Joe Gardin came to Canada from Italy as a young boy. He settled in Toronto and later established successful business manufacturing material handing equipment. But Joe’s passion was cycling and bikes. He established the Gardin Bicycle Company and imported and distributed Cambio Rino bike components from Italy. He also sold complete bikes under the Cambio Rino name but later used the Gardin name on all the bikes that the company sold.

Joe was a great supporter of Canadian cyclists including three time Olympic medalist, sprinter Curt Harnett, for whom he supplied all of his bikes and six time Olympic medalist Clara Hughes for whom he supplied a custom pursuit bicycle which she rode in the 1991 Pan American Games in Cuba and won a silver medal. 

The Gardin Bicycle Company closed in 2002. Joe passed away in 2009.

The bike shown here is a top of the line Gardin equipped with Campagnolo ‘C’ Record components, which have been engraved with the Gardin name and logo and gold and bronze plated. The bike won the ‘best bike’ award at the 2008 Cirque du Cyclisme when the theme was “pantographed (engraved) bikes”.

Specifications:

  • Size:
    • Seat Tube: 61 cm Centre to Centre, 61.7 Centre to Top
    • Top Tube: 60 cm Centre to Centre
  • Paint: Bronze
  • Headset: Campagnolo
  • Crankset: Campagnolo, bronze plated and engraved Gardin, gold plated bolts. 170 mm 53-41
  • Brakes: Campagnolo Delta, bronze plated, engraved Gardin
  • Gear levers: Campagnolo Syncho One Gold Plated
  • Front Derailleur: Campagnolo C Record, gold plated bolts and pantographed.
  • Rear Derailleur: Campagnolo C Record, gold plated and pantographed.
  • Hubs: Campagnolo
  • Quick releases: Campagnolo gold plated.
  • Rims: Campagnolo Sigma Pavé Hardox tubular
  • Spokes: DT 149
  • Tires: Continental Sprinter Tubular Tires
  • Freewheel: Maillard dural, 6 speed 13-18
  • Saddle: Campagnolo Pneumatic
  • Seatpost: Campagnolo Aero, Engraved Gardin
  • Handlebars: Cinelli Champion del Mondo 40 C-C
  • Stem: Cinelli 1A, 12 cm
  • Tape: Black
  • Bottle cage: Campagnolo aero with bottle
  • Pedals: Campagnolo clips and straps, gold plated.

 

This bicycle is available for sale in our webstore, buy now at this link: Gardin Bicycle

Excerpt taken from A Life With Bicycles by Mike Barry Sr.

Photography by Walter Lai

Dede Barry

Dede Barry is a Silver medallist from the 2004 Athens Olympics and multiple medallist of World, National and Pan-American Championships. She is now an owner of Mariposa Bicycles and continues to ride her bike daily in and around Toronto and guides cycling tours internationally.