Kurt Sperry wrote:
>
> To digress, I have an approximately '70 Bartali. Beautiful bike, I've had it for about 20 years now, never seen another except one much older '50s one on Ebay. It is all 531 including forks and stays Campy eyeletted DOs, chrome head and seat lugs and half chrome stays and fork, charming head badge, all French threads, what I think are Prugnat long point lugs, complete early NR kit except it originally had Universal Mod. 61 CPs. I replaced those with period correct early NR sidepulls as the levers and hoods were shot and I couldn't find correct replacements at the time.
>
> Can anyone share any knowledge they might have about this bike or Bartali bicycles generally? The list archives don't have much to say.
I attended the 1989 and 1995 Milan trade show and both times there was a fairly large Bartali stand with all kinds of bikes (kids, city, pro, etc.). Both times I got to meet and shake Gino Bartali's hand. I handed him my business card and in that deep, gravely voice he had, he said in English, "Ahhh, California! I want to come and stay with you!" He then autographed a poster of himself and Fausto Coppi sharing a water bottle in an early '50s TdF.
Looked like a typical line up of Italian bikes...
Chuck Schmidt South Pasadena, Southern California
.