> That's one talented man.
... and so forth, written by...
> Brian Baylis
> La Mesa, CA
Now THAT's a testimonial.
Rather than let this lie as a forbidden "attaboy," the following is straight cut-n-paste from a message I wrote to CR back in June. There was at the time some discussion appropriate use of the name "Rene Herse" given that individual named Rene Herse remains as dead as Generalissimo Francisco Franco. I wrote:
"So the Rene Herse marque has a following. It represents something greater than an individual person despite the fact that (in a language sense) it is made up of a first name and a last name. A lot of things, and many people's efforts, have gone into the marque's development. And just like the name Masi still sells bikes, so will the name Rene Herse still sell bikes."
"Let's take another angle: Must Mark only sell bikes called Mark Nobilette? Why? If not, why not call them Rene Herse if he has permission to use that marque and, strictly as a bonus, aspires to a comparable standard?"
"Just me, but I'd love to see the new Rene Herse bikes come with a Mark Nobilette signature transfer. It's not like Mike and Mark appear interested in hiding who's actually doing the fabrication, nor should they need to given who's doing the fabrication!"
Now, in 2008 and regretting that circumstances prevented my attendance in Portland, I'll ask what I couldn't confirm in person: Is there a Nobilette signature on these bikes? I still think there should be, because I still think doing so adds value for reasons eloquently described by Brian.
Dan Kehew
Davis, CA USA