This very special Tipo Roma came to me a number of years back and the post “on arrival” can be found here. Without digressing too much, this is the same Tipo Roma in its original condition, but not “the bike” that Gino Bartali rode to with the 1946 Giro d’Italia. And over the years I […]
To pick up from the last post, here is the Roma as it arrived after getting out of the shipping box and a quick assembly to check it all out before tearing it down for a very gentle restoration. I am still overwhelmed with the near perfect condition of this bike, 55 years after it […]
It’s been a while since I added a new Legnano to the collection, and what an addition this Roma makes. It was recently acquired from a shop owner in Ithaca, New York who contracted me wanting a good home for the bike on behalf of a customer. After seeing a few photos of the bike […]
Updated July 11, 2020 The first part of this article relied primarily on the 335 page parts catalog published by Emilio Bozzi SpA in 1950. As discussed, there was a remarkable similarity in the overall design of steel cranksets for several decades and most people would require a brand engraving to tell one from the […]
Another interesting Legnano courtesy of Federico Brozzi from the city of Parma in Italy. It is sometimes the case that Legnano city bikes or Sportivo models have been refinished and refitted as road bikes. Many times this is to the preference of the owner and regrettably at other times it is for the purpose of […]
I have had many inquiries from readers about the large number of new-old-stock (nos) Legnano bikes that have been turning up for sale in recent years. The question is, “Are they real or are they reproductions”? Although I have hesitated to offer a definitive answer, I have generally believed them to be the real thing […]
Please see the most recent update here on the two-digit production numbers: The two numbers stamped on the back or right side of the seat lug on Legnano frames produced after 1966 were not serial numbers and by no means should they be confused with ‘team bikes’ or representative of the year the frame […]
I often receive inquiries regarding factory-correct components for both the Roma and Gran Premio road bikes that sat one-two respectively in the Legnano model hierarchy. I wasn’t far into this collection before I also became interested in what differentiated the two frames given that most of the detailing between the two is pretty much the […]
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