Thursday, March 14, 2013

Vintage Find: My Guerciotti

Vintage Find: My 1986 Guerciotti made by Alan

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Here is another one of my Campagnolo equipped "grail" finds, my 1986 Guerciotti. This was the first attempt at buiding an aluminum road bike. The frame was built by another company called Alan, which specialized in making lighter composite frames for various bicycle manufacturers. This frame was built by a special process in which the frame tubes are actually screwed and glued into the frame lugs. This process was known as bonding, and was also the process used to build the first carbon fiber frames.

Today I rode this beauty down White Rock Lake. I saw another rider on a steel Guerciotti.  Guerciotti bicycles are a rare bird, so I grabbed his attention and pointed at my bike. He said "An aluminum Guerciotti still on the road?". Apparently there were a few bad apples made that really destroyed the reputation of bonded frames. There are stories of riders flexing the frames with their own weight and frames simply snapping under too much load. I am not the lightest that I have been in a while. Yet this frame holds my 190 pound weight really well. If I had any complaint about it, it would be that the bike is actually almost too stiff for me. It accelerates wonderfully because there is direct power transfer due to it's stiffness. It also is an amazing climber. I was suprised at how quickly I was making it up some of the hills on the lake.  I rode 28 miles in under 2 hours, stopping to take pictures along the way. To me, that's a pretty good speed. If a person weighs more than I do, they should probably not ride this bike anyway. There are Surly Long Haul Truckers that can hold their weight wonderfully.

I'll not abuse this bike very much, to me this bike is like the Ferrari that only gets driven on Sundays. Since I will never be able to afford a Ferrari, this is the closest I will probably get to owning Italian luxury.

It's fun to own bikes almost as old as I am and still be able to enjoy them. There is joy in the hunt when looking for bikes like these, but there is also joy to be had in owning the bike and riding it. People like to accessorize their shoes, suits, hats and even their cars. I accessorize my bicycle. I tend to get bored of only one bike, although if it came down to it I could probably only live with one. But there would be no fun in that. I can't say this will be the last bicycle that I will keep to myself, but definitely one of the last, because I don't plan on making this a long term hobby (and I mean years). I have to focus my attention on other projects and pursuits in the near future. In the meantime, check out some more photos of my vintage Guerciotti.


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Guerciotti Headbadge.
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Cinelli Criterium Handlebars.
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This bicycle is fully equipped with a Campagnolo Victory drivetrain and Campy Record brakes.

11 comments:

  1. Incredible find! Glad to see some of these old school show bikes in use!! :)

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  2. Hey I have the same bike with a reproduction seat and mavic rims but otherwise pretty much the same parts. How much is mine worth and are there anyone still interested in buying these Cuz I wanna sell mine

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    1. In showroom condition, meaning like new with no obvious scratches or dents and by using professional looking pictures in the ad, I have seen these bikes sell for as much as $1,500 on eBay. I paid a tenth of that price for my bike, so it's all about what someone is willing to pay for it.

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    2. These bikes had a tendency to crack on the joints when used by heavy riders or when loaded too heavily. If there are any hairline cracks on the lugs, then the frame isn't worth anything and you'll only be able to make a profit on the parts. Hope this helps.

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    3. I have the same bike that has had little use since sitting in a garage for 40 years-any value or should I just keep it?

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  3. I have the same bike. Bought it brand new in 1986 in Miami. Lots of fast big pack riding in those days. I held my own on that bike. Still have it and ride it today. Did a nice 70 mile solo ride two weeks ago for my 60th birthday on that bike and it's still as fast and comfortable as ever. I ride it more than my Specialized full carbon Roubaix and suspect I will continue to do so. Marc - Jacksonville, FLA

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    1. Thanks for sharing Marc. It's always good to hear from the perspective of someone who bought it new. How much did one of these cost in 1986? I have always liked to compare the costs of things back then to what they are now. That would be some great information to have.

      Glad to hear you are still enjoying yours. I haven't ridden mine this year because I have been busy riding my other bicycles. However, I'm keeping mine for a rainy day or to pay for my son's college tuition one day.

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    2. That's funny. I too have this same Guerciotti (second owner) and also have a carbon Specialized Roubaix! I've been looking to see if I can upgrade the drivetrain. The Guerciotti was fine in flat Texas (except for the ghost shifting), but when I moved to NH the hills here are a bit much for me on those old gears.

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    3. That's funny. I too have this same Guerciotti (second owner) and also have a carbon Specialized Roubaix! I've been looking to see if I can upgrade the drivetrain. The Guerciotti was fine in flat Texas (except for the ghost shifting), but when I moved to NH the hills here are a bit much for me on those old gears.

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  4. Johnny,

    Sorry for the delayed (2 years!) response. If memory serves me correctly it was $1300.00 and some change. (All Campy). Same bike with a Shimano 105 grupo was $900 range. I remember because I specifically only wanted Campy on the bike.

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  5. I have a Guerciotti 55 x 55 aluminium - carbon. The same bike Belgian Champion Roland Liboton used to become 4 times world champion cyclo-cross and 10 consecutive years Belgian Champion cyclo-cross in the 80-ties.

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