Tom Sanders wrote:
"...bike was a shining, gleaming, non rusty bit of eye dazzle with a reasonably good paint job. I think if it does not please your eye, it should be made to do so. It's yours."
Here's where I disagree: she's not "yours", she belongs to history and posterity. This issue has been hashed out ad nauseum. Western outlook has been to leave your mark (graffiti by English explorers on the Temple of Dendur at The Metropolitan Museum), to "improve" (the repaint of the George Mount Olympic bike). Hey, unless she is almost a bucket of rust, you can always restore her. Why now? Just to make you happy? And if she isn't the only one on the planet left, well ride her for J.H.C's sake. Ride her into the ground. And if she is the last one on Earth, then what the heck are you doing taking away any originality (Peter N. on a last of a Hetchin's line). "Yea, but I want her to look nice". It's like asking your wife to get plastic surgery or you'll leave her for your girlfriend. Guy's ,when you have too much time on your hands, go paint your tools. A few years ago , the gods were good enough to help land in my lap a Peter Weigle bike. Fantastic quality paint job BUT UGLY!!! At least to my eyes. Magenta purple/Gumby green/white lugs with black in the heart cutouts/ yellow lettering....UGGGGHHHHHHH! So I figured I'd get her chromed. After all she fit and was flawless. But I called Peter first and we discovered she was in fact a show bike whose photos appeared in Playboy magazine with Terry Weigle (no relation) and then in Bicycling. The bike originally had Campagnolo "prototype"C-Record!!!!!! Rare and very special! This is The Playboy Wiegle Bike. Well, the bike is now with a very caring owner, The Famous Lou Deeter. I didn't do what I wanted. I did what the bike deserved. Help her show her history. Not "please my eye". This is just my humble opinion and has served me well for ohhhhh the last 15 years or so. Problem is it took me the first 15 years to learn.
Sincerly, JohnT.Pergolizzi Brooklyn, New York where it rained almost all day so I have too much energy for this time of night