Marc sez:
I bought a vintage bike, sold to me as a GIOS. Doing some research I found out that it may be either a TORPADO or a ITALVEGA. I`m not worried about that it si NOT a GIOS but for a proper restoration I need more information about built and year. It has some characteristcs of the "superlight" and some of the "super record". It is equipped with a Shimano Crane rear derailleur, Dura Ace 1st gen. front derailleur, crank set, headset and brakes/brake levers a 3ttt stem the 3ttt supperleggero handlebar, There are no Braze-on cableguides and the rear wheel space is 120mm. I was happy if anybody could help.
Pictures are here:
http://www.bikeforums.net/
and here:
http://forum.tour-magazin.de/
Thank You
Marc Oliver Kuenne, Wegberg, Germany
Mark (Ritz) sez:
> There are many similarities between the two brands, since they were
> built in the same factory. My guess is Torpado, as the shape of the stay
> caps looks a little different from the ItalVega Superlight/Super Speciale
> as I remember it. The parts are certainly not ItalVega specification.
> Mark Agree might be some help. Mark, you out there?
>
> Cheers,
> Mark Ritz
> In very smokey Arcata, California, USA
>
I have been looking at Bulgier's catalog,and a scan of a negative that has my friends ca 1973 Superlight in it.
The caps look like the 76 Superlight in Bulgier's catalog and my friend's Superlight to me. I think it is called a concave curve.
BUT...over on BF, one of our fellow CR types pointed out the routing of the derailleur cables. They go under the BB. The sources I have show them over. Later year? When did the Italvega marque die?
-- Lynn Travers Hazelwood, Missouri USA
~ ~ ~ OK, it's my turn. Definitely Torpado built? Yes ... but what? The Torpado Superlight (SL), and the Italvega Superlight and Super Speciale (SS) frames are for all intents and purposes, the same frames ... however, there are two distinct differences between them. First, the few early-mid 70s Torpado SLs I've seen all had four linear holes drilled above and below each rear dropout slot, while all those Italvegas seem to have six holes above and below. Second, the few early-mid 70s Torpado SLs I've seen all had cable routing brazed underneath the b.b. shell (confirmed, since 1976 at least), while most or all of those Italvegas seem to have the guides routed above, just as Lynn pointed out. This poses a dilemma, as the frame Marc is asking about, has 6x2 dropout holes, AND under b.b. cable routing.
Fortunately for my pea sized brain that might otherwise be locked up by this paradox, I have photos of a few bikes that Torpado built for a Swedish company, Champion. A quick look through my archives, and low and behold ... photos of a Champion SL type frame that has these exact two features! I can supply pics if asked.
I've collected several set of Torpado photos, sourced from Germany, but none of them were top of the line bikes. Sweden being located so close to Germany, I will have to vote that Marc has a Torpado built, Champion frameset. Can't be certain, because I haven't seen enough of them, but this is a match to what I see.
QUESTION FOR MARC: Are there any serial numbers stamped underneath the bottom bracket shell? Or are there any on the non-drive side of the seat tube, near the top? At least one Champion frame pic I have shows them there, and they are numbers that were applied in Sweden, and have nothing to do with Torpado stampings. Thanks...
Interestingly, I finally scored one of these in my size a couple of years back, from listmember darling, Karen Rawls. It is labeled as a Vittoria, of which I have seen no others, and arrived here NOS. The fork steer tube had to be cut to size, and the dropout face chrome is all unmarred. However, the paint underwent some serious crazing around the decals, where something went wrong. My frame has puzzled me here because it has the very same combo of features, and I wondered if some of it was modified after delivery. This thread caused me to look deeper into my files for someone else, and I ended up getting a better ID and understanding of my own bike here!!! Is this list cool ... or WHAT?!
Ciao, Mark Agree Southfield MI USA
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