[CR]Esposito bike

(Example: Framebuilders:Alberto Masi)

Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:47:01 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Tom Dalton" <tom_s_dalton@yahoo.com>
To: Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR]Esposito bike

Steven wrote:

I spoke to Stefano who responded as follows: Mr. Tom is very observant, however, the seatpost, cranks, bars. stem, saddle, headset, front derailleur, BB, chain etc are all contemporaries. The only anachronistic parts are the rear derailleur and brake Q/R levers.

I respond:

By the time the crank with the stamped logo and no flutes was made (1986) a newer style of Record shifter hand been around for about 5 years, and the script logo caliper had been around for at least two years. So the rear der and the brake QRs are not the only anachronisms.

Stefano said, by way of Steven:

I do not believe that the Superleggeri pedals are the first generation ones, but are rather 80's vintage pedals that have undergone massive milling and drilling.

I say:

I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that those are the early SLs. If these are milled "normal" SLs, the openings were milled to the exact shape of the early version, and then the milled surface was apparently re-anodized. They even appear to have the earlier small lettering. This is not a bad thing, but these cool pedals would be cooler on an period early-70s drillium bike... and this bike is begging for SRs.

Steven wrote:

Stefano then said that Esposito was of the opinion that the late Nuovo and Super record derailleurs did not stand up as well under drilling and so the earlier rear derailleur as a starting point was more desirable.

I reply:

The late SR is a very different unit, so I can't argue with this point. On the other hand, I find it hard to imaging that a late NR would be markedly different from an earlier NR. If anything, the switch from alloy to stainless pins might have beefed up the parallelogram.

Steven wrote:

Stefano says that those were the original brake pads that came with the calipers.

I reply: Marked "Super Record" ???? very odd. Cool. I wish I could see them up close.

Tom Dalton Bethlehem, PA USA

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