Looking For Info On My Tifosi

[theboytaylor]

Hi,

I bought this bike on eBay earlier this year and wanted to know a bit more about it. I know, buying a bike on eBay can be fraught with danger, but my parents lived near the seller and my Dad knows a fair bit about bikes, so he checked it out first. Anyway, I've seen a few on the road and on wiggle, but nothing with quite the same paint job.

I know it's a fair few years old, and I understand the components were added to the frame from boxes of bits the previous owner had so they may not be entirely contemporary (LBS said they were "old" - think they meant ancient but were being polite).

Can't even find the manufacturer's website so if anyone has any clues as to the age of the frame, model number, whatever, would appreciate it

Cheers

 

[John Ponting]

http://www.chickencycles.co.uk/tifosi/ are/were importers for Tifosi.

But then found http://www.downlandcycles.co.uk/tifosi.htm

Byercycles were doing buildups based on Tifosi frames.

Try google and you should find the factory site.

 

[theboytaylor]

Hi John,

Thanks for those links. Unfortunately they don't get me much further forward than I was - I've found quite a few places that sell Tifosi, but not much detail on who makes them. I'm trying to find out the age/model type of the bike, see.

I'm pretty sure they're Belgian, as it says on the Downlands site, but I have seen somewhere else saying they're British. I've tried googling for Tifosi, loads of stuff comes up about Italian motor car nuts... I keep trying variations on "bike....cycle....belgium.... tifosi....manufacturer...."

Ho hum, if no luck, I'll mail chicken cycles or someone, see if they can help. If I find nothing else, at least from your link to their site I've ordered a catalogue - now I can plan my next purchases!

 

[bonj2]

hate to suggest this, and it might well not be, but the only possible problem could be that it might be nicked. The fact it's got an 'unusual' paintjob and that you can't find the frame number ring alarm bells. Frame number should be under the BB shell.

 

[Disgruntled Goat]

Well the thieves must be frame painters then because they have done a very professional job.

The forks are circa 2001 if that helps

 

[peterdowning]

Not helpful, but blue and yellow look good on a bike :-)

 

[theboytaylor]

Re frame number - I haven't actually looked rather than can't find it. Lazy I know, but I posted the pictures on a bit of a whim. I've only recently started to ride it a lot and think about it a bit. I'll have a proper look at it all next week when I have time and make sure I can find the frame number, etc, on it.

The thought that it was hooky had crossed my mind though so it is an avenue of inquiry I'll pursue if things look any more suspicious.

Thanks for your comments though.

 

[John Ponting]

When I was looking for a frame in mid 2007 the Chicken site (pre fire) had a link to a Tifosi manufacturer . Can't fid that link now.

 

[theboytaylor]

Hmmm, might just give chicken cycles a ring, then. Maybe they'll have a phone number or something.

I found the frame number no problem, btw, so I'm armed with a bit more info!

 

[theboytaylor]

Update: After forgetting about it for a while I e-mailed the guys at Chicken Cycles. Despite having lost a lot of their records in the fire, they've identified it as a CK2 frame from about 2001. The frames were custom made for Chicken in the Far East and then hand sprayed in Belgium.

Brakes and cranks are Campagnolo - a guy at my club (Dulwich Paragon) reckons they're Record, although quite old. 8 spd Shimano 105 with Sora sti shifters (original shifters were 105s but I had to replace them and didn't have enough cash to go like-for-like at the time!).

I'm always looking at what I could upgrade but to be honest I'm really happy with it at the mo. I'll be trying a couple of sportives in 2009. Might treat myself to some new wheels.....