The purpose of this classic-vintage site is to encourage those interested in enjoying and preserving vintage lightweight "racing" style bicycles of the period from the early 20th century until 1999. These are primarily steel, most often "lug built, not welded, injection molded, or glued. We are devoted to road and pista machines rather than mountain bikes, "middle weights", BMX, recumbent, and balloon-tired bikes. Those bikes have merit, but are not "on topic" for the Vintage Wheeler.





Saturday, July 24, 2010

ALFREDO GIOS ITALY



Back in 1958 Alfredo Gios, with just eighteen years old, starts to work in the family business founded ten years before by his father, Tolmino, that had been an excellent professional cyclist participating to several important races and having being selected as member of the Italian National Team during the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936.In that early times, the Gios business activity was mainly linked to the sale of classical models of City bikes.
The turning-point of the company came in November 1971, when Alfredo Gios met Mr. Giorgio Perfetti, owner of the world famous chewing-gum brand “Brooklyn”, during the Cycle show in Milan, where Gios was exhibiting the new bicycle model “Easy Rider”. Right after seeing it, Giorgio Perfetti ordered immediately 100 units of this style for a Lucky Draw organized by his company.

The following year, Brooklyn decided to create and sponsor a new top level professional cycling team and, considering the excellent personal and business relationship existing between Alfredo and Giorgio, the company Gios was called to be the technical supplier delivering the racing bicycles to the whole team.
On the 4th of August of 1972, an official sponsoring agreement was signed between Alfredo Gios and Giorgio Perfetti, giving birth for 5 years (1973-1977) to one of the most successful professional cycling teams ever existed: the “Brooklyn” team, home to a never ending list of champions. One name above all “Roger De Vlaeminck, winner of: Milano-Sanremo, Parigi-Roubaix, Giro delle Flandre, Giro di Lombardia, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Freccia Vallone, Paris-Brussels Milan-Torino, Campionato di Zurich, Het Volk, Tirreno-Adriatico, Giro di Svizzera etc.... and then Sercu, Panizza, De Muynck, Osler, Lualdi, Passuello!
Many victories, one colour - GIOS BLUE! Alfredo Gios decided that they needed a special colour, which went well with the “Stars and Stripes” designed jerseys of the Brooklyn cycling team. So after many attempts, the unique electric, vivid, almost surreal “Gios Blue” was born which has since become famous all over the world and an important part of professional cycling history.
In 1978, Alfredo Gios signed a contract with Gustav Janssens, owner of a Belgian Ice Cream Factory. Then the official press presentation of the great Didi Thurau, who was to represent GIOS with the “Ijboerke-Gios” professional team. The following years would see many famous victories featuring two of the greatest GIOS bikes of the past: Aerodynamic and Professional.
In 1980 during the month of August, Alfredo, while visiting a Dutch dealer, meets Mr. Francois Vermeer, a patron deeply fond of cyclism and in a very short time they set up the basis of a new important pro-team "VERMEER-THIYS-GIOS" Great champions such as Michel Pollentier, winner of one "Giro d'Italia" are among the cyclists of this team that also has as testimonial an "exceptional model", Fons De Wolf, who wins in 1981 the Milano-Sanremo.
Then in 1989, Alfredo Gios renewed its cooperation with professional cycling teams like “Jolly Componibili Club ‘88” featuring star riders such as Visentini, Leali and Colage. n 1991, the super champion Stephen Roche chose the “Blue Bikes” for his exploits, and to this day the rider still has a close relationship with Alfredo, even after the end of his career.





























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