Brett Horton is right. We all tend to look back to the era that we took up
cycling and then go back and look for the things that were around at that time.
Some of us start going back further out of curiosity, but never seem to go
forward. I came out of the 50s and it is not easy to find much still around.
It is mostly already collected or thrown away. Twenty years from now, there
will be a whole new generation of collectors, who will consider products of the
90s as collectable. In that period there was a lot of advancement in product
development and many deserve a collectable status for the ages as firsts.
Why can't there be yearly groupings to keep things in perspective. I just went
to a Concours d'Elegance this past weekend that honored 50 years of the
Corvette. They gave out awards for about each five years of production.
If we freeze the cut off date, we will discourage new collectors and they
will just go off and start there own group.
If we want to be elitists, then freeze the cut off date.
Dave Staub
Orange, Ca
PS: I just got back from a great trip to Italy. Saw stage 9 of the Giro and
history being made as Chipollini won his 42nd stage. Happened across a older
fellow with an old Legano set up as a commuter, but it was equipped with a
Cambio Corsa! I should have asked him if he was a Vechico Coridorie. Also
visited the new bike history museum in Novi Ligure (opened April 2003), Coppi's
birthplace in Castellania, and the Ghisallo. Also did a lap around the outside
of the Vigorelli. Saw a lot of nice old bicycles, but consider picking up
Chippolini's stage winning bike 20 years from now. It will probably be in a
museum though.
But Specialized will make sure that some replica's get out there.