CBT Italia

C.B.T. Italia (Costruzione Biciclette Tardivo) was founded in the mid-1950’s in Cuneo by Giovanni Tardivo, a regional wholesaler and distributor for bicycle and motorcycle parts.

Towards the beginning of the 1970’s, Giovanni’s first son, Guido, joined C.B.T. Italia and expanded the company to include the production of road/racing bicycles and frames. The head badge and fork crowns are pantographed with the family surname initial ‘T’

By the beginning of the 1980’s, Giovanni’s second son, Bruno, joined the company.  By this time, C.B.T. Italia had shifted the core of its business primarily on the production and distribution of road bicycle frames.

During those years steel was the only material used for bicycle frames, but C.B.T. Italia was able to distinguish its products by introducing black chrome fork ends and crushed seat tubes to obtain a shorter chain stay.

At the end of the Eighties, with the passing of founder Giovanni Tardivo, the company’s core business shifted once again from bicycle production to industrial manufacturing. Investment in innovative machinery allowed C.B.T. Italia to specialize in processing stainless steel and aluminium. 

The company applied this new technology, originally developed for the aerospace industry, to road/racing bicycle and aluminium began to replace steel in the production and manufacturing of their bicycles.

C.B.T. Italia remains committed to the manufacture of bicycle frame production and still is a thriving business in Cuneo.