In Italy one sees essentially evidence of only two types of bikes from the past- racers and city bikes, and most of the nicer city bikes are simply converted old racers. Italy apparently never made significant numbers of any other types of bikes. Either that or they've all since mysteriously vanished.
But honestly, when it comes to really high quality lightweight non-racing bikes who but the French did make those in any numbers? To me the French were the only ones who saw and explored the full range of possibilities for the high quality lightweight bicycle, and nowadays *they* even hardly do any longer. If you want a really fine lightweight non-racing bike you are still likely to have to buy either an old French bike or something new, probably American, handbuilt and ungodly expensive.
God bless the French. Without them the world of lightweight bicycles would be a dull one indeed.
Kurt Sperry Bellingham, Washington USA
On Thu, Jun 12, 2008 at 3:59 PM, Nick March <nicbordeaux@yahoo.fr> wrote:
> Lovely pictures of Cirque I've been seeing, but where is the Italian cyclin
> g history ? I mean, they made top quality racers, but I can't believe they
> made only that, not many could afford a Bianchi. My best guess is they were
> importing all their randonneurs and other nice quality non-racer bikes fro
> m France. Bikes like this one, maybe ?
>
> http://membres.lycos.fr/
>
> Nick March, Agen, 47000 Lot et Garonne, France=0A=0A=0A ______________