Well, that’s what I’m calling it!

What exactly is a Condorino? Well in the direct translation from Italian it means little condor. However, in the world of bicycling it is a reference to a unique style of handlebars most often seen on Italian city bikes. The resemblance to a bird wing like shape of the bars is the reference. The “condorino” handlebar is a uniquely Italian concept with Bianchi, Legnano, Torpado and others having offered this style of bars on their city bikes over the years. To me it offers a sportier upright riding position than the more common swept back style of bars do. Not often seen in the US they are also a quite comfortable riding position even though they may be a bit narrow for some tastes.

The frame is a 1973 Lygie, probably a Record Professional model or similar, with Campy dropouts indicating a better quality of construction. It has been previously repainted so there are no additional clues remaining from original paint or graphics. The date is known by the frame number, which for many years was clearly indicated on the seat tube. The paint is in pretty good shape and not an untypical color for a Lygie so it should do just fine!

Even though Lygie is an Italian marque it has some French influence in it’s history. The French city of St. Etienne is featured on the head-badge which is still a bit of a mystery to me (more on that here). But starting with a frame only gave me complete freedom to build whatever I wanted so I decided to add a little French-ness back into the project. Listed below are some of the key components used in this build:

French parts

  • Mavic MA-40 rims
  • Normandy hubs
  • Stronglight Touring Sport crank-set
  • Simplex SX4 rear derailleur
  • Simplex SJA front derailleur
  • Simplex SJ down-tube shifters
  • Lyotard 136 pedals

Not French

  • Soma Condorina handlebars
  • Sunlite riser stem
  • Campy Gran Sport BB
  • Universal Super 68 brakes
  • Dia Compe brake levers (CLB repro)
  • Italia saddle
  • Sugino seat post
  • Shimano QR skewers
  • 32c Specialized tires
  • Mopha tool roll
  • Suntour 6 speed freewheel

Ultimately, in the end the bike looks and rides great! Sporty and practical were the characteristics that I was going for and I think I achieved that spot on. When you get a good looking bike on top of that, well then you know that you did alright. This bike could be fitted with racks, lights, fenders or almost any other bolt on item and it would still have the sporty ride that is so desirable. In my view practicality and performance are not mutually exclusive and having a practical bike that can be ridden in a more sporting manner is a win-win!

I have never really used Simplex gear mechanisms before but this one seems to shift just fine. I thought that by using a Suntour freewheel and an 8 speed chain with older 5 speed Simplex could lead to some problems however that was not the case. I love how interchangeable older components can be!

The original post from when I received this as a bare frame is here.