I suppose that there may also be the case of making a bike as inconspicuous as possible in order to prevent theft. I know many people who have had "no-name" town bikes which were subjected to the rattle-can paint-job and "dummed" down in order to hide original identity and to make them less likely to be nicked. Sort of "camo-bikes" so to speak. One of the bike-dump owners in town - a crusty and not completely trustworthy sort of chap very much caters to the messenger crowd. I have seen the results of a neon-orange sprayed vintage Colnago frameset which just about made me weep - "it will sell that way" was his reponse. Of course I am not quite sure where that frame came from in the first place!!!
Paul Williams,
Ottawa, ON, Canada
> At 09:00 AM 24/11/2007 +0000, Julius Naim wrote:
>
>>I recently took my Sun to be refinished by Mario Vaz as it had been
>>badly painted by myself many years ago, when I went to collect the
>>frame he asked if I wanted the head-badge put back on or not. I
>>couldn't believe he was even asking but apparently most jobs he gets
>>(from those not on this list) are couriers who want a featureless
>>frame, no decals, braze-ons, head badges and, worst of all, track
>>ends fitted.
>
> I may have a theory on why this is. Back in the 1950s when hotrodding
> became popular in North America, young people would customize their cars
> by
> removing all chrome trim and emblems and filling the holes. They wanted to
> look "different", not like their parents, who drove cars festooned with
> badges and chrome. Maybe that's what those kids are trying to do today
> with
> their bikes. The trouble is that a nosed and decked Ford or Chevy still
> retained its heritage, whereas most lugged bikes with no decals or badges
> could be just about anything. In trying to be "different", these people
> end
> up being all the same.
>
> John Betmanis
> Woodstock, Ontario
> Canada