Can anyone advise where on the quality range the Eros and Brava models rate amongst Bianchi bikes? There seems to be a couple of nice ones on eBay I am trying to determine the value of. Item numbers are 3679223213 and 3679407444
Thanks
Alistair Johnston White Rock, BC
-----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of classicrendezvous-request@bikelist.org Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2004 6:20 PM To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: Classicrendezvous Digest, Vol 17, Issue 114
Send Classicrendezvous mailing list submissions to classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
http://www.bikelist.org/
You can reach the person managing the list at classicrendezvous-owner@bikelist.org
When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Classicrendezvous digest..."
CR
Today's Topics:
1. Seeking very fast Clincher tires? Continental Attack force might be what you're after! (Tom Sanders) 2. Widths of Weinmann Rear Hangers? (r cielec) 3. Re: Collectability of weird things (Toni Theilmeier) 4. Re: Widths of Weinmann Rear Hangers? (Louis Schulman) 5. FS, NOS, NIB Raleigh Super Tourer 23-1/2" (David Cowie) 6. Re: Where did the Bivalent design originate 7. ebay outing: nice mercian 8. Re: Your archive 9. Where did the Bivalent design originate (HM & SS Sachs) 10. Mike Self, are you out there? (HM & SS Sachs) 11. For sale on Ebay - Gilles Berthoud Randonneur. (Norris Lockley) 12. Re: Bicisport June Issue 13. Windsor and Lotus (Donald Gillies) 14. re: some favorite parts. (HM & SS Sachs)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 15:13:35 -0400 From: "Tom Sanders" <tsan7759142@comcast.net> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Subject: [CR]Seeking very fast Clincher tires? Continental Attack force might be what you're after! Message-ID: <00a901c44355$8b118980$aebe0b18@C1921978A> Content-Type: text/plain;charset="iso-8859-1" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Precedence: list Reply-To: Tom Sanders <tsan7759142@comcast.net> Message: 1
I have been using High end Vittoria (CX?) tires on the newer racing = configuration bikes, but they are darn expensive and I was not getting = much mileage on them. I got a deal on a pair of the Continental Attack = Force tires, the ones they only sell in pairs with a slightly larger = rear than front. I cursed the rear one royally, as it was the tightest tire to mount I = had ever seen, but I am sure singing their praises after a 30 mile ride = on them. =20 I really believe these are the fastest clincher tires I have seen. They = feel faster than the Vittorias and every bit as fast as I remember = tubulars. Hope this isn't off topic, but we all have to have tires on the = treasures we ride! Tom Sanders Lansing, Mi
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 12:33:11 -0700 (PDT) From: r cielec <teaat4p@yahoo.com> To: Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Subject: [CR]Widths of Weinmann Rear Hangers? Message-ID: <20040526193311.18005.qmail@web52009.mail.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii MIME-Version: 1.0 Precedence: list Message: 2
Ahoy: Anyone know for certain if Weinmann offered rear brake cable hangers in different widths (at seat binder bolt) ?
I have a hanger @ approx 1 1/4 ins. though 1 in. would be more than adequate. I'll probably try bending it to smaller span before installation.
Just curious; my socks are not bunched in pedantic anxiety.
Regards, Richard Cielec Chicago, Illinois
--------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Friends. Fun. Try the all-new Yahoo! Messenger
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 21:42:50 +0200
From: Toni.Theilmeier@t-online.de (Toni Theilmeier)
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Cc: Jan Heine <jtheine@earthlink.net>
Subject: [CR]Re: Collectability of weird things
Message-ID: <DF82375D-AF4C-11D8-9EC3-0050E49E894D@t-online.de>
In-Reply-To: <CATFOOD7CtCK4JNE3rV000001a5@catfood.nt.phred.org>
References: <CATFOOD7CtCK4JNE3rV000001a5@catfood.nt.phred.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
MIME-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v613)
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Precedence: list
Message: 3
> Also, why are Cinelli Bivalent hubs sought after by collectors around
> the globe, yet the much more innovative clipless pedals go dirt-cheap
> and hardly anybody wants them?
> --=20
> Jan Heine, Seattle
I venture, once again, that this is so because we don=B4t collect = cycles,=20 but legends. For what other reason could anyone seriously want to own=20 a, say, Thanet Silverlight?
Regards,
Toni Theilmeier, Belm, Germany (ex SL1976, current SL1262).
P.S.: In the case of a sudden disruption of an e-mail conversation with=20=
me, please assume that I have given up the medium and contact me in a=20 more traditional way. I am in the trial phase of a last ditch system=20 after some others could not stand my constant abusing them.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 16:07:52 -0400 (GMT-04:00) From: Louis Schulman <louiss@gate.net> To: r cielec <teaat4p@yahoo.com>, Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Subject: Re: [CR]Widths of Weinmann Rear Hangers? Message-ID: <19317531.1085602072939.JavaMail.root@wamui02.slb.atl.earthlink.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Precedence: list Reply-To: Louis Schulman <louiss@gate.net> Message: 4
The bending works fine. First bend it in at the existing "L" bends, then make a second bend out at the ears so the tabs will be parallel. This makes for an excellent rigid bracket with cable adjuster. I have this setup on my 1965 Holdsworth Italia Strada with Universal Mod. 61 brakes.
I am working on posting pics of this bike so you all can be amazed (and amused?)
Louis Schulman Tampa, FL (Where 90 degree weather has set in until at least October).
-----Original Message----- From: r cielec <teaat4p@yahoo.com> Sent: May 26, 2004 3:33 PM To: Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Subject: [CR]Widths of Weinmann Rear Hangers?
Ahoy: Anyone know for certain if Weinmann offered rear brake cable hangers in different widths (at seat binder bolt) ?
I have a hanger @ approx 1 1/4 ins. though 1 in. would be more than adequate. I'll probably try bending it to smaller span before installation.
Just curious; my socks are not bunched in pedantic anxiety.
Regards, Richard Cielec Chicago, Illinois
--------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Friends. Fun. Try the all-new Yahoo! Messenger
_______________________________________________
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 15:21:02 -0700 From: David Cowie <recycle@wmni.net> To: "classicrendezvous@bikelist.org" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Subject: [CR]FS, NOS, NIB Raleigh Super Tourer 23-1/2" Message-ID: <40B5184E.276F0DF6@wmni.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; x-mac-type="54455854"; x-mac-creator="4D4F5353" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Precedence: list Message: 5
Offered for the first time in 30 yrs. Brand new old stock Raleigh Super Tourer, 23-1/2" DL-135 , 531 frame, Mink / Silver, Huret Jubilee der., TA crankset, full fenders and Randonneur bars, Brooks saddle. A real classic beautifully made . This model was only offered for a short time, very rare in box, never assembeled $1,400 includes insured delivery in 48 states.
David Cowie Sutherlin, Oregon
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 23:12:15 +0000 From: themaaslands@comcast.net To: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org (Classic Rendezvous) Subject: Re: [CR]Where did the Bivalent design originate Message-ID: <052620042312.12.40B5244E0005DC0A0000000C22007348409C0B020E049C0E0E030A089B@comc ast.net> Precedence: list Message: 6
Jan states about the Bivalent hubs:
> Don't you think all those concerns could have been overcome - if not
> then, at least today with so much superior technology - if the
> advantages were real? Cost - no problem for pro racers. Weight - how
> much, and I am sure you could get that down. Herse used "moyeux a
> broche" on their 7 kg bikes in the technical trials, so they must
> have been light. Reliability problems - could those be ironed out?
> Unwillingness to try something new - clearly, racers have, over time,
> tried new things when they thought it was worth while. Otherwise,
> they'd still race on Campy NR or wooden draisennes! (Or maybe Cino
> didn't pay enough to convince the riders that the hubs were worth
> trying?)
The problem is not the technology today, it is the economics. No company would
now be able to get a new standard hub spacing/setup adopted and the economic
interests of the various hubmakers now make this proposition impossible. This is
also probably what happened back in the day as apparently the only team to use
them was the Italian national team (perhaps it was only the amateur team. It
should be pointed out that Cino Cinelli did not feel that team sponsorship was
ever necessary and apart from the 1940's G. Cinelli amateur team in Florence,
there was never a team of riders to be paid by Cinelli to use his equipment.
> I completely understand the concerns of wheel changes in racing,
> which is why smart racers and their teams agree on hand signals to
> indicate which tire is flat - front or rear (usually one hand for one
> tire, the other for the other). Motorcycles with wheels, as far as I
> know, seem to be a more recent invention than Bi-Valent hubs. And
> even those motorcycles usually carry two wheels - a front and a rear.
Ride in a team car and you would then know that hand signals, no matter how well
planned, do not always work and the penalty of missing or misinterpreting a hand
signal is so large that most mechanics err on the safe side and therefore still
pull out both a front and rear. As far as the motorcycles go, I believe you are
right about when they appeared. It should be pointed out that it was only in the
mid-50's that team support like we know it now became available. That is why the
riders used to carry their own spare tires wrapped around their shoulders in all
the old photo.
> (Yes, I have been in races where the neutral support ran out of
> wheels, or one type of wheels. The same guys who made fun of my tire
> savers at the beginning of the race suddenly were quite interested in
> the concept!)
Double the number of wheels available and the problem of running out of one
wheel type would not occur! Tire savers are a quaint idea and lovely additions
to a vintage bike (I sold a number of 1950's NOS ones at le cirque), but have
never been proven to be in any way noticeably effective at avoiding flats and
this is why during professional races their use was rarer than rare. Far more
effective and with less of a disadvantage is to use your gloved hand to wipe the
tire while riding. Of course in cyclotouring this is not possible with mudguards
mounted, so the tire savers then become very useful. The same in the rain.
> I wonder how serious Cinelli really was about the Bivalents, or
> whether it was more of a publicity stunt to draw attention to his
> company, which just had introduced new alloy handlebars, etc.? (Sort
> of like certain Cannondale prototypes a few years ago.) I have no
> idea, but one wonders with a product that is the answer to a question
> nobody has asked, and that nobody seems to consider all that useful
> after it is presented. (Of course, the fact that they were made in
> some, albeit apparently small, numbers seems to indicate the
> contrary, that Cinelli was at least trying to sell a few.) Maybe the
> handlebars took off, and they/he didn't have time to pursue the
> project? Without any first-hand knowledge, I can only speculate. Does
> anybody know more?
The Bivalent hubs were supposedly developed by two gentlemen: one the father of
a top amateur and the other the Italian National team coach. It was not Cinelli
himself who developed the idea. He was simply the person who industrialized the
product. The national team coach obviously determined the idea to be
worthwhile. As far as it being a publicity stunt, this is a nonsensical
statement. Firstly, they were launched at the Milan show in fall 1963 when no
other Cinelli product of note was launched, secondly, Cinelli was already very
well known and his products highly respected. Had you been to le cirque, you
could also have seen the original marketing photos that Andrea Cinelli leant to
me. In these photos, you can clearly see that the original prototypes were made
with three-piece Campagnolo hub shells. This fact was then retouched for the
press release photos that I also had at le cirque. In the press release photos,
the Cinellil name has been added and the hubs have been retouched to look like
one piece all alloy hub shells. A December 1963 article in the Gazzetta dello
Sport shows these exact photos. I also had a developmental photo of an exploded
view of the hubs with Cino's notes on the rear, showing how the product had to
be modified. All very interesting stuff.
> Also, why are Cinelli Bivalent hubs sought after by collectors around
> the globe, yet the much more innovative clipless pedals go dirt-cheap
> and hardly anybody wants them?
The M-71 pedals were first commercialized a decade after the bivalent hubs, in 1973, and were produced in huge numbers (unlike the bivalents). There must be thousands of NOS pairs still available. With such a supply, the price is bound to come way down. The price will also remain low as long as it is apparent that a ready supply is still available. Unfortunately, the pedals were launched on the market at a time when few shoes were made that could withstand the stress of the nailed and screwed in shoeplates. They therefore got a bad rap for this and the fact that the release lever is hard to reach, especially on a track bike. By the time Look came out with their pedals, the shoe soles were then sufficiently thick to accept the shoeplates. I have a set of the very first Look shoeplates that came a plate to affix inside the shoe. Look also paid attention to Cinelli's errors and made sure their product avoided these known problems. The idea of a functional clipless has always been a great idea. With both the Cinelli and Look versions being basically from the same era, it would seem that most prefer the better of the two. The bivalent hubs on the other hand are virtually unique and represent another groundbreaking idea sold by a trendsetter.
-- Steven Maasland Moorestown, NJ
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 19:20:02 -0400 (EDT) From: chasds@mindspring.com To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: [CR]ebay outing: nice mercian Message-ID: <23838896.1085613609283.JavaMail.root@wamui01.slb.atl.earthlink.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Precedence: list Reply-To: chasds@mindspring.com Message: 7
Pretty bike. Unless it has a very short tt though, I'm betting it's 55cm c-t.
I'd be tempted myself, but it's not really my thing.
It amazes me how cheap these Mercians go for. They're every bit as nice, or nicer, than bikes with bigger names that sell for far more.
Just goes to show, again, there's no accounting for taste.. maybe especially including mine. <g>
Charles "I like the Vincitore..too bad they don't chrome the lugs anymore" Andrews SoCal ------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 19:52:40 -0400 From: jschaer@columbus.rr.com To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: [CR]Re: Your archive Message-ID: <CATFOODgAusVxONvzyJ000001e0@catfood.nt.phred.org> Content-Type: text/plain;charset="Windows-1252" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Precedence: list Message: 8
Please read the attached file.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 20:00:26 -0400 From: HM & SS Sachs <sachs@erols.com> To: heine93@earthlink.net, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org, themaaslands@comcast.net Subject: [CR]Where did the Bivalent design originate Message-ID: <40B52F9A.7050506@erols.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Precedence: list Message: 9
Please let me jump into the debate between Mssrs. Heine and Maasland, as =
one who owns and occasionally uses both the BiValent wheels and the=20 dread M71 Widowmaker pedals.
SM wrote:
>>To properly understand the advantage of one single interchangeable=20
>>wheel for either front or rear, you should ride in a team car when=20
>>you see your rider signalling a flat tire. A mechanic can get out of=20
>>the car with one free hand and a clear mind because he does not have=20
>>to grab the 'correct' or multiple wheels. The mechanic's free hand=20
>>is already sufficiently important to make the design worthwhile.=20
>
to which JH responded:
Don't you think all those concerns could have been overcome - if not=20 then, at least today with so much superior technology - if the=20 advantages were real?
and I will expound: A couple of weeks I predicted the re-emergence of bilaminate with=20 laser-cut or water-cut CAD-based tools, and was informed (with wonderful =
examples) that it is here now (at least as art, if not in the execution=20
I think will come). Today I will predict that rear wheel design will=20
change again, and that the BiValen concept is one contender. It can be=20
made to include the fundamental advantage of the cassette - right=20
bearing nearer the drop-out, and has many other advantages besides=20
front-rear interchange. To me, the most important is that I can change=20
wheels or tires in back much more easily, w/o the need to shift to the=20
small sprocket. For some racing teams, this would save time. It would=20
also make life easier by allowing each rider his/her choice of rear cog=20
sizes, w/o requiring extra wheels on the team car.
>You=20
>>can get out of the car more quickly. The clear mind also allows the=20
>>mechanic to concentrate solely on the repair at hand. For every=20
>>second spent waiting on the side of the road, the rider must spend=20
>>twice as long on the road riding with higher energy expenditure. It=20
>>should also be pointed out that for any riders in a break that has=20
>>less than 45 seconds of clearance from the peloton, as well as those=20
>>riders in 'chase' groups caught between the lead group and peloton,=20
>>they are generally only served by a motorcycle support vehicle that=20
>>cannot carry 10 wheels. The major problems with the Bivalent hubs=20
>>were: considerable extra costs of the hubs, extra weight,=20
>>reliability problems and no widespread desire to try something=20
>>unproven. Cino apparently got the Italian national team to ride on=20
>>them but it was apparently not a resounding success.
>>
>>--
>>Steven Maasland
>>Moorestown, NJ
> =20
>
JH asks:
Also, why are Cinelli Bivalent hubs sought after by collectors around=20
the globe, yet the much more innovative clipless pedals go dirt-cheap=20
and hardly anybody wants them?
to which I respond: The bivalents are a great product with some flaws. The pedals are a flaw= ed product with some virtues. My understanding is that the major problem = with the BiValents was reliability of the early models. Racers will not = long stand for freewheeling in both directions, as when the joint between= the hub and its splines failed. Once the word gets around, recovery may = be difficult, even if the later design had no problems. The system is so= elegant and so much fun that I use it and compensate in two ways: being = old and weak, and not using large FW cogs which could overtorque the join= t. In contrast, the pedals are a stupid design, and the stupidity is sha= red by both models I have. Each has a strong positive (and non-adjustabl= e) lock-in. Each must be disengaged by pushing in a plastic lever on the= outside of the pedal. This is a pretty awkward reach while lying on you= r side. It would be more awkward if the plastic sheared off while you sli= d along... Might be ok on the track, but not a great idea in a pack. BT= W, and this is not Cinelli's fault, one reason I ride them so seldom is t= hat I've fallen with them, even when riding with the locks disengaged. I= t seems that getting out of the darned things requires roughly the opposi= te ankle action of abandoning your (off-topic) clipless pedals. One wron= g reflex and I was on my side - and w/o my shoe.
Don't you think all those concerns could have been overcome - if not=20 then, at least today with so much superior technology - if the=20 advantages were real? Cost - no problem for pro racers. Weight - how=20 much, and I am sure you could get that down. Herse used "moyeux a=20 broche" on their 7 kg bikes in the technical trials, so they must=20 have been light. Reliability problems - could those be ironed out?=20 Unwillingness to try something new - clearly, racers have, over time,=20 tried new things when they thought it was worth while. Otherwise,=20 they'd still race on Campy NR or wooden draisennes! (Or maybe Cino=20 didn't pay enough to convince the riders that the hubs were worth=20 trying?)
JH also muses (as I am wont to do): I have no idea, but one wonders with a product that is the answer to a qu= estion=20 nobody has asked...<snip> Without any first-hand knowledge, I can only sp= eculate. Does=20 anybody know more?
HS speaks now: Jan, I commend to you the books of Henry Petroski, who establishes over a= nd over that advances come from dissatisfaction. It is not beyond me to = think that Cinelli saw a problem (slow wheel changes, hard to equip teams= , etc, all noted by Steve M.) and tried to build a better mouse trap. Bu= t, this may veer off-topic.
harvey sachs McLean VA
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 20:22:36 -0400 From: HM & SS Sachs <sachs@erols.com> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: [CR]Mike Self, are you out there? Message-ID: <40B534CC.40405@erols.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Precedence: list Message: 10
(please pardon the broadcast)
Mike, please send your email address; I have some Lambert parts you might want.
thanks harvey sachs mcLean va
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 May 2004 01:44:55 +0100 From: "Norris Lockley" <Norris.Lockley@btopenworld.com> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Subject: [CR]For sale on Ebay - Gilles Berthoud Randonneur. Message-ID: <000c01c44383$d65862f0$92757ad5@oemcomputer> Content-Type: text/plain;charset="iso-8859-1" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Precedence: list Message: 11
Many col.umn inches are written on the List vaunting the qualities of = the Randonneur frames of Alex Singer and Rene Herse but as we all know = these frames cost top dollar and more. For anyone who lusts after such a top quality frame in true randonneur = style with 26" wheels and bronze-welded construction, I suggest that you = should take a look at the Gilles Berthoud frame and fork set-up = currently offered for sale on Ebay.
The 57cms frame is offered on the Sports/Cycling/Road bikes/frames = section - item 3679070637. The frame is new but was built back in 1994 = and apparently has hung in a cycle shop somewhere awaitng a buyer. The = frame also includes a full set of F and R panniers which, I assume, were = welded up by Gilles himself in the style of the Jack Taylor ones.
Perhaps Berthoud is not well known in the States but he is much = respected in his native France where he is often assumed to be the = undisputed successor to Herse and Singer. Some of his bilaminated frames = - here we go again -are quite beautiful. His seat stay clusters are much = to be admired and use the "triangulation" style of the hellenics, GT, = etc but in a far more restrained way.
It would seem to me that the buyer cannot go wrong because the seller is = offering full refund facilities if not satisfied.
The current price is around $345 with the best part of 1 day and 20 = hours to go.
If you buy it you wouldn't be disappointed I guarantee that.
Norris Lockley
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 May 2004 00:45:03 +0000 From: themaaslands@comcast.net To: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org (Classic Rendezvous) Subject: Re: [CR]Bicisport June Issue Message-ID: <052720040045.16777.40B53A0E00002DD40000418922007637049C0B020E049C0E0E030A089B@c omcast.net> Precedence: list Message: 12
I have been asked by a number of you to see about the availability of the June issue of Bicisport. I believe that I have already lined up 10 copies of the magazine. I expect them to cost about $10 each with shipping and all. If you are interested in a copy, please let me know and once they arrive in the US, I will then let you know the true cost.
-- Steven Maasland Moorestown, NJ
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 17:54:22 -0700 (PDT) From: Donald Gillies <gillies@cs.ubc.ca> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: [CR]Windsor and Lotus Message-ID: <200405270054.RAA04490@cascade.cs.ubc.ca> Precedence: list Message: 13
Sometimes these questions can always be answered on Sheldon Brown's web site "Valuing old 10speeds".
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/
===== Windsor
One of the hottest bikes among low-income racers in the 1970's was the Windsor Pro (the other hot bike was a Peugeot PX-10, 21 lbs and Reynolds 531 throughout for 30% less than a full campy bike!)
Not only was the Windsor Pro cheap, cheap cheap, with columbus tubing (anywhere from $50 to $100 less than a Columbus / Nuovo Record bike from another maker), but it came with COOL chromed lugs. In hindsight the Windsor, this chrome did not last, as I've seen a few windsors lately and the chrome has decayed in a way that indicates shoddy plating.
I have a bicycling magazine review of the Windsor Pro, from sometime in 1973 or 1974. You might want to look that up at your local library. They liked the ride quite a lot, and were very impressed by the low price. I think lotus sold a lot of bikes, because their bikes were sometimes the same cost as a component kit from the retailers !! The Windsor Pro was a popular bikes to part out because it was so cheap.
===== Lotus
Lotus was a japanese make, starting in the late 1970's and throughout the 1980's, i believe. I helped my girlfriend to get a mid-range Lotus Classique in 1984, for about $260. It was a nice bike with Tange No. 2 frame, Suntour dropouts, and Suntour Cyclone gears. Lotus had used awesome pastel metallic paint colors (my girlfriend's was bluish, there were great lavendar and light green bikes), and very classic looking decals with a Lotus Flower in front of the "L" in "Lotus" on some, and a Lotus-shaped headbadge (|) that looked like an onion. Lotus was a high quality japanese brand, on par with Fuji and bigger than Sekai (more than 10 bikes at one point) and they offered a full campy bike and a full superbe bike at one point in their history.
http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/
Sheldon probably didn't mention Lotus on his website because the bike shop across town from him in Boston sold Lotus !! At least, that's where the Lotus Classique was purchased...
- Don Gillies San Diego, CA
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 21:17:22 -0400 From: HM & SS Sachs <sachs@erols.com> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: [CR]re: some favorite parts. Message-ID: <40B541A2.1020408@erols.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Precedence: list Message: 14
First, I love elegance in cranks, where it can be found in abundance: --> the hollow, tapered, octagonal, DuPrat 5-pin steel cottered, which weighs just 3 gm more than the TA alloy version. --> The Magistroni and Stronglight cottered steel 3-pin, and especially the slender, steel Campy cotterless "Gran Sport" with alloy rings. --> The aluminum Stronglight type 63, with slender arms like 49d/57, but web and drilling like 93.
For derailleurs, the "steel" Campy Record and parallelogram front. The former was a real break from the Gran Sport of the 50s, with asymetrical cage hanger, and tremendously robust. The latter was sooo much better than the plunger Campy and Simplex, or even the parallelogram Huret. Easy to mount, easy to adjust...just didn't last very long until they beefed it up with the circlip etc.
As gruppos, there are two that I'm grateful to have: the preWar Paramount tops my list. Incredible 3-piece hubs, with cups machined into the barrels, tall flanges gracefully thin, and floating "vacuum-fit" cones on countersunk axles. The beefy 3-arm cranks, which had only 2 arms and the third chainring bolt attached to the crank arm. The other gruppo is one I had not ridden until 2 years ago, but have come to respect greatly: the first gen. Dura-Ace. Bought it at the same time as a near-matched bike with late Campy NR. Cranks are prettier (IMHO) and the brakes work much more nicely. The shifting is much more positive than Campy NR, and seems to have much less of an overshift requirement. We're not even talking about such weirdos as the AX aero hubs...
For on-topic pedals, I have to look beyond my sentimental favorites (Lyotard Berthet, for modest price and great design but poor durability; and Campy Record, for being such a workhorse) and grab great execution but imitative design: the superb Suntour Superbe Pro. Imitated the "Rochester" (whatever its name was) and the Weyless, but flawlessly executed, with interchangeable cages and sealed bearings, and a well-balanced design that could be easily flipped up to catch the toe clip.
Suntour, CycloPans, and even TDC freewheels whose spline-fit cogs freed you from the tyrrany of the Regina cog board with its infinite selection of 7 or more different threaded cog types (for only 5 gears!)? Maintainable, relatively inexpensive, well made, and even came with removers that weren't cleverly designed to both tear up the FW and sometimes fail. My, what a thought! (Keep an eye out for the rare Suntour ProCompe "T" with heavy-duty pawls for tandem service).
And my heart insists on including Phil Wood, for real innovation (at least in the USA), and for the dogged persistence to keep on meeting real neads of niche groups like tandem riders. 48 hole hubs, any width hubs and BBs, and the marvelous Rube Goldberg-like spoke thread roller. What a cigarette machine would look like if folks smoked steel...
And then there is what folks would expect of me: the in-your-face stuff that says, "Well, here's another way to get there." How about the much smaller, lighter Weinmann Delta brakes instead of the Campgranola Robustas? The Alternberger/Weinmann dual-pivot of the 1960s?
harvey sachs mcLean va
------------------------------
_______________________________________________
End of Classicrendezvous Digest, Vol 17, Issue 114 **************************************************