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Firenze Bicycles

Firenze Bicycles was a rock-bottom bike brand sold directly to the novelty market, selling promotional freebies weighing thirty eight pounds. Too cheap to sell in stores, they could only be given away. Distributed far away from reputable bike shops, who then learned never to accept Firenze repairs. And yet, this brand helped grow the parent company, Pacific Cycles, to become the largest seller of bicycles in the US.

There are some things that never should have been. Society is rife with monsters, and history is filled with gory facts that do nothing but illustrate this point. One such thing is the Firenze MT505. Mike Ferrentino, Bike Magazine, April 1994. thegrimyhandshake

Chris Hornung, the creator or Firenze, founded Pacific Cycle in 1977 in Madison Wisconsin, importing Taiwanese bikes solely for the promotional market. This successful strategy, without the use of dealers, shops or warranties, eventually gave Chris enough leverage to buy out Schwinn, Mongoose, GT, and Roadmaster, becoming the largest bike company in the US. Chris sold Pacific Cycle to Dorel in 2004 for $310 million.

We started back in 1977, during a boom in 10-speed bicycle sales. That's when Len Mattioli, a successful Madison, Wisconsin businessman, approached me with a sales promotion idea. “TV Lenny,” as he was known, wanted to give away a bike to every customer who bought a stereo from one of his giant home electronic stores during a sale period.

From 1981 to 1985 I … developed promotions in more than 60 locations from coast to coast. I provided turn-key promotions tailored to the needs of individual retailers across the country. Chris Hornung, ca. 2000, https://web.archive.org/web/20000511100955fw_/http://www.pacific-cycle.com/about.html

Here's a Crazy Lenny TV advert flogging a double cassette tape deck for $199 with a FREE Firenze bicycle: youtube.

All of their MTBs had cottered cranks, bullmoose bars, steel rims, DNP derailleurs, Li Chi brakes and the anodyne name: MT505. Most had a decal stating: “Firenze Bicycles, Made in Taiwan for Diversified Investments Corporation, Madison, Wisconsin.”

Resources:

Chris Hornung, right, wrestling yet another successful bike
brand away from established makers and riders. genesbmx

1984 MT505

Cottered cranks, DNP GX II derailleur, 3×5 gearing, “Mountain Drive 15 Speed”, Bullmoose bars without a brake cable hanger.

1984 MT505 ebay

1985 MT505

Cottered Firenze cranks, CR1010 hi-tension Taiwanese tubing, DNP GX derailleurs, 3×5 gearing, bullmoose bars with integrated cable hanger, Sakae pedals.

1985 MT505 bikesheaven