[Classicrendezvous] Cambio Rino

(Example: Framebuilding:Tubing:Columbus:SLX)

From: <OROBOYZ@aol.com>
Date: Sat, 11 Nov 2000 14:54:34 EST
To: moos@penn.com, tanoda@d1.dion.ne.jp
CC: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [Classicrendezvous] Cambio Rino

I think we touched on Rino a while back in this forum, but my foggy recollections are that they were definitely an Italian line with most or many of the parts seeming to be made by them and not other manufacturers (Simplex, Maillard,etc.)

The rear derailleurs in particular looked almost EXACTLY like Suntour Cyclones. I remember in the early 1980s personally scrutinizing a Rino rear der. closely, trying to find hidden tell tales that they were in fact Japanese sourced. I could find no such clue...

At some time a Canadian company was either importing or had bought a piece of Rino as they started coming in from Canada.. Then at the end of the parts line life (late 1980s?), Beatrice Foods (of all people) bought into these bike parts ownership and it became "Excel-Rino" and there were large ads in Bicycling etc., promoting \a mish mash line of derailleurs and hubs. I seem to remember Lon Haldeman using them one year?

Then, as happens so often when big corporations try bicycling products, sales must not have come up to expectations and they pulled the plug ...the whole deal was down-the-tubes!

Dale Brown