[CR]Ron Coopers , Their Values , Their Paint

(Example: Component Manufacturers:Ideale)

From: "Raoul Delmare" <R.Delmare@Charter.net>
To: "C.R. List" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR]Ron Coopers , Their Values , Their Paint
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 2002 11:57:48 -0600

( well o.k. , I didn't want anyone to yell at me about writing too much . so I sent this "off list" . but now it seems we're all talking about it . so here goes . and by the way , HI THERE CHUCK !! still have both my Bikeology catalog , and my Ron Cooper !! )

( as sent to Bruce , and Vlad , and Steven )

Sorry about the lengthiness . But , we're talking about Ron Coopers here !

Once upon a time , I realized that I'd picked up more than enough beautiful bicycle components ( all because they were bargains at the time ) to make a bicycle . Simultaneously , the only authorized Ron Cooper dealer for hundreds of miles had put a marked-down price on their only "in-stock" frame and fork . I bought Ron Cooper road-racing frame # 505 , in fire-engine red ( any shade of red has never been my color - sorry but not for me ) . It was a 24-inch frame . In true British , Ron Cooper , style , the only "braze-on" was the chainstay rear-derailleur cable-stop . I brought the frame and components down to the shop , and started to build it up , when business was slow . I can't recall all the components . I know I built it up with brand new Simplex Super LJ derailleurs , Stronglight 93 crankset , possibly Maillard 700 Team hubs , Fiamme Yellow Label ( Ergal ) rims . The crank arms were a wee bit heavy , stiff and strong . The rims were a wee bit light , flexible and minimal . Overall it was one , very , good-looking machine . Has anyone seen it lately ???? Before I had it half-built-up , a pushy customer had shoved a large deposit at me . Wish I'd never sold it . It was the WRONG color for me . Wish I still had it today , in its original paint .

Not too very long afterward , I ordered my Ron Cooper custom frame . Today , I'd order it slightly differently if I could do it over . I still own it . I still love it . It is Ron Cooper touring frame # 169 , in British Racing Green , with yellow panel . It's a 24-inch frame . It's built with Camp. Super Rec. derailleurs and brakes , and Stronglight triple . The crankset is the one that came AFTER the model 105 bis . This crankset is light and slim . It also has the Stronglight titanium sealed bottom bracket , triple sized . When I ordered it from the North American distributor , they mentioned it was the only titanium triple in North America , and they thought it had been discontinued . Kinda special that way .

Meanwhile , my best-friend , and best-cycling-friend , Bruce , was already riding his custom Ron Cooper . He got his in , baby-blue , robin's-egg-blue , sky-blue , powder-blue , about what Schwinn calls "Opaque Blue" . His is all Camp. Super Rec. with Weyless hubs .

The red bargain bicycle had , of course , 5-speed spacing . My B.R.G. custom tourer is 5-speed spacing , for 15-speeds total . I'm almost sure Bruce's is 5-speed spacing . But , all I remember distinctly is that when all of the "cool" people were looking down on anyone who was ignorant enough to be using some stupid old 5-speed freewheel . . . he found a slightly used , vintage , 4-speed freewheel . He was very quietly content to be riding his 8-speed bicycle , thank you very much ! And besides , he was faster than everyone around , on his high-tech. / low-tech. 8-speed . If you wanted to make remarks , you'd have to do it behind his back . Because you couldn't catch up !

And , Hey! , Vlad! , about your "Celeste" Ron Cooper , you can ride with us anytime ! I probably can't keep up ( anymore ) with either you or Bruce ! Besides , Bruce and I now live several hundreds of miles apart . But , you know what I mean . I'd be very proud to have my British Racing Green Ron Cooper , seen next to your Celeste Green Ron Cooper , any day of the week . I'm certain Bruce would feel the same way . I think they'd make an awesome group !!! Imagine dark British Racing Green on one end , Celeste green in the middle , robin's egg blue on the other end !!! Actually , speaking technically of color-pigments , it almost flows from one to the next . Mine would perhaps be a bit dark . But still , it'd flow from green to blue .

By the way , my other favorite ride is my 1972 Frejus-Legnano , in its factory original , positively glowing ( seriously , in direct sunlight it glows ) , chartreuse ! Yes , I have listened to many , many comments in the past 3 decades of ownership . I've listened to each and every one of those comments with a patient smile . Some were positive comments . Some were negative comments . A very few were insulting comments . Everyone simply received a small , patient , smile . I just don't care what they think !

Now , about Celeste . AGAIN , think of the word "celestial" . Have you not seen some old bicycles whose Celeste paint had a lot more blue , and a lot less green , in it ?? You have a bicycle that could easily be called "Sky-Green" . I like that . Have you ever been under the leading edge , of a frighteningly massive thunderstorm front , when suddenly everything around you turns a greenish color , in that strange greenish light ? If you have ever been out in the weather , when the sky turns "Tornado Green" , you know exactly what I'm writing about . The hairs on the back of my neck just stood up , remembering being out on the Texas plains , under a sky that'd just turned "Tornado Green" . Believe me , when the sky turns green , it makes an deep impression . Be proud of your "Sky-Green" Bicycle .

And , when I was living in Austin , Texas , before and during the "John Howard is back in town" era ( but I left just months before the Lance Armstrong era began ) , there was this one guy in town . . . He was well known in all the local bicycle shops . He spread his business around . He had serious money to spend . Some folks didn't get along with him , because he had to have things just the way he wanted them . But , he was always happy to pay the previously agreed-on price . I never had any problems with him at all . My thought was , just tell him what it'll cost , whatever he wants . I never tried to talk him out of anything . His main , primary , favorite , bicycle , during the time I knew him ? He rode an old ( even back then it was old ) Teledyne Titan , frame AND fork . It had been ( of course ) the first mass-produced titanium bicycle frame in the whole World . He had his Teledyne custom painted . Of course , painting titanium still is a very tough and risky procedure . Back then it was fairly hopeless . The paint didn't stick well at all . So , he was having his frame and fork repainted each year . Now , you need to be REALLY careful when you strip the paint off of any thin-thin tubing , such as a bicycle frame . Sandblasting my not be the best way to go . Especially since that outer layer of metal is the one that has received the most "work-hardening" . If you remove those outer molecules of metal , you are affecting the strength characteristics of the metal itself . But , the custom painter was being careful . Each year he had his titanium bicycle repainted in "Celeste" . I'm sure there were not too many Celeste Teledyne Titan frame and fork sets , out in the World . It took a lot of work to maintain that one .

BY THE WAY , remember those comments about the outer surface of the tubing receiving the most "work-hardening" ? At the time that Bruce and I ordered our Ron Cooper framesets , Mr. Ron Cooper was having his completed frames "shot-peened" before painting . This does two ( 2 ) interesting things . First , it work-hardens all of the outer surfaces , just a bit more . Second , and the stated reason for Mr. Cooper going this extra step , it served as a "stress relieving process" .

Finally , when I ordered my frame , I commented on how much I really liked certain details and styles of decals I'd seen on his frames . I didn't fully realize he'd completely changed his decals . When the frameset arrived , there was a note . Mr. Cooper had arranged for some "older-style" decals , just for me !

So , I have a great deal of hesitation about having a bicycle frame sand blasted , or even glass-bead blasted .

And , I have a love of custom , special-order , Ron Cooper paint jobs .

And , something , anything , is only original once .

And , with each passing year , some strange quirk done at the time something was originally made , becomes more and more an interesting and individual feature , in the singular history of some uniquely beautiful piece of working art .

Finally , if I EVER thought of , ever CONSIDERED , having a Ron Cooper painted , I'd send it back to Mr. Cooper , who is still in business . As far as I know , he's never done his own painting . However , he can , and does ( my frame! ) make special arrangements to have special frames painted with especially "correct" paint schemes . Then again , he might tell you that one of the specialists here in the U.S.A. does better duplicates of his original decals , than his current supplier . Still , when the original maker is still in business , that should always be the place to inquire first !

I'd say it's just my two-cents worth , but I think we're up to about two bits worth by now .

Happy Trails ,
Raoul Delmare
Marysville Kansas


----- Original Message -----
From: Vladislav Luskin
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2002 10:07 PM
Subject: [CR]Celeste (?) Ron Cooper; please help



>
> I'm on the verge of acquiring a 15-yr. old Ron Cooper bike in my size with a mix of Campy NR and SR components. The frame is in very good shape and the seller, whom I trust fully, assures me that the bike has very low mileage. I've seen nothing to dispute that. Here's the hang-up: the bike is painted lovely CELESTE, as the original owner wanted the bike in Bianchi color. The bike also has celeste bar tape and saddle. Not being a huge fan of celeste I can see having the color could grow on me -- bar tape and saddle are outta here, however. (Anyone interested in a celeste Selle Italia Turbo in excellent shape? - $25+shipping) The paint is generally in very good shape with a few nicks and not even surface rust. The paint's condition provides no excuse for repaint. I know the feelings of forum members on leaving original paint and respect them. The hitch here is that the bike's original color more properly belongs on a Bianchi and I can think of several colors I'd find more appealing. I will ride past people who will say, "Nice Bianchi" then they'd do a double take and mumble not very nice things about me and my bike's color. But I can live with that.
>
> (Have people seen many celeste non Bianchis?)
>
> I realize that this mostly comes down to taste and am aware that an original paint job (even one that's moderately unappealing) is more valuable from a collector's perspective. For the latter reason I'm leaning toward leaving the paint alone. Still, I'd appreciate any opinions and input CR members can offer as I contemplate this quasi-Shakespearean question: to paint or not to paint? Thank you,

>

> Vlad Luskin

> OaklandCA