Up here in Sweden Chesini was sold by by a well-known Stockholm shop - ECI, still in full bloom. They ususally had frames at at least six different price levels of which Olimpiade was the cheapest, costing a third of the more expensive. My brother ordered a custom Chesini from them in the late seventies with among other things eyelets for fenders which was said to raise some eye-brows in Italy. He got them nevertheless. This bike was (it got stolen) a joy to ride and had the peculiar trait that it could not be ridden at a moderate pace. You started slowly, thinking that you would just take a refresher and before you know what you were doing you hammered. I swear, it tricked me, each time.
Olof Stroh Uppsala Sweden who can accept death penalty only for bike thiefs and spammers
> With all the talk about Chesini, I thought I'd re-examine and describe
> the one I have hanging in the shop. The one I have is an Olimpiade
> model, but different than either of the one's in the catalog scans on
> Mark Bulgier's site. There are some interesting details, but at the
> same time it's not super refined. I suspect that it's early 80's
> vintage. It is finished in metallic red (not over chrome), with chrome
> chain stays, drop-outs and a fully chrome fork. Lugs look like they
> might be Prugnat. They are thinned, but not nearly as clean and precise
> as the lugs on my Stan Pike, also of the same era. There are Olympic
> rings engraved in the upper and lower head tube lugs, the seat lug, and
> the top eyes. The head tube is also engraved with "Chesini Olimpiade"
> and the same cluster of 5 Olympic rings. All the engraving is filled in
> white, except the semi-sloping fork crown which has "Olimpiade" and the
> rings, as well as two small holes in the crown points, filled in black.
> The down tube decals say "Chesini" and "3 volte campione del mondo".
> The frame was interesting and different enough for me to pick it up and
> stick it in the basement, but I don't really have a plan for it yet.
> Since the Cirque theme next year is Italian, I'll be sure to drag it
> along. I can also try and post some pix is there is any interest.
>
> Time to start thinking Italian.
>
> Ciao -
>
> Wayne Bingham
> Falls Church VA