Bicycles, aside from their literal trappings as functional mechanical tools, serve as powerful vessels of personal memory and collective lore.  It is not always the case that we’re able to, or even care to delve into the particulars of how a bike made it to the shop, yet occasionally a bike enters our lives and simply must have its story told.

This mint condition Marinoni Special (70’s Handmade Canadian steel with an Italian flair) recently arrived at the shop, complete with tubular wheels, crusty tubular tires, coagulated grease in the bearing assemblies, and a film of dust covering the bike. It was clear that the bike had a certain amount of history behind it, and Ryan it’s owner was proud to divulge that he had inherited the bike from his dad who had in turn bought it decades before from a friend, desperate for money to fund his wedding. Luckily for everyone involved, the bike only showed minor signs of its own age, and cleaned up quite well.

A full drivetrain overhaul of the mint Campy Super Record group, complete with new grease, cables and housing was only part of the work done to get the bike back into form.  Perhaps the crowning jewel of the whole project were the clincher wheels rebuilt with Velo Orange Raid rims, modern double-eyeletted box section rims that come quite close to the shiny Weinmann rims of the era.  The tan sidewall Panaracer Pasela tires are a classy and well riding choice and round out a particularly classy build.

The Marinoni is now back in the hands of its owner, functionally reborn, and poised to rack up a whole new range of miles and accompanying memories.

If you have a project bike that you’d like us to check out, bring it by the shop and we’d be happy to take a look.