Re: [CR]Re: Child's Bianchi

(Example: Framebuilders:Doug Fattic)

Date: Sat, 24 May 2003 15:59:22 -0400
From: "Mara & Steven Maasland" <TheMaaslands@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [CR]Re: Child's Bianchi
Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org


After an initial outing by Aldo:
> >Kid's Bianchi road bike on Italian eBay, listed as 1959 model:
>
> >http://cgi.ebay.it/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ViewItem&item=2416047697&category=3D=
> 9951
>
> >Small Ambrosio tubular rims, Campy derailleurs.

Bob wrote:
> I was hoping this bike would prompt some (any?) discussion because
> I got
> really curious when Aldo first posted it. I've seen a few posts
> on CR about the
> type of market for so-called "racing bikes" in Europe in the late
> 50's and
> early 60's. If I remember correctly, it was stated that the
> general public just
> did not buy them. The ten-speed bike with tubular tires and
> turned-down bars
> was not a widely-marketed item. And a non-racer who bought one
> for general use
> was pretty much considered a "poser". (I hope my memory is
> correct here and
> I have not mangled things too much, if so, please correct me).
>
> Given that, what is the explaination for this bike? Is this
> really a child's
> bike, sold with front and rear derailleurs and tubular tires, a
> Unica saddle?
> Has anyone ever seen a bike like this before, from this time period?
>
> Was there ever children's races in Europe, a group below juniors?
> Maybe a
> pro racer and proud papa had the bike built for his child?

Bob,

Firstly, this bike is most definitely not from the 50's, nor for that matter even the early 60's. I place this bike towards the end of the 60's if not even from the 70's. The Valentino derailleurs are one sign, the frame design is another, the 24" rims are a third. This bike was therefore not of the period that you referred to. I believe that it was Stevan who made the comments that you are paraphrasing. The bike would indeed have been used in youth racing: probably in the 'allievi' or student category. In Italy there is and has long been quite a flourishing youngster racing scene. Even today, Bianchi offers some very interesting children's racing bikes for around 400 euros (just under $500), some even with 20" tubulars. I gave some thought about bringing in a few myself. One of my friends in Italy even has a brand new children's Colnago for sale (he wants 450 euros). Luckily, the new ones have properly proportioned brake levers for small hands, generally made by Miche. The bikes like the auction Bianchi are often owned by bike clubs who loan them to the youngsters for a season at a time. After the year, they then get passed on to the next youngster. The son of one of my former colleagues thereby started his racing on the same bike used by multiple-world champion Moreno Argentin.

Getting back to Stevan's comment, he is indeed quite correct. People would simply not use a drop-bar, no mudguard bike for day to day riding. Even the pros upon retirement would invariably add permanent mudguards and upright bars onto their bikes. This is part of the reason why many of the top racing bikes from the 40's and 50's turn up today with upright bars etc. They were simply transformed ffrom 'racing' into 'city' bikes.

Steven Maasland
Moorestown, NJ
Steven Maasland
Moorestown, NJ