There have been five Italian racing cyclists with the surname BARALE, of wh ich two have sgared the Christian name Guiseppe.
Of these two, one of them enjoyed quite a successful career in the 1950s, a nd died in 1996 at the age of 90. The other Guiseppe was born in the 1930s, did not have as good a palmares as his namesake, but went on to open a bik e shop in the NW corner of Italy, just inside the border with France at a t own called Ventimiglia, near to his town of birth at Bordighera.
I have a 1960s BARALE fully equipped with Campag Gran Sport goodies..but no t a BARALE -branded saddle. On the other hand I also have a Colnago Super t hat sports a BARALE-branded Selle Italia saddle. Last year a CXR List membe r bought a very pleasant English-looking French touring frame that carried the BARALE brand.
I reckon that the BARALE shop was quite an important one that had sufficien t influence to persuade manufacturers to let it brand their goods with his name. The shop appears also to have distributed its goods into France along the Riviera.
This is perhaps not as big a deal as it may sound, as my friend Franck Dure t from his small shop in central France, from which he sells high-end cycli ng parts, manages to launch whole ranges of accessories under the GELIANO b rand, including saddles, hubs, brakes, frames etc etc.
Hope this explanation helps a little, Kevin
Norris LOckley..Settle UK