Mark Cutrufelli wrote:
>
> >From Sheldon's site it would seem that Colnago would be placed equal to
> Masi, Cinelli, and De Rosa were it not for a few years where peeling paint
> and a few mediocre examples detracted.They are certainly better known. To my
> eye these bikes are equally pretty and I cannot quite see why some observors
> do not want to place them among the best of the best. Of the Colnagos, the
> Arabesque seems particularly desirable. Do most of you put Colnagos up with
> the best?
Ahhh... interesting question. Desirability. What makes something more desirable than something else that is seemingly the same. You have to look beyond the bicycle. You have to look at the personalities behind the bike. This, of course, gets very subjective. Over the years you piece together a sentence from a magazine, a quote from a champion, an overheard comment. Maybe you shake hands with Faliero, Ugo or Ernesto at a trade show and say hello. You talk with your friends about why they like their bikes. You talk to other builders and pick their brains. In the end you put all this together and make a personal ranking of your favorites marques based on your own criteria.
My ranking? Well, let me see... Oh, look at the time... I guess this will have to wait till tomorrow...
Chuck Schmidt South Pasadena, Southern California
ps Personally, I think the esthetics of the Arabesque's lugs are not so wonderful.