1935 Stucchi Monza
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.
Italian road racing champions of the day, Alfredo Binda and Gino Bartali both used the Margherita system to great success.