[CR]FS: 53cm Torelli Super Strada frame, fork, headset

(Example: Humor)

From: "Retrofan531" <Retrofan531@allegiance.tv>
To: "classic list" <Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Sat, 1 Mar 2008 17:16:28 -0600
Subject: [CR]FS: 53cm Torelli Super Strada frame, fork, headset

This is an absolutely beautiful lugged steel frameset that was built up, ridden five times, then stored for ten years. This Torelli was initially bought directly from the Torelli USA importer and built up by the original owner. After he built it up and test rode it a handful of times, he found it was too small for him. He took the parts off of it (other than the headset because he didn't want to take a chance on chipping the head tube paint) and placed in storage. After ten years, the original owner finally concluded he would never build it back up, so he sold it.

This is a really great hand-made fully-lugged Italian steel frame and fork at a great price. Here is some detailed information on the Torelli Super Strada from the Torelli archived website:

The Torelli Super Strada has been Torelli's best-selling frameset for years. It is suitable for a racer on a budget. Hand-built in an immaculate, small shop north of Padua, we believe the Super Strada to be unique in its price range by using all lost-wax (investment-cast) conjunctions and Columbus SL tubing and American paint.

Materials: The Super Strada's three main tubes are standard diameter Columbus SL tubing. To keep the price low without incurring a significant performance penalty, the Super Strada rear triangle and fork blades are of Columbus cro-moly steel.

The lugs, fork crown and bottom bracket shell are lost-wax (investment-cast). This expensive, precise method of making conjunctions imparts greater strength to the bike. The greater precision of fit between the tubes and our lugs make possible a better and more strongly brazed joint

The bridgeless cast bottom bracket shell is unique in a frame at this price. It's design gives greater rigidity to the chainstays, imparting greater efficiency to the Super Strada without a weight penalty.

The paint is Dupont Imron, applied in the United States with a thick clear-coat to protect the decals and give the frame a beautiful, lustrous appearance.

Design: The seat stays are brazed directly to the seat lug for lower weight. Brake routing uses a split, interrupted rear brake cable housing for lighter weight and crisper braking. Extensive hand-work rare on an economical frameset is evidenced by the laborious filling and shaping of the dropout joints. The usual method is to use pre-shaped tubes that eliminate this process, but this gives a less aesthetic joint that isn't as strong.

This Torelli Super Strada frame measures 53cm from the center of the bottom bracket to the center of the top tube, or 54cm from the center of the bottom bracket to the top of the top tube, with a 54cm top tube. The frame is nicely painted in metallic satin silver with red Torelli decals outlined in black. The 1" threaded fork is painted metallic satin silver to match the frame, and has a sloping fork crown with red painted decorative cut-outs in the fork crown. .

This frame has two sets of water bottle bosses, takes a clamp-on front derailleur for maximum adjustability, rear brake cable is routed at 7 o'clock on the top tube, pump peg, chain hanger, cable guides under the bottom bracket shell, and has down tube cable adjusters stops. The bottom bracket is Italian threaded, and a Campagnolo bottom bracket spun in by hand. The rear dropouts are horizontal adjustable (adjusting screws included) and measure 130mm wide, while the 1" head tube measures 122mm long.

As I mentioned above, this frame and fork were built up, test ridden a handful of times, and stored since then. This Torelli is in excellent condition, with only a few touched up scratches on it, primarily from years of storage. The main scratch is on the inside of the left chain stay where the original owner didn't have the rear tire clamped in when he was testing the gears with the bike in the bike stand when building it up and rubbed the paint with the rear tire. The frame and fork have been completely treated inside the tubes with Boeshield T-9 rust prevention spray. Includes a Campagnolo Record headset.

$425 professionally packed, shipped, and insured to the lower 48 United States. Pictures available on request.

Frank Phillips
McAlester, OK