1935 Stucchi Monza
1938 Stucci
Gino Bartali, riding his Legnano with the Margherita shifter
This is one of our favorites in the museum collection. Built in the middle 1930’s (1935 is a guess) in Milan, this Stucchi showcases some great craftmanship and innovation from its day.
The bike is fitted with the Vittoria Margherita derailleur system, which is quite simple and wonderfully designed.
To use the gears, the rider would simply reach down to the lever and move it forward, releasing some of the chain tension. Next, he would back-pedal while pushing on the chain with his right hand. The chain would jump to the next cog over, and then the rider would take the slack back out of the chain by moving the lever rearward again.
A simple badge on this one…
Vittoria Margherita shifter
Move the lever back for more chain tension
Three gears to choose from
Stucchi saddle, not Brooks or Ideale
Made in Milan, Italy
Italian road racing champions of the day, Alfredo Binda and Gino Bartali both used the Margherita system to great success.
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