Re: [CR] Exxon Graftek

(Example: Framebuilding:Norris Lockley)

From: <ABikie@aol.com>
Date: Sat, 24 May 2003 08:22:32 EDT
Subject: Re: [CR] Exxon Graftek
To: hilary.stone@blueyonder.co.uk, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org


In a message dated 5/24/2003 7:10:58 AM Eastern Daylight Time, hilary.stone@blueyonder.co.uk writes:
>
> Quite a few list members read Cycling Plus, a British magazine in which I
> have a column called Design Classics - in it I try to cover a very wide
> range of cycles from all periods. In the next issue I intend to feature the
> Exxon Graftek - I have the May 1990 Bicycle Guide article on the Graftek by
> John Derven but have very little else. Larry Black is credited at helping
> John with his article - can Larry or anyone else help with further info.
> Particularly I would like a copy/scan of the article in the May 1976 issue
> of Bicycling - my files of Bicycling do not go back quite that far. And any
> scans of a catalogue would also be useful. I will of course credit any help
> I receive. I do have a frame which will be photo'd for the feature.
>
> regards
>
> Hilary Stone, Bristol, England
>

Hilary Thanks for the mention and delighted to help. I submerged to the depths and retrieved my May '76 copy of the Holy Grail, but the only mentiopn and pix of the Exxon were in a photo spread overview of the February '76 NY International show.

That issue kept me up for awhile just pouring over the ads , letters, and stories. Page three is what might be Klein's first advert with the poster girl preceding Jan J.

If you are anyone could give me a reference to any Exxon stories, I'll send the magfor you to copy. I have Bike world, Cyclist, American Cyclist, Bicycle Guide, and manmy exp erimental and short-run mags dating to the 40's.

We carried the Exxon from the beginning at Georgetown Cycle Sport, and I still have a few of the original ones plus one or two we picked up en route. In 1976 John Howard and a couple other notable achievers aligned with Exxon. There was the Indy/CoolGear/Exxon pro/am team. Howie visited our shop and gave a clinic on the Greftek during the heyday.
Larry Black
Washington, DC.