Bianchi (Coppi) Return to Timeline
Magnifico!
My friend, Hamid, asked if I was interested in going to see a bicycle market on the west side of Casablanca. Of course! Bicycle markets in Morocco sometimes contained lost treasures. I've seen a Campagnolo Nuovo Record left pedal on a groundcloth at the Wednesday Market on the Route d'Azemmour, a DeRosa in Marrakech, a Nuovo Record gruppo in a forgotten town on the edge of the Sahara. Those were ones I passed up (why?!?!?!), but this first trip to the Derb Koria market would prove auspicious. This vintage Bianchi was just the first treasure offered up by this thriving, boisterous motor scooter and bicycle market. Hamid also pointed out that all sold items were registered with the police there, so there was greater trust that the vendors obtained them legally.
The vintage of this Bianchi proved puzzling.
-frame: very relaxed geometry (72-73 degrees parallel, I'd guess), long fork rake, and long wheel-base (101-102 cm), as in vintage 50's and 60's frames I've seen on the web. Chromed long Campagnolo drop-outs with rack/fender eyelets. Bianchi integrated headset (one washer inside has Bianchi 1953 stamped on it...replacement part? standard patent marking???) Flat, chromed fork crown with opposing loops. High rear brake bridge for very long reach caliper, 126 rear spacing, braze-on front der. boss, shift lever bosses, three rear brake cable guides under top tube, 25 mm seat post, 22 mm stem diameter. The top tube slopes downward from back to front about 1 cm. This might be the frame style or could be damage, perhaps to fork??? Braze-on rear derailleur cable guide on right chain stay. Screw-mounting derailleur cable guides under bottom bracket.
These images are recent digital camera shots of original 35 mm prints taken in about 2004.
Story of orange repaint and the giant/dwarf episode.
The friendship with Rachid and Abdullah that formed in the finding of the parts.
Story of Lahcen and Omar.
This frame had the original Universal brakes and levers, with the enormously long rear caliper. Because I wanted to install a fantastic 1978 NOS set of Record calipers, the rear brake bridge had to be moved down a bit. This minor operation was performed by Omar of Mers Sultan.
Crash
My friend, Hamid, asked if I was interested in going to see a bicycle market on the west side of Casablanca. Of course! Bicycle markets in Morocco sometimes contained lost treasures. I've seen a Campagnolo Nuovo Record left pedal on a groundcloth at the Wednesday Market on the Route d'Azemmour, a DeRosa in Marrakech, a Nuovo Record gruppo in a forgotten town on the edge of the Sahara. Those were ones I passed up (why?!?!?!), but this first trip to the Derb Koria market would prove auspicious. This vintage Bianchi was just the first treasure offered up by this thriving, boisterous motor scooter and bicycle market. Hamid also pointed out that all sold items were registered with the police there, so there was greater trust that the vendors obtained them legally.
The vintage of this Bianchi proved puzzling.
-frame: very relaxed geometry (72-73 degrees parallel, I'd guess), long fork rake, and long wheel-base (101-102 cm), as in vintage 50's and 60's frames I've seen on the web. Chromed long Campagnolo drop-outs with rack/fender eyelets. Bianchi integrated headset (one washer inside has Bianchi 1953 stamped on it...replacement part? standard patent marking???) Flat, chromed fork crown with opposing loops. High rear brake bridge for very long reach caliper, 126 rear spacing, braze-on front der. boss, shift lever bosses, three rear brake cable guides under top tube, 25 mm seat post, 22 mm stem diameter. The top tube slopes downward from back to front about 1 cm. This might be the frame style or could be damage, perhaps to fork??? Braze-on rear derailleur cable guide on right chain stay. Screw-mounting derailleur cable guides under bottom bracket.
--parts on bike when purchased second-hand that seem to be original: Universal standard nut (not recessed) brakeset, w/ very long rear caliper, Gran Sport 3-arm crankset, GS 70SS bottom bracket, Nuovo Record pre-77 flat cage (no safety lip) braze on derailleur, Tipo hubs (w/ GP4 rims).
--other parts were clearly replacements: Shim 600 seat post, C-Record shift levers and rear derailleur, unknown ttt bar/stem, no-name pedals, saddle.
The incongruous aspects of the bike:
--frame style, long Universal rear caliper, and integrated headset suggest older frame 50's-60's-70's
--braze-on front derailleur boss, top tube cable guides, braze on shift levers, 126 rear spacing suggest 80s??
--mysterious 1953 marking on washer
--Gran Sport and Tipo from 70's???
--flat cage NR front derailleur pre77??
Serial Number on upper front of seat lug: 083134
These images are recent digital camera shots of original 35 mm prints taken in about 2004.
The friendship with Rachid and Abdullah that formed in the finding of the parts.
Story of Lahcen and Omar.
This frame had the original Universal brakes and levers, with the enormously long rear caliper. Because I wanted to install a fantastic 1978 NOS set of Record calipers, the rear brake bridge had to be moved down a bit. This minor operation was performed by Omar of Mers Sultan.
Crash
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| The frame had the original Celeste paint when I found it at the Koria cycle market in the Idrissia 3 area of town. Most regretably, I failed to take a photo of the original finish. This is a respray, beautifully matched by the painter. The decals are not originals. |
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| Emma and Olivia's ksar in the background. The lovely Brooks Professional saddle, vintage 1978, was found NOS in a downtown Casablanca scooter and bicycle shop. The basement cellar was cavernous and full of NOS and used treasures! The chromed steel undercarriage and leather cover were perfect. The large brass rivets were green with oxidation but polished up beautifully with riding. Seat post is non-Campy. The seat post binder bolt and top tube cable clamps were found at Rachid's shop on Blvd Yacoub el Mansour in the CIL neighborhood of Casablanca. |
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| Flat levers on the nutted Record normal-reach calipers are pre-1978. The rims are NOS Mavic MA-2 clinchers, with cotton tires that look a lot like tubulars. Notice, also, the lovely flat fork crown. |
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| Super Record brake levers are from 1978. |
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| The Specialites TA handlebar bottle cage is NOS, found in the same downtown scooter shop as the Brooks Pro saddle above. The NOS Campagnolo grey brake cable housing is from 1978. |
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| The Bianchi pantographed 3ttt stem was found at Rachid's shop on Blvd Yacoub el Mansour in CIL. The matching bars still had fantastic leather tape. I bought it with Bianchi World Championship pantographed Record levers, but these were heavily scratched from use. Notice the fantastic original "integrated" Bianchi headset. Fantastic! Notice the integrated cups formed by the flared head tube, top and bottom. Wow! This style goes back to the early 1950's, at least. Last but not least, note the Record clamp on derailleur shift levers with green gummy hoods. Very 60's. The Chinese bell rang like a merry-go-round and was just the thing for riding through town on the way to the Hay Hassani-Dar Bouazza road. |
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| The drivetrain is a blend of old Campagnolo. A 1973 Nuovo Record rear derailleur, a 1982 980 front derailleur (very confusing!), later replaced with a 1976 Nuovo Record. The crankset is a 1978 Gran Sport, with a Nuovo Record 46 inner ring and a no-name 52 outer ring. The pedals were Super Record with Lapize XL toe clips and straps. All from Rachid's. The hubs are Mavic sealed bearing, with a Regina Oro freewheel, both from Rachid's. |
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| This is not a bootleg Eduardo Bianchi head-badge. It is an original Edordo Binchi! |
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| This one is bootleg. |
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