Velocino, 1930s, Italy
The Velocino is a singularly-shaped bicycle, an Italian product made in Bologna.
It’s a bicycle with a small front wheel and with the handlebar underneath the saddle, invented in the 1930s by Ernesto Pettazzoni.
The idea was to create a light, compact and easy to transport 2-wheel vehicle.
A factor on which the design focused on was safety, according to which an impact with the Velocino wasn’t as dangerous because the driver wouldn’t have been stuck as on a regular touring bike.
The riding position was more comfortable than a normal bicycle, that helped to keep the back straight.
It seemed that Benito Mussolini bought one as well and used it, calling it Lentipede (“Slowped”).
Unfortunately the Velocino didn’t gather the expected success, with WWII negatively influencing sales and ending the project.
Curiosity
Our Velocino is original and preserved, as it was found by the Nicolis family in Padova.
