Classic Italian Experts - Vetta?

[55/Rad]

I took a flyer on a 80's Vetta frame. Columbus SL tubing in seemingly excellent condition.

Not much information out there - Antionio Taverna is the builder and the Italian website is www.vetta.it They appear to be a very small custom builder but any other information would be appreciated.

55/Rad



http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w129/ora65/Ve.jpg

[Frank]

Here are a couple of clips of postings with references to Vetta frames from over there: http://search.bikelist.org/?SearchString=vetta%20and%20frame&pg=3

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Archive-URL: http://search.bikelist.org/getmsg.asp?Filename=classicrendezvous.10603.1788.e ml
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2006 22:00:35 +0200
From: Sergio Servadio <servadio(AT)df.unipi.it>
Subject: [CR]From a shop in Padova

As anticipated, yesterday I was at the Vetta shop (www.vetta.it), via
Tunisi, Padova.

They have been building bikes for three generations, now.
The son to the founder, who was general manager of Torpado, Ferruccio
is still lighting the flame to braze; Antonio, his son, does more modern
stuff. For a few years he did also titanium, but he later gave up,
apparently because of the difficulty of getting the Ti tubes.

Everytime I pass by it is like visiting old friends, with a lot of
stories to be told about past times.
I bet Ferruccio has personally known all famous frame builders of this
country; he has made frames for so many well, and many more not so well,
known commercial brands, as well as many top racers, of whom Padova and
Treviso have been a cradle like no other.
Just to name one Champion: the great Leandro Faggin was a customer of his.

So, yesterday I walked in with my 1974 Berma frame that was developing a
crack on the top tube, where the rust (after my sweat!) had corroded and
weakened the metal.
A pleasure to watch Ferruccio replace the broken tube with his expert
hands so quickly, while chatting amiably.

No way to fuss about it.
Such a job is as easy as any other, when one is a Master.

Sergio
Pisa
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From: "giovanni calcagno" <giovannicalcagno(AT)tin.it>
To: "kirk pacenti" <kpacenti(AT)hotmail.com>
Subject: R: crown shown to framebuilder
Date: Sat, 13 Apr 2002 09:30:13 +0200

Kirk,

just came back from Padova, where I visited my favourite framebuilder,
Vetta. I gave them a full set of Long Shen Fleur de Lys lugs, Fleur de Lys stem lugs kit, and your crown. They'll build for me a Randonnè SLX frame using the Fleur de Lys while your crown will make a fork for my racing Titanium De Rosa.

They were both impressed and excited by the crown, and said it is one of
the finest they ever saw ( note that they made frames for Pinarello, Colnago
and many others so they know what they mean).

I told them that as soon as they are are available I'll buy a set of your
lugs to have them built a racing frame. I also ask them if they could be interested in purchasing some lugsets themselves and they told that they really would like to because "that's the real way to build a frame" but the demand for lugged frames is dead. You may like to know that a couple of months ago I phoned to De Rosa and spoke with Mr. Doriano who is among the Ugo's sons the one in charge of the building process and personally welds every titanium frame ( by the way there's a legend saying that he learned the art of ti welding in the Merlin shop?).

I asked for a steel lugged fork, the typical De Rosa flat crown fork you
know, and he told me that THEY HAVE NO LUG LEFT IN STOCK and they have no plan to restock them. I even know of framebuilders who thrown away their stocks of lugs as they didn't want to even see them around the shop anymore. Another problem is the lack of round tubes as Columbus mainly produce shaped tubes now ( when I was in the Vetta shop Antonio phoned to Columbus to order the SLX tubing for my frame and he was told that they have only 5 sets left-he then bought them all).

I'd like to buy two more forks crown. If you let me know the total price shipping included, I'll send you another IMO.
If you can accept credit card payment it'll be OK for me.
I can even send the money to your bank account if you give me the details.
Sorry for the long letter.
Ciao.
Giovanni
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[55/Rad]

Frank - when I posted this, I hoped you'd see it and have something. Thank you very much for this information. Very interesting....makes me even more excited.

I'm not sure what I will do with it but I'm happy its coming to me.

55/Rad

[55/Rad]

I wrote that I thought Antonio built the frame. I may be wrong. Here is a closeup of the decal. That looks like a "G"? And since it's around 25 years old, I wonder what Ferruccios Fathers' name was?

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w129/ora65/Ve6.jpg

[hybridbellbaske]

I reckon that is an "F"- cursive handwriting sometimes reverses the F that way so it is probably Ferruccio.

I have a Vetta MAX tubed frame made I think in the early 90's. It has chrome lugs with "MAX" etched into some of them. It is really a lovely looking frame now retired because the drive side chainstay is now totally stuffed- almost broken all the way around.

When I was in the Veneto in 2001 -and I was riding this frame - I tried to find the workshop, in a hire car. It is very hard to find and Padovan traffic was unforgiving, but we eventually made it. We arrived during siesta, but when they found out we were from Australia and I had one of their frames with me they invited us in and gave us a tour of the workshop.

I speak very little Italian, and Ferruccio (I assume it was Ferruccio) speaks little English but my buddy speaks Spanish-which was enough for us to get by. We saw a number of (then) quite cutting edge al/carbon frames which they were working on for local amateur teams. It is a very nice memory to have.

Apparently quite a few Vetta frames were imported into Australia by a distributor based in Perth- Panda Imports- and I still see one or two on the roads here. I have seen a very attractive young female rider on a titanium Vetta a few times, but I have never been able to catch her!!

[steelrider]

Man, that is sweet--and what a deal. Is she a 60 C-C? If so, is she for sale?

[dave thompson]

Down boy!

[55/Rad]

Man, that is sweet--and what a deal. Is she a 60 C-C? If so, is she for sale?
58 C-C, 59 C-T. 57.5 on the TT.

Not for sale at the moment - I haven't received her yet - but maybe in the future if I can't figure a suitable need.