This discussion reinforces a memory of mine about Colnago in that era. In 1981 Jack Morin, of City Cycle in Little Rock, AR, who some on the list may remember, built up the Alan Super Record with Zeus 2000 that I displayed at the last Cirque. He was rather happy I wasn't actually racing at the time (though I did later race the bike once or twice). He regarded this as one of his top quality bikes, and never liked to see really beautiful bikes raced, as most of the racing in the region consisted of criteriums in which crashes abounded. When I went to pick it up, he expressed this view to another customer who was in the shop at the time. When the guy asked what he sold to the racers, he motioned to a Campy NR-equipped Colnago Super and said "Crap like this." That was in the era you mention. Though Colnago has made some great bikes before and after that era, the indifferent quality of many Supers at that time has caused me to alway think of Colnago as a step below Derosa, Masi and Cinelli in terms of quality.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
OROBOYZ@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 10/7/00 3:41:43 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
> Bikerdaver@aol.com writes:
>
> << I am considering purchase of a 1982 (I think) Colnago Super frame,
> ................... a 5 digit serial (?) number stamped on the rear drop out. >>
>
> I do know that serial numbers were a big topic re: Colnagos in the
> middle-to-late 1970s and first years of the 1980s. For that certain period,
> there were no serial numbers at all. This time frame was the period that
> Denise delaRosa and Mike Kolin refer to in the Custom Bicycle Book. You may
> recall they left Colnago out of the book and made non-specific-name reference
> to his alleged farming out production and not actually making his own bikes.
> At this time and even later, distribution of Colnagos was chaotic.. West
> Coast Cycle and Nashbar and Riggio and God knows who had brought in Colnagos
> and the quality was mixed. I remember Georgio Andretta at Gita Imports in
> Charlotte tried a batch of Colnagos, complained of poor quality and never
> brought any more in.
> When the distribution tightened up and serial numbers finally re-appeared, I
> remember that was the key to getting warranty claims considered.. If it had a
> serial number (not just a size marking) you MIGHT be eligible for
> consideration. If not, you were SOL.
>
> Dale Brown
> Greensboro, NC
> (Supposed to be in the 50s today!)