Hey Swingers,
List Master-issimo wrote:
> That is the Euro Asia Imports hood.. You can tell by the big honking
> molding
> seam along the sides...They also are a kinda weird color, not as warm
> of a
> brown/tan as Campag, Modolo, etc., but ever so slightly differently
> toned. But
> they fit well and work just dandy. We sell them at CDO as well as by
> most of the
> shops who are represented on this e-list.
e-Richie-issimo wrote:
>
> then why is there a day long thread about retooling,
> reissueing, resurrecting...a part from 35 years ago?
Parker-issimo wrote:
> Because the rubber stuff wears out after a third of a century, but we
> want to keep using the bike!!!!!!! Duh....
> (Unlike the "just made to last for a couple seasons" fashion-statement
> throw-away crapola made now). ;-)
> I just couldn't resist, sorry. (Campy, 'mount, 'nago, neener, neener,
> neener....)!
>
Some thoughts......
All any collector really needs is ONE pair of original hoods. Dead easy to take a lever and hood assembly off a set of bars by leaving the attaching clamp on the bars and switching for a user pair of levers with generic hoods. No need to undo any bartape and would take any of us all of 5 minutes. Plenty of cheap original campy brake levers around and with all sorts of non-original hoods available for small coin you can ride for cheap and see more dawns than farmers. Store your world logo hoods with levers in a nice dark box, or humidor even, to keep them from aging prematurely when not used for show or for period correct pics. Same goes for other "consumables" like brake pads, pedals, chainrings, derailleurs, chains, freewheels, wheelsets, saddles ... you name it. Plenty on and off topic stuff out there that can be used as a substitute to avail your classic the opportunity of being ridden and thankfully with reasonable maintenance stuff like bottom brackets, headsets, cranks, calipers etc etc can outlive us even if used regularly. It really ain't hard. Who here commutes on Seta Extra's & Fiamme's? How much slower are you for using a generic disposable 144bcd chainring? Show me how using non original hoods endangers your life? Name one person that has been stoned or excommunicated for using a $5 Suntour V-GT on their '76 De Rosa.
If you insist on using only original parts on your daily rider or having original parts on each of your bikes, then, of course, you need to have deep pockets. Just accept that by using them you are adding demand to a market that need not be satisfied well after the fact by an OEM, just to pander to our vanity even if it be seated from an otherwise pure notion of appreciation and a wish for retaining the 100 point beauty of an older era. The reality is we have it good and can easily enjoy our classics and also "spiff" them up with the "correct" bits if needed to get our goolies wet ....... more so than almost all other collector pursuits and for a whole lot less $'s too.
I'm no hippy (my Kojak 'do precludes that) but if we only kept as much as we needed and made good use of non-original bits the vintage bike world could grow exponentially without the need for sourcing any more original parts stock. Any collector who has more than 10 classic bikes and bemoans the cheap availability of correct brake hoods would sound like Sinatra despairing at the thought of sleeping alone for a night or two.
Life is good for us cyclists with a classic penchance. I'm always happy that I can afford lots of visually challenged (or non-kosher) bits that let me use and enjoy my old bikes without sweating. These aren't great compromises we are making. I'd rather complain about bad roads/drivers or the lack of tasteful cycling attire .... I'd feel less like a martian wearing a watermelon shell on my head than my Giro.
BTW, If all the parts we ever wished for were available at Nashbar or our LBS then what on earth would we talk about here and how much less would we appreciate the jewels we have in our garages, basements & bedrooms? (No ... not those jewels Richie ;) ) At the end of the day we are reliving history and that means things from a long time ago that are no longer produced - that differs from being extinct, far from it in reality.
Maybe I'm just showing equanimity, but at the end of the day my primary factor is to just ride. I love old bikes and own a few of them, but I can also admit to belonging to 3 vintage car clubs even though I have not owned a car for the last 8 years. OTOH, to coin a phrase from "Withnail & I" with regard to being asked for a personal opinion on drugs, or in this case the hooplah created by apparent campy brake hood shortage; ....... "apart from personal use, I don't care".
I love you all irrespective of your logo's or lack of them.
ciao,
Ben "have cake & eat it" Kamenjas Sydney, Australia
P.S. most classic/vintage bikes here downunder are ridden sans hoods anyways ....... & the sheep are still scared