[CR]new guy introduction and Super Elliot eBay confession

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Date: Thu, 9 Dec 2004 11:59:24 -0800 (PST)
From: "David Ross" <dlr94306@yahoo.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]new guy introduction and Super Elliot eBay confession

Hello everyone,

I joined the mailing list a couple of weeks ago after increasingly frequent visits to the archives over the years. Since I'm about to switch from passive- to active-learning mode I thought I should introduce myself.

I grew up near Seattle and did most of my early bike riding in the rain. Moved to CA in 1973 (college). I now live in Portola Valley, CA (SF bay area), a true cycling paradise. I'm more of a rider than a collector, really more of an accumulator than a collector. My goal is to keep every bicycle I own (caretake?) in good riding condition. I use my non-OT bikes for the harder core riding (and it just doesn't make sense to descend Page Mill Road with only the Universal Mod. 61s on call).

Reading your CR postings has opened my eyes to a deeper world of esoteric knowledge than I imagined. It has also on occasion put me to sleep as the fine distinctions between California Masis and Irish Masis (the ones exported to Asia) are debated. I've also learned that mine is not one of the more educated asses on the list - in a blind test it could not distinguish between HF and LF hubs, no matter what the spoke pattern. The attempt at a blind test only got me some road rash.

I am a collector of other things (as Charles Andrews knows), so I understand perfectly the passion that drives one to extremes. But given my dunce-level knowledge of classic bicycle lore, I will stick mostly to virtual wheel-sucking. I'll try not to amuse all of you too often with useless contributions, but I do plan to stick my neck out and ask questions about things I don't find in the archives. Like a Masi-level knowledge source for Zunow or Super Elliots. Anyone out there?

Here's a brief list of OT bikes in my current accumulation: '81(?) Zunow Hummingbird '83(?) Zunow TT, 24" wheels F&R '61 Olmo '68 Paramount track bike '50s(?) British(?) fixed-gear (path?) bike '70 Olympia (project) '80 Austro Daimler Ultima (project) ?? Super Elliot, the one that went on ebay yesterday (with Dunlop tires, so it has to be OT)!

I've also had a couple that I broke or sold: '79 ALAN Super Record (broke) '75 Mondia Special (sold)

I'm a self-employed consultant (construction litigation support/expert witness), so I'm always either too busy to do much with the projects or too poor to afford them. Either way I hope to do little-to-no harm, so that the next generation of collectors can enjoy them as much as I do.

Regards, Dave "new old fart on the list" Ross Portola Valley, CA