1952 Fiorelli
1952 Fiorelli track bike
Original race bib wrapped around the rider’s waist
The great Italian champion Fausto Coppi once rode on a Fiorelli. When Fausto set up the Carpano-Coppi team, he equipped the squad with bikes labeled with his own name, produced by the Fiorelli Brothers (Rinaldo, Mario and Lino).
The brothers’ shop was based in the beautiful Piedmontese town of Novi Ligure, which Fiorelli helped turn into an Italian cycling capitol in the ’30’s and ’40’s.
The Fiorelli name lasted into the 1990’s, when the brand was purchased by Fratelli Masciaghi manufacturers, primarily for the rights to the Coppi name.
This bike belonged to the father of a Minneapolis dentist who had an office next to Erik’s Bike Shop in Richfield. Dr. Johnson rolled into the bike shop with it one day, and explained that he needed more space in his garage. I’m still not sure his dad was aware that the old track bike was being sold…
Anyway, Dr. Johnson’s dad raced it hard in the early 1950’s, including the Minneapolis Six-Day in 1954.
“Novi L. RE”…Novi Ligure, a beautiful village in Italy
Deep drop Ambrosio handlebars
The Magistroni crankset came with brass bolts
CycleArt did a nice job on the restoration
Fiamme red label track rims
The Cinelli Unicanitor saddle was light (but uncomfortable).
The bike was originally a split-pea green, but was refinished in 2002 by CycleArt in this gloss black. The bike features Fiamme red label track rims, Magistroni components, a plastic Cinelli Unicanitor saddle, and Ambrosio aluminum handlebars. Note the pencil-sized seat stays and the nice lugwork around the head tube and fork crown.
[…] That’s how I know “Frejus” is short for “Frejus Christ,” and that “Fiorelli” refers to “Fiorelli LaGuardio,” the former mayor and of New York …. Given my expertise, it was clear to me almost immediately that both bikes were defective. For […]
[…] It felt great to trot around the track on the Fiorelli: […]
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[…] full of pills, and the temptation to backslide is powerful. Plus, what better way to experience that sweet Fiorelli in its proper context? So, five minutes before registration closed, I signed […]