[CR]Re: Avanti bikes from Sweden

(Example: Production Builders:Cinelli)

Date: Wed, 07 Jun 2006 22:54:19 -0400
From: "Harvey M Sachs" <sachshm@cox.net>
To: FujiFish1@aol.com, Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR]Re: Avanti bikes from Sweden


Nice, Mark!

and nice pictures, too. just one detail to correct. I actually bought an Avanti from Pearl's Cycles & Sports (Wash DC), in 1963, and raced it for a couple of years (intracollegiate) at Rice U. in Houston. I suspect mine was the same frameset (note the round fork blades with the twin-plate crown). However, mine was the "full Campy" model (pre-Campy brakes), and I can't remember whether it came with Weinmann or Mafac CPs.

harvey sachs mcLean va

I've been meaning to email the list about Avanti. A local friend of mine has a white track bike that I inquired about, and Harvey Sachs was the only one to respond, saying that he had seen a road model in a New York shop in about 1961, but didn't buy it. I was on a cycling trip in the Harbor Springs / Traverse City area a couple of weekends back when we all stopped into a bike shop. I of course inquired about old bikes. The shop owner went to the back and shortly produced his one and only on hand ... an Avanti! Guess what ... I bought it! Here's pics:

http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/Avanti_1963_Reynolds_Simplex Two pages of pics, and be sure to click twice for MUCH clearer views.

Reynolds 531 tubing, twin plate fork crown, stamped dropouts, Campagnolo G.S. small flange hubs on Fiamme red label tubular rims, Regina Merate G.S. 5 speed freewheel, Simplex gears (JUY 61?), Stronglight chromed steel cottered bottom bracket and crank with Simplex 3-6 bolt adapters and aluminum chainrings, Altenburger Synchron sidepull brakes (levers are newer Dia-Compe), and Ideale Mod 49 Type Record saddle. The lug finish work is absolutely atrocious; what looks like possible paint blobs are actually brazing blobs that were never cleaned up. Note that the decal spelling changed to SWEDEN, from the SCHWEDEN that is seen on the white track bike that my friend has. The Campy hubs on this bike are dated 63, so it appears to be a bit later than the track bike. Are these Titan (Super) stem and unmarked bars? Like we said in the last thread ... someday another one will turn up ... I just had no idea it would be so soon, and that I would be the one to find it! This post is for the archives.

Ciao,
Mark Agree
Southfield MI USA