> I've got one of each and love them both. Pictures of my Vent Noir II with smoked chrome finish are on Wooljersey. I haven't gotten around to putting pictures of the Dura Ace equipped Vent Noir up on Wooljersey but will soon.
My first "good" bike was a Mercier, purchased in the early 1970's, second "good" bike was an Austro Daimler Vent Noir II, which I still have. It came with crappy Nuovo Gran Sport, which was quickly changed out for Nuovo Record. The Nuovo Gran Sport Gruppo did not do justice to the frame.
I found a nearly perfect Vent Noir II at Chrono Metro in Madison two years ago and bought it. My original Vent Noir II has lost its smoked finish and is now bare chrome. I built it up with Campy Veloce and a Brooks saddle and commute 50 mile round trips on it to work regularly. It still rides like it did when I bought it; very stable and compliant.
Jeff Pyzyk Milwaukee, WI
> From: Harvey Sachs <hmsachs@verizon.net>
> Date: 2007/11/01 Thu PM 07:54:54 EST
> To: Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>, jeff-arg@bizwi.rr.com,
> jack@shermangabus.com
> Subject: Austro-Daimler Vent Noir, was [CR]Raysport + Black Dura Ace
>
> So what do you call an Austrian frame with black Niponese parts?
>
> VeinerSushi?
>
> No, an Austro Daimler Vent Noir.
>
> Jeff Pyzyk
> Milwaukee, WI
>
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> My impression has always been that the Vent Noir ("black wind, I think)
> was designed as gimmick, but is way underrated. Mine is first
> generation, which has a sort of textured matte black paint - with gold
> luglining, and some gold striping, on a 72/72? 531 DB frame & fork set.
> The second (last) gen. had a lovely smoky dark chrome finish. Mine is
> all first gen (?) black DuraAce, with a dark-anodized GB stem and GB map
> of England engraved bars.
>
> I find mine to be a really nice day rider, and took it to L'Eroica. I
> did change to Phil hub wheels because I wanted to use fat 700c tires
> instead of the stock 27", and I did sub a STronglight 99 "clone" (SR) to
> get a decent low gear, but it was otherwise stock, and did very well on
> all the surfaces. It's happily reverted to stock form now.
>
> I'll admit that I chose to take it because it was the one bike I was
> willing to sacrifice (at least the frame) if I found something
> irresistable in Italy..., but I'm delighted that I didn't and brought it
> home for more rides.
>
> I got mine from the local club newsletter "for sale" list years ago, and
> recomend them highly if the price is right.
>
> harvey sachs
> mcLean va