I: [CR]RE: Marinoni

(Example: Framebuilders:Pino Morroni)

Date: Sat, 24 Aug 2002 15:50:25 -0500
From: "The Maaslands" <TheMaaslands@comcast.net>
Subject: I: [CR]RE: Marinoni
To: Classic Rendezvous <Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>


David Bilenky wrote:
> Personally I'd say Marinoni's steel frames are under rated, perhaps because
> they're as common as they are in these parts and perhaps because elsewhere
> they're virtually unknown. I'll copy the CR list and perhaps other might
> chime in on how well they like or dislike Marinonis.

I have owned a few Marinoni custom-made frames, as opposed to the large majority that are ready-made and sold out of bike shop stock (Mine were made back when custom-made was the more common way they were sold: ie back in the 70's and early 80's!) Marinoni used to do everyhting himself and was always ready to serve the customer's desires/needs/idiosyncracies. I had one frame built with my initials in the fork crown and braze-ons to allow me to discretely put a blackburn rack on (the braze-ons were installed inside the Campagnolo drop-out cut-outs and on the inside of the seat-stays. Another permitted the mounting of a Sanyo BB generator on my training bike... All of them rode well and they represented the ideal bike for a poor student that didn't want to eschew the best. They gave a ride similar to the top Italian makers at a much reduced price. They also allowed you to have the bike made to measure, which I think is a very under-rated element of the proper fit of a bike and the whole riding experience. There was a time that the riders in races in Eastern Ontario and Québec were almost exclusively Marinoni's. I think that is very indicative of their quality. Even as new bikes, they represent great 'deals' especially when you are looking at payment with a strong US dollar.

Steven Maasland Moorestown, NJ

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