Earle,
Thanks for more information on Peter Rich of Velo Sport. I feel a special connection to Peter myself. I owned a '71 Colnago Super that came from his shop back then. I lived in the OC and Velo Sport in Berkeley was the closes place to get one at the time. Prior to lucking into that bike in '72, some friends and myself rode our bikes from Costa Mesa to Berkeley on a 5 day tour, ending at Velo Sport. I remember buying 4 Campag brake blocks and holders from them when I got there, to put on the Universal 68 brakes I had fitted to my PX-10. I spent every penny I had left (and was actually 38 cents short, which they let slide) for the parts and we still had to get home! My friend and I hitched a ride from Berkeley to Santa Barbara in a VW bug (that's right, 3 persons and 2 bikes) and from there home in about a day or so. Back in those days we traveled on a budget, and spent money only on neccessities, bike Campy brake shoes. I also remember seeing a 70T Campag track chainring on the wall at the shop. That is the largest stock Campag. ring made. I'm sure that experience is what set off my large chaniring fetish and my collection of same. Peter doesn't remember the ring nor knows what happened to it; but I do have a 66T ring that is the crown jewell of my collection at present.
Currently I own a 1962 Masi Special (the one that just took home first place at the VR5 Masi Fiesta) that was in the very first batch of Masis Peter imported from Italy. I have spoken with Peter about this bike, and from that I am very thankful he had the vision to do so. Peter also put me on to the 1969 Colnago Super I have, which is the oldest Colnago I've seen thus far. Peter began bringing them in sometime in 1968.
Peter Rich is in fact THE pioneer of importing fine Italian racing bikes to the west coast. I for one consider him to be one of my bicycle heros.
Brian Baylis La Mesa, CA So who has that 70 tooth track ring slung around their rear view mirror that wants to give it up? I want it. 66 x 12 (148.5 gear inches) is not enough gear for my '72 Cinelli track bike.
John wrote: In the late sixties it was just beginning to be cool to ride a bike and boy did I ride. Even before I turned 16, I would go and visit Peter Rich at Velo Sport in Berkeley, a friendship that continues to today. Thanks for the walk down memory lane, I needed that.
Isn't ironic how the CR list so rarely mentions this pioneer of cycling in the U.S?
I remember starting out as a mechanic and racer wannabe in 1974, and my ambition was get good enough to move to Berkeley and work at Velo-Sport.
I actually made it to Velo-Sport in 1982 and got to work on some fabulous end-of-the-timeline machines and met some legendary characters.
Tops: Bruce Gordon stopped in after one of the last of the New York International Bicycle shows and Peter bought some of his frames, including a dark blue one with polished, assymetrical lugs like the one on his prizewinning touring frame of last year. Customer knew this was a special bike and asked us how we would build such a gem. He saw the wisdom of going all-out: Campagnolo 50th anniversary group, complete Cinelli special stitched leather bar and stem with matching alloy rail saddle Mavic SSC blue rims on 32-hole small flange hubs Clement Campionato del Mondo tubulars. This was a stunning bike which the customer actually rode, a lot, and I'm not sure he even stripped the gold bits off before he rode it. Unfortunately, I don't think we took pictures while it was new. What a marvelous machine to actually have my hands on, even if I didn't own it.
I still number Peter among my friends. He is one of the most interesting and generous people I have met through bicycles.
Earle Young,
Madison, WI