Didn't want to add to the traffic on this debate since my newbie post started it by lamenting that the big bike world doesn't value classics like the big music/guitar world does.
As a newbie here it's not my business to propose a truce, so I'll butt out if there are other issues at stake that I didn't see.
But seems like Dale's response to e-Ritchie says it all and should satisfy all concerned as far as they've expressed it today and yesterday.
Dale only said that drawing an analogy or reference to an alt. craftmanship issue in an ON-topic post was a natural part of CR, but that responding on-list about the alt. topic (whether guitars, furniture, etc.) was OT. Sounds easy and reasonable, easy to ignore the ref. for folks without the interest in craftmanship and no OT followup email traffic. Nobody on CR would have to receive emails that are about, say, guitars, but the soul of craftsmanship that makes classic bikes classic would be fair game and on-topic. I personally might enjoy talking a lot more about this philosophy but then folks who could help me restore the spiral spring in my Huret Jubilee might drop the list from lack of interest--in fact, they must have dropped already ;-)
Mitch "who learned a ton this week about tiny Colnago details and loving it"
Harris
Utah Co., UT