[CR]Bike Trade Stories

(Example: Framebuilders:Richard Moon)

From: "David Blight" <davidblight@rya-online.net>
To: "Classic Rendezvous" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2001 22:23:40 -0000
Subject: [CR]Bike Trade Stories

Campagnolo - my part in it's downfall. (as requested by Dale)

For twenty five years I ran a small manufacturing business in Devon called Freedom Bikepacking, making mostly cycle luggage and similar stuff for the bike shops and wholesalers - Ron Kitching, Madison, Holdsworth, Dawes etc. We were always a small company and that meant management by the seat of your pants. About a year into the business (mid 70s ) I was approached at one of the European trade shows by a rather shady character who asked me to quote him for several thousand printed musettes - artwork to follow.

A few weeks later and the artwork for the silkscreens came through. It turned out to be the famous and much revered Campagnolo 'world' logo. There was a slight problem. Campagnolo insisted that the musettes had to be in dark blue nylon with a pale blue logo of a particular shade. We had the fabric in stock, but the ink we had was dark blue or white. In some lunatic bid to save money my printer mixed the two inks to make light blue. Fair enough, I hear you say. Mix dark blue with white and what do you get? Light blue.

Everything looked OK. 3000 Campagnolo musettes duly printed and sewn up. Best quality control we ever did. I remember how I felt when I put those labels on the boxes - Campagnolo, Corso Padova, Vincenza, Italia.

A few days later the cheque arrived. That magical logo again.

Then came the fax.In perfect English. And that logo again.

'We have received 3000 musettes, but they seem to be plain dark blue with no printing. We are mystified by a large amount of blue and white powder in each box. Do you have any explanation?'

Now perhaps you see why musettes bearing a Campy logo are like rocking horse manure on ebay!

David - very surprised to have lasted so long in the bike trade - Blight
Exeter
UK