & scratched the paint. 
	Bike has never had a kickstand.

    Color: Bright blue & still in good condition except for a few chips.

    Fenders: Full size, bright blue, though they're missing the chrome strips
	that once ran their length.

    Front derailleur, shift levers: Huret. Shift levers are mounted on the
	downtube.

    Rear derailleur: Svelto. Cables for both front & rear derailleurs are
	original, believe it or not.

    Handlebars: Aluminum (I believe), are marked w/ T.T.T., underneath which 
	says "Touriste".

    Rims: San Remo (Made in Italy) 27" x 1�". The rim edges where the brake 
	pads contact are embossed with little diamond shape ridges making them
	rough to improve the braking ability. Fronts are quick release; 
	wingnuts are stamped "Vit".

    Tires: Originals were replaced years ago, but I do remember them being
	treadless.

    Saddle: Rock-hard black plastic embossed on each side with ovals which 
	have the initials GLR stamped in large letters in the centers. Above & 
	within the oval it says "Nuova Produzione"; below GLR it says 
	"Brevetatta". Also has the rear tag which proudly proclaims "Fiorelli
	Made in Italy". The saddle does adjust fore and aft.

    Brakes: I replaced the original side pull brakes with center pull
	Weinmann 610s during my college days. Really wish I'd saved those
	original side pull brakes.

    Pedals: Metal, with ridged surfaces. 

    Decals on front forks say "Fiorelli Novilli (or Noville)" - hard to read
    after all these years. Not sure whether this is something they put on
    all Fiorellis or whether this is the model name. Decals on downtube and
    seat post tube are still intact. The head tube decal is long gone.

    BTW, I felt guilty enough last evening to take the chrome polish to
    the rims & some auto polish to the frame. It still looks pretty good
    after all these years. And its probably about time for it to head to a
    reputable bike shop & have the wheels trued and be tuned.

    I am curious as to its worth & whether it might be reasonable to have
    the rims rechromed (I have a friend who owns an electroplating business).
    Comments, thoughts?

						    -Dom

    
    *Now* I recall the writing on the Fiorelli decal on the head tube.
    It was "NOVARA" - which is a small city between Milan and Turin,
    roughly.  So that's where Fiorellis come from.
    
    -john

    When I worked in my first bike shop, in 1970, I recall working on
    several Fiorellis, including one with a four-speed derailleur setup (no
    front, just a 15x21, I think, in the rear) with a steel Campy
    derailleur with ONE jockey wheel. It was 5 - 10 years old at the time.
    I mention it because yours is of similar vintage and equipment (more or
    less). I would guess that your bike isn't worth a lot in terms of cash
    unless you can find an antique collector who is looking for a Fiorelli,
    particularly because you say it has chrome-plated (steel) rims. Where
    it *does* have obvious value is to *you*, its owner. As I recall, the
    pre- bike-boom Fiorelli frames, while not fancy in the geometry
    department by today's standards, were all hand-made, and very well done
    at that. Undoubtedly this has comtributed to your love of the bike.
    Many bikes of this vintage track nicely but are still fairly responsive
    to ride. If I were you, I'd clean it up, repaint it (or have it done),
    respoke the wheels with some modern alloy rims, and ride it for another
    22 years or so!