I wish we could see more vintage bicycles that have been preserved and fewer that have been restored. Fresh paint and new decals do not make a classic ... better.
Nick Zatezalo Atlanta,Ga
> [Original Message]
> From: <BobHoveyGa@aol.com>
> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Date: 11/28/2004 2:26:55 AM
> Subject: [CR] Restoration
>
> What a wonderful message, Harvey! It reminds me how difficult it has
been
> for me to decide just what it is I find most attractive in a vintage
bike.
>
> I know I stand in awe when 'time capsule' machines surface, like John's
> wrapped Masis, and like you I do wonder for a moment what joy they might
have
> missed out on, partnered with a considerate and devoted rider for a
period of
> years. On the other hand, they might have been purchased by someone with
more
> money than sense, abused and left to rust, eventually doomed to a
wasteland beyond
> the interest of even the most determined restoration artist.
>
> At the other extreme, I also find beauty in the totally unrestored but
> obviously loved machines that one sees from time to time, fraught with
personal
> touches and an attempt to keep them lubed and running, but with obvious
signs of
> age and even rust. An extreme example that I found totally mesmerizing
was an
> old steed exhibited at Cupertino in 2003 that I believe was a Binachi (it
had
> an integrated headset but no decals visible in the photos I saw). It had
> cantilever brakes, and components that had been drilled and milled and
sculpted
> beyond what anyone would think possible. How many hours, I would be
afraid to
> guess... each component was like a piece of jewelry. I could only
describe the
> frame as a mess, albeit a charming one. The pale blue paint was faded
and
> worn away in many places and amazingly, bare metal showed where brazeons
had
> been added but no paint to cover the wounds. Time and wear had aged the
rust to
> a very smooth and silky brown, like a beautiful old chisel or plane.
Rust on
> a fine bicycle? Sacrilege to be sure, but for some reason it added even
more
> to this bike's charm, much the way one would welcome the sight of two
deep
> depressions in each stair tread of a very old house, or the raw spots on
a
> vintage bomber jacket. I'd still love to know who owns this bike.
>
> In between are the bikes most of us own... some we bought new and have
> cherished for years, others are reclaimed from ruin and brought back to
life. Like
> many of us, I struggle with how far to go in restoring one of these old
> machines. I admire those, like Richard, who have gone to incredible
lengths to
> create a work art equal to, and in some cases superior to, the original.
His two
> Masis are wonderful... but unrideable, at least I cound not bring myself
to
> ride them (and I guess Richard can't bring himself to either). Is there
> anything wrong with that? Of course not... some history is worth
preserving, and
> though I think there are few sights more beautiful than old warbirds
flying, I
> completely understand when someone spends several million dollars
restoring a
> P-38 and decides not to take it up because there are so few left.
>
> My own Masi is covered with rust spots and fine scratches... I don't know
if
> I'd go so far as to say that it has been abused, but it certainly shows
ample
> evidence of the thirty plus years it has traveled. What should I do? I
have
> agonized over this since bringing it home from Cirque. The decals are in
> almost unbelievably good shape given the condition of the rest of the
frame... so
> I don't think there is anyone in the world who could talk me into a
repaint,
> though I know many who would find this perfectly acceptable.
>
> I've recently seen some photos of an amazing restoration Brian did (also
a
> Masi Special) where he masked around each and every decal in order to do
a
> repaint yet preserve the bike's original markings. The job he did was so
intricate
> and detailed, one can only marvel at his skill. This would certainly
work
> for my bike... I'd have a frame that is clean and bright, with something
left of
> the old. But I hesitate. I wonder about the origin of each of those
spots
> and scratches and if covering them up is not a bit like plastic surgery
and
> hair dye... are not a few stretch marks or grey hairs signs of a life
well-lived,
> of children raised, of experiences to be cherished?
>
> Now I'm thinking of a Bianchi again... this time a beautiful black 1961
> Specialissima that was on Ebay six months ago and belonged, I think, to a
> listmember in Louisiana or Texas. The components were shiny and
pristine... it looked
> like a new bike from a few feet off, and everything just gleamed in the
> filtered sunlight of the front yard it was photographed in. Step closer
and one
> began to see the bike's age in a fragmented rim decal or the slightly
worn Bianchi
> crest on the seat tube. Closer still, one could see numerous blemishes in
the
> paint. Someone had lovingly touched up each and every scratch with a
brush.
> Yes, they could have been sanded and rubbed out and become almost
> invisible... and with the overall level of care the bike had received
elsewhere, I could
> not believe this had been left undone because of any lack of time or
expertise
> on the owner's part. So of course my sentimental nature led me to
believe
> that the blemishes had been left visible as marks of honor, evidence of
the long
> path the bike had taken to arrive in that sunny front yard.
>
> Maybe I need to do something similar with my Masi... mix some paint to a
> careful match and have at it. Cover the rust and scratches carefully,
maybe even
> level the paint on the worst of them. Leave the fragment of that bike
shop
> decal from Fidenza that probably closed its doors decades ago. Get it
looking
> as nice as I possibly can and then just go for a ride and see if the bike
has
> retained any memories she'd like to share with me.
>
> So perhaps I have finally found what I consider most beautiful in a
vintage
> bike... clean and shiny components with a bit of wear, a saddle with deep
> lustrous patina, paint that is cared for but please, not perfect. Let me
see the
> marks of both care and age, the yin and yang of any object that fulfills
its
> intended purpose well, in the hands of a grateful owner.
>
>
> Bob Hovey
> Columbus, GA
>
>
>
>
>
> In a message dated 11/27/2004 7:18:42 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> classicrendezvous-request@bikelist.org writes:
> Through the long discussion about Martanos (which I can't remember ever
> seeing, much less using), I kept wondering, but didn't get around to
> asking, "Are they any good?" Thanks, gentlemen, for helping me
> understand that they have the charm of Stalinist waiters...More than a
> bit obsolete, and no fun to deal with. But, I write not to atta-boy, but
> to react to Chuck's comment:
>
> "I'm only impressed with an "as it came out of the box" bike, if it
> actually did _just_ come out of a box like John Barron's Masi. I'm less
> impressed with a restoration that iscomplete down to the original less
> than stellar OEM parts."
>
> Funny how attitudes on this vary. To me, a 30 year old "just out of the
> box" bike can have both mojo and funk (although I only am competent to
> judge the latter), but there is also a wistfulness, that this is a bike
> that never got to serve its function of bringing pleasure by being
> ridden, but has only the compensation of offering a pristine view of a
> past time. Nice, but static.
>
> On the other hand, I've gotten a lot of pleasure, on a modest budget,
> unwinding the resultsof decades of modernization and change to equip
> bikes as they were when new. My Cinelli has truly awful paint, but I've
> brought it back to how it might have been when new, and this brings
> satisfaction. It's now a grizzled vet, but with one kind of integrity
> that I value.
>
> And then, there are restorations like e-Ritchie's Masis, which shows
> awesome attention to detail, to getting the bike back to in-the-box
> condition. A true just-out-of-the-box is either a lucky find, or a
> triumph of the wallet. Ritchie's class of restoration is the result of
> hard work, patience, time, and a not inconsequential commitment to
> spending.
>
> But, if Chuck was referring to "over the top" restorations with thick,
> wet-look paint on bikes for which it is inappropriate, I'm with him all
> the way. These, from some fine shops, sometimes strike me as sad.
>
> Harvey Sachs
> McLean VA