[CR]Still MORE Colnago Master Equilateral

(Example: Component Manufacturers:Cinelli)

Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:12:38 -0800 (PST)
From: Raymond Dobbins <raydobbins2003@yahoo.com>
To: Matthew Gorski <bikenut@verizon.net>, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
In-Reply-To: <006f01c85cca$974e7630$0301a8c0@BIKENUT>
Subject: [CR]Still MORE Colnago Master Equilateral

Matty,

It's a small Colnago collecting world, at least it used to be. If Tommy Aldrich is/was the drummer for White Snake back in the late 80s, then the Equilateral you bought from him is yet another one that got away from me - and ended up with you! Wow, what are the chances?

Back in the day before emails and digital pictures, I was negotiating with Tommy (by telephone, between Florida and Caligornia) for one of two Colnagos he had. I thought they were both Arabesques because that's what he called them, and most importantly, because he never sent me a photo of either one. We negotiated for a long time (at least 6 months), but he just couldn't manage to send me a photo - after all, it was much more of a pain in those days, what with buying film, shooting all of it, having it developed, etc. It sure makes eBay seem like a piece of cake.

Tommy wasn't very knowleadgable about what he had, and he couldn't really describe the bikes/parts very well (he never even mentioned that one of them was a show bike), and so without at least one photo, I just couldn't offer him what he wanted for either bike. Hell, I didn't even know which one I wanted. The deal dragged on for so long that eventually it died a natural death.

Buying bikes long-distance in those days days was certainly not what it is now. I remember buying a few bikes based on a single, poorly lit, sorta blurry, 4x6 photo. And on a couple of occassions, I bought bikes sight unseen, based completely on the description and word of the seller. Opening up a bike box could be REALLY exciting in those days. I'm sure many of us have experienced this.

Ah, good times...

Ray Dobbins Miami FL USA

PS - Matty, please put my name on that Equilateral too :)

Matthew Gorski <bikenut@verizon.net> wrote: Ray, I still have it with your name on it.... now wearing a 50th Anniversary Grouppo. The first Equilaterial I bought was from Tommy Aldrich (the drummer) that was displayed on the Colnago stand at the Bike trade show way back when it was in Long Beach. It has a 30th Anniversary Colnago/Super Record Gruppo. 23(?) years later it still shines with its chrome BB, brake bridges, headlugs & seat cluster. There are a few interesting stories that go with it I'll save for the upcoming Colnago ride. My 3rd Master EQ ended up with Mike Schmidt....Hey Mikey.wanna sell it back ;^)

Matt Gorski Belmont Shore, Colnagofornia USA

From: Raymond Dobbins Subject: Re: [CR]Re: Master Equilateral (Ed Granger) later al+%28Ed+Granger%29%22&SearchPrefix=%40msgsubject&SortBy=MsgDate%5Ba% 5D>

I owned one of these that I bought directly from Marcel Calborn in the early 90s. I recall him telling me that Colnago built the Equilateral exclusively for him, per his design specifications. Supposedly all the Equilaterals produced came to Marcel (in California), and there were only around 200 units produced.

As an aside, the red Equilateral that Matty Gorski has is one that sort of got away from me. About four to five years ago I was brand new to eBay and one of my first ever attempts to place a last minute bid was on this

Equilateral...I bungled it and placed my bid too late, and Matty won it.

My first eBay aaargh! moment :)

Ray Dobbins
Miami FL USA