Has anyone else had the experience of lusting after a bike, finally acquiring it, and then finding out that somehow, for whatever reason, it just wasn't right? You messed around with it, switched some parts, but it was never the ride you expected it to be?
Mine was a Tom Ritchey road bike from 1980. Beautiful deep metallic blue, with long-point lugs filed very thin. It had a very clean fastback seat cluster. The seat tube was ovalized sideways at the bottom bracket. Instead of a chainstay bridge it had a piece that was integrated with the back end of the BB, making one solid mass. Evidently Tom was very concerned with lateral stability. The fork had a nice semi-sloping crown with reinforcements on the insides of the blades.
All in all a beautiful frame, but it never had that zip. I didn't feel fast on the bike. I'm not fast anyway, but some bikes at least provide the illusion. Over the years I tried different components seats and stems, but nothing seemed to help. Finally I sold it for less than I paid for it, even with the shop discount.
Maybe it was just chemistry.
The worst thing was that I sold a Galmozzi to buy it, because the Ritchey was cooler and had more prestige. It was certainly a prettier frame. I don't miss the Ritchey, but I would love to find that old Galmozzi.
Marcus Helman
Huntington Woods, MI