i have a typed personal letter on velo sport stationery signed by a bob mates. it's dated november 19, 1971. it says, essentially, that they stock these colnagos in every size from 51-63cm. there are 10 listed colors. the frame/fork price is $225. the bicycle price is $515. the bikes came with fingertip controls, 36 hole nisi rims with pirelli leggero tubs, and a suede unica model tour de france. i wrote for info following the colnago road test in mid 1971 in bicycling magazine when still a california zine. e-RICHIE
On Wed, 20 Jun 2001 09:33:02 -0700 "Diane Feldman"
<feldmanbike@home.com> writes:
> Yes. I visited Velo Sport bike store in Berkeley, CA in summer 1971
> when
> they had just received their first batch of Colnagos. I remember at
> least
> clubs, spades, and diamonds in lugs and fork crowns, not just the
> suits
> stamped into fork blade reinforcements. I have seen a
> diamond-cutout
> Colnago since then, about five years ago. The Velo Sport bikes had
> long
> Campy dropouts with all edges filed square, had 120mm rear axle
> spacing and
> needed long brake calipers with standard nuts--except for the filed,
> eyeletless dropouts they had none of what are now considered the
> "standard"
> brazed on fittings for steel frames. Can any East Bay residents on
> the
> list confirm this; are there any of these bikes still running around
> with
> original finish? Oh, yeah, the decals had a ring around a white
> field with
> the clover a small feature on the field; the clover hadn't become
> the
> dominant symbol of the brand yet.
>
> David Feldman
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> David Feldman
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "C. Andrews" <chasds@mindspring.com>
> To: <Roadgiant@cs.com>; <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2001 9:26 AM
> Subject: [CR]Spades on a Colnago? (was re: (CR) More Confente
> Mania?)
>
>
> > Scott Smith wrote:
> >
> > >Phil,
> > Should be, I agree. But this is clearly a spade and
> > not a clover.
> > Let's call a spade a spade.
> >
> > Any other Italian use the spade. Paletti?
> >
> > Scott Smith
> > LA<
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > I vote for a Colnago. In the very early days, Colnago used
> > other card suit symbols besides the club. I've been told
> > (but I've not seen one yet), that early Colnagos had clubs
> > *and* spades pantographed and stamped into parts and frame.
> > But that must have ended by 1972 or so? Surely someone
> > here's seen one...
> >
> > Charles