Steve writes: >> > "What's really needed is a good visual guide to the traits of particular builders over time,
Lou writes: >> While I applaud someone who wants to take a project on to actually catalog all the different models of various builders, over time and by model, I believe it would be a lifelong project and then would still not catch nuances from the rare, custom build.
I agree with Lou. Just keeping up a site that records one marque (especially a popular or long-lived one) in fairly complete detail can be enough for one person, more than that would probably have to be a full-time job or a multi-person undertaking, or a broader "overview" format (like CR).
I think what's needed is a cooperative effort among collectors, where a group of interested and motivated persons would each take on one favorite marque and publish a site for that marque in whatever level of detail they feel is appropriate. The various sites could all be indexed and linked at Dale's site (which he's already been doing for some time... for example, links on his US and Italian Masi pages take you to my Masi site).
Ideally, the site for your favorite marque could include scans of catalogs, brochures and adverts, interviews with the builder and employees, shop photos, collected photos of bike details from fellow collectors and eBay auctions (perhaps in timeline form, supplemented by text), testimonials and reminiscences from owners, articles on identification details, component lists and serial numbers, a company history, and perhaps a price guide.
If you want the site to be more interactive and open-ended, you could include a blog or discussion area, a registry, and perhaps a classified/swap page.
Once your site becomes known, more and more folks will help out by sending you photos of their bikes as well as other interesting information, and you will eventually collect what you need to represent the bike's history in fairly complete form.
The nice thing about this process is that it occurs gradually. The work can be done piecemeal, without being overwhelming. That goes for the web design as well... don't let the fact that you've never published a web site intimidate you. Start small, a page or two, and expand it as you learn.
Let me say that I find the wealth of information on this list inspiring. Equally inspiring is the friendly and generous way it is shared. Its only shortcoming is that the information usually only appears in response to a direct question or an archive search. I would encourage those of you who have already devoted years of time and attention to a favorite marque to record your knowledge in a more permanent form in a dedicated location that can be freely browsed and will turn up in a Google search. A web page devoted to your bike of choice is not only a valuable resource for everyone, it is actually fun to put together and it can be quite a learning experience... it's been my experience that the time and effort expended does NOT go in one direction, you get just as much back.
Bob Hovey
Columbus, GA USA
http://bhovey.com/
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