Literally and figuratively, Mojo means Magic. Different bikes
seem magical for a variety of reasons and we're nostalgiac for
different bikes for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it's
obvious but other times it's difficult to describe. For
example, I've taking a likeing to French bikes with strange
combinations of threading standards. Some people love
Raleighs, even when they're lack brazing in all their joints.
Who can explain it?
Cheers,
Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia
> Which comes first, the nostalgia or the mojo?
>
> Dennis Young
> Hotaka, Japan
>
> >
> > tom's text, snipped here, speaks volumes:
> >
> > "If Masis had been made in Ireland, instead of Carlsbad,
> and if they were
> > EXACTLY the same as those we see from Carlsbad, they would
> be less sought
> > after."
> >
> > this is a moot point; the bike boom occurred here,
> > in the usa, in the 70s. that is why these brands
> > are "hot" now.
> > e-RICHIE
> > chester, ct
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -- Dennis Young <mail@woodworkingboy.com> wrote:
> > That is a thought provoking speculation that you pose, Tom.
> One thing
> > though, quality hand made goods, in this case bike frames,
> that are made in
> > a spirit of creativity and attention to detail, are
> generally going to pick
> > up some influence from their country of origin. So, I
> don't think that
> > your scenario in it's pure form is quite feasable. Perhaps
> if you imported
> > Mr. Baylis (we might have him on our 'Lucky Charms' cereal
> box now!) and the
> > rest of the crew from the US to Ireland, then you could get
> exact copies of
> > what the US made Masis looked liked. With Irish workers,
> you have to figure
> > that there is at some point at least going to be an Irish
> Shamrock on the
> > downtube, that will probably add to the romance and
> desirability when looked
> > at from abroad. Whether the degree of interest would match
> up to what is
> > happening currently with the Carlsbad bikes, your "old
> world frame shop" at
> > a place where they are doing the 'surfers's stomp' on the
> beach, the anomaly
> > is well taken and the picture very endearing,
> > it must be a factor in the desirability for US purchasers.
> >
> > Dennis Young
> > Hotaka, Japan
> >
> >
> >
> > Dennis,
> >
> > You wrote:
> >
> > "If Carlsbad Masis had been made in Ireland and few
> exported to the US, how
> > much more would US bidders be willing to pay?"
> >
> > I do get your point, which is that the sources of the
> desirable French and
> > Italian bikes/parts are a long way from Japan, and unlike
> in the US, there
> > is never was a lot of the stuff exported to Japan. I can't
> imagine what I'd
> > do to get my NR/SR parts fix if I couldn't buy the "old,
> used junk" off of
> > ex-racers at the local swap meet. Pay high prices on Ebay,
> I guess.
> >
> > However, there are some ideas I want to through out here,
> and since it is
> > both Masi-related highly speculative I will turn off my
> computer and come
> > back in a couple of days to see how much chatter it
> generates. If Masis had
> > been made in Ireland, instead of Carlsbad, and if they were
> EXACTLY the same
> > as those we see from Carlsbad, they would be less sought
> after. This would
> > hold true even if only a small percentage of the total
> Irish production ever
> > made it to the US. If they were made in Ireland, no matter
> how well, they
> > would just be "fake" non-Italian examples of yet another
> Italian brand. The
> > primary reason Masi has such brand recognition among US
> collectors, is that
> > it blends the exotic Italian heritage with a story we can
> relate to, which
> > is the establishment of an old-world frame shop in the new
> world. Add to
> > this that Masi really took a traditional Italian product,
> and added that
> > obsessive level of finish that was born on our shores...
> and of course there
> > is the innovation of investment casting, which I would
> think most CR types
> > would actually hold against the brand. If Masi had never
> come to the US,
> > the bikes would not be any higher on the US collector radar
> than Colnago or
> > Gios. That is, they'd be highly regarded, but not the
> basis of a cult. In
> > fact, even though the 1970's Italian examples seem to
> generate less CR
> > excitement than the US ones, I'd bet that they'd be less
> popular still if
> > the US ones had never been made.
> >
> > Just my opinion,
> >
> > Tom Dalton
> > Bethlehem, PA
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
>
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