Vintage Exhibition and Spin to Celebrate the Giro: 4th and 11th of May

Brendan Hennessy

Hi all,

A few of us have been trying in the background to celebrate the arrival of the Giro with a vintage exhibition and informal get together and spin. With a month to go it's time to get our ideas for Dublin to you!

The exhibition: Kindly hosted by Wallace's Taverna on Ormond Quay it will take place on the 4th of May. Some of you will have seen the beautiful Gianna Motta in the window at present. We hope to be able to exhibit Italian, Irish and other classic bikes and memorabilia.

The get together: Sunday the 11th at 10am at the Italian Quarter (adjacent to Wallace's Taverna). Bring your vintage bikes, gear and memorabilia. Everybody needs a coffee at that hour of the morning!

What's vintage?: Pre-87 steel is the standard, but we're not too fussy! No doubt you love your bike.

The spin: You can't bring a group of vintage enthusiasts together without taking to the roads. We'll be working on a route, but obviously something that celebrates the arrival of the peleton suggests itself.

Us: Vintage enthusiasts who put together the Shay Elliott and Laochra na Laoise vintage spins last year. We'll update info as it takes shape.

You: Please post pics of your bike and gear and give us an indication of your interest. Here's a nice wine carrier:

Daithi BC

Sounds great - Hope the weather is a bit kinder than at Laochra na Laoise!

Brendan Hennessy

Ah Daithí,

The weather will surely be Tuscan! More a-Pennine than Port-laoise maybe?

I was asked elsewhere would there be a conflict with the spin and the giro arrival - I don't think so. The idea is to dovetail with the arrival along the route in order to make the most of the day. Hope that makes sense?!

Does anyone have a Carrera / Kas / Fagor / RMO / jersey for the exhibition? Alas I missed out on a Nissan Classic yellow jersey on ebay last week. A problem shared is a problem halved!

Brendan

The tax man

If you don't mind a copy of a Kas Jersey I've one you can use.

sarge10

Brendan,

I have an original Carrera Vagabond Jersey in my collection

Regards

Paul

mountclare4

There is a vintage element to this years Tour de Conamara. Vintage cyclists who turn up in kit and bikes will lead out the event and there are a series of prizes for best turned vintage cyclists. 24th May in clifden. Www.tourdeconamara.com

Brendan Hennessy

Thanks Mountclare,

Go n-eirí muintir Chonamara!

Doing my head in that I won't be there for the Conamara event, but delighted to support the event in any way.

Beir bua,

Brendan

conkennedy

Brendan Hennessy wrote: »

Ah Daithí,

Does anyone have a Carrera / Kas / Fagor / RMO / jersey for the exhibition? Alas I missed out on a Nissan Classic yellow jersey on ebay last week. A problem shared is a problem halved!

Brendan

I've a vintage PDM jersey (circa '87) if you need?

Brendan Hennessy

Thanks All,

A collection of Irish rider's jerseys would be interesting...I think! Others that come to mind are:

La Redoute / FagorSem / Flandria / RMO

Others?

Cheers, Brendan

Brendan Hennessy

Tax Man,

Would you be interested in putting your Road Ace on display?

Brendan

The tax man wrote: »

If you don't mind a copy of a Kas Jersey I've one you can use.

The tax man

Hi Brendan,

I've no problem putting any of the bikes on display as long as they're safe.

Brendan Hennessy

Hi all,

Great meeting with the guys from Wallace's Taverna this evening. Events for both Sunday the 4th and Sunday the 11th are taking shape.

Sunday 4th Giro Expo 12.00-18.00
We will have the use of the upstairs floor for an exhibition of bikes on Sunday the 4th from 12.00 - 18.00. Perhaps you could encourage your cycling clubs to drop by on the day as part of your regular Sunday spin?

The focus of the exhibition will be classic Italian bikes and also as many Irish built bikes as possible. To that end - and as well as my request for jerseys - would any of you have a Raparree, Harding or other Irish racing bikes to bring along on the day? Bikes associated with Irish cycling also welcome: Battaglin, Meral, Vitus.. suggestions welcome. We will have a presence at the event all day for security (any additional volunteers welcome) and the event is free and open to the public.

Sunday 11th Vintage Gathering and Spin 10.00
The idea is to gather at Wallace's Taverna for a coffee at 10am and to cycle over Howth and be back to see the conclusion of the stage. Plan is to return to Wallace's for a post Giro gathering afterwards. More info to follow.

I really hope this initiative proves a focal point for cyclists and enthusiasts for the Giro d'Italia. Please spread the word amongst your clubs and friends.

Best wishes,

Brendan

calistro

Have these for display if interested, not around for 4th.

Brendan Hennessy

Callistro, fair play.

Love the lejeune - we already have a Splendor - class jersey and tell us a little bit more about the Greco Sport. I have a 'little sport' who I think sponsored a racing team in the 80's.

Hope you can make the 11th?

Brendan

Brendan Hennessy

Hi all,

Our friends in Wallace's Taverna have created an event facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/281175588718673/

It's far from facebook I was raised!

More info from me on boards,

Brendan

Brendan Hennessy

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sbs2010

Hi

For the spin on 11th is there any decision yet on route or timings?

And how strict do you want to be on the retro angle? Is modern steel any good?

Thanks.

Brendan Hennessy

Hi SBS 2010,

Definite route for the 11th May coming your way shortly, but it will be over, or at least to the top of Howth Hill. My comrade in arms is working on the detail. Priority is to make sure we have a decent spin, some fun and be back in time for the peleton.

Is modern Steel any good...so many answers! But, of course, for the spin some will come with their old bikes, some with newer old bikes and others will bring classics to be. Feel free please, but perhaps you'll have an old jersey to fit the image?

Sarge, as he's known, has been getting out the spit and polish on one of the older display bikes for this Sunday's expo - you might even it see it on the spin.



Looking forward to meeting folk on Sunday, 12pm at Wallace's Taverna

Brendan

sbs2010

Thanks -

I hope to make it in for a coffee on Sunday anyhow.

Given that it's the Giro this is the one I want to bring on the spin -

Brendan Hennessy

Thanks SBS,

What a bike - look forward to seeing it. You'll be easy to spot, you must by 7 foot tall!

Regards, Brendan

Brendan Hennessy

Hi All,

We have, by very kind permission, been given to display the bike Fausto Coppi rode in Ireland at Santry Stadium in 1959. This, of course, will be the centre piece of our vintage expo event along with many other special bikes celebrating Italian and Irish cycling history.



We look forward to seeing you at Wallace's Taverna, Ormond Quay this Sunday from 12-6. Please spread the word.

Brendan

happytramp

Wow.

lennymc

I would really love to make it to this, but unforunately I am otherwise engaged on the 4th May. Hopefully there will be lots of pictures. Fair play Brendan Hennessey and co for organising it.

johnk123

Looking forward to it. As a 21 year old, you spend so much reading about the history of cycling but not being able to experience or "remember" any of the bikes like some of you old ba*****s

Might even see a few boards people there.... how does that work, do you introduce yourself using your username? Or it there a secret handshake?

Brendan Hennessy

Excellent JohnK,

Got a good laugh out of that. I met someone today and I was saying I had a certain album on tape. She said: "Tape?"

Of course there's a secret handshake, can't tell you what it is though. It's a secret! Alternatively you could ask for me by name. Looking for the Tax Man or Sarge might raise a few eyebrows though!

Bring a camera, and feel free to be part of the spin on the 11th. This could be the beginning of your love affair with steel, friction shifters, toe-clips and woolly jerseys.

Look forward to meeting you, Brendan

fixie fox

Brendan Hennessy wrote: »

Hi All,

We have, by very kind permission, been given to display the bike Fausto Coppi rode in Ireland at Santry Stadium in 1959. This, of course, will be the centre piece of our vintage expo event along with many other special bikes celebrating Italian and Irish cycling history.



We look forward to seeing you at Wallace's Taverna, Ormond Quay this Sunday from 12-6. Please spread the word.

Brendan

If I'm correct, it may be more than just 'the bike Fausto Coppi rode in Ireland at Santry Stadium in 1959'?
I think that may have been actually built for Coppi by his frame builder who worked near the famed Velodromo Vigorelli in Milan?
They say that 'Merckx was the best but Coppi was the greatest' - that is a wonderful addition to the Giro/Italian theme.

Brendan Hennessy

Fixie Fox:

Yes you're right, it's 'not just a bike...'.

Coppi is mostly known for his connection to Bianchi, but as well as Bianchi he also had his own branded bikes built by Fiorelli, but yes, there is a connection to Masi too.

We intend to have the detail of this bike for the exhibit on Sunday including how it came to remain in Ireland. Unfortunately I gave a lend of my Shay Elliott book to a friend so don't have the info from about the Santry event to hand. But bear with us. Haven't seen the bike up close yet, so really looking forward to that privilege.

Cheers Brendan

Brendan Hennessy

Hi all,

No doubt, like me, the Coppi bike is something you're looking forward to seeing. So what if Coppi came from Cork? He'd have been riding this surely:



Kelly also rode a Harding in the 1976 Tour of Britain, winning a stage:



Ok, ok, I'm a crap photographer. See you Sunday. Brendan

jefferson73

Brendan Hennessy

A great picture of Coppi on our exhibition centre piece. From http://charliecycles54.com/tag/carpano/

Daithi BC

I've just been re-reading my copy of Shay Elliot by Graham Healy. Coppi rode at the opening of the Santry track a week after the Giro finished in 1959. Billy Morton (the secretary of Clonliffe Harriers athletics club) had decided to build a track around the outside of the athletics track, which meant it was unusually long (470 metres), and the project was part funded by the Guiness brewery.

Morton asked Shay Elliot to get a few big names to open the track, and Shay persuaded Fausto Coppi, Brian Robinson and others to come over. Coppi was to be paid £400 plus expenses, and he demanded payment in advance! When he arrived in Dublin, he decided that his hotel room was not suitable because he would have to climb some stairs to get to it. Morton got a message saying that "Fausto does not walk up stairs". His response is not repeatable on a family website.

On the morning that the track was due to open, there were two explosions at the stadium. There were no casualties, but damage was done to the stand and track. In the days of civil war in Irish cycling, the NCA were blamed for planting the explosives, but nothing was ever proved. Workmen repaired the damage during the day, and the racing went ahead as planned.

Elliot won both the sprint and pursuit on the first night. Coppi won the devil-take-the-hindmost on the second night. Sadly, a few months later, Coppi would die of malaria, contracted while taking part in a criterium in Burkina Faso.