Popped to the supermarket on the way home from work today.
Locked up my bike in the rack, and next to me was...
...a Di Blasi folding bike.
The double seatpost and odd front forks/steering arrangement is what really gives it away as a Di Blasi, even if it didn't have the name on the frame.
The seat post works on a folding parallelogram design, and the long steering stem folds, rather than telescoping into the front fork like most other folders do.
Notice also the hub brakes and the dynamo lighting (front dynamo).
Comparing with my Cinzia in the background, one also notices the much larger chainwheel on the Di Blasi - but that is because the wheels are smaller than mine :-)
Not sure what model it was - I reckon it must be an R4, R5, or R6 models.
It's not an Avia (the first folding Di Blasi bike) or an R20 (the second model), because those had a bend in the top frame tube.
It's not an R21 or R22 either - because they had 20" wheels, and this had much smaller wheels than my Cinzia folder (which also has 20" wheels). So it must be one of the 16-inch wheel bikes.
Of the 16-inch wheel Di Blasi models, it's not an R24, because that model didn't have the welded on curved rear carrier, and the R50 seems to have had an chromed handlebar stem, rather than a painted one, as well as a much more "vintage" front light than this one.
Which leaves an R4, R5 or R6 :-)
Locked up my bike in the rack, and next to me was...
...a Di Blasi folding bike.
The double seatpost and odd front forks/steering arrangement is what really gives it away as a Di Blasi, even if it didn't have the name on the frame.
The seat post works on a folding parallelogram design, and the long steering stem folds, rather than telescoping into the front fork like most other folders do.
Notice also the hub brakes and the dynamo lighting (front dynamo).
Comparing with my Cinzia in the background, one also notices the much larger chainwheel on the Di Blasi - but that is because the wheels are smaller than mine :-)
Not sure what model it was - I reckon it must be an R4, R5, or R6 models.
It's not an Avia (the first folding Di Blasi bike) or an R20 (the second model), because those had a bend in the top frame tube.
It's not an R21 or R22 either - because they had 20" wheels, and this had much smaller wheels than my Cinzia folder (which also has 20" wheels). So it must be one of the 16-inch wheel bikes.
Of the 16-inch wheel Di Blasi models, it's not an R24, because that model didn't have the welded on curved rear carrier, and the R50 seems to have had an chromed handlebar stem, rather than a painted one, as well as a much more "vintage" front light than this one.
Which leaves an R4, R5 or R6 :-)
 |
| Di Blasi folder spotted outside a local supermarket, with my Cinzia folder behind it More on Di Blasi's history and products can be found here: |
If you wish to thank me for this article, then please comment or click on one of the advertisers' links - you might like some of the cycling related stuff (I know I do!)
No comments:
Post a Comment