<<... we all know there are a lot of "personalities" in the bike business and the hobby but there isno doubt that Pino was an artisan and innovator and was a pioneer with titanium components as well as one of the first to build a titanium frame. >>
Yes... There are personalities, and then there are PERSONALITIES!
I met Mr. Morroni a number of times and to say he was "eccentric, forceful, self assured, and sharply focussed on his own accomplishments" would be very mild!?
He was indeed quite a character and it's possible that many people did not find him charming, but instead dogmatic & self absorbed, all because he was so intent on proving & demonstrating his latest gadget, invention or device.
I already knew of him and his accomplishments and so understood his mania; therefore I thought he was very entertaining and fun to observe... but I could imagine that folks at the US Olympic Center, who had their own serious and focussed agenda, might find Pino greatly "distracting" (to put it mildly again!)
He was a bit of the mad scientist, very bright, very driven, very egocentric. And a showman on top of all that. So he put on quite a show...
Dale
Dale Brown cycles de ORO, Inc. 1410 Mill Street Greensboro, North Carolina USA 336.274.5959 http://www.cyclesdeoro.com http://www.classicrendezvous.com
-----Original Message----- From: Edward Brooks <eriwinecom@yahoo.com> To: 'Andrew Bohlmann' <encantadas@pcisys.net>; classicrendezvous@bikelist.org; 'nicholas r harteau' <nrh@ikami.com> Sent: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 1:58 pm Subject: RE: [CR]Pino Morroni/Meeses logo
Andy, Everyone is certainly entitled to their opinion, and we all know there are a lot of "personalities" in the bike business and the hobby but there is no doubt that Pino was an artisan and innovator and was a pioneer with titanium components as well as one of the first to build a titanium frame. Much of his work was more than competent and beautifully machined. True some of his components broke but so did some of Campagnolo's (as well as other manufacturers), and it is well to remember that he was pushing the envelope with new and somewhat untried materials and designs, and sought to significantly reduce weight and increase efficiency which often can lead to fragility and eventual failure. Not that it is a comparison, but I am reminded of the quote from Colin Chapman of Lotus automobile fame who said that (I'm paraphrasing here)"... the ideal race car should be as light as possible and the mark of a good design is where the car falls apart just after it crosses the finish line".
Edward Robert Brooks Managing Director Edward Roberts International Auctioneers of the Fine and Rare 1262 West Winwood Drive Lake Forest, Illinois 60045 Phone- 847.295.8696 Facsimile- 847.295.8697 Email- ebrooks@eriwine.com Website- http://www.eriwine.com -----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of Andrew Bohlmann Sent: Friday, October 19, 2007 11:47 AM To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org; nicholas r harteau Subject: Re: [CR]Pino Morroni/Meeses logo
FYI...
Back in the late '80's, Pino got himself kicked out of the US Olympic Committee's 7-11 Velodrome here in Colorado Springs, CO during some riders World Hour record attempt. He was a jerk! And, several of his parts broke!
I was the USCF Technical Director at the time and ran record attempts from the USCF side and did the UCI paperwork.
Andy Bohlmann Colorado Springs, CO USA
http://www.tourofcolorado.com
http://www.sandcreeksports.com (C.O.N.I. Manual here)
>I was rather struck by the Pino Morroni headbadge/decal in the recent EBay
>listing, as seen here:
> http://cow.org/
>
> I'm wondering, does anyone else have any good photos of this logo, or
> transfers perhaps? I'd like to hang some version of it in my office/
> workshop. Sortof a reminder to bring creativity and innovation to my
> projects and their execution.
>
>
> --
> nicholas harteau
> brooklyn, ny
> nrh@ikami.com