De Rosa and most of the well known Italian builders were tremendous self-promoters. For that matter, so was Merckx, one he entered the frame building business. So I doubt that one can take all their assertions too seriously. DeRosa might have built several frames for Merckx to use in the Giro - but I refuse to believe he built them overnight for use the next day.
Consider this: he would have to construct the frame, paint it,
face the appropriate surfaces, mount the parts, adjust
everything and then put in a little testing to ensure there
were no unforseen problems. Then there's the matter of the
transportation... If you were trying to win one of the world's
most important bike races (and the most important one in
Italy), would you risk using a a bike put together in that sort
of situation?
Regards,
Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)
>
> Jerry,
>
> I know nothing of how Derosa might have painted, but many of
> todays best
> painters heat the frame in one manner or another to force
> dry. Primer and one
> color could happen pretty quick if it were only for a race
> bike. If the story
> is true I'm guessing UGO didn't care if the frame had a
> Baylis like paint job
> or not.
>
> Jonathan Greene
> Oviedo FL
>
>
>
> In a message dated 12/25/2006 11:53:50 A.M. Eastern Standard
> Time,
> jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net writes:
>
> Can DeRosa's account really be true? Even assuming one
> could build a bike
> to a rider's specification in one night, one then has to
> paint it in the team
> colors. That couldn't leave more than a couple of hours for
> the paint to
> dry. I've never painted bikes, but I'd think it would take
> at least a day for
> a paint job to dry properly.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Moos
> Big Spring, TX
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
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