>I feel sorry for those of us on the list who must continue to sell Cadd 4 as if it is the product of an enlightened factory.
Well perhaps not enlightened, but...
Has anyone noticed that most elite/professional cyclists ride welded aluminum bikes with oversize tubes? Yes, even the guys who have other choices. Which company popularized this type of frame? Okay, okay, C-dale borrowed some ideas from Mr. Klein, it couldn't have been more obvious when their first bike was introduced (vintage content). But Klien bike were wildly expensive as I recall, while the early Cannondles were a poorly-aligned but low-cost substitute. The design sophistication and build quality of Cannondale frames has come a long, long way since the mid 1980's. Entry level Cannondales, OCLV's, Giant's are all very affordable and essentially perform as well as their higher priced cousins. I don't think the same could be said for inexpensive racing bikes back in the good old days. I think the big problem that most of us have with 'dales, Treks, etc. is the total lack of exclusivity. Even in the non-retro world this is evident by the number of Italian-built Cannondale-style bikes on the local group ride. Probably no better than a 'dale, but prittier, more exclusive and significantly more expensive. No doubt, OS aluminum bikes are not everyone's cup of tea asthetically, and there are no lugs to subject to functionless embellishment (no "canvas," so to speak) but they sure pack a significantly better stiffness/weight ratio. My 21 pound SR and C equipped bikes are now laughably heavy compared to a 105-equipped Giant, and that's WITH the boat-anchor STI levers.
Tom (all my bikes are lugged steel) Dalton
P.S. Rodale, Inc. is the new name for Rodale Press. And with the new name and corporate image, they've somehow managed to suck even more.
> This weekend, I was fortunate enough to be able to
> re-read the Bicycling magazine issue from July of
> 1982 ( at least the cover article). I used to swoon
> over the gorgeous prose relating to the bikes of my
> prime. In 1981 and 82 I remember the poetic
> appreciation of the frame detailing and artistic
> embellishments that were common among all the
> superbikes of that time. The Bicycling writers were
> all lug heads then, and knew that what they were
> looking at was art, simply great art. The labors of
> the men that built those bikes were not lost on
> those that wrote about them. Every pantograph and
> cable routing was considered for it's beauty as well
> as its functionality. It seems that the 80's were
> the swan song of the bikes that were worth loving,
> and the people who could find an arena in which to
> proclaim their love.
>
> In that issue of July 1982 (Japan vs. Italy), the
> author concludes by saying that these $1,500 super
> bikes were all fine statements, but that the author
> could favorably compare his $400 bike to them in
> terms of function. The ride or handling might be
> only a small shade less, but the real difference
> would come down to beauty according to both the
> writer and Gary Fisher. That kind of honesty could
> never be expressed in today's Bicycling mag. One
> reason would be that $3,000 bikes are just as
> hideous as $1,000 bikes nowadays. The other reason
> would be that the editorial staff must be prohibited
> from stating that a racer could win with Tiagra. The
> message is that only Dura Ace or Ultegra will carry
> you over the finish line for a win. This obvious
> bull****, is believed by most all of the racers I
> speak to. The brainwashing that Rodale press is
> prone to has succeeded, and all the pod people are
> out among the racing public. In the absence of any
> real bicycle beauty, the only value that remains is
> imagined speed. Rodale press (Road-dull) has become
> a business whore, selling the first amendment
> wholesale to welded well-to-do manufacturers.
>
> I feel sorry for those of us on the list who must
> continue to sell Cadd 4 as if it is the product of
> an enlightened factory. The only saving grace is
> that a bicycle, any bicycle, is just as good a thing
> that anyone can posses (lugged or coke canned).
>
> Your opinionated lad in Surfside Florida, Garth
> Libre
>
>
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