Hi All, I have been reading the CR list for the last month and I have found it to be a wealth of useful and interesting information. I also recognize many of the contributors from seeking NOS parts and information for the past couple of years.
I live in Chicago and have recently (within the last three years) resumed my serious interest in cycling. In the 1980's I put a lot of miles on a silver 1979 Peugeot. I was told when I purchased it new from the bike shop that it was an end of the year bike made up of a combination of PXN-10 and PY10CP parts. At the time, I wanted something Italian but it was way out of my budget.
Please forgive a small digression, but I think it is relevant. I have a business restoring vintage automobiles. If you are interested you can see examples on http://www.coopertechnica.com. One of my interests is in understanding why designers make the choices they do. For example, during restoration of a 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C1750 GS I spent a lot of time researching metallurgy and material usage from the early 1930's to fabricate appropriate replacement parts and to understand the reasons for the design choices.
This is part of what fascinates me with steel framed bicycles of the classic era. I particularly enjoyed the recent thread comparing ride qualities. Even if the components are similar the ride varies dramatically from frame to frame. My collection now includes:
1972 Schwinn Paramount P13 Chrome, Nuovo Record 1975 Colnago Super, Nuovo Record 1980 Gios, Super Record 1981 Masi Grand Criterium (California), Super Record 1983 Grandis, Super Record 1986 Bianchi (Argentin replica), C-Record 1999 Cinelli SC, Chorus 10
I rotate riding them and the experience has been illuminating. I
look forward to meeting some of you at events in the future and as
always, learning something new.
David Cooper
Chicago, Illinois