The Miriello Collection

The Italian steel bicycles and wool jersey collection of Ron Miriello is the result of decades of travel to Italy to visit the small-town makers and riding steel in vintage cycling events like the L’Eroica. “These are jewels of design and craftsmanship. I love meeting the makers, saving the history, celebrating the design and giving them a new life in San Diego.” – says Miriello

Bicycles were once “regional” in Italy. Bikes, shoes, hats were commonly bought directly from makers from the region where you lived. Luciano Paletti is one of that generation of artisanal makers, famous locally in his Modena region of central Italy (home of makers like Ferrari, Lamborghini and Pagani exotic cars). Revered locally for his innovations and impeccable workmanship, this red Paletti features a unique series of pantographed sign parts and his unique “play card” graphics on the head tube. Paletti was the early career bicycle of Marco Pantani before mega-brand Bianchi sponsorship. 

• Frame: Columbus SL lugged tubing

• Group: Pantographed Campagnolo Super Record Gruppo

• Location: Modena, Italy

• Route to San Diego: Purchased from Giancarlo Ferrari in Modena by Miriello. Stored in a cantina in Tuscany for two years before being hand-carried to San Diego. 

The very unique Rigi Corta (“short bike” in Italian) was designed by engineer Giorgio Rinaldi (“RI”-"GI”). His goal was a shorter, quicker and lighter frameset. To accomplish this he split the seat tube into two smaller tubes so the wheels could be closer. A radical design that won him a nomination for the Compasso d’Oro design prize in 1978.

The Rigi is extremely responsive through the corners or maneuvering in the pack. An excellent time trials and hill climbing bicycle.

This frame was jammed in a storage room of framemaker Orlando Simoncini when I first saw it, marked with an obscure team name, without a fork and in disrepair. When back in San Diego, the bicycle was reunited with expert painter Joe Bell. “I have all the original marking for that Rigi. I painted them in the 70’s for the US importer. I haven't seen one in decades.” said Joe. So it was destined Joe was to repaint this Rigi back to better than original condition. 

• Frame: Columbus steel 

• Fork: NiCr stainless steel

• Group: Campagnolo Super Record gruppo. Custom fitted French front derailleur. 

• Location: Italy

• Route to San Diego: Purchased from Orlando Simoncini, restored by Miriello and Joe Bell in San Diego. The missing front fork was donated from a second Rigi, located after a long search by Topher Klein.

Little is known about this mysterious and beautiful maker. Packed with style and gratuitous detailing, it is easy to love. Poretti was aligned with the large and famous Legnano brand. Exactly in what way is not yet clear. I always envision Poretti as someone interested in impressing with his craftsmanship and performance rather than making a profit. It’s hard to see how he could have profited a lira with the amount of detailing, chroming, pantographing and paint-details he insisted on. And the colors are pure Italian classics, in the style of 1950’s Maserati or Lancias. I acquired this bicycle from a respected and knowledgeable collector,  Elvezio Lazzaerin who always has those special pieces. Where he gets them is a mystery. I’m just glad there is one now in San Diego.

• Frame: Columbus SL tubing

• Group: Campagnolo Super Record gruppo  pantographed Poretti

• Location: Milano, Italy

• Route to San Diego: Purchased from Elvezio Lazzaerin / Pavia, Italy. Then shipped to San Diego for light restoration.

I first saw this bike in a little shop in the countryside, outside of Siena. Hmmm, why so expensive. Until I returned to San Diego and realized it was outfitted with a 50th anniversary Campagnolo gruppo. The group of parts that marks 50 year of Tullio Campagnolo’s leadership in the industry. All of a sudden it wasn't expensive. Quite the contrary. The frame is also a 50th anniversary edition make by Daccordi in San Miniato Basso Italy. Daccordi has been the training ground for many Italian frame makers.

• Frame: Columbus SLX double butted steel

• Group: Campagnolo 50th anniversario Super Record Gruppo w/ gold insets

• Location: San Miniato Basso, Italy

• Route to San Diego: Purchased for me in Siena by my good friend Fabio Pastacaldi. Ridden in the 2016 Eroica Gaiole and then shipped to San Diego.

When Gianni Motta, the Italian cycling champion and Giro d’Italia winner, ended his epic career, he turned to building top level bicycles and supporting the first American squad to race in Europe. Gianni Motta bicycles were famous for their innovations, stiffness and efficient power transmission. The top-of-the line model was called “Personal” and this unique example is a “Personal 2001R”, representing the best of the 1980s and 1990s in Italian frame-building skills. It features a rare Campagnolo Croce d'Aune component gruppo, Delta brakes and an “aero” water bottle. 

• FACTOID:  San Diego pro cyclist Danny Franger rode a Personal  for Team Gianni Motta in the 1980’s 

• Frame: Columbus Steel with custom Motta lugs

• Group: Campagnolo Croce d'Aune Gruppo and Campagnolo Delta brakeset

• Location: Veneto, Italy

• Route to San Diego: Purchased online from Verona Italy. Shipped to San Diego for minor restoration

Stelio Belletti had always been a huge cycling fan and as a boy was part of local amateur cycling teams. Since the early 1970s, his experience as a welder fabricating racing motorcycle frames from GILCO tubing and aircraft fuselages pushed him to begin experimenting with the production of bicycle frames, combining steel tubing with TIG welding which at the time was a new technique in the bicycle industry. Encouraged by his father and by the results, in the spring of 1973 he decided to found the Stelbel brand, to distinguish the production of racing frames from the other activities carried out in the family metalery workshop.

• Frame: Columbus custom steel, Patented Argon T.I.G. lugless welded frame

• Group: Campagnolo Super Record Gruppo

• Location: Rodano, Italy

• Route to San Diego: Purchased in Milano from Simone Amoni who lovingly shipped her to San Diego for restoration and new parts.

Chirico is a family business from Milano in its third generation. Grandfather Enrico began around 1900, father Erminio led the company from 1948 to 1987 Since then, Luigi Chirico has taken over the enterprise but no longer fabricates frames.

Little known outside the Milano area, Chirico manufactured racing bikes and frames for many famous brands including Cinelli and Colnago. The boom of aluminum and carbon frames marked the end of their steel production and today Chirico operates as a premium bike shop.

This Chirico Competition dates back to the 1980s and was built with top-end Columbus SL tubes. The frameset is literally full of engravings, cut outs and pantographed parts, showing the typical attention to details of small frame builders at their finest. The groupset is Campagnolo Super Record beautiful pantographed parts, a signature of Chirico higher-end bicycles.

• Frame: Double-butted Steel

• Group: Campagnolo Super Record Gruppo

• Location: Bussero, Italy

• Route to San Diego: Purchased from a Milan college student. Stored for two years in a Milano pasta factory before shipment to San Diego for restoration 

The first use of aluminum makes the ALAN a significant bicycle in the evolution of race bikes. Lodovico Falconi was an aerospace engineer who named his company after his two children, ALberto and ANnamaria. It was the first company to introduce an all aluminum bicycle frame made with unique sculpted aluminum joints that are screwed in and glued. It made his frames very light, but also flexible and vulnerable to breaking over time. ALAN was ridden to victories by racing greats and to numerous cyclocross championships. Falconi went on to experiment with use of an exotic carbon fiber material for bicycles. A true pioneer. 

• Frame: Aluminum tubes and cast lugs

• Group: Campagnolo Super Record Gruppo/ Mavic Cosmic Aero rims

• Location: Padua, Italy

• Route to San Diego: Purchased in worn condition from Memmo Pastacaldi of Colle Val d’Elsa, Italy who used Poste Italia to slow-ship to San Diego.

Ugo DeRosa was on the floor measuring me for this frame in 1984,when I looked over his desk at pictures of the epic riders he built for -Eddie Merckx, Gianni Motta, Francesco Moser. Now Ugo was making MY bicycle. I had no idea it would be a touchstone bicycle from the golden years (mid 80’s) of Italian bicycle making. Ugo and his sons greeted me at their home workshop, as I rallied my limited Italian to specify every part, color and detail. ”You pay me when the frame arrives in California. I’m very confident you’ll like it and you’ll pay me.” said Ugo. Old-school Italy in every way. This racing frame is an example of minimal design serving the purpose of function. Beautifully executed in every detail. For me, a priceless memory of a day with one of the greats, Ugo DeRosa. Now 86, he is still making limited-run DeRosa crafted cycling sculptures.

• Frame: Columbus SLX double butted steel

• Group: De Rosa signed Campagnolo Super Record Gruppo

• Location: Milano, Italy

• Route to San Diego: Built to measure in Milano by Ugo DeRosa, shipped to Los Angeles, CA. Assembled by Kevin Millard/ California Bicycle, La Jolla, CA 1984.

CREM is an abbreviation for CREMONESE, once a small bicycle maker from Cremona Italy. Cremona is a city famous more for violins (Stradivarius among others) than for bicycles. At one time, almost every city in Italy had its own local bike-maker.

This is a well-crafted, practical example of an early 1970’s steel club-racer, heavy by today’s standards, yet balanced and thoughtfully constructed. Period-correct Campagnolo components were collected from several sources to recompose a complete bicycle.

Frame: Straight gauge steel

Group: Campagnolo Record gruppo

Location: Cremona, Italy

Route to San Diego: Purchased in Bologna Italy and shipped to San Diego where it was remade into a complete bicycle. 

GIOS Torino is synonymous with one particular 1980’s cyclist, the hard-man Belgian champion, Roger De Vlaeminck. GIOS comes from Torino Italy and is known as a straightforward and sturdy racing frame. Roger was as a repeat cyclocross champion also so he wanted a bicycle that would never break. I meet the GIOS family at the Eroica event in Italy every year, now run by the son. Still making steel lugged frames and supporting and refinishing those many GIOS frames coveted around the world and proudly ridden still today.

• Frame: Columbus steel

• Group: Campagnolo Record Gruppo

• Location: Torino, Italy

• Route to San Diego: Purchased from its original US owner in Brooklyn, NY. Quickly stolen before my son Ben Miriello fought it away from the thief and convinced the NYPD it was his dads bike. GIOS are easy to spot when ridden with the bars up and a basket behind the seat. Most frames are GIOS-blue, this red version is an anomaly. Restored by Miriello and Topher Klein in San Diego.

One of the unsung masters of modern racing bikes. Galmozzi is known to Italian cognoscenti and collectors as a highly respected maker. Always a small production without the pretensions or ambition of bigger names, Galmozzi is known instead for excellence in the basics and performance. Collectors are attracted to the head-badge which is a play on the owners name: “gallo” which means rooster and “mozzi”, which means hub, hence the rooster perched on a hub. This bicycle was purchased at the 2017 Eroica vintage race in Italy, then stored in a house in Borgatello for a year before making the voyage to San Diego. The frame has many years of wear, showing the intense use in a previous life as an Italian road warrior, now retired.

• Frame: Straight gauge steel 

• Group: Campagnolo Record gruppo

• Location: Milano, Italy

• Route to San Diego: Purchased at the 2017 Eroica in Gaiole, Italy and then shipped to San Diego for restoration and replacement parts.

Luigi Scorza was an unheralded bicycle racer from Sicily. After little success in racing he eventually opened a small bike shop in Grosseto Italy where he also offered bicycle frames under the name Scorza. This frame was gifted to me largely because it seemed so far gone that no one could ever love it again. After getting the frame back to San Diego, I could see on closer inspection it was a fully chromed frame under a poor paint job. I removed all the paint, except for the logoed areas,leaving the exposed chrome as the new finish. As the paint came off, the real artistry of the Scorza started to show itself, pantographed, excellent lug detailing and even Scorzas initials. I felt a bit like an archeologist uncovering a lost story, connecting with the enigmatic Luigi Scorza himself. My Google search told me that Luigi had just died, that the ceremony was small and his information brief. Pleased we now have his artistic frame here in San Diego to remember the elegance of a simple life. 

• Frame: Columbus steel 

• Group: Campagnolo Record gruppo

• Location: Grosseto, Italy

• Route to San Diego: A (please get it out of here) gift from Memmo Pastacaldi. Restored by Ron Miriello and Howard Zalopany in San Diego, with assistance from Topher Klein.

The respected maker Irio Tommasini of Grosseto Italy has been a quiet provider of top quality frames for decades. I interviewed Irio at his shop and asked him which of his frames are most emblematic of his life. Rather than one of his new titanium or carbon masterpieces, he said, “I’d look for a old THOMAS. When I wanted to appeal to the growing US market in the 1980’s I named a steel frame Thomas. I thought it sounded more American. I put my best into that frame.” So I consider this Thomas a gift from Iro, a sweet, solid man with huge hands that have made countless frames for the Giro d’Italia, The Tour de France and is known as a tireless innovator in new metals and composites. My interview with Irio has taken on new significance as he ages and transfers control of Tommasini to his daughter Barbara. Forza Iro.

• Frame: Columbus steel

• Group: Campagnolo Super Record Gruppo

• Location: Grosseto, Italy

• Route to San Diego: Purchased from its original US owner and restored by Miriello and Topher Klein in San Diego.

In 1930, Silvino Grandis built his first bicycle but it wasn't until 1965 that the first Grandis branded frame appeared. At one time almost every Italian city had its own bicycle maker. Most are now gone but a few have survived to still provide local racers frames and support. GRANDIS from Verona remains a family-maker of beautiful handmade frames, revered and raced by locals in the Veneto region (along with Chesini, Pegoretti and others). 

• Frame: Columbus Steel 

• Group: Campagnolo Record gruppo

• Location: Verona, Italy

• Route to San Diego: Purchased in Verona. Kept  one year in cantina of my friend Carlo Nerozzi at Le Vigne di San Pietro before being hand carried  to San Diego for restoration.

Bicycle Headtube Badges

The headtube label on a bicycle can be a work of art. It once told you where the bicycle was made, who made it and sometimes even the name of the person it was built for. I’ve been collecting these (mostly circa early 1900’s) randomly for some years for their quirky typography. Seems now a collection worth sharing. (all photos by Nick Nacca)