Re: [CR]New topic - "what epithets do you use to describe a junky oldbike?"

(Example: Books)

Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2005 04:39:03 -0400
From: "Steve Maas" <stevem@mail.nonlintec.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>, <emeneff@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [CR]New topic - "what epithets do you use to describe a junky oldbike?"


My favorite would be something like "snob bait."

Bicycles have had extraordinary social and historical significance. The way that they have been used, their contribution to societal change, and their place in history is extraordinary, especially for such a simple machine. The cheap and middling-quality bikes probably tell you more about this than all the Masis and Cinellis put together. Appreciating this aspect of cycling history takes somewhat more thought and understanding than appreciating a Hetchins or Colnago.

I have an early Carlsbad Masi GC. I sometimes look at it and wonder why I bought the damn thing. It's a nice piece of hardware, but that's the end of it. It tells me nothing that I don't know already. But whenever I look at my Carlton, it tells me long stories about the England I knew in the 50s and 60s. Frankly, I like it a lot better.

Steve Maas (Lost among the cheap hulks, rusting away in the rain, in) Dublin, Ireland


---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: emeneff@earthlink.net
Date: Sat, 13 Aug 2005 19:12:03 -0700


>Looking at the pictures of the 60's Olmo on Ebay (auction # 7175935999)

\r?\n>made me think of a few choice adjectives that I have been exposed to

\r?\n>during the various times I've worked as a bike mechanic. Even though the

\r?\n>Olmo isn't that terrible of a bike, and it certainly is in remarkably

\r?\n>good condition considering its age. Many of my fellow mechanics were a

\r?\n>rather "colorful" lot and could be quite entertaining - either when

\r?\n>sober or in their more normal state. These are the kind of comments

\r?\n>uttered when you find out what kind of two-wheeled gem is the next

\r?\n>repair tag waiting for you to fix. Or what you say when you click on a

\r?\n>vague Ebay or Craigslist posting for "rare vintage bike" and find a

\r?\n>Sears Free Spirit that was backed over by the Chevy Impala.

\r?\n>

\r?\n>I hope Dale is O.K. with this. Be thinking of vintage "junque" from

\r?\n>within the CR time frame to make this more acceptable ! You know - the

\r?\n>rusty old department store thing with Campy Valentino derailleurs. The

\r?\n>kind of bike that would make a PX10 look like a Bugatti (apologies to

\r?\n>P.C. Kohler). Almost ANY Atala. No adjectives used to describe modern

\r?\n>Carbon Fiber anything, even if they are more deserving than the old

\r?\n>bikes.

\r?\n>

\r?\n>Here are a few of my favorites. Please send more. Profanity is

\r?\n>encouraged - BUT send those to me off-list. I'll try and clean them up

\r?\n>enough to compile and post later.

\r?\n>

\r?\n>1. Crapper ( a Dick Swann favorite )

\r?\n>2. Cheepo

\r?\n>3. H.T.N. Special (H.T.N. = Heavy Trash Night )

\r?\n>4. Oh Jeez . . . ! (usually uttered while rolling eyes skyward)

\r?\n>5. Cheepalaero - the El Salvadorian mechanic would use this description

\r?\n>on both bikes AND certain customers. In the trenches of bike retail and

\r?\n>repair this term ended up being used quite frequently. Usually, but not

\r?\n>always, out of earshot of the customer.

\r?\n>6. "Fine Item"

\r?\n>7. Endless variations of P.O.S. ( and I'm not referring to Point-Of-Sale

\r?\n>! )

\r?\n>8. Chancre

\r?\n>

\r?\n>

\r?\n>C'mon folks - I know we can do better than my feeble list ! These terms

\r?\n>are especially nice to have when you are joking around with your riding

\r?\n>buddies and someone starts taking their bike a little TOO seriously.

\r?\n>

\r?\n>Help a brotha out !

\r?\n>

\r?\n>Mike Fabian

\r?\n>Foggy San Francisco