I own MC61 01, built in 1975 and purchased by me last year. The bike was complete and original as far as I can tell/know/care, and arrived with bow-tie decaled 36 hole Martano rims on small flange campi record hubs. The entire gruppo either has no dates or 1972 (consistent with the fabled parts cage I read about in the CR archives. The stem is oval stamped logo Cinelli and the bars are cinelli Giro d'Italia. Saddle sueded Unicanitor.
f.w.i.w. its my understanding that Martano winged decal rims were 60's to very early 70s but like all mass-produced and sold in bulk items could hang around for a long long time. Theres no doubt in my mind that both type rims could be found in the same dealer or "factory" stock, though I'd guess that during the period they'd coincide would be with different drillings (ie with standard hole drillings that are used often, the older stocks would be depleted and replaced with newer that may have later features. To be sure, in my younger years I saw far more Masis with fiamme red labels than ANY other brand rim, and I'd never seen Martanos on a bike that a racer used, ever (I know my limited exposure and world view defines this 2-decade observation.) I think the Martano rims are probably no worse a rim than the non-ferruled Mavics and can't be much worse than the ubiquitous (but ferruled) Fiamme reds, but when it came time to start planning a set of clean wheels for the Masi I own, and despite the stash of Fiammes I already had, I didn't even think of any rims other than Martanos for the show-off wheelset for my Masi. If the standard is established by the members of the hobby, why should I bicker with them? Besides, I got the NOS Martanos and front small flange hub for relatively painless cost, they look quite cool, and I can keep my Fiammes for other days (and wheels that will doubtless be ridden a lot more.) I DO plan to replace the yellow Benotto tape though, with more of the same!
Dale Phelps Longmont CO
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