A friend of mine and I were having some fun thinking about traveling back into the early-mid 1970's to try to explain to the people back then what would happen in the future of the bicycle Industry ---
"Campagnolo" ?? Still around, but to survive, they had to offer 5 grouppos rather than 2, and they have almost the same performance - all of them.
"Gears" ?? that satirical cartoon in bicycling magazine with a 27-speed is so passe'. In 2003 people are buying 30-speeds !!!
"Schwinn"?? "Raleigh"?? bankrupt, both of them, several times in fact. The names were sold to other companies, one of which makes an 'off road' type of bicycle that doesn't yet exist ... A new company from an unknown town in wisconsin will dominate the industry ...
"Specialized" ?? They make tires. Who the *()@Y% would buy a bicycle from a tire company ???
"Cannondale" ?? They make seat bags. Who the *(#)@%& would buy a bicycle from a seat bag company ??/
"Easton" ?? They make baseball bats. Are you saying that bikes in the 2000's are steered with baseball bats ??
No thanx !! I don't want to go "Back to the Future!"
- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA