[CR]1983 Tommasini Strada

(Example: Production Builders:Peugeot:PX-10LE)

From: "Dave Novoselsky" <dnovo@ix.netcom.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Sun, 2 Mar 2003 08:10:21 -0600
Subject: [CR]1983 Tommasini Strada

Just fininshed setting up and going for a ride on the new-to-me 1983 Tommasini Strada that I purchased recently. The Tommasini is an excellent example of what my dealer/builder describes as a "pimped-out-to-the-max 80s Italian bike." Also one hell of a contrast to the other bike that got its maiden voyage yesterday, a 2003 custom geometry, extreme compact frame Serotta Legend Ti, 16.5 pounds of titanium with the current Campy Record 10 and all the latest ultra light, ultra trick components and wheelset. Both this bike and its 20 year old companion were a blast to ride as they both got their post-build check ride. Clicking through the thumbshifter of the Ergo levers on the Serotta and flicking the DT levers of the older, non-indexed Super Record Tommasini proved to be a very satisfying experience, and a lot of fun, albeit in a very different way. Nice way to see the difference in two decades of bicycle development first hand.

My dealer started working on bikes as a teen in the early 80s, when the Tommasini and what he refers to as other "spaghetti bikes" were being sold by his shop with the same type of pantagraphed shift levers, seat posts, chromed and engraved fork crowns, seat stays, bottom brackets, and cranks, and set up with Super Record parts as my Strads. He and I were smiling over as we re-assembled the Tommasini and its parts emerged from the shipping boxes. Pulling out the carefully wrapped parts brought a smile to my face, and an occasional remark from him to the effect of "God, let me look upstairs, I haven't used the tool we need in years," before coming down with the tool and a NOS small part to replace a perfectly-servicable but slightly worn part. ("Don't sweat it, Dave, its just been gathering dust for 20 years since the original owner of the shop who put it into stock put it on a shelf. Not a lot of call for these any more.")

As for the Tommasini, it filled the bill for what I was looking for in what my dealer perhaps unkindly described as the height of early 80s bikes as rolling canvases. Seat stays, BB, brake bridge, etc engraved and filled with paint. The seat post pantagraphed and bearing the Tommasini name front and rear, and then painted in red, green, and white colors, ("My wife smirking when she asked me later, when the bike was being placed in a stand in my home office, 'What country did you say this bike came from, dear?'") Engraved and painted chrome fork crowns, chromed and carved-out head tube lugs, pantagraphed Super Record crank and shifters, with the Tommasini name and logos, etc. A bit of the paint chipped off in the engraved parts, nothing too difficult to fill in with white, red or green, and the frame and paint near perfect. Just what I was looking for and pure pleasure.

The ride and handling made for an interesting contrast to my last vintage lightweight purchase, a 1973 Schwinn Paramount P-15. Super Record on the Tommasini and NR on the Schwinn, DTs on the Tommasini and Campy bar ends on the Schwinn. The shifting was little different on the front of either bike, but the Shimano rear mech on the Schwinn, original equip on the touring triple P-15, wearing a Schwinn logo, was much smoother than the Super Record on the Tommasini. Ride was much more 'plush' on the Tommasini and handling more 'relaxed' but still very steady.

More later, since as I sit here typing in extreme SE Wisconsin, it is snowing and the wind is whipping in from the North at 35 mph. No riding today, so finish cleaning and fine tuning the Tommasini before working on a brief due in court Monday.

Dave Novoselsky,
Chicago, Illinois