Medici Catalog of 1978 — the Road Racing Bicycle, Frame Building, Specifications, Paint, Sizes, Configuration and Prices

A six-page Medici catalog in purple: a “1978 Medici Bicycles” cover with a shield, photographs of the bicycle and of frame building, a text page on the firm, a specification sheet and a sheet of paint, sizes, configuration and prices.

— Page 1 (front cover) —
MEDICI
1978 MEDICI BICYCLES

[The cover of the 1978 Medici Bicycles catalog: a purple shield with the MEDICI name and a rampant lion over a collage of black and white photographs of frame, derailleur, brake lever and bottom bracket details. Two men hold a bare frame at the top left, with names on their shirts, and the title “1978 MEDICI BICYCLES” is set in a purple band at the bottom right.]

— Page 2 —

[A complete black road bicycle with a water bottle and white handlebar tape in a studio photograph, above a row of four detail photographs of a headset and fork crown, a rear derailleur with cluster, a crank with pedal and a bottom bracket shell. The page carries no printed text; blue ballpoint pen scribbles, letters and doodles run along the bottom margin.]

— Page 3 —
MEDICI BICYCLES

MEDICI, a name synonymous with Italian enlightenment, inspiration, and dedication, has been selected by this new American quality bicycle manufacturing company.

Just as Lorenzo di Medici fostered craftsmanship, artistry and progressive determination, this organization also will apply these principles in the marketplace of a product so long identified with Italian excellence.

Several years ago master frame builder Mario Confente came to the United States with Faliero Masi to establish a bicycle factory to fabricate road racing machines. Confente is now building custom-made frames under his own name in Los Angeles. But before doing so, he designed and produced along classic lines a production bicycle that can only be described as a legacy of the brilliance of the Medici dynasty.

In the process Confente trained and supervised several men, the most well-known being Gian Simonetti and Mike Howard.

This year, Simonetti and Howard have associated themselves with Rexart Cyclery—a distributor of fine racing bicycles in the Eastern U.S.A.—and together they have established the MEDICI BICYCLE COMPANY. Located in Los Angeles, Medici is now building superb top-of-the-line bicycles employing the Confente original Italian design features: Eyeletted seat stays; Smooth, indent-free chain stays; Brazed-on guides and stops; and Specialized bridge reinforcing.

These techniques, when applied to production procedures, result in a reasonably priced bicycle capable of translating racing effort into winning performance.

Medici bicycles are built of Columbus SL and SP steel tubing depending on seat tube length. This tubing is joined by a process employing special Confente designed, Rexart produced, investment cast lugs and cross-grooved drop-outs (see photos). The lugs and drop-outs have demonstrated strength advantages over those now being used by all other custom and production builders.

Brazing is accomplished by brass rod combined with a unique “pink” flux developed in Milan. Because of the cast perfection of the lugs and the design of the internal portion of the drop-outs, a stronger, more accurate, better appearing join results.

No short cuts are taken in the sand blasting, pickling (acid bath) and paint priming. Oven cured acrylic colors which are tougher, harder, and more lustrous than the urethanes are used. Specially designed temperature controlled baking imparts an automobile-like finish to all MEDICIS. The decals, applied before the two clear final coats, are simple, restrained, elegant and feature the MEDICI rampant lion—symbol of the Italian renaissance period .

Equipment is the best—as detailed in accompanying specification sheet. But remember that MEDICI is available in “frame only” condition for those riders who have already accumulated their favorite components.

As a production bicycle, MEDICI is available in sizes 49 cm to 65 cm and in the six 1978 colors: deep metallic blue, tangerine, celery green, candy apple red, dense gloss black, and California burgundy.

Unlike the custom market and the imports, MEDICI frames are in stock in California and New Jersey in EVERY SIZE, and almost every color. Choose MEDICI and ride the winner—TODAY!!!

[A text page headed “MEDICI BICYCLES” in three columns, the left column wrapped around a bicycle wheel at the page edge, with photographs of a cast lug and a cast cross-grooved drop-out between the columns. Black pen scrawl sits beside the first photograph, and a dark blue pen line traces the outline of the drop-out.]

— Page 4 —

[Four black and white photographs of men building frames: one with sunglasses brazing a bottom bracket joint on a frame in a jig, one at a lathe machining a bottom bracket shell, a hand shaping a cast lug in a vise and a hand filing a head tube. The page carries no printed text.]

— Page 5 —
Specifications
MEDICI

STEELWORK
Slotted steering column and bottom bracket are Italian threaded. All bridges and supports are separately reinforced and stiffened.
Frame & Fork | Columbus double butted SP & SL (according to size)
Lugs | Rexart investment cast
Bottom Bracket Hanger | George Fischer
Fork Crown | Haden or George Fischer
Dropouts | Rexart slotted, investment cast

COMPONENTS
All Italian threading
Headset | Campagnolo Nuovo Record
Brakes | Campagnolo Nuovo Record
Bottom Bracket | Campagnolo Nuovo Record
Cranks | Campagnolo Nuovo Record 170mm to 59cm 175mm over 59cm
Chainwheels | Campagnolo Nuovo Record 42/52T to 59cm 42/53T over 59cm
Derailleurs | Campagnolo Nuovo Record (front & rear)
Pedals | Campagnolo Nuovo Record
Hubs | Campagnolo Nuovo Record 36 hole, low flange
Seat Post | Campagnolo Nuovo Record 180mm long—27.2mm diameter
Seat Bolt | Hague Stainless Steel
Rims | Martano
Spokes | Berg-Union double butted 15-16-15 gauge stainless steel
Tires | Clement Silk
Freewheel | Regina Oro 5 speed
Chain | Regina Oro
Toe Clips | Christophe spring steel— short, normal or long— according to frame size
Toe Straps | Binda, with permanent riveted closure, or with buttons
Water Bottle | AL•E plastic with MEDICI logo
Water Bottle Cage | O.M.A.S. alloy
Pump | Silca frame–fit, color matched to bicycle frame with Campagnolo “blue foot” steel head
Saddle | Avocet Racing III–smooth
Stem | Cinelli 1/A or Triple T length according to frame size
Handlebar | Cinelli #64 or Triple T Grand Prix taped with chrome piugs

BRAZE-ON FEATURES
A. Top Tube brake cable tunnels (3)
B. Campagnolo Bottom Bracket derailleur cable guides (2)
C. Campagnolo right rear chain stay cable stop (1)
D. Down tube water bottle cage fittings (2)
E. Down tube derailleur guides (2)
1. Shift lever bosses, or
2. Fingertip control cable stops

[The Medici specification sheet headed “Specifications MEDICI” with a purple rampant lion, listing steelwork, components and braze-on features as a list of items with dotted leaders and their descriptions. The page carries no printed folio and no later marks.]

— Page 6 —
Specifications
MEDICI

PAINT AND FINISHING
A. Colors available are:
1. Deep Metallic Blue
2. Tangerine
3. Celery Green
4. Candy Apple Red
5. Dense Gloss Black
6. California Burgundy
B. Front dropouts are chromed faced
C. Fork crown is chromed
D. Lugs and some details are picked out in yellow
E. Decals are head and seat tube logo, star bands, and down tube identification.
F. Paint procedure: Acrylic primer, two coats of color, decals, clear overcoats. Each application is separately oven cured.

SIZES
Frames are manufactured in seat tube lengths of from 49cm to 65cm (19¼” to 25½ “) in increments of one cm (0.4″)

CONFIGURATION
A. Angle between top tube and seat tube: 73° to 75° according to frame size
B. Angle between top tube and head tube: 73° to 75° according to frame size
C. Bottom Bracket height from ground: 10¼ inches
D. Fork blade rake: 2 inches
E. Wheelbase: 38½” to 40¼” according to frame size
F. Chainstay: 16¼ inches
G. Top Tube: 52½cm to 60cm according to frame size
H. Seat Tube: 49cm to 65cm
Callouts: B G A H E F D C

PRICES
MEDICI Bicycle equipped as detailed above | $925.00
MEDICI frame and fork only | 400.00
Headset installed | add 20.00
Bottom Bracket installed | add 35.00
f.o.b. Los Angeles

In the East:
Rexart Cyclery
1183 West Side Avenue
Jersey City, N.J. 07306
(201) 792-6350 Telex 12-7737
In the West:
Medici Bicycle Company
5937 Sheila Street
Los Angeles, Calif. 90040
(213) 724-9113 Telex 69-1645

[The Medici specification sheet for paint and finishing, sizes, configuration and prices, with a line drawing of a frame marked with the letters A to H and a purple M logo beside the East and West addresses. The page carries no printed folio and no later marks.]