BUILDING THE SECOND OLMO GRAND PRIX

Even though the blue Grand Prix entered The Old Shed at the wrong time, I did completely rebuild the blue Olmo since I wanted to ride it myself.  Though I thought that the bicycle would be too small for me, I did at least want to give it a fair try.

The rebuild was not completely standard, in the fact that the front derailleur and crank set, needed to be replaced.  Fortunately, I had all of the correct components, on hand, to do the job.  With everything needed, I went completely through the bicycle, rebuilding/replacing as required, lubricating everything in need and assembling prior to tuning.

Once tuned, I checked the bicycle over, one more time, and took it out for a spin.  Too small, just as I suspected.  The bicycle did, however, ride nicely and I am still looking for just the right Olmo.  But, the bicycle did not fit and I decided to find it a new home.

I have learned a thing or two about selling/buying vintage road bicycles, in the past few years.  Frame sets alone, usually sell for more than the complete bicycle.  Though this seems to defy logic, it is true.  In my early days of collecting and selling vintage road bicycles, I would NOT part out a vintage bike.  I thought such an act would boarder on being sacrilegious, or something like that.

But the bottom line is simple.  The purpose of my little vintage bicycle business is to help others, not make a profit.  If people prefer frame sets, rather than complete bicycles, who am I to argue.  Today I sell ten frame sets for every bicycle, and prefer doing so.  Frame sets are far easier to pack and much cheaper to ship.  Plus, I have lots of good spare stuff, after the frame set has left.

The blue Grand Prix was parted out, for the Campy components, and then sold as a frame set, some time ago.  And, the frame was a beautiful product, in my opinion.

Like its bigger sibling, the long pointed lugs, with heart shaped cut-outs, drew immediate attention.  Sadly, the fork crown did not bear the pantograph, found on the bigger bike.  I cannot but wonder why this beautiful feature would have been omitted?  Perhaps an effort at manufacturing cost savings.  Too bad, since little features such as this reek of vintage quality, in my mind.

Quality of construction seemed to be present in the blue Grand Prix.  The Gipiemme drops, blended cleanly into the stays and fork blades.  Falk tubing formed the basis of the frame set, once again suggesting quality and, the ride offered, supported this evaluation.  Though I certainly appreciated the Italian Red, with yellow art of the bigger Olmo, the blue with yellow theme did the bike justice.  All in all, the smaller of the two Olmo Grand Prix bicycles, that I have been lucky enough to own and ride, was a presentable steed.

How the blue Olmo is doing is beyond me, but my bet is that the bicycle lives again.  I believe also, that the new Olmo owner will take very good care of his new/old Italian road bike.