Wayne, your two paragraphs below highlighted something cool about old bikes that I've felt for a long time. The bikes I rode "back in the day" or even the vintage machines hanging on my wall now are truly customized. Remember how you could get the EXACT rear cluster setup, or run TA cranks because they were a little lighter than Campy ? Every aspect of a bike was "configurable" to match the exact needs and preferences of the owner.
Today, as great as modern bikes are, you can only get 'em set up two ways - beef or chicken. Even the gear ratios are locked in. Those choices have been made for you by someone who presumeably knows more about it than you. I see this same trend in many other aspects of modern life, and not really prepared to go on a full-blown "rant" here, suffice to say that hop-up parts (like Chuck's Wizard with all the OMAS goodies, or Bob F's Teledyne with Pino skewers and Teledyne crank bolts) are more representative of the bikes as they were really ridden back in the day than an all NOS equipped bike with a flawless restoration job that looks better than the day it was sold.
================================================ Mark Petry 206 618 9642 mpetry@bainbridgeisland.net Beautiful Bainbridge Island ================================================ To apply and direct this vast new potential of destructive energy engaged the creative genius of Leonardo as had few other enterprises
Ludovico Sforza Duke of Milan 1482-1499 ================================================
To me, American frames seem to fit this aesthetic approach perfectly. British frames are probably a close second. Think '55 Chevy as blank canvas, or stuffing a Ford V-8 into a Sunbeam Alpine (referenced for all you latent motor-heads out there). My Stan Pike, an '83 British-built frame, is shamelessly outfitted with a mix of Campy, Cinelli, Gipiemme, Modolo, Edco, Galli and 3ttt components, spanning maybe 8 or 10 years of manufacture. It looks cool and rides great.=20
However, I do have quite a few American bikes in my collection. Twelve, actually, and I'm working on acquiring two more very special ones. Some are production frames (I am an early Trek fan, after all) and some are boutique frames. As I said, they seem to fit perfectly into the Hot-Rod mind-set. Naturally, this year's Cirque "North American Bicycle Craftsmanship" theme is pretty exciting, at least for me. So, I've decided that I'm going to bring much of my "American Hot-Rod Collection" to the Cirque. Some are classic, some are contemporary. Many represent some of my most rewarding projects and favorite bikes. Good thing the old Suburban is still chuggin' along. I'll have to see what space allows, what with all the swap fodder and all, but I'm going to try and bring what I can squeeze in. Potentially, the following will be represented. I'll leave details to the imagination.