David:
Funny you should ask this question right now....
I have a road Nobilette S/N 0002 from circa 1975 (I think - trying to verify this), and I just sold my small fillet-brazed 531 Nobilette tandem (yes, Chuck, the fillets were works of art...).
Mark built frames here in Ann Arbor for many years, and was 1/3 owner of the local "racer's hangout" - Cycle Cellar.
He has been in Colorado doing MTBs for several years now - just too little money in Michigan doing road bikes, plus the weather stinks!
The early one I have is very elegant IMO - SL tubing, early 1010/B drops, excellent QC on the joints, lots of hand-thinning and windowing of the (Bocama?) lugs and the BB, beautiful fastback seat cluster, etc. I'm planning a full restoration later this year.
Cheers,
Greg Parker A2 MI USA
From: "David Bilenkey" <dbilenkey@sympatico.ca>
> To: "Classicrendezvous" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 09:56:24 -0400
> Subject: [CR]Nobilette
>
> Anyone have any opinions or stories to share about Nobilette bikes? I
> realize that they (Mark) is still in business, just curious if there are any
> owned by the list members and what their opinion of this builder's work
> might be. A friend in town has an '81 (that I've not seen) and he believes
> it's "a spectacular piece of American workmanship".
>
> Thoughts?
>
> David Bilenkey
> Ottawa, Ontario, Canada