Description
Racing bicycle from 1974, completely original in excellent condition with Campagnolo Gran Sport gears, Universal brakes. Size 52 x 54
Viscontea, founded in Milan in 1937 by Tamassia, was one of the most important Italian bicycle manufacturing brands from the late 1930s to the early 1950s
Campagnolo Gran Sport history
The Campagnolo Gran Sport was the first bicycle derailleur to exploit the principle of the parallelogram derailleur, now universally adopted in bicycle derailleurs. It was designed and patented by Tullio Campagnolo from Vicenza, owner of the company of the same name and presented for the first time at the Paris Exhibition in October 1949.
The first version was a two-cable model, never put on the market and made in only 10 prototypes.
In 1950, the single cable model was created, the progenitor of all modern gearboxes. While pulling the cable brought the chain to the larger sprockets, it could go to the smaller ones by releasing this cable, thanks to the force of a spring. During the 1950s the Gran Sport gearbox underwent numerous modifications and innovations, until it became a widely used gearbox among professional cyclists. Campagnolo also branded other components Gran Sport, from the pedals to the front derailleur.
Between 1960 and 1970, other Gran Sport branded components were introduced, of high quality but still inferior to that of the Record group, including crankset, pedals, seat post, etc. The gearbox was instead called Nuovo Gran Sport.
