[CR]Report on Medici "Camino Real"

(Example: Framebuilders:Richard Moon)

From: <PBridge130@aol.com>
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 2004 19:49:47 EST
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Report on Medici "Camino Real"

Bought the local Medici which didn't reach reserve on the bay. Chainstay decals say "Camino Real", and the seattube stripes have "El Camino" in script above and below the requisite rainbow stripes (can those be justified?). Build quality is very basic, minimal lug feathering, but also absolutely clean. Reminds me a bit of the post-Yoshi Specialized Allez frames, and the fork crown reminds me a bit of a Yoshi crown, as well -- semi-sloping, with a triangular cut-out outside of the blades. Large, Masi-style, seat-stay flutes. Recessed brakes. Braze-on f der, two bottle sets, pump peg, tt cable guides and shifter braze-ons, of course, and under-BB cable guides. Campy drops, chrome fork with handsome sweeping radius. Straightforward sport geometry -- 57 square (58 and change c-t), 40 inch/101.75cm wheelbase, with the rear axle pushed forward. Blue-white-blue fade paint, which looked so homely on the bay, turned out to be almost shop-new, save for a few chain chips, and much more appealing than I'd anticipated. Serial "58 222". Shop sticker -- Bellflower Bike Shop 867-2306 (no area code, in the 90's??). In a web search, Bellflower Bike shop comes up in the 310 area code, but I wasn't able to get a call through. Maybe the area code is wrong. Bonuses: steel Campy pump head on paint-matched Silca, black panto 3ttt stem, Campy Omega 32-hole rims.

I was surprised by the headtube/seattube decal -- in place of the expected lion rampant, is a shield outline, with a ringing bell, and the golden hills of California in the background. As many of you will know, the Camino Real (Royal Road) was the route the Spanish missionaries established in California, with missions spaced a one day walk apart. I assume that the ringing bell refers to those missions.

Lou says that his records indicate that this is an early 90's frame, but still I wonder. The parts are 7-sp 600 -- the 600 set that immediately preceded the name change to Ultegra. Biopace rings (weren't they well gone by the 90's?). I don't mention the parts to invite O-T discussion, but simply to try to further date the frame.

I've been shopping for an appropriate frame to build up with Mavic parts -- erector set ders, SR-style crank, '81-'82-ish, I assume. I wanted a basic road-racing frame, which would allow the parts to show themselves off. I guess this frame isn't really appropriate, but still, I think it has the right character, and I think that the swap will happen, including the rims. Plus, it fits with my impending move to Cal, and I think it has a nice piece of history to it, including the "Camino Real" name. I'm glad I found it. Now I need to find some wide bars for it.

That's it. Wanted to report the details of this Medici model, of which I'd never heard.

Cheers,

Peter Bridge
DenCO