I'm not sure if this is a valid answer or not but perhaps if we look at the upper tier bikes from today vs. the 70s and 80s. Today it seems to me that the top range Italian bikes (to select a group) are predominately an aluminium/carbon stayed frame with a carbon fork from either Look, Kestrel, or lately Columbus. The most distinguishing thing I see in these bikes is the paint scheme and decals.
Now if I look at the top line Italian bikes from the 70s and 80s I see a variety of lug styles (some more subtle than others), some with interesting cutouts, some chromed... I see forks with varied curvatures, different crowns, I see some frames that are fully painted, some with chrome forks, some with chromed stays, both... If I stray into the late 80s(?) early 90s I see various shaped tubesets, tapers, Colnago's Gilco... I see various stay treatments...
Perhaps I'm not looking closely enough at modern alum/carbon frames but the details of the past's lugged steel frames definitely catch my eye and show more variety.
John "maybe I'm just missing it today" Price
-----Original Message----- From: Brandon Ives [mailto:monkeylad@mac.com] Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2002 1:12 PM To: Bingham, Wayne R. Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: cookie cutter bikes (RE: [CR]Was Piniarello now Pegoretti)
On Thursday, Jul 25, 2002, at 11:27AM, Bingham, Wayne R. <WBINGHAM@imf.org>
wrote:
>I was in a local LBS a couple weeks ago and found a nice new, solid
>pearl white, lugged Serotta there in the rack with all the other
>cookie-cutter bikes.
Wayne this isn't directed at you. Your post just brought up something I've been thinking about. I know this is going to border on heresy, but what makes 70's and 80's lugged steel frames an less cookie cutter than modern cookie cutter bike. In fact there is way more variety in bike design, materials, and construction than there was in our "classic" period. I'm not trying to be critical of the "classic" bikes we all love. I'm just pointing out that lugged steel was the most cookie cutter of bikes until about 10 years ago. I guess I'm tired of the denigration of modern bikes just to make us feel better. It's just like looking at a Warhol print and saying it's not art. It may not be the art you like, but it's still art and different from what came before. enjoy, Brandon"monkeyman"Ives Likes all bikes in Santa Barbara, CA