I'm feeling rather pleased with myself...
Got a pair of Mavic Open 4 CD rims with laced Dura Ace 7 Speed Cassette hubs offa Ebay for $22.00 : )
Won them 1/1/03 - and they finally arrived today, in barely used condition, with original Michelin tires which are suffering an impressive degree of dryrot. The rims are very straight and have virtually no brake pad wear. This makes up for the $60.00 I spent on vintage seven speed top mounts for a 1991 MTB I reassembled...
Now, if anyone is actually interested in getting some leather handlebar tape, please email me. I've got a friend in Australia, a crafter named Michael Murphy who will be happy to dye and cut some kangaroo hide for me. The cost is somewhat dependant on how much dyeing he has to do and how much we want. Since getting the stuff to the US is the most costly part of the operation, (and it's not THAT costly) I'd like to get as much as he can fit in a padded mailing envelope.
If you are interested, let me know what colors you want - also, since it will come in one strip for both bars, what is the general consensus for length/width? Personally I think the feel of leather tape is going to be much nicer than cloth or imitation cork, and it would make any bike a little more unique. I'll know how much this will cost when I get an idea of how much people want, but I still think this will cost less than Cinelli tape.
Ann Phillips Atlanta GA - where we have Canada's cold and children don't have to go to school because of windchill!