In a message dated 3/4/2005 1:40:55 PM Eastern Standard Time, heine93@earthlink.net writes:
<< So why did Merckx/Colnago go to Pino Morroni for this stuff, when it appears Campagnolo/OMAS were working on similar projects already in Italy? I don't doubt any of what you say, but I wonder who inspired whom.. >>
I really have no direct knowledge of what exactly happened here except to say that rather than Merckx and Colnago going to Pino, Pino probably went to them!
He was the most energetic forceful tenacious promoter of his brainstorms you can imagine! He was ever so proud of his work and his drive was not to be withstood.
My last memories of him were his pushinging/alternatively riding around the bike show (in Anaheim, Cal? Or NYC?) a bike with Cambio Corsa derailleur system, showing it off to almost everyone he bumped into. I was not fully tuned into vintage stuff at that time (!) and I am sure that some part of it was some brilliant invention of his,...but whatever it was, he would go on and on explaining about it to whoever would listen.
I am embarrassed to say I said Hi and then slide away, not wanting to become bogged down with his spiel. How time changes one's perspective and now I wished I had given him all my attention instead of rushing off to see the newest whatever it was that year! Sort of a sad memory as I reflect on it......
Dale Brown cycles de ORO, Inc. 1410 Mill Street Greensboro, North Carolina 27408 336-274-5959 fax 336-274-6360 <A HREF="http://www.cyclesdeoro.com">cyclesdeORO.com</A> <A HREF="http://www.classicrendezvous.com./main.htm">ClassicRendezvous.com</A>