Updated: February 20, 2022
In putting this collection of bikes together, there are several names that continue to resurface with the Legnano and Frejus brands. These were the guys that first brought these wonderful Italian ‘superbikes’ as they were called to America. Most of this history and what I am about to post pre-dates my beginnings as a cyclist and there is not a lot of good information to be had on the internet (which didn’t exist at that time) so I would greatly welcome information from anyone that directly knew these men or may have worked in their shop back in the day.
Thomas (Tommy) Avenia (New York)
If there is one name to be attached to Frejus in America it is Tommy Avenia. By all accounts, Tommy Avenia was born in Italy and must have come to America with the first wave of Italian immigration after the first world war as his accounts of the 6 day races at Madison Square Gardens in the 1930’s are recalled by several people who have posted online. Avenia’s bicycle shop for most of it’s history was located at 131 E. 119th St. in Harlem and Tommy had a brother Bill that worked with him in the shop.
I haven’t found any information as to when Avenia opened the shop in East Harlem but most purchase references that I have run across do not predate 1960. Perhaps a reader can help us out with that one. Also, thus far internet has yielded a photo of Tommy Avenia if anyone has one. At some point in time the shop moved from 119th St., around the corner and down the street a couple of blocks to 2191 3rd Avenue. And on or about the mid-80’s Tommy moved the shop to Oradell, New Jersey where it remained. Reports say Tommy lived well into his 90’s, passing away sometime after 2000 although an exact date still needs to be verified.
Here are a couple of online posts that give us a glimpse of the Avenia shop in those early years in east Harlem:
“Besides the narrowness of Tommy’s store, I remember the ingenious wood box stands he used for working on bikes upside down. My recollection is that the wood was quite worn as he had been using the stands for many years. I seem to remember that he did move from his original narrow location to a bigger store on, I believe, 3rd Avenue.” (courtesy: Mid-Life Cycling. A blog by Justine Valinoti.)
” The acknowledged guru of the superbike scene in the area is Thomas Avenia, 131 East 119th Street. True to the mystical tradition, Avenia keeps a small shop, out of the way, marked only by a modest sign that says “Bicycles”—six locks on the grill and four on the door. Avenia is a small man with perpetually astonished eyebrows who reads Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, slides off the subject of bikes to put forward elaborate political theories without pausing for breath, and sells two of the big names, Frejus and Legnano.” (courtesy: Bikeman by Owen Edwards.)
“On one occasion I collected the Frejus and noticed a big scratch that wasn’t there a week earlier. “It’s a bike, not a picture frame.”, said Tommy’s brother, Bill who worked alongside him in the shop. I obsessed a bit less after that trip. (courtesy of Velocipede.com post #1332 by Richard Sachs Cycles).
Below is a receipt from the Avenia shop for the popular Frejus ‘ Tour de France ‘ road model that could be had for the grand total of $185 in 1970 (courtesy of Velocipede.com post #1332 by Richard Sachs Cycles). The second image is a Tomas Avenia listing for the top of the line Frejus Supercorsa model that would have been from 1973 or later based on the description of the components (ie. Campagnolo Super Record drilled brake levers).
And here is a special bit of history about Tommy Avenia ‘the inventor’ that may not be well known, a patent filed on January 10, 1947 with the U.S. Patent Office for a bicycle fork fixture (source).
Avenia was a real Frejus aficionado, however the Legnano bikes were also a staple in his shop in distributing the Bozzi bikes in the USA. Various online posts also reference Avenia as one of the first if not the ‘go to’ shop for Campagnolo components in those early days.
Eugino ‘Gene’ Portuesi (Detroit)
Gene Portuesi operated the Detroit Cycle Sport Shop on Michigan Avenue and is referenced by several owners as the place of purchase for their Frejus. Not a lot of information has come forward on Portuesi as it relates to Legnano, or whether he imported the Bozzi brands directly from Italy or if he was a part of Avenia’s distribution in those days. According to a recent eBay post for a Frejus bike, it stated that Portuesi moved his shop to Cadillac, Michigan in 1970. The post goes on to say , “Gene created the first mail order catalog for high-end bicycle components and parts called the CYCLOPEDIA & was also a business partner with Mike Walden Of Detroit. Gene was an Olympic bicyclist racing coach for the USA in 1964. The picture below is of Gene at a track coaching event (courtesy of a Pinterest post that was not footnoted). Following that a page from the famous Cyclopedia catalog (courtesy: Hiveminer). Gene Portuesi passed away in the year 2000.”
Ben Lawee (Long Beach)
Jones Bicycles has been in continuation operation since 1910 and is one of the oldest bike shops in America. Frank Samuel ‘Bicycle’ Jones founded and operated the business until 1959 on Long Beach Boulevard in Long Beach , California. According to the historical account on the Jones Bicycle website, Ben Lawee purchased the business from Frank Jones in 1959. In 1965 Lawee sold the retail operation and became a distributor for Legnano and Bianchi bicycles in the USA. Ben Lawee passed away in 2002 at the age of 76.
Readers may be familiar with the Italvega line of bikes that Lawee had designed and built at the Torpado factory in Padua, Italy for distribution in America. There were a half a dozen or so Italvega models with the top models constructed of Columbus tubing in full Campagnolo trim. Italvega came to market in 1970 and was pretty much a defunct come 1977.
As mentioned in another post, The Spoke in Boulder, Colorado was also a place to buy a Legnano bike back in the day and two of the bikes in the collection still wore their Spoke decal on the seat tube when I acquired them. I can’t be certain however I suspect that these Legnano bikes were a part of Lawee’s west coast distribution rather than direct imports.
Paul and Peter Kent (Toronto)
Bloor Cycle in Toronto was by all accounts the first importer of Legnano bikes to Canada if not the only one. Bloor Cycle was founded by Paul Kent and later co-operated and owned with his son Peter. It was Paul’s kind and welcoming face that I remember as a young boy looking through the glass showcases and quietly coveting the prestigious Italian and English road bikes that filled their expansive shop on Bloor Street west, hoping that one day my pockets would be deep enough to own one. As it turns out that dream was to be fulfilled many years later with the 1967 Legnano Roma in the collection that was originally sold by Bloor Cycle and it is one of my favourites for this reason.
Bloor Cycle began operations in 1934 according the sign over their store and was touted as the largest in Canada. An online post suggests that Paul Kent purchased the shop from Margaret Porter in the late 1950’s after her husband passed away. I have not been able to determine when Bloor Cycle eventually closed their doors (I suspect it was in the late 80’s or early 90’s when the downturn hit the industry as a whole) and surprisingly the internet hasn’t provided many pictures of this wonderful shop, however perhaps a reader can help out here. The photo of the storefront above and one of their catalogs is shown about, courtesy of the Canadian Cyclist , preceded by a photo of Paul Kent. I also come across this article and interview with the Kent’s in the Ottawa Journal from September 1972 that provides some insight into the spirit of the place and their owners.
“Peter Kent’s face has an expression that could pass for rapture and he reaches for superlatives as he describes one of the bluest of the bicycle world’s blue bloods. “Don’t tell me this isn’t a work I of art,” he says, caressing the sleek,. grey-painted frame with its shiny chrome spearpoint lugs wrought like fine jewelry. “Look at the harmony of lines, the flowing elegance.” The object of Kent’s reverence, is a Cinelli, adorned with 10-speed gears and equipment from the world’s top manufacturers. “I don’t just SELL a Cinelli,” explains Peter Kent, whose father, Paul, runs Bloor Cycle and Sports Ltd. in Toronto, probably Canada’s biggest bicycle dealer. “I try to find a good home for it, someone who . knows what he’s getting and appreciates it. . “A dollar is a dollar, I know, but ‘ I hate selling one of those machines to someone who really ; doesn’t know what it is, doesn’t know what he’s getting.”
Kent’s attitude would be understood immediately by the guys who sell Rolls-Royces or Ferraris: I mean, what’s the point of selling a status symbol to a person who won’t realize he’s got one? The cycle craze gripping Canada has, in fact, created a new snobbism that ranks with ownership pride in the aristocrats of the automobile world. Keeping up with the Joneses in 1972 could mean whizzing around on a classy Italian, French or British machine, an activity likely to make a $750 dent in your bank account. Or if you really wish to one-up Joe Jones you could shell out another $250 and have Signor Cino Cinelli custom-build your bike in his Milan workshop not too far from the home of that other renowned Italian status-maker, Ferrari. But don’t expect immediate delivery. Cinellis, like Ferraris, are put together with the painstaking craftsmanship and precision that goes into assembling a $2,000 Swiss watch. Signor Cinelli, a former cycle-racing champion in Italy, personally designs the frames and supervises their construction by six craftsmen.
Peter Kent is a 26-year-old graduate in political science, economics and law who prefers to sell bikes for a living. He has been around them since birth and he’s practically on first-name terms with the men who build the great machines. Let him be your guide. Names to remember in the top division are Mercier and Singer, Holdsworth and Bob Jackson of England, and Cinelli and , . Legnano of Italy. There is a coterie of designers and manufacturers (they’d hate that designation) who are so exclusive that even- knowledgeable people in the business have never heard of them. “Their car equivalent would be Jensen, Aston Martin and Lamborghini, I guess,” said Peter. One of them is Ellis Briggs of England whose machines are almost unobtainable because they produce so very few. Another is Herse of Paris who is so exclusive , that he will sell only to individuals.
The larger manufacturers can be a little snooty, too, according to Kent. “It look us two years to obtain agreement from Singer to sell his bicycles. Actually, Singer produces only 150 machines a year of which we get 14. They move fast, though when they come in. We’ve already sold nine of our quota in about six weeks.” “No dealer in his right mind would try to make a living from these aristocrats. The Kents, for example, have been waiting almost a year for a supply of Bob Jacksons. The ultimate in bikes says Peter . . . the Cinelli is not just a bicycle. It is a Cinelli. You can tell. by the harmony, the elegance and the price tag. Retail: $700. The Holdsworth is one of England’s two answers to the continental monopoly on aristocratic bikes. Its Canadian price is $625. The Bob Jackson is England’s other proud bicycle. If you can do without pedals and things, the version pictured here can be bought for $363. All dressed, it costs $600. The Singer, a French bike, can be bought for the same $750 you were planning to spend on a secondhand car. The air pump is optional. The Botteccha is built by Carnielli of Italy and is a steal ‘ at $385. It comes with – an empty water bottle.
To conclude, here is a YouTube link to what appears to be a TV advertisement for Bloor Cycle in the early 80’s. And as previously mentioned, contributors to this post would be greatly appreciated.
• • •
condorino 
Thanks for writing! I discovered bicycle racing about 1971, and bought a used Frejus “Professional Model World Champion Extralight” frame and then went to Avenia and bought all new parts. I could have bought a complete new one off the floor for less. I remember him working on the bikes upside down with the handlebars resting in notches in a wooden box. I worried about getting the gearing exactly right. He boasted of keeping up with young riders on hills by standing up and dancing on the pedals. The Frejus was magic compared to my Schwinn Continental!
Having worked briefly at the Spoke “On the Hill” in the early 70s, it was my understanding that we purchased from Pettee Cycles in Denver, a major distributor in those days. We also obtained many high end Gloria and Urago from Pettee, and given the amount sold, I am rather chagrinned that I never see these bikes coming back on the market.
Thanks for that bit of background Dave. It is not a name associated with Legnano that I have come across but it is worth chasing up. Perhaps another reader can add to this. Thanks again, Mark.
I wish I could provide you further documentation. Yet much like the complete regrettable disappearance of so many Gloria and Uragos, all I have is my memories from some 40+ years ago.
Bloor Cycle had a cycling team that was anchored by Canada’s dominate cyclist of the 1970s, Mr. Jocelyn Lovell. There are many articles and photos of Mr. Lovell wearing Bloor Cycle swag during races.
Gene Portuesi, mentioned above is pictured with Nancy Neiman and Joanne Speckin, both U.S. track champs. Rochet, French track and road bikes were sold in his Livernois bike store and thru his catalog, pre, post 1960. The Spartan Cycling Club was active in the Detroit area for many years. I still have my original Rochet track bike bought 1958 (road and track wheels, etc.) restored, mint, and riding it. I was a mechanic for Gene 1958 thru 1960. Great moments with Gene and many cycling enthusiasts.
Hi John,
Thanks for those comments, much appreciated. This detail may be a little too obscure however I have wondered if Gene imported his Legnano and Frejus bikes directly from Italy . . . or if they passed through Tommy Avenia’s hands as the primary importer in those early years. You may recall the boxes coming in to the shop during your time as a mechanic?
kind regards,
Mark
Minor point for correction. The Wolverine Sport Club (not associated with the University of Michigan, nor was it the “Spartan” Cycling club) was formed in 1888 in the Detroit area, and with the exception of a brief suspension during the great depression, has been active and hugely successful in cycling since its inception. It also has a legacy in other sports as well.
I became familiar with Gene Portuesi while visiting his shop in the early 1970’s, after he had left the Detroit area for the quieter, slower paced environment in Cadillac, Michigan. He made regular trips to Europe for purposes of buying European parts and bikes direct from the manufacturers. He made these items available through his mail order catalog “Cylopedia,” which listed parts for sale but also provided valuable technical information. If is from his “Cyclopedia” that I learned to build my own wheels.
How it took this long to discover this is beyond me, but my thanks and pleasure for posting the Avenia story. I bought my Frejus TdF road model when he was on E118 St, likely 1969, for $175 and road it for the next five years in Brooklyn and in Oregon until a buddy crashed and wrecked it. What a beautiful and responsive machine. The days of wool and shammy shorts and nailing your cleats in yourself. I was also an avid Cyclopedia reader, deep into details. Many thanks again.
Thanks for that Robert. I had almost forgot about the cleat nails along with them coming loose or falling off altogether at times. Best regards, Mark.
The Avenia bike shop was a fixture in Italian East Harlem, first established in 1928. Tommy began importing Frejus bicycles in 1952. He gave me the name and address of the Frejus / Legnano shop in Milan when I first visited Italy in 1972. I bought my pro Frejus bike there, all Campagnolo components , the price was US $240.00 .To this day, I have never met an American cycling enthusiast who ever visited this shop.
Thanks for writing Norman and the additional information on the Avenia shop. Hoping someone might have a photo of Tommy and the Avenia shop that they can pass along one day.
best regards,
Mark
I still have my Frejus bought in Milan. I spent many a time in Tommy’s shop and he fine tuned my Frejus when it arrived from Italy. I am a member of the VeloClub Frejus Torino , Italy’s oldest cycling club, established in 1964. I wear their clothing proudly, sent them pictures of me and my Frejus, was accepted immediately. They are a wonderful group of people, were there for me when my wife had terminal cancer and passed away, contacting me by email and cards. The Frejus has a remarkable history, 14 world championships , ridden by Cino Cinelli, Ercole Baldini, Ferdy Kubler , so many other champions. I think that Gino Bartali rode a Frejus before he switched to Legnano. If you examine a Frejus frame, look at all the workmanship involved: two tone paint job, chrome headlugs, and chrome stays and 6 inches of front fork. A lot of time was spent making these frames……..
Greetings to All – Tommy was the solo importer of Frejus and Legnano for many many years and sent these bikes to shops all over the USA. For a brief time, because of the late 1960s- 1970 bike boom, Tommy opened up a California branch, will try to find a photo of his ad, I think it was in El Cerrito, his ads were featured in Bicycling magazine of that period. Other importers soon jumped in , specifically The Flying Dutchman in Colorado where you could buy a Frejus through his mail order catalog. I don’t know if any legal issues arose between Tommy and this Colorado mail order shop. Tommy never spoke about it when I was in his shop on numerous occasions. In the 3rd Ave store, on the left as you walked in, Tommy placed a photo of Ercole Baldini on a Frejus, he was the famous Italian champion who was the leader of the famous Ignis- Frejus and Cynar Frejus squadra, two top Italian pro teams in the early 1960s…
Greetings to All – Tommy was the solo importer of Frejus and Legnano for many many years and sent these bikes to shops all over the USA. For a brief time, because of the late 1960s- 1970 bike boom, Tommy opened up a California branch, will try to find a photo of his ad, I think it was in El Cerrito, his ads were featured in Bicycling magazine of that period. Other importers soon jumped in , specifically The Flying Dutchman in Colorado where you could buy a Frejus through his mail order catalog. I don’t know if any legal issues arose between Tommy and this Colorado mail order shop. Tommy never spoke about it when I was in his shop on numerous occasions. In the 3rd Ave store, on the left as you walked in, Tommy placed a photo of Ercole Baldini on a Frejus, he was the famous Italian champion who was the leader of the famous Ignis- Frejus and Cynar Frejus squadra, two top Italian pro teams in the early 1960s…
Some great history Norman, thanks for that. I always wondered to what extent Avenia was the ‘gateway’ for Frejus and Legnano in America and how long that might have lasted. I have come across many Legnano bikes with shop decals from Jones Bicycles in Long Beach including the 1959 Roma in the collection. When I received this bike I decided to check the internet to see if Jones Bicycles is still around. To my surprise, Jones has been in continuation operation since 1910 and is one of the oldest bike shops in America. Frank Samuel ‘Bicycle’ Jones founded and operated the business until 1959 on Long Beach Boulevard. According to the historical account on the Jones Bicycle website, Ben Lawee purchased the business in 1959 and became a distributor for Legnano and Bianchi bicycles in the USA (no mention of Frejus). Knowing that, this Roma Olimpiade was probably one of the first Legnano bicycles on Lawee’s shop floor.
There is still a question in my mind if Lawee’s ‘distribution’ also included direct importation or if he worked with Avenia to obtain his stock of Legnano bikes? The importation of Frejus bikes to America may have had a bit of different history as well as it wasn’t until after the second war that Bozzi acquired the Frejus brand. This may have all been channeled through Avenia or perhaps pre-war agreements permitted one or two others to import Frejus bikes to America? That said, thank you again for filling in more of the history and I am sure it will continue to unfold.
best regards,
Mark
p.s.
The other shop that figures prominently with shop decals on many Legnano bikes I have come across is ‘The Spoke’ in Boulder, Colorado. ‘The Spoke’ was started by Chris Finoff and opened its doors in the mid 1960s, closing in the 1980s. There may be some connection between ‘The Spoke’ and The Flying Dutchman who you referenced in your post?
I started serious cycling as an adult in 1970. Bought a Raleigh. Started hearing about Frejus and Avenia. Visited the shop on 119 St. Stepped down the few stairs and saw to me, the most beautiful Italian looking bikes I’d ever seen……..two white on black Frejus supercorses. A couple had just come back from Italy in search of Frejus bikes to no avail and wound up at Avenias. Avenia was wiping the chain off and giving them advice about caring for the bike in his rapid three repeater phrases. I was hooked. A little later in time I decided to buy one…..black and white Supercorse of course. He was on 3rd ave when I brought my dad (who was from Harlem and cycled a lot). He met Tommy and they began to talk and it turned out that when my dad was a kid he went to the bike shop that was owned by Avenia’s father, probably on 119 St. Bought a Frejus track bike (blue on chrome). Would meet Tommy at a predestined time in front of his 116 St. building at night if I needed a part for the next Central Park morning ride. I bought many campy chainrings from Tommy to replace the ones that wore out. Still have the original on my Frejus! Tommy Avenia was not a Supercorsa, he was a super character. A nicer bicycle lover you could never meet. Great mechanic and person.
I am more familiar with the Frejus story than that of Legnano. It is entirely possible that Legnano bikes were brought to the USA by a number of different importers including Tommy. I know that Tommy was “Mr. Frejus”, the exclusive importer of Frejus bikes since 1952. When I visited the Bozzi shop in Milan in 1972 they knew about Tommy. They also sold Legnano bikes, both brands were under one roof. The Legnano is certainly one of the most iconic racing bikes of all time, a very rich racing history. I want to add that when I went to the famous Toga bike shop in NYC, the founder and owner, Lenny Preheim , was in love with Frejus bikes, those two tone paint jobs, really got to him. He said that Frejus was the best factory produced bike ever made……
I am more familiar with the Frejus story than that of Legnano. It is entirely possible that Legnano bikes were brought to the USA by a number of different importers including Tommy. I know that Tommy was “Mr. Frejus”, the exclusive importer of Frejus bikes since 1952. When I visited the Bozzi shop in Milan in 1972 they knew about Tommy. They also sold Legnano bikes, both brands were under one roof. The Legnano is certainly one of the most iconic racing bikes of all time, a very rich racing history. I want to add that when I went to the famous Toga bike shop in NYC, the founder and owner, Lenny Preheim , was in love with Frejus bikes, those two tone paint jobs, really got to him. He said that Frejus was the best factory produced bike ever made……
Tommy Avenia is my grandfathers brother, so “Frank” was really “Bill” (my grandfather). Tommy was a member of the CRCA (Century Road Club of America). He was the only importer for many years, and would sell and ship bikes around the country, but no one has any knowledge of a California based shop. My father worked in the shop with his uncle (Tommy) and dad (Bill) throughout the 60’s but the bike shop was in business before the 1960’s. Tommy moved the business to Oradell NJ, not Stony Point (the shop went to Oradell, and Tommy resided in Stony Point). We still have several of the Italian racing bikes at home.
Thank you very much for replying and for correcting the post that I struggled to put together from the available information. Quite a number of questions come to mind and I will reach out with an email if you have the time.
Kind regards,
Mark Campbell
Toronto
Sure Mark, I’d be happy to answer (or pass around) your questions.
I bought a Frejus Supercorsa in 1973 from Conrads. When I found out Tommy was the importer, I went to him whenever
I could. I noticed a young woman always there on the side. Who was she? I always thought she was his daughter. Btw, I still have the bike, albeit vastly changed from the original. I
have original pics from when I bought it somewhere.
I have a May 1962 receipt from the old store at 1919 Lexington Ave, which has a prefilled date of 193. He wrote over the 3, 62. And wrote in the new address at 131 E 119. Frejus Tour de France, all steel, Columbus tubing.
Re comments above for Gene Portuesi. Gene married Rita in the 1960s. Rita was not an Olympic competitor. Mike and Gene as business partners predated the Cycle Sport Shop.
Thanks for that correction John.
Mark, if I may expand on your comment above about the Spoke in Boulder (and their sister shop, the Spoke in Denver) and what bikes that may have come out of there. I can not speak of pre-71, but I understand that they were supplied mostly by Pette Cycles (wholesale) out of Denver. I recall seeing a unique variety of high-end bikes come out of there such as your Frejus, Legnano, Gloria, Urago and the ubiquitous Colnago to name a few. I wish I could post a photo of my brother’s Frejus–which he kept in good condition–to this site. Its painted in Legnano colors. In any case Boulder was the origin of the Red Zinger Classic and was a bourgeoning hot-bed of bike racing back then totally independent of what was going on East-Coast wise.
Thank you for that additional background Dave. I continued to be surprised by the large number of Legnano bikes that surface bearing a decal from “The Spoke”. This shop must have had a very substantial customer base and following.