Thursday, September 24, 2009

Pino Morroni Cambio Corsa bicycle

I'm not sure where I got these pictures from, I have had them for years, somewhere on the internet?? It is a bicycle built by Pino Morroni with the use of Campagnolo Cambio Corsa system. But he "improved" the antiquated gear system, by using rear facing dropouts rather than forward facing dropouts used on the original design. Keep in mind, this bicycle was made at least 20 years after Campagnolo stopped production of the Cambio Corsa system. It makes sense, rear facing dropouts when changing gears, but not that practical in quick wheel changes in races.

Still a very nice bicycle. If anyone knows more of the story of this bicycle, please feel free to add.

Also, here is a really nice article about Pino Morroni I ran across on Tam Pham's website.




15 comments:

Gunnar Berg said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Gunnar Berg said...

I first became aware of Pino Marroni from a Cinelli SC hanging from my LBS ceiling, which has a Marroni BB. Then later his name came up when talking to people about Cecil Behringer, the godfather of frame building in Minnesota. The two men worked together on a number of projects . My guess is that the frame in question was probably built by Behringer with Marroni furnishing the components. Both men were self-promoters, so it's hard to separate fact from fiction.(Case in point, they both claim making Ti parts for pacemakers.)

http://tinyurl.com/behringer-article

Gunnar Berg said...

Further checking. Pino made a few frames before 1973. After 73 all the frames were made by Cecil.

bikeville said...

thanks so much for the input.

Anonymous said...

Cool - very interesting. Definitely was not concerned about TCO!

R/ Alex

Toast Ghost said...

funny how shifting would alter the position of the brake blocks on the rim. still, a gorgeous bike and a wild design. i want some of what he's having!

Unknown said...

Pino used to ride that bike EVERYWHERE! I saw him once in traffic, 40 miles from his home when he was in his mid-70's, track standing at a light.
The cambio corsa stuff was a gift from Tullio Campagnolo himself and Pino put it to good use.
Pino was an old friend whom I met when working at Kinetic Systems.
http://www.kineticsystemsbicycles.com/09_specials.html (they have some of Pino's bikes on display along with my uber-rare Telavio Roma-Detroit race jersey)
Kinetic Systems was Pino's base of operations in the '80's and 90's.

Gunnar is off the mark though. Pino had shops in both Rome and Warren, MI where he would build frames and this was certainly one of his. Pino built frames right up to his death, with his last designs featuring small front wheels and elongated rear stays. I spent a lot of time with Pino, building frames and eating tomato-basil salad from his garden, so this is first hand info and not hearsay. If you don't believe me, ask Eddy Merckx....

Greg Boggs

bikeville said...

Greg,
awesome information. I love learning new stuff, next time I'm in that neck of the woods, I will have to stop by that bike shop and see the bikes personally.

Unknown said...

Cool!
I know that Kinetic Systems has an experimental "shaped tubing" bike with triangular main tubes.(all hand formed with custom lugs) and a later non-PiBehr titanium bicycle.
There are quite a few Pino/Telavio frames in this area in the hands of riders and collectors. Mine is a 58cm road bike that has a chrome rear triangle and very short (37 1/2") wheelbase. There is even a pair that are M.I.A. that have Ron Finch paint jobs...
My friend David, who was the guy who introduced me to Pino, has his Telavio for sale. I think it is a 52cm frame. Just ask Jeff (248 625 7000) about lil' Dave's Pino bike and he will fill you in.

Michael Foreit DO said...

Walking into cicli lazaretti in Rome, Pino was the only English speaking soul. He immediatly hit it off with my dad who had grown up in Hamtramck mich. Pino then picked out a frame and components for me. The whole time thinking he was just a helpful old guy.
Still have the bike :)

Anonymous said...

on a rainy labor day in Fort Lauderdale 2011 its September and it brings back memories of the Kinetic Systems Flying Rhino Pino Morroni Memorial Bike Race in Watorford Hills Road Raceing Track... I'm a 50 year-old guy now who was lucky to be in the right place at the right time back in 88,89,90 ect. and was Pino's handyman trying to help him out in his workshop/garage in Warren. He was an out of this world kinda guy that one cannot forget.. i still lay-on a Pino Like Accent when jokeing around with old friends that also knew Pino. Greg Boggs is right ,Greg was a Great Wrench and steered me right when I asked him "I got a litle money- what kind of Pino stuff should I buy? Rims,Bottom Bracket or what..well I ended up Getting the 26"front wheel road bike that Pino Intended for Andy Hampston but Could'nt Accept due to contractural obls. after I had that painted by Mark Assenmacher and Pino assembled it some how I had Frame-Wheels-BB- stem ect. all the goodies! How did that Happen(obsession) and yes Tomato Basil salads, Pasta Carbonara and numerous snacks while we built that bike over a few days that were reffered to as Justa Try it! what a Happy time! I'll never forget Pino! How could ya! He seems to be PERMANANT in my memories! My Bike is a 54columbus (pino's way of measurement)LimeLight Neon Green and Neon yellow Fade at the Main Lugs ,Satisfying Pino's orders to "Aye, Mak it A Yellow" Prompting Marcella to proclaim to Pino in front of a crowd ,"Dad this is the Prettiest Bike you've Ever Made"....I felt proud to have put everything I had at the time into that bike and to here that! Proudly I'd pull up to him after the Races & let Pino Bragg About It ;-)... by the way riding & raceing that bike was Heveanly Smoking Fire And Brimstone bush burnin Extacy! The Performance of that rocket had me instantly hangin on to wheels that I only used to see at the start of Pro I,II races! I was a Cat III, no Foolin' that bike Had Nitrous Oxide and 20 HP easy!(standin still)
KEEP PINO MORRONI's MEMORY ,LEGACY AND LEGEND ALIVE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS BY SHOWING THEM HOW THE REALLY GOOD FAST STUFF WAS INVENTED BUT NOT BROADLY REWARDED!

...some things are better than money...Thats what Pino Made!
Jeff Mamassian 754-234-9571
jmamassianbuilder@yahoo.com

Kevin R said...

I was a friend of Pino's in the 1970's. He loved these Cambio corsa bikes. He had a Lazeretti made in the early 1970's with e cambio corsa shifter. an he made several that I knrw of. I remember seeing the hand made titanium tubing and lugs he had made in his shop for his first titanium frame. Pino did not do any welding. He made the parts and someone else welded them. I can verify that Pino made some kind of parts for pacemakers, I saw them in his shop on 9 mile road. He had special, super precise, drilling equipment capable of drilling ultra small holes in the titanium pacemaker components. Kevin Rachuk

Jeff Mama said...

I am open to offering my 54cm Columbus PINO Road TELAVIO FOR SALE. PINO Called it "The Hampsten bike" Super-Fast- weight forward 26" front PINO JAM NUT AMBROSIO's Tubulars-(700c)rear on C-Record hubs. Neon Green with Neon Yellow BB & Seat lugs Fade! Prettiest PINO Bike Made sayaMarcella! .Original Dupont Imron Paint by Mark Nobilett 1990 .Chrome fork & Stay and PINO Steel Stem w/Trick Support to Brake Stud. PINO Installed (have a picture of Him )Sealed BB chrome molly spindle. & PINO JACKETT-Shirt "Three Green-a-Mice" ect..ect $7,500.obo for A Storied One of a Kind! ANDY Should Buy This Bike(perfect) as intended for him! Contact: jmamassianbuilder@yahoo.com for 30 pictures.
P754-234-9571 all PINO accessories included & spare clincher wheels.
Pics & CD @ Kinetic Systems Clarkston MI.

Jeff Mama said...

I am open to offering my 54cm Columbus PINO Road TELAVIO FOR SALE. PINO Called it "The Hampsten bike" Super-Fast- weight forward 26" front PINO JAM NUT AMBROSIO's Tubulars-(700c)rear on C-Record hubs. Neon Green with Neon Yellow BB & Seat lugs Fade! Prettiest PINO Bike Made sayaMarcella! .Original Dupont Imron Paint by Mark Nobilett 1990 .Chrome fork & Stay and PINO Steel Stem w/Trick Support to Brake Stud. PINO Installed (have a picture of Him )Sealed BB chrome molly spindle. & PINO JACKETT-Shirt "Three Green-a-Mice" ect..ect $7,500.obo for A Storied One of a Kind! ANDY Should Buy This Bike(perfect) as intended for him! Contact: jmamassianbuilder@yahoo.com for 30 pictures.
P754-234-9571 all PINO accessories included & spare clincher wheels.
Pics & CD @ Kinetic Systems Clarkston MI.

Anonymous said...

The lugged 6al4v frames are exceedingly rare for several reasons:
*Labor intensive. The tubes were line bored from bar stock.
*Cecil used an unknown concoction of Vaseline, and beryllium dust to “braze” the frames (resistance weld) inside a sealed bag of nitrogen. Beryllium is extremely toxic. The dust even more so. -“Mad” Max Speedwell