Hey guys,
In concurrence with Dale's balance of opinion, gentlemanly logic & emotive reason, I agree wholeheartedly. I also understand that sometimes we, on the list may not be on the same page about who said, what was implied and how it may have been construed but one of you listers mentioned recently with brilliant effect (something along the lines ) ......
***** that if a bike or frame speaks to you that is all that matters. ******
That in very simple terms and easily understood meaning, to me, says it all. Period. Market value, expert valuations, perceived historic importance or glowing nods from cognoscenti means nothing if it doesn't grab you by the Cojones or move to wax lyrical where others think you batty and out of touch with the flock. We all are groomed by the masses & we all want to experience holy grails and nirvana whether it be our passion for bicycles or any other facet of mortality - we need to confirm one's existence ... sometimes, which makes mockery of our endevour, it's already with us or in places where other's may not expect them. From personal experience all but one frameset from the high ranking and commonly regarded premier tier of marques lived up to my notions of brilliance, subtlety, fluidity and balance of intended function, mellifluous workmanship & visual appeal. I wont say which, as my perception is just that ... my perception. Many of these so called upper echelon frames built by the maker on the decals where not all that .... to me .... some belied every thing i had heard from others with regard to their superiority. A few had me totally perplexed & thinking i missed the inside or hidden joke. On the other side of the coin i cannot list how many brilliant framesets and parts ive had that "really spoke to me" & I could not fault notwithstanding their lack of cache, universal approval or glowing folklore, yet which I passed on or traded on for something "superior". I have ridden sweetly on framesets that wouldn't attract attention except for my own convictions and rhetoric .... I then took months to sell them for pittance. The biggest myth's lie within ourselves. In itself, that is beauty & wisdom & ultimately knowledge .... it makes the melange of our appreciation for cycling, with a never ending quest to experience more, validate our decisions and yearn to understand and seek deeper emotive connection with what is still the ultimate machine in terms of purity, efficiency, elegance and longevity. The roads we have ridden & the joy we enacted is the primary goal or our pursuit ..... a nice bike is nice but a nice ride is nicer.
Vive le difference .... if we all liked the same thing & all thought the same way ... well, it would makes us decidedly un-human (which is good and bad and good). With regards to cycling and bikes it means our infatuation with them has a never ending story of an erstwhile noble pursuit & euphoric pleasure in all its multiplicity and esoteric virtue. or to paraphrase ... It's all good ;-) .... Yet, we wouldn't be true if we would not admit to lending ears when someone doth profess "hey, buddy ... I'll let you in on a little secret, between me & you, & off the record .... the truth is ...........". So between, what we know, what we have yet to experience and what regard we have for each others opinion & hearsay we have the CR list where we converse, politic, conject and appeal to help our greater whole, to raise our standard of appreciation & knowledge of classic lightweight bicycles. Hat's off to you Mr. Brown from NC for convening our passion for 2 wheeled beauty.
... of course ... i gotta add my $0.02c to the question of value for the Ebay Pog - I like it, it look's sexy and my yardstick of immediately being able to picture it's eventual added parts and build spec. & style was apparent because "it spoke to me". I't would not surprise me if it was perhaps a better riding & handling bike than the more valuable "real deal" early ones. Black is always cool (ask Miuccia Prada) ..... Kinda my size too but i always bemoan having to wait for the time things take while being sent, especially across continents ..... I am consistent in that i go on very few 2nd dates unless it's "on" from the word go .....
What really piques my interest even more is what the same seller of the abovementioned Pogliaghi is also selling ......
a 41 tooth Nuovo Record chainring - NOS too ..... I wonder what that will go for as i've yet to meet anyone who can claim with nonchalance of having a bike set up with a NR 41/52 ??? Yes, it's way way rarer than 44 tooth road & track 151bcd and 22 tooth inch pitch pista 151 bcd rings ... seen what NOS 42 tooth 144 bcd NR and SR rings have been selling for recently even with gazillions of them being then produced & currently hoarded - fascists !!! ...... just kidding ;-) .
http://ebay.com/
1 & half days to go ... $30 odd bucks with reserve met, 119 views and none of the usual suspects on the bidders rostrum .. yet ;-) I've sold used bike shorts replete with "bacon strips" for more .....
But rare isn't always Gold !!!!!
ciao,
Ben Kamen NYC
> We all judge and value bikes differently. We all are allowed that! We
> are
> allowed to think our love and attraction to a particular style or era
> or maker is
> OK.
>
>
> Dale Brown
> Greensboro, North Carolina