In the summer of 1971 I sold my Raleigh and had my brother Jim buy a bike for me. It was an Atala Super Competizion. With Jim's discount at the Yellow Jersey bike coop in Madison, it cost me $175.00. It had a red and white paint job, chromed lugs, Columbus tubing, Campy high-flange hubs, Stronglight cotterless crankset, skinny rims, sew-ups. It was beautiful.

Photos (added Jan 30, 2005)
• Atala Super Competizion
• logo plate
• "Competizion" decal
• serial no. 71A1042
• "Campagnolo" and "Columbus" decals
• chromed lugs
• "Hand Made in Italy" decal

I loved that Atala. I rode it everywhere. I commuted to high school, college and, later, to work on that bike. I added a rack, water bottle cage, cyclometer (tick tick tick). Over the years I replaced the brakes, the pedals, the derailers with better components. What a bike!

Most of my riding was commuting between 5 and 10 miles each way from home to school, home to college, home to work. I threw in an occasional weekend pleasure ride, but my main thing was transportation-- doing something fun in the course of daily life.

Eventually I wore out the chainrings and couldn't find replacement rings that fit the crankset. I knew the rest of the components weren't far behind. I knew that I either had to replace all the components or replace the bike.

I looked at a lot of bikes before I bought the replacement-- a Trek 420. A nice bike, but I'll never love another like that Atala.