1984 Faggin
1984 Faggin 60cm
Leandro Faggin was an Italian bike racer who died young in 1970. Leandro was notable for being a World Champion on a couple of occasions and for winning gold medals at the 1956 Olympic Games.
The Faggin racing bikes that honor Leandro’s name were fast too.
This is a model from the mid ‘80’s. The styling and component choices are typical for Italian bikes built between ‘75 and ‘85. There is a lot of Campagnolo going on with this bike from the Nuovo Record crankset and seatpost to the Super Record derailleur and the Victory brake calipers.
The frame is silver-brazed into cast lugs and is made (of course) from Italian Columbus tubing. In this case the Columbus pipes are the sweet riding SL cromoly tube set.
This is a no-nonsense road bike from the ‘80’s. The handlebars are Cinelli 65’s. The tires are sew-ups which are glued to aero rims for maximum speed. The saddle is a Brooks for maximum comfort. The handlebar tape is cotton cloth. The toe straps are leather. The 2-bolt Campy Nuovo Record seat post is minutely adjustable and maximally annoying to tighten unless you had the Campagnolo dogleg saddle tool on your workbench.
Faggin Badge
Fork crown
Eroica ride ready
Record crankset
The original “Super Record”
Campy post, Brooks saddle
To have an obscure Italian racing bike in ‘80’s America meant you were part of a secret club. You were part of a club that knew the old world secrets to bike racing that somebody pedaling a Centurion would never know. You knew about riding echelons in crosswinds. You understood the difference between embroication and chamois cream. You belonged to the Francesco Moser fan club and you wore your cycling cap just right.
Sometimes a bike brand isn’t just a bike brand.