Greg Brooks make a great point. The biking industry is not like the art industry. Just about the only thing you can with a piece of art (like a monet) is to look at it. In that industry, fakes rip off the entire concept.
However, a Gios replica, made by Gios, with the same geometry, tubing, and lugs (more or less), is much more than a piece of art. It is also a vehicle. If you decry the purchase and ownership of such items, then I would have to say that this is tantamount to proclaiming that posing or wall-display the only purpose to your hobby ...
A Gios replica would have the same road feel as an original GIOS. It might be enough to stimulate those neurons that go off in my brain when I ride the bike *I* lusted after in my youth. If it rides the same, and feels the same "up there", and evokes the same emotions, can you fault someone for buying a replica or a fake?
I applaud people who can find a way to fulfill their dreams. If a replica fulfills that dream, I applaud that.
- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA