1970 Carnielli Graziella Tandem Folding Bike

1970 Carnielli Graziella Tandem Folding Bike

Sometimes you stumble into something unique. Found this Graziella bicycle in the streets of Utrecht close to a canal. Directly from the 70’s, Italian design all the way, it also serves our purpose of introducing two types of bicycles we also see in the Netherlands: the tandem bike and the folding bike. And this bike is both in one!

A tandem is a bicycle designed to be ridden by more than one person and a folding bicycle is a bicycle designed to fold into a compact form, facilitating transport and storage. A lot of debate over the years is occurring where hardcore ciclists say you can only choose one of both: bicycles or cars. The folding bike is an answer for this question: why not both?

At the beginning of the sixties, Guido Carnielli, from the factory that would later produce Graziella, witnessed the period’s economic boom where more and more people had the means to buy a car. From here the idea of a folding bike with small wheels was born: a bike that can be transported in a car.

Nowadays in The Netherlands folding bikes are used as a mean to travel, before and after the train trip to work. And for me tandem bikes are just great fun. So what could possibly provide fun, easy transport and Italian design all in one? Here you have it: a 1970 Carnielli Graziella Tandem Folding Bike.