I don't think people shutting up is in the spirit of this list but I wish the new endeavor the best. Herse was not just a framebuilder though, not by a long shot, and if essentially all that are created are framesets and racks a lot the spirit of the marque will have been ignored. He was also an innovator and made true state of the art bicycles in his day. It's an interesting question which would be truer to the spirit of the marque, accurate repros of past designs or modern bikes as Herse might have made today. I by the way don't think using steel as a frame material is even today anything less than state of the art. Herse used it then because it was the best material for his purposes and in many real repects it still is, especially for custom randonneur-type bikes.
I hope though that the bikes bearing the revived name take full advantage of what technology offers as Rene Herse did then and as I believe he still would today and aren't all only slavish reproductions of 40-50 year old designs.
I can't wait to see what Kone and Nobilette can do. I'll bet they'll be some of the finest, most beautiful and most exciting bikes being produced by anyone in the World. They'll have to be with a name like that. If I was wealthy I'd have already jumped into the line.
Kurt Sperry Bellingham WA USA
On 6/17/07, oroboyz@aol.com <oroboyz@aol.com> wrote:
>
>
> Usually we all are dismayed when the reknowned brand is dishonored by the
> new user... Chinese Motobecane, Mercier, those lamentable Masis, etc.
>
> When the character and unique features are carried forward with respect,
> as in Hetchins, Bates, Flying Gates, we celebrate the new life. I expect the
> new Herse to do justice to the tradition, to be different and (gasp, yes)
> better in their own ways.
>
>
>
>
>
> Dale Brown
> cycles de ORO, Inc.
> 1410 Mill Street
> Greensboro, North Carolina 27408 USA
> 336.274.5959
> http://www.cyclesdeoro.com
> http://www.classicrendezvous.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: LouDeeter@aol.com
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Sent: Sun, 17 Jun 2007 4:35 pm
> Subject: Re: [CR]Mike Cone RH announcement
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> I find it interesting that at a moment when one of the greatest marquee
> bicycle names of all time is being resurrected that people come out of the
> woodwork
> to criticize such an endeavor. Good gosh, Masi frames were made by
> Billato
> and Mondonico. I didn't hear an uproar over that. In my opinion, if
> you
> don't like it, then just don't order and shut up. People who aren't
> willing to
>
> take risk themselves are often the quickest with the darts when someone
> else
> does. Shame on them. Good luck Mike and Mark. I look forward to your
> work and I don't care whether it looks like an old Rene Herse. I'm
> confident
> that you'll offer us a product worthy of emulation. Lou Deeter, Orlando
> FL
>
>
>
> **************************************
> See what's free at http://www.aol.com.