Mid-Sixties Legnano Gran Premio

Brass headbadge of a warrior in high relief

The unique Legnano seatpost bolt arrangement

Legnano stamped TTT bar and stem

Campagnolo Record chrome-plated brass rear derailleur

Finding a bike that has spent 40 years without losing any of its original components is very rare. Parts wear out or break, people change things for better fit or for new technologies. Here in Toronto all it really takes is one winter in a back-yard to do some serious damage. These next two posts are of a pair of Legnanos that have managed to survive relatively unscathed. This one is intact because it was probably sitting unridden for forty years in a basement somewhere. When I first saw this bike in a store on Queen street I thought it was some kind of restored classic. It turned out to be original and quite surprisingly only $100.

Legnano was an Itlalian company that paid serious attention to the aesthetics of their bikes. From the pressed brass headbadge, colour matched brake cables and Legnano stamped components they really made sure the bikes looked serious. This beautiful metallic green with red pin-striping and box-lining is their classic racing scheme and was seen on the whole product range; from the top of the line lightweight racer to some junky bikes made of what could only be called drain pipe. This Gran Premio is second to top of their line. It was the first bike I had seen that had kept its original fenders, painted to match the frame. Apparently most quality Italian bikes from the era came stock with matching fenders but North American bike shops would usually take them off before they hit the showroom floor. A friend told me once about visiting a California bike shop in the sixties and finding an attic full of brand new cast-off fenders. I have only ever seen a few bikes that have kept their fenders and it really is a shame - they really complete both the function and the look of a classic Italian racing bike.