In a message dated 1/20/2004 2:38:16 PM Eastern Standard Time,
classicrendezvous-request@bikelist.org writes:
> Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2004 13:45:24 -0500
> From: Ritzmon@aol.com
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org, PBridge130@aol.com
> Subject: [CR]Re: Italvega
> Message-ID: <3AA72168.0AD41332.0019F2A3@aol.com>
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>
> Peter writes:
> snip<There's an Italvega on the Bay, apparently 60's, with an early tre-tubi
> sticker. I'd never seen that sticker before -- I always associated tre-tubi
> bikes with the late 70's and early 80's, when there were scads of bikes from
> the likes of Basso and Pinarello, which could be bought for a song, and
> which rode really wonderfully.> end snip
>
> Mark R. subsequently writes:
That bike is definitely from the early 70's. I sold them when I worked for
Lawee and
> Jones Bicycles in Long Beach during that time. Ben Lawee created and owned
> the Italvega brand, later morphing it into Univega when he moved production
> to a Japanese vendor. Also, according to the Campy timeline on Velo-Retro,
> the Gran Turismo derailleur was introduced in 1970.
>
> Cheers,
> Mark Ritz
> Looking for a 63cm Italvega Superlight in
> Arcata, CA
>
I've been doing quite a bit of digging around about Torpado and Italvega too, since, they were built by Torresini of Torpado. Thanks to information from a list member that used to work for Lawee, and my scouring of the Internet, I have learned a few things.
All Italvegas were made in the Torpado factory, but not all were high end bikes. Torpado made a broad variety of bikes for different uses (including worker, comfort, BMT, ATB, and even motorized) and plenty of the designs overlapped to where Torpados and Italvegas look the same when naked. I have 4 Italvega framesets here in my basement, all different model designations, and all with different features. Thus far, i have documented at least 8 different feature sets on these bikes. The low-mid level framesets have the inverted triangle Columbus foil decal, while the better models have the rectangle Columbus foil decal. The lowest models have no Columbus decal at all, from what I have seen ... and they don't feel like Columbus either. All the bikes were finished and built up in Italy, and shipped whole. Therefore, the paint and decal quality is likely Italian (evidence is there, just look at one!).
Italvegas seem to have been produced from the very early 1970s, to about 1977 or so, but don't quote me on that. I will be bringing a Super Speciale model to the Cirque, from about 1972, that is loaded (or, unloaded, as it were) with superlight/drilled/milled components of the 70s. It built up into a 20lb. bike, at 52cm. This Super Speciale is what I believe to be the "first generation" of their best bike. In about 1973, they came out with the new and improved Superlight model, and it's clone the Super Speciale. The only differences between these two "new" bikes are the decals, and the gruppos used. The framesets were identical, and incorporated drilled Campy dropouts with diamond shaped windows cut into many of the lug tangs, and a super relieved bottom bracket undershell to boot. This is most likely the bike that Mark Ritz is seeking, as well as me. So, if you find the 63cm Superlight, send it to Mark Ritz. But, if you should find a 52cm Superlight or Super Speciale, or a Torpado Superlight with the drillings ... then you pretty much get to name your price from me!!!
Ciao,
Mark (never enough about Torpado) Agree
Southfield MI