Matthew Bowne asked:
>
>When did colored housings become available? And when were they most popula
>r? Were they ever more prominant (in the pro peloton or at the local level)
> that good ol' Campy gray? If so, was this a passing fad? Or has there alwa
>ys been a small percentage of folks who chose to personalize their bikes in
> this fashion?
Campagnolo didn't get into the brake business until about 1969, if memory serves, so "Campy gray" can't be that old.
My Elswick Lincon imp, probably 1957 or maybe '58 came with colored, sorry coloured housing. The main colour of the bike was a deep metallic burgundy, but the accent colour was something very like Bianchi's "celeste."
The accent colour was used for the head tube, some bands on the seat tube, the cable housings, handlebar tape (waffly plastic) and plugs and the plastic pump.
It was a drop-dead gorgeous colour combination, and it was a crushing blow with the pump exploded in my hands one day whilst I was pumping off my Dunlops HPRRs...
Sheldon "NEVER Uses Ugly Gray Housing" Brown
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| (The beautiful is as useful as the useful) |
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