I had a great weekend for Trexlertown. It was my first time there and I brought and old friend with me, first time for him too. Bob had his Batavus for the ride and I brought my early '70's Colnago, Brian insists it can't be a 1971. If the Fall show has more stuff, I'll certainly try to be back. We ran into Larry Osborn almost right away with his head buried in a bunch of boxes of assorted parts, then Roy Drinkwater and Pete Geurds near noon. I was eyeing an old '70's? Nervar complete crankset in pretty good shape with the Cyclotourist bolt pattern, but didn't get it. I got a few inexpensive parts, mostly out of timeline. There were some neat things for sale, but just didn't feel like spending too much money. We met the bunch for the ride afterward and spent a couple hours riding on some pretty roads just the two of us after getting dropped by the bunch. We were riding pretty slow, and we got dropped just before the turn with no sign. Not a cloud in the sky and no jacket, it was a great day to explore and a nice change from what seemed like a week of rain.
My best find was the day before the swap meet. Thursday, I was waxing ecstatic about the paramount track bike I'd always wanted to a bike shop owner, who said he knew somebody selling a paramount. He called the guy and 15 minutes later I was looking at a gorgeous, too small 1974 red original paint Paramount track bike in great shape, chrome nerves lugs? half stays and half fork. I ended up buying it on Friday from this retired engineer/track racer who wanted to clean out his basement. For $300, I got the complete bike, 4 total sets of wheels, 3 of them campy hubs, The 151 crank had 6 chainrings, the 144 Suntour Suberbe crank NIB had about a dozen chainrings a few of the chainrings NOS, a set of 6 cogs, 4 sets of handlebars and stems including a steel badged Cinelli stem and bar. 4 sets of pedals, some NOS toeclip straps and assorted stuff that I was "forced" to take with it. The man's wife also sewed up two of these really nice fabric sleeves for holding 3 chairings and at least 3 cogs each and room for a couple of small tools. As soon as I can get some nice photos of it, I'm going to see if anyone wants to trade a 21" c-t, 52 cm c-c frame for a late '60's, early '70's Paramount track frame more my size, 57-58 cm c-c. I'd really like one in the robin's egg blue with the fancy chrome lugs and elsewhere, and as original as possible. At least I now have all the parts. One wheel has an FB low flange steel barrel alloy flange front hub with 36 radial spokes to a Schwinn approved 260 gr. sprint rim, a really pretty hub, its mate is an ok atom rear. Rode the Jack Taylor yesterday grinning like a banshee!
Dan Artley enjoying life and the nice weather in Parkton, Maryland