David ? from who knows where asked:
> I am pretty new to vintage lightweight bikes and I am trying to find info on a
> U. Testi bike that I got. It has Cambio Corsa, Magistroni Crank-set and
> Universal brakes. I cant find any serial number on it, but it has been repainted
> so they might be covered up.
>
> Any info that would help me date this bike and determine the model (or any other
> info) would be greatly appreciated.
The best place to check on the age of the bike is to check the hubs (especially the back one to verify the axle locknuts. They were normally datecoded by Campagnolo. You can also check the headset and BB, but they are harder to reach without major work. If you send me a photo, I can also perhaps help you somewhat given that I have owned quite a few of these over the years and still have a few. As for the Testi brand, it is a new one to me, but that doesn't mean much as almost every half decent sized town in Italy had its local framebuilder in the period after WWII. You could very easily buy all the parts needed to build up a bike from people like Emilio Bozzi or Bianchi. Chuck Schmidt has a very good resource book for anybody wanting to renovate one of these older: a reprint of the Emilio Bozzi catalog. I highly recommend it.
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Steven Maasland
Moorestown, NJ