Stephan Andranian wrote:
(snip)
> I agree with Doug's statement regarding "the feeling of [being]
> once a proud owner of popular make is all but gone."
Guys buying $8500 and up carbon Time, Colnago, BMC, Pinarello etc. bikes are certainly proud of 'em; at least the ones I meet while riding here in SoCal.
But of course I could be wrong about this like a lot of other things I'm wrong about. At a trade show two years ago a successful bike business owner (business with a Lord of the Rings reference) said, pointing across the aisle at the Eddy Merckx booth with his carbon bikes, "Eddy Merckx should be ashamed showing bikes he wouldn't even ride!" I could only blurt out, "Gosh, I'd think he'd be proud of his beautiful bikes."
"Traditional bikes" were high wheelers if you care to go back far enough... so common they were actually referred to as "ordinaries!"
Chuck Schmidt
South Pasadena, CA USA
http://www.velo-retro.com (reprints, t-shirts & timelines)