My humble bikes

I have three oldtimers, and a modern one. I have never had a brand new bicycle in my life (except from the bike I got when I was a kid). Not that I am a snob or a vintage lover (although I LOVE old steel), it just happened. When I was younger I didn’t have the money to buy a new one – 3 of my bikes were resurrected in my hands (with spare parts from friends, garbage bins or hacks) – and now that I have money I don’t have the space for a new one!

First, the Italian legend Legnano Special road bike. It’s made by Emilio Bozzi & Co and it’s late 60’s / early 70’s . A friend of my father left it in our house. I found it wounded and depressed in my parents garage in where I was desperate to find a bike. I transformed it into a beautiful and exotic horse. It’s 90% campagnolo, 10% shimano.

Then, the frenchie, ‘Mercier Special tour de France’. It used to be my fathers (he got it second hand) but it got wrecked and he left it. I took it under my wing fixing it and making it alive again. Very nice bike, stable, fast and very responsive, it used to be my main commuter until I change back to the Greek donkey. I gifted this bike to a friend.

And then, the Greek donkey, ‘Ideal target MTB’ from 80’s (I think 1986). An old mountain bike from the biggest bicycle manufacturer in Greece. I don’t know much about it, only that’s the first mountain bike from this company and it used to be a pricey high range bicycle . It hasn’t stopped rolling since the late 80’s and the last 7 years it’s been always loaded with heavy rack panniers or bags full of groceries. All it’s components are cheap second hand spare parts which I put together myself. It does a lot of kilometers every day no matter the weather and I haven’t had complaints so far. Very very very cool bicycle. I love it like a brother. You can read some words I wrote about its original owner here

Last but not least, the new addition to the family. The mule. A hybrid bike bought second hand from a  friend, so the Greek donkey can have a rest for all those years of touring. It usually wears a Kalathuna and a Rackatabla.