On Wed, 23 Apr 2003 15:32:58
Chuck Schmidt wrote:
>What I have heard repeatedly from guys in Europe about the old days is
>that you wouldn't even dream of riding a pro bike (team-like model) if
>you weren't a racer. The idea was that that bike would only be used for
>racing and nothing but racing. You know, "I'm unworthy!"
The idea that pro race bikes should only be ridden by the worthy was shared by some shop owners in the US as well. Fred Kuhn of Kopps Cyclery in Princeton NJ would not sell Cinelli Special Corsas to anyone who walked in off the street. One had to prove to Fred their worthiness, usually done by showing their prowess in the local Sunday peleton. Or he could be coaxed into selling a Cinelli if one proved to him to be an exemplary caretaker of the bike. This was related to me by a shop mechanic who worked at Kopps while going to school from '70-'73. He was able to buy a Cinelli because he met the second standard, but because he had legs of pasta, he felt unworthy of the bike. He rode it less than 400 miles before hanging above the fireplace, where it would only came down for a fresh coat of wax until it was sold to one lucky guy in California ;-)
Jay Van De Velde
Seal Beach, CA