Not about the equipment that we all love so much, but about one who rode it to glory. And certainly within the time line. Jim Rossi, 5 time U.S. National Champion, member of the '56 and '60 U.S. Olympic teams, gold medal winner at the '59 Pan Am games and silver medalist at the "63 Pan Am games, and inductee to the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame passed away in September at age 69. I did some training laps around the Northbrook Velodrome "back in the day" 1963, and I still remember those long legs of his astride that big green Paramount track bike. Jim was a tall man 6' 2" or 3" but Dave Staub told me he was unique in that he rode Christophe "short" toe clips. Certain authors have cited Rossi's stranglehold on the National title as the reason the A. B. L. of A. switched away from the Omnium format to the international format of individual titles for individual events.
Bill Curtis
Costa Mesa, CA