In a message dated 8/5/2004 1:54:28 PM Eastern Daylight Time, mjbarry@on.aibn.com writes:
<< I was at the "Coppi meeting" at London's Herne Hill track in the early fifties and Coppi rode a bike very similar to the one shown. The rear drop-outs were filed out Campag Paris-Roubaix. There was much consternation at the time as he was allowed to race the track with Q/R hubs whereas the rules forbade them. Somewhere I have a photo of the bike. I will try to dig it out and post it. >>
Wow, that's neat that you were actually there, Mike! There were a number of letters and chatter about that meet and Coppi's bike in the VCC News & Views newsletter (really magazine) of which Hilary Stone is co-editor. I of course forget exactly what the consensus was, but maybe other, more astute readers can report on the details..
Dale Brown
Greensboro, North Carolina