[CR]RE: CRIT BIKES or WHYS THIS BIKE SO TALL?

(Example: Framebuilders:Bernard Carré)

Date: Thu, 13 May 2004 17:40:06 -0700
From: "Bob Freitas" <freitas1@pacbell.net>
To: CLASSIC RENDEZVOUS <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR]RE: CRIT BIKES or WHYS THIS BIKE SO TALL?

ANGEL
               Funny you would acquire one as I did(by mistake) a couple years ago I bought a 1977 EISENTRAUT A bike.
        At the time of purchase I measured and found it to be my size(54CM) and not wanting to show the seller I was TOO EXCITED forwent the test ride(you know the drill,OH,that old heap?) plus the wheels had seen better days.
                 Well arriving home and putting a set of wheels on it ,I immediately noticed less airspace between the frame and me,
           maybe I was shrinking?
                   I hauled it by ED LITTONS and asked what gives with this bike? he leveled the bike and measured the BB height
        and lo and be hold I was the proud owner of a "CLASSIC CRITERIUM BIKE" I told ED "well its to tall for me so I am going to sell it" he "NO, its your size"
                    The long and the short of it (or TALL of it) is the BB is 20mm taller than my best handling bike(81 BIANCHI SUPER CORSA) the feel of the bike on the level is good ,climbing is a little different(need to go up from that 24T) and down hill is real different.
                   I ride it from time to time and dont let the downhill stuff bother me,Its a great bike with excellent finish(its close to CELESTE also) ED is pretty sure that it is a mixed tubeset from the master of tube mixing, So I have mine,you will all have to go find your own (of course RITA has not seen all the boxes arrive yet ,I went to CIRC with one but some how will get 3 back ,so the above might change)
                                              BOB FREITAS
                           marvelous MILL VALLEY,CA