Dale,
I just love your description:
"Ernesto Colnago's slightly plagiaristic but inventive bravado."
That's great...
Chris Wimpey
San Diego, California USA
-----Original Message----- From: Dale Brown <oroboyz@aol.com> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Sent: Tue, 8 Apr 2008 12:57 pm Subject: Re: [CR]Colnago DUALL
Jerry:
I sold a few of those DUALL models at cycles de ORO when they were a current model (as a matter of fact, I think they were in the era of the CKR, Inc. being the Colnago USA importers, a topic we touched on not-so-long-ago in reference to Gianni Motta bikes).? That must have been about 15-20 years ago; early 1990s? So techically we are barely (if at all) on topic... the tenuous connection to "vintage" being the Alan connection and those glued and screwed designs date from the late 1970s.
In any case, I am quite sure this variation from Alan never appeared with other makers decals; the lower head lug, down tubes, BB shell and fork crown being paid for by Colnago. Notice the fork crown, having it's inside facet extend deeply down the blades. This was dubbed the "anti-vibration" feature, and perhaps the first of many times Colnago would use that descriptive wording.
In any case, that is an eccentric and interesting bike, a product of Ernesto Colnago's slightly plagiaristic but inventive bravado.
Dale
Dale Brown cycles de ORO Bike Shop 1410 Mill Street Greensboro, North Carolina 27408 USA 336-274-5959 http://cyclesdeoro.com http://www.classicrendezvous.com http://www.carolinacup.com http://www.greensborovelo.com http://www.bikegso.org http://nbda.com
-----Original Message----- From: Jerome & Elizabeth Moos <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Sent: Tue, 8 Apr 2008 12:46 pm Subject: [CR]Colnago DUALL
Just bought this bike, which the CR website identifies as a Colnago DUALL.
Only two bids, and the first one was the starting minimum. Pretty good pictures, but the seller doesn't seem to know much about the bike, and has a less than perfect command of English, even though he is in California. He did not identify the model.
The CR site does not say what years this model was made. Anyone know? It also shows a frame set only. I'm thinking the circa 1990 Dura Ace/600 with indexed DT shifters may be too new for this frame. Would C-Record perhaps be appropriate?
The CR website also implies that, even though this frame was made by ALAN, it was a design unique to Colnago. Does this mean this frame never appeared with ALAN decals or Guercotti, or others who sold rebadged ALAN frames? Speaking of decals, note that unlike the frame on the CR site, this one carries a Saronni decal on the toptube just ahead of the seatlug. However, this appears to be the
only Saronni marking on the farme, which has a number of Colnago engravings and decals.
Those who've been around CR a while know I'm not exactly a great fan of Colnago nor of any of the best known Italian marques. Not that they aren't good
bikes, it's just that they all seem the same to me, following the Italian "formula" of the classic era. (Although I'll readily admit that French bikes of
which I am a big fan, had their own "formula".) I tend to go for Italian bikes
that are "different" in some way, Legnano, ALAN, Motta, Torpado. So this particular Colnago sort of fits my collection, definitely not typical of the marque. I think other Colnagos I would probably pick up at the right price would be Oval CX, Equilateral or Arabesque.
So now I have a Colnago AND a Masi (an Alberto frame from Lou Deeter). I risk
being drummed out of the Francophiles club.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Big Spring, Texas, USA