Finding really pretty vintage bike frames on the internet is one thing; winning one cheap because no one else entered a bid on its online auction is something else. What a great feeling!

That’s what happened with this OLMO frame from the 1980s, located in France.

The pink paint that fades to silver, at first glance, appears to be a result of sun damage. No, this is how OLMO intended it, and I absolutely love it.

Not perfect, there are scratches and a fair amount of “patina”; but I always intend to ride a bike, and in fact a flawless finish is not, to me, desirable. Imagine the disappointment when you put that first scrape across the top tube!

Coming from France, I was not completely surprised to find the fork was a very French 22.0mm, though having a pantographed, Italian “Olmo” signature on the crowns of a French fork is interesting. This did limit my options somewhat on the stem, as I wasn’t interested in sanding down another stem from the standard 22.2mm to 22.0mm.

With some new bits, and a few things I already had, I’m itching to get this one out on the road, as the weather has been abominable and not cycle-friendly.

Given the geometry is a bit more upright due to the shorter top tube, I expect this to feel different, probably not so racy, but not uncomfortable either. Although it was listed as a 54cm, it measures 55cm at the seat tube and top tube. Because that’s center-to-center, it’s really close to my Bianchi M Alloy Pro (which is technically 57cm). The shorter stem certainly contributes to the upright feel. Different can be good, which is kinda the point of having more than one bike to choose from.

Here are the build details:

Frame: OLMO 55cm C-C (seat tube and top tube), in pink-to-silver fade paint, Columbus Tretubi Aelle
Fork: pantographed “Olmo” signature on fork crowns, 22.0mm French sizing
Stem: Balleri France 90mm, 22.0mm insert
Handlebars: Deda Speciale 26.0 clamp
Brake levers: Suntour Superbe non-aero
Brake calipers: Dia-Compe Royale, single-pivot
Shifters: Shimano Dura-Ace, downtube, friction
Front Derailleur: Suntour
Rear Derailleur: Shimano RX100
Cranks: Campagnolo Veloce 53-39t
Pedals: Shimano SL-R540 in silver
Wheels: Mavic Aksium, Shimano hub
Cassette: Shimano 8 speed, 12-25t
Chain: KMC X8
Saddle: San Marco Concor
Seatpost: Polygon alloy 240mm, 26.8mm
Tyres: Michelin Dynamic Classic 700x25c