@dnc1 , glad you were able to get out and give it a good ride. Was the gearing fairly reasonable? It looks like a 46t-48t front; I didn't really look at the rear sizes. I did notice that the freewheel teeth appeared rather "worn" on the 2 smaller cogs. Do you know if that is a designed tooth specifically for these shifting systems, or is it just decades of wear from use? I was wondering before your ride post if that might have affected gear shifting above and beyond the shifting system itself.
While perusing European sales sites I stumbled across an old "Cambio Corsa" frame set for $125 USD (decals were gone so unidentified brand). All I would need to do is spend about $800-$1000 to build it up with the shifting system (I saw the spoke guard on sale recently for $175); that wouldn't even include the wheels or brakes!
I think the cassette is just worn from overuse on the two smaller cogs.
For the record, it's a 50 tooth chainring with a 17/19/21 tooth cluster.
That gives gear ratios of 77.78/69.58/62.97 inches respectively on 700x25c tyres.
I'll look out for a period 3-speed replacement cluster at some point I think.
I saw that before as well but wonder if he ever got past a few prototypes in the prewar period because I can't say I have ever seen a bona fide prewar cambio drivetrain. V/r Shawn
I agree, I don't think that many were manufactured before WW2.
In a recent series of booklets published in the 'Quaderni Eroici' series there is one pre-war example featured.
In the edition featuring the work of Licinio Marastoni there is a 1938 example badged as a 'Sprinter' bicycle.
There is also a late 1940's example by Francesco Galmozzi, badged as a 'Lazzaretti' which also features internal cable routing for the rear brake as my 'Vecchi' does.
There are several Antonio Alpi built examples from the late 1940’s that are variously badged as 'Alpi', 'Galloni' and 'Resta'
I imagine that every reputable framebuilder (of which there were very many) had such a frame in his range of products for a short period, perhaps from 1938 to 1951 with obviously a gap in production (probably) from 1939 to 1945.