1947 Frejus track bike
1947 frejus track bike
From about 1945 to 1965 Frejus bikes were very popular in the U.S.
During cycling’s dark ages (at least in this country) bike racing enthusiasts would come in from the hinterlands to the few bike shops that carried the prestigious Italian, French, and British brands.
One such cycling oasis was a bike shop in Stony Point, New York owned by the late Thomas Avenia. Avenia’s was a popular neighborhood bike shop that became well known for importing Frejus and Legnano brand bicycles. A trip to Avenia’s shop would have shown the cycling enthusiast a world of racing bikes and exotic equipment meant for speed and efficiency. Skinny wheels with glued-on tubular tires. Wool jerseys and cleated shoes.
No Schwinns, Columbias or Roadmasters to be seen. Want to start cycling? Try Fiorelli, Legnano or Frejus!
While many Frejus bikes feature rather mediocre workmanship, this one was built to perfection, and it shows through the sky-blue paint. Common to many Frejus machines of the era, this one has nice color with great contrasting panels, and lots of Italian character.
Cinelli track stem
Cinelli stem with the old badge on it
Made in Torino, Italy
Inch pitch skip link chain was common on fixed gear bikes
Ghisallo wood rims
The components that were selected for this old track bike are simple and elegant. The Cinelli stem is adorned with the old coat-of-arms-style badge. The new Ghisallo rims look great, with a nice orange tint to them (they’re also a lot straighter than surviving vintage wood rims). The skip-link drivetrain with the Magistroni crankset and hubs, along with the vintage handlebars and seatpost all gleam under fresh chrome plating.