Draw........................Of...................the...................straw ! Sometimes you get the big one................and sometimes you don't. It's timing, being at the right place at the right time. Maybe no one was in need of that $ 25.- front mech.............And next week there's that guy who has to have it!...............Darn!.....I'll list an item for $ 10.- as a regular auction! No takers, list it soon after in the store for $ 19.- and a few hours later it's gone! This has happened many times. Then there's a follow up asking if I have anymore for the $ 19.- price tag.
Cambio equipped riggs,.................maybe everybody has had their fill! You know........there's only so many beans you can stuff into a buritto!
BC
Baron C...............And the gang!!
Renaissance cycles,
Eindhoven Holland
market -whathas happened?"
> Basing prices on what items sell for on Ebay, I have always found tenuous
at
> best. Ebay does not make sense to me, nor does it follow any economic
logic
> that I know. (If there is such a thing as "economic logic.") Items, such
as
> a NR front derailleur listed at starting price of $24.99 doesn't get a
> nimble, but yet two weeks later the same derailleur will sell for over
fifty
> dollars.
>
> I do, however, agree with Aldo on the Cambio stuff that I have been
> following recently. I haven't bid, assuming it will go sky high, and then
> it doesn't. I kick myself (not real hard though), but wonder if I'd ever
be
> able to shift it anyways.
>
> Perhaps Ebay follows the random walk theory or some chaos theory, but in
one
> sense those qualities for me are what makes it interesting, slightly
> frustrating, and fun.
>
> Cheers.
>
> Tom Hayes
> Chagrin Falls, Ohio, where it's raining, and I'm waiting for the start of
> school.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Aldo Ross" <aldoross4@siscom.net>
> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Sent: Thursday, August 19, 2004 11:15 AM
> Subject: [CR]WARNING - Rambling Message "Declining sliding-hub market -
> whathas happened?"
>
>
> Is this the best time to buy those Cambio Corsa and Cambio Paris-Roubaix
> bikes? Prices have fallen since last year. Has supply exceed demand?
>
> Bikes which last year were selling for $1200 to $2100 seem to have gone
back
> to pre-"Vintage Velos" prices i.e. well below $1000. The restored Ancora
> which sold this June for 500 Euros (about $625) might have fetch twice
that
> or more last year. Weren't the frankenbolt qr levers and 3-piece hubs as
> high as $300 in 2002?
>
> That Learco Guerra w/PR which cost me $1000 last summer... I doubt it
would
> bring much over half that on eBay today, but at that time the parts
> (shifter, hubs, qr levers, brakes, stem and bars) would fetch what I paid
> for the entire bike, perhaps more.
>
> Perhaps everyone who wanted one, now has two, or three, or more... ?
>
> There are three cambio Corsa bikes at my house, Bianchi, Ancora, and Olmo,
> plus the Guerra w/P-R, and the pre-war Benotto updated in '48 to Simplex
> derailleur. If we were on a sinking ship, and I could only save one bike,
> it would be the Guerra. It's easy to ride, easy to shift, and fun to
> explain - in an Enginerd-ish kinda way.
>
> Have you ever ridden a sliding-hub bike? Have you ever shifted one?
>
> I don't know if this is common among CC/PR owners, but I find myself
> shifting less often, pushing the gear on rises, and winding it up on
> descents. I think modern riders shift their modern bikes too often
anyway,
> so it seems appropriate for this retrogrouch to stay in one gear 90% of
the
> time. Funny, that even as my shifting skills have improved with these
> bikes, I find myself shifting less often.
>
> Big climbs and big hills still require a change of gear, and I have made a
> habit of announcing "SHIFTING!" in a loud voice - not so people can watch
> the shift, but to warn them that I may or may not hold a straight line,
> maintain a steady speed, or get the desired gear on the first attempt.
>
> Most of my riding companions have learned the rules:
>
> "Do Not Get Behind Me during a shift!"
>
> "Do Not Ride Too Close by my side!"
>
> "Be Prepared to take evasive action!"
>
> "You May become my New Best Friend if I need a push to keep from falling
> over!" (This rule applies only to experienced riders.)
>
> The three CC bikes all suffer from one problem - the chainrings aren't
> perfectly round or perfectly centered on the BB spindle, which causes
tight
> spots when pedalling. Add a well-worn cotter arrangement, and it can get
> even worse. With careful manipulation of the two levers, the chain can be
> slackened, but it can take time to get it right. With the PR, this
> adjustment is built-into the shifter, so the chain is never too tight.
>
> Shifting the P-R bike takes about 2 seconds.
>
> Shifting the CC bikes takes anything from 3 to 5 seconds.
>
> Besides tricky shifting, the Bianchi suffers from being a bit on the heavy
> side. Also, the fenders (which I stubbornly refuse to remove) are the
> open-sided Italian style, which act like sails in most wind conditions.
> It's stupid to keep using them on a bike which no longer sees the rain,
but
> they look too wonderful to sacrifice in the name of a mere 2 or 3 MpH
> increase in avg speed.
>
> The Olmo is about as neutral as a bike can get. On a flat ride requiring
> few or no shifts, the bike just kinda disappears. It's easy to forget
which
> bike your riding... a bike that's nearing it's 60th birthday, but it might
> as well be a modern single-speed, or a relaxed track bike, or a walk in
the
> park.
>
> No verdict yet on the ride quality of the Ancora. It was badly damaged in
> shipping, and is currently at International Pro have the fork
straightened.
> Then it's off to Wheelie Fun for frame alignment.
>
> Note: Never assume anyone else knows how to package a bicycle for shipment
> overseas, no matter how much of an enthusiast they are. Always send
> explicite instructions, berhaps accompanied by photos, illustrations, and
> maybe even a box full of assorted cardboard, wood, rope, foam sheets, etc.
> Keep in mind that the guy who packed the Ancora owns a bike museum
attached
> to his hotel, and yet he STILL depended on one layer of bubble wrap to
> protect the frame from the freewheel and axle, resulting in lots of nicks,
> gouges, and dings. What a pity. I still get a headache writing about it.
>
> I hope everyone is enjoying Pic of the Day. I really enjoy the chance to
> share these pics. I have about 300 magazines from 1924 to 1960... still
> lots of gaps to fill, but there's currently enough material for another 24
> months or so. Thanks to everyone who has sent
> comments/corrections/translations/anecdotes. The more information we can
> add, the better.
>
> Oh, well... time for lunch.
>
> Aldo Ross
> Blue Ball, Ohio