Wet was indeed the word at T-town 2003, fall edition. Harvey Sachs and I splashed over to space 137, and with the help of the Sanfords set up our table and displays. It was hard to select merchandise to put out: it had to be something that would sell, look nice but not rust. True to my vow to actually reduce my stock I stuck pretty consistently to our booth to avoid temptation, leaving Harvey more time to roam around. So I missed several CR manned booths, including Walt's and Steve Maasland's that would have been worthwhile. But I did manage to sell enough stuff to pay for the paintjob for the MKM frame that I shameless stole from Tom Hayes off eBay a few weeks ago. The leading color candidate is medium light blue gloss enamel with gold lug lining---. Thanks to those who bought for your generous support.
I did see Harvey (rarely :-), the Sanfords, Roy Drinkwather, my benefactor Tom Hayes himself, Charlie Young, Jim Kerr from the Boston area (who's name I couldn't remember when reporting on the Larz ride a few weeks ago: he was the fellow on the pristine Bill Boston), Joe BZ and a few other list stalwarts. We were all mildly hypothermic, but enjoying ourselves. Jim K. showed me a NIB set of Suntour Bar cons, while Tom H. picked up the chrome p-15 Paramount Ray H. mentioned in a previous message. I had seen the bike, but not the asking price of $300. Heck, the high flange hubs and Campy triple cranks are probably worth the price. I also think Charlie Y. picked up that 60cm Moseman touring frame for $75. All Reynolds, used but functional paint, pretty lugs and from an obscure but respected builder. The kind of thing that normally starts a new project for me. Thanks, Charlie, for saving me from myself.
I didn't sell any of my three bikes. Plenty of nibbles, but no fish hooked. This particular meet was good for parts, but not for moving bikes except at fire sale prices. Send me a note if you want a 60-64cm bike. Sold some parts that broke my heart like the 175mm C Record arms and the Suntour Superbe high flange wheel set, but you can't keep everything. Unfortunately, it was too wet to take any pics. Maybe next time.
Tom Adams, Shrewsbury NJ
>From: Larry Osborn
>To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>Subject: [CR]t-town
>Date: Mon, 06 Oct 2003 12:42:50 -0400
>
>Greetings campers and drowned rat wannabes
>
>Hey, I don't have to take this e-abuse from my CR pals. I have people
>standing in line waiting to abuse me, in person. I at least offered my
>roommates earplugs, even if only to tune out the unanticipated Irish
>Wolfhound convention in the motel. (And people think WE'RE weird). Don't
>leave home without them.
>
>Mostly just a fun day with the Northeastern bike kooks. You know who you
>are, and it was great to get out to play with y'all again, and laugh at
>each other's appalling taste in bike stuff. Bikes of interest were all too
>small or too tall, and the guy with the Roberts tourer wouldn't separate
>the Phil Wood pedals from the total assembly. Ya just know that whoever
>buys that bike will go clipless. And I know better than to expect to find
>anything at a swap once that item becomes a critical need and gets
>underlined in red on the shopping list, so mostly just walked around
>playing with other people's junque, and buying more stuff I'll never use,
>and off-topic stuff that I'll just abuse and wear out without mention.
>
>Yeah, so it rained a little. Looked like a larger crowd than at the sunny
>spring swap. And it's not like the State Police had to come around and run
>everybody out of town like they did a few years back as T-town and eastern
>PA were going underwater. Any booth with raingear made some quick sales.
>Maybe next time I'll bring a roll of clear sheet plastic to sell to
>unprepared vendors. Also noticed some interesting plastic trash bag fashion
>statements during the day. Favorite was the guy who made a Robin Hood /
>Dennis Moore style hat by carefully folding up a heavy duty Beacon cycles
>shopping bag. A pheasant feather would have been a nice finishing touch.
>However, he did not seem to be a "merry" man.
>
>Ongoing quest for the day, after finally reconnecting with my "lost" pal
>Bruce (non-CR, but Raleigh Competition and Atlantis owner) early in the
>afternoon, was a search for cheap chainrings for both of us. In past years
>there was always a tent with several boxes full of them. But not this year,
>not now that we actually needed some. But very late in the day, on our way
>out, we did finally accidentally find a small box of chainrings to dig
>through. $5 per ring, new or new enough. Found enough to keep us ignoring
>routine drivetrain maintenance for another couple years. Bruce is finally
>starting to understand why I come to the swaps, but still naive enough to
>think he's going to find three matching rings, in the sizes and bolt
>patterns he wants, in the same box! (and he did, too!!. I fear that's going
>to raise his expectations to an unrealistic level.). Was startled to
>unearth a couple new triplizer rings in that box. 130/74, 135/74, probably
>TA just guessing from the hardware that looks very similar to Zephyr bolts.
>Definitely not Merz or Willow. Tom Hayes wasn't around to retaliate with a
>well deserved "what the heck are you going to do with THOSE?!", but I might
>find a use for them someday (Uncharacteristically optimistic, especially
>for a guy who's fleet and stash of spares consists of 144 doubles and
>110/74 triples). But for $5, I can afford to be wrong. Possible swap
>fodder. And as we bagged up our toothed loot, the dudes at the table asked
>"So like, when does the swap officially end?" It was hard not to laugh out
>loud. "Uhhh, like, about an hour ago guys. You're free to go."
>
>Post swap personal moment, back in the car, putting on warm DRY socks,
>shoes, and polartec (Mmmmmm, Muppet fur) for the long drive home. Ohhhhhh
>yeahhhhhhhhhhhh. A serious swapper comes prepared for everything.
>
>How many days til Westminster?
>Larry "two breaths per minute, whether I need them or not" Osborn
>Bruceton Chills, WV
>
>
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>
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