Bianca:
Did you actually look at the photos of the two bikes in question?
They are two completely different kettles of fish.
Clearly, the Wilier job is an abomination anyway you cut it. Irreversible damage, intended only for profit (which will never happen).
The Cinelli, otoh, leaves the soul of the bike (the frame) completely intact, and was done to create a 'fun' rider. Fully reversible with no more than hand tools. This is a huge difference from the hack job on the Wilier. I see no problem whatsoever with it, as it preserves the essence of the Cinelli, and could easily be reversed later by a more sensitive caretaker.
Greg Parker Ann Arbor, Michigan
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:26:21 -0400 From: Bianca Pratorius <biankita@comcast.net> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: [CR] Fixie guys are destroying bikes? - Give me a break!
The two examples of classic bike destruction cited today were:
1) A powdercoated Wilier done up in all black and white theme
2) A Cinelli with flopped and chopped bars and modern wheels
If these bikes represent the horrors of the fixie crowd then bless their souls. I fail to see how these guys are destroying anything. If anything they are using these bikes for what they were originally intended ... soulful communion with the laws of physics, their own human bodies, and the outdoors. So what if someone doesn't appreciate the color scheme or the carbon fiber seatpost, or the chopped bars or the powdercoat or the rider's set of tatoos. These guys are restorers and fans of old steel in many cases, and they represent the original intent of the bicycle itself : To ride fast and to ride slow in the city, out in the country, to race, to bust your lungs with the joy of being alive and to savor the spring action of the steel frame. What more do you want from these fixie crowd? Original decals and brake blocks? As John Stossel would say (I am not a fan of his but the expression is perfect) - Give me a break.
Garth Libre in Miami Fl USA
------------------------------