The main Italian road bike brands have re issued their most iconic models.

Colnago re issued the Master , after the bikes 30th anniversary..

as the Colnago site states, the brand certainly has won a few times..

“The most successful bikes in the world (!!!)

49 World Championships,17 World Cups, 15 Olympics,3 Hour Records,5 Tours of Italy,

2 Tour de France,7 Vuelta Espania,7 Milano San Remo, 7 Flanders,6 Paris Roubaix,

8 Liegi-Bastogne-Liegi,11 Laps Lombardi..”

The Master, in the mythical  ” Art Decor”,

also offered in blue or black, here

Cinelli are offering the fabulous Super Corsa..

full specs here

The Cinelli Laser concept has been revised, this time in carbon..and with “Mia”

I could be tempted, either this or a Cipolini RB100 if I was flush and in the market for a new carbon frame, Laser Mia full spec here..

Faggin have four steel roadbikes, top of the list is the Fiorentino, in a fabulous chromovelato finish, with exquisite lugging

next is the Spirit Grigio

the Passeggiata is tour inspired ..

and last but not least, agin with fine lug work, the SL Compact…

Pinarello have re issued the Veneto, and Treviso,

the Veneto looks reasonably similar to the old version..

also in red or a cream/blue combo, but the Treviso looks nothing like the original…

made out of aluminum, they dropped the ball with this one.

Tommasini have been proactively promoting steel road bikes,

with their ”Steel Alive” marketing campaign …they offer no less than 6 models, my favorites being the exquisitely lugged Tecno

and the Sintesi

Somec offer 3 steel road bikes..

the top of the tree is the Mito  , made from Columbus XCR with TIG Invisible welding,

then the Rex..

fine lug detailing, but they over did the pantographia..

I saw this leather clad version at Bikemotion 2013,

what gives with the leather? Imagine in the rain!

…and again with the pantograph over kill.

Third from Somec’s steel range is the Top Class  , which harks back to frame designs past..

built with Columbus SL!.

De Rosa have the Nuovo Classico

and the Neo Primato 

Considering the brand has arguably produced some of the sexiest Milanese steel beauties,

the two above leave me un inspired.

Leaving Milan, and over to Verona, we have Chesini

when I was buying a vintage Zullo, I had to collect from the vendor, who is a Chesini fan(atic),

he told me he had 50 , and his house seemed full of them,  a few with retro Campagnolo Chesini pantographed parts and a chromovelato finish, must have been some kind of pension scheme.

I digress…Chesini have an “Old School” selection of contemporary steel, with no less than 11 steel related models, including…

The X-Uno Blue..

nice lugs and Columbus SL..

the Replica..

and the Criterium..

Also in the Verona region , we have Zullo

this is the “Vintage” model…

quite traditional in style..

has a late ’70’s early ’80s air about it, the Tour 91 has an early ’90’s feel  to it decor wise..

the colour scheme is a replica of the frame Zullo gave the TVM team to ride through team sponsorship from 1986-91…

This version is similar the legendary Colnago Saronni red…

Ciocc  offer two roadbikes and 3 pista bikes in their “Vintage” range…

the San Cristobal at the top of the line up…

and the World 77 …

of the three Pistas, I like the Mockba 80

Rossin bikes have the Prestige  , made with  Cro-Mo..

seems to be sloping geometry , so not really traditional.

Daccordi are still using steel, and have 2 models,

the Profidea with Columbus SL steel and carbon forks..

the New Griffe….

nice chrome fork crowns, but I don’t think the modern decor and decals suit the frame..

they also give a bespoke and custom service..

Gios, formally known as Gios Torino , offer the largest number of steel frames, 8.

First is the Felleo..

then Airone..

the curiously sounding Furbo…

the Fenice…

Compact Pro…

my favorite of the range, the Steel Master..

the Vintage Veloce is a beauty also…decor and decals reminiscent of times past…

the Vintage is also a fine model..

Mondonico in Northern Italy still manufacture steel frames,two in fact.

the Futura Leggero…

and the Spirit…

fabulous history in this brand…

“Antonio went to work in other framebuilding shops that were looking for a skilled builder. He worked in Gianni Motta’s shop for two years, 1976 and 1977. He then moved on to the Colnago shop and built frames there until 1979. Colnago, as a young man, rode for a team that was headquartered in Giuseppe’s shop and would visit the Mondonico home. In Italy, the cycling world is one big family.”

and…

“hroughout the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, Paolo Guerciotti experienced a boom in demand for his bikes and frames. He needed a guiding hand to make sure that the frames were of high quality. Up until then, Guerciotti had several different builders building his frames. In 1984, Paolo Guerciotti and Antonio Mondonico went into partnership to produce both Guerciotti and Mondonico frames. They were wildly successful, with Antonio supervising the production of about 2,000 frames a year.

But, as they worked together, it became apparent that their goals were not really identical. Realizing this, they ended the partnership in 1989. Antonio returned to his real love; building a few, special frames, with his own hands. Instead of the big, tilt-up concrete factory under Guerciotti-Mondonico Cycles, the Mondonico shop was in the back of their house. There, as Antonio and third generation builder Mauro worked, there was a constant stream of cycling and racing aficionados, coming to visit and talk bikes and racing.”

back in Milan, we have Pogliaghi company, who only produce steel frames,

called White,

Black,

and Red,

also a Red Pista frame,

The company site says that Pogliaghi was bought by Alcide Basso in 1993 with Sante Pogliaghi him-self’s blessing.

Sante passed on the designs for frames and lugs, and Alcide has kept producing up until this day.

If I was in the market for a bespoke bicycle with brand provenance, it would be Pogliaghi.