[CR]RE:Bianchi in the 1970s

(Example: Humor)

Date: Sun, 15 Oct 2006 10:55:45 -0700
From: "Bob Freitas" <freitas1@pacbell.net>
To: cnighbor@pacbell.net
cc: CLASSIC RENDEZVOUS <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR]RE:Bianchi in the 1970s

in the 60s it was Bianchi Team Issue, Specialissima and Competizone in descending order, after Ben Lawee gave up distribution(1968) who knows. The story I heard was Bianchi wanted to concentrate more on Mopeds and maybe output went in that direction.Lawee began to import Italvegas by 1970. Japanese bikes really began to flood the market at this point and that may have been a factor in Bianchi absence. What I do know is we looked for a Bianchi source after Lawee and could not find one until 1971/72 and then for very limited models , sizes and colors. That distributor disappeared after a short time and I do not think there was a real effort made again until almost 1980 or so. I do have a 1977 Catalog in my wooljersey folder so maybe the later effort began then. Anyone able to fill in any of the blanks? BOB FREITAS overcast MILL VALLEY,CA USA

Great ride yesterday in Livermore including our lunch at the winery serenaded by recordings of an upset Raptor