Rivola Road Racing 1975

Description

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It was in the early 1960s that Giovanni Rivola decided to found his own racing bicycle brand. He initially ordered frames from Rossin in Milan, but a turning point came in 1963 when he enlisted the services of Umberto Chiesa—a master frame builder from Bologna whose work Rivola already knew and admired—to build his frames. A long-standing collaboration ensued: Chiesa would take customers’ measurements and build the frames, while Rivola handled assembly and finishing—still working out of his home basement. Given the rapid success of his bicycles, Giovanni decided the very next year to leave his job as a bricklayer and dedicate himself entirely to the new venture; “Cicli Rivola” was subsequently registered with the Chamber of Commerce, based on Via Amendola.
To give Rivola frames a distinctive touch, Chiesa pioneered and perfected “swallow-tail” dropout attachments—a design soon imitated by other frame builders in the area and across Northern Italy. In the *Rivola Superleggera* model, these attachments were further lightened by the addition of a hole.
Later, as he neared retirement, Giovanni Rivola taught his son, Gianni, how to build frames. It was Umberto Chiesa who taught Gianni the art of welding.
The business continued operations until 2005, when it closed down.
Joan Manuel Fuente rode in the 1972 Giro d’Italia.

The bicycle is in excellent preserved condition and has undergone conservation work.
It is equipped with a Campagnolo Nuovo Record groupset. Cinelli Unicanitor saddle. 3TTT handlebars and stem. Nisi rims.