Chiorda - Italy's worst?

[Schwinny]

Hi all,
Last fall when looking for a winter project I found this old bike. It was truly the saddest one I found that particular day and it struck a chord in me so it came home with me for $20. I had never heard of a Chiorda before so I looked it up and didn't find much. What I did find was a surprise, but not a good surprise. Not well regarded to say the least. Italian junk? How can that be?
This bike has never been apart and I bought it from the original owner but as I dis-assembled it, I found it was a conglomeration of parts from all over the world. And not good parts.
The strangest thing I found was that the cassette was a Normand F3 that was marked "Schwinn Approved" !!! ORIGINAL to the bike.
Sheldon Brown gave a little history and states its terribleness in no uncertain terms.
Here is what Ive found;
Chiorda won the tour in 65' (on someone else frame) The US was seeing a "10 speed Revolution" so Chiorda enlisted help from two other Italian bike companies to make a series of ten speed bikes to sell in America. Each company contributed parts, logistics and branding.

I've also seen an old Italian ten speed here locally for sale that is the same bike frame with the name "Mondial."
Does anyone else know anything about these bikes?
Now that I'm nearly finished with the "Resto-Mod" I really like the frame, and It now handles pretty well. It is also 8lbs lighter, even keeping the steel "Macarri Torino" chrome rims.

 

[juvela]

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Hello Schwinny and welcome to the forum!

Thank you for sharing the Chiorda.

This manufacturer was likely Italy's largest at this time in terms of unit volume. A very large fraction of their productive capacity went into the manufacture of contract built bicycles which were sold under other names.

In the U.S. market they produced bicyles for Sears, Penney's, Montgomery Ward and Kmart, amongst others.

The forum had a discussion thread on a Penney's example very close to your bicycle. It resides here -

JC PENNY 10 SPEED MADE IN ITALY | General Discussion About Old Bicycles

I WAS WONDERING OF ANY ONE HAD ANY INFO ON THIS BIKE YEAR. MANUFACTURER ECT. . I HAVE NOT SEEN OR HEARD OF ONE MADE IN ITALY. IT HAS A LUGGED FRAME AND IT HAS MADE IN ITALY ON THE SEAT TUBE, STEM SAYS MADE IN ITALY, HAS PIRELLI TIRES, SIMPLEX DERAILLEURS, BILALLA BRAKES. -- ANY THOUGHTS.

thecabe.com

Member @HARPO has a yellow machine in showroom condition you might like to see. He did his usual outstanding job with the presentation. It rests here -

CHIORDA Road Bike, Made in Italy

The company was purchased by Bianchi in 1966 and at one time there was a Chiorda-Bianchi professional racing team.

Some of the lower model Bianchi badged machines were produced in the Chiorda facility.

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on to your cycle -

frame -

the bulge-formed head is Agrati "AM" pattern nr. 000.8046

the bottom bracket shell is Agrati "ROMA" pattern nr. 0005.8057

the fork crown is Agrati nr. 001.8518

dropouts are Agrati item nr. 000.8002

fork ends are Agrati item nr. 000.8010

plate style seat stay and chainstay bridges are also Agrati pieces

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fittings -

headset is Agrati item nr. 000.4001 in economy zinc finish; also offered in polished chrome finish

chainset is Agrati item nr. 204.070

bottom bracket assembly is Agrati item nr. "SMT" 113.3021 in economy zinc finish, also offered in polished chrome finish

pedals are Union model 40U by Union Frondenberg of Germany

brakes are Balilla brand produced by Giovanni Galli, S.p.A.
levers with extensions appear to be replacements

gear ensemble is Campagnolo Valentino

stem and bar set is 3TTT Tourist

hubs appear to be Agrati Sport nr. 000.90911

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[Schwinny]

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Hello Schwinny and welcome to the forum!

Thank you for sharing the Chiorda.

This manufacturer was likely Italy's largest at this time in terms of unit volume. A very large fraction of their productive capacity went into the manufacture of contract built bicycles which were sold under other names.

In the U.S. market they produced bicyles for Sears, Penney's, Montgomery Ward and Kmart, amongst others.

The forum had a discussion thread on a Penney's example very close to your bicycle. It resides here -

JC PENNY 10 SPEED MADE IN ITALY | General Discussion About Old Bicycles

I WAS WONDERING OF ANY ONE HAD ANY INFO ON THIS BIKE YEAR. MANUFACTURER ECT. . I HAVE NOT SEEN OR HEARD OF ONE MADE IN ITALY. IT HAS A LUGGED FRAME AND IT HAS MADE IN ITALY ON THE SEAT TUBE, STEM SAYS MADE IN ITALY, HAS PIRELLI TIRES, SIMPLEX DERAILLEURS, BILALLA BRAKES. -- ANY THOUGHTS.

thecabe.com

Member @HARPO has a yellow machine in showroom condition you might like to see. He did his usual outstanding job with the presentation. It rests here -

CHIORDA Road Bike, Made in Italy

The company was purchased by Bianchi in 1966 and at one time there was a Chiorda-Bianchi professional racing team.

Some of the lower model Bianchi badged machines were produced in the Chiorda facility.

---

on to your cycle -

frame -

the bulge-formed head is Agrati "AM" pattern nr. 000.8046

the bottom bracket shell is Agrati "ROMA" pattern nr. 0005.8057

the fork crown is Agrati nr. 001.8518

dropouts are Agrati item nr. 000.8002

fork ends are Agrati item nr. 000.8010

plate style seat stay and chainstay bridges are also Agrati pieces

---

fittings -

headset is Agrati item nr. 000.4001 in economy zinc finish; also offered in polished chrome finish

chainset is Agrati item nr. 204.070

bottom bracket assembly is Agrati item nr. "SMT" 113.3021 in economy zinc finish, also offered in polished chrome finish

pedals are Union model 40U by Union Frondenberg of Germany

brakes are Balilla brand produced by Giovanni Galli, S.p.A.
levers with extensions appear to be replacements

gear ensemble is Campagnolo Valentino

stem and bar set is 3TTT Tourist

hubs appear to be Agrati Sport nr. 000.90911

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Thanks Juvela !!
While looking around this morning I found another local example badged as a Torpado (not Torpedo). I think your assessment is pretty much spot on as far as the frame make-up goes, but the ones Ive seen so far, all have different compliments of gearing and derailleur. The couple things that are constant seem to be the TTT stem, Macarri steel rims and Universal center pull brakes. Mine had a SunTour rear derailleur and a Campy unmarked front and Campy vincenze shifters. Also, the pedals were Colnago steel rat traps (cheap and very heavy). It looks like the giveaway for identifying these bikes is the cast head and plate for a rear brake mount with a mix match of cheap parts.. The frame points at the drop outs are all the same (and pretty cool) also.
Im still waiting on three things to finish off its new iteration, it is absolutely nothing like it was before.
M/

 

[all riders]

looks very typical of low-end, American market,70s bike craze but at least less common than similar Gitanes, Viscounts, Et.c.

 

[Schwinny]

Here are pics of the two for sale locally....

 

[all riders]

Torpado is a fine marque--like most had to sell lots of cheap bikes to earn enough to build the nice ones. I raced on a Torpado for several years and believe it was one the best I've ridden

 

[juvela]

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you mention a Mondial badged example

there is a recent forum discussion on one here -

1972 Italian Road Racing 10 speed Mondial Men's Bike

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original gear block on your example was likely a Regina 14-28T 5V

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[Schwinny]

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you mention a Mondial badged example

there is a recent forum discussion on one here -

1972 Italian Road Racing 10 speed Mondial Men's Bike

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original gear block on your example was likely a Regina 14-28T 5V

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Ha! Im pretty sure the link you provide there is the same bike that is for sale that I just posted a pic of above. Mine had the SunTour VX derailleur also. Its up in the Phoenix area.
Its all interesting, and I would like to know more, like how many names were on the same frame etc.

 

[HARPO]

@juvela ...my Chiorda is loooong gone.

 

[Schwinny]

I still have a few things to do, like shorten the bar tape, change the front sprocket to a 45t and put on an Italian kick stand I found. But the bike is finished other than that.
I will mention that putting the Masi branding on it was just because I had extra stuff from a previous restoration.
It is NOT a MASI in ANY way. The first thing I will always mention, is that it is not a Masi. More of a Masi tribute-ish.
I just couldn't find Chiorda branding without paying ALOT. The one thing it will always be though is an Italian bike. The bottom bracket is a standard Italian thread. The only original things on the bike are the frame and fork, headset, stem, seat post pinch bolt, front rim-hub and spokes and the rear rim. All the rest has been replaced.
Its now a 2-speed kickback coaster with 14t-45t gearing (currently 48t front) and weighs 28 lbs. It started off at 35lbs.
Bici da Strada is "roadster" in Italian... (Im told )