Hello,
On behalf of a friend, I offer to the list this Appel road race frame, likely from the late 1980s.
I see this as a cheap way to get a top-quality American builder's work and I hope it finds a good home here on the list.
http://s655.photobucket.com/
Mike Appel was a frame builder from the earliest days at Trek, and is the guy with the ponytail in the iconic framebuilder photo from their earliest catalogs. A search of the archives will turn up many stories about him and his work.
It is clearly a tool made for racing, but time, thought and skill went into the build. The lug and BB shaping are unique yet very attractive, very minimalist. The seatstays feature external caps that remind me of some french bikes. Also note the scalloped stay ends at the dropouts.
53cm TT C-C 53cm ST C-C 130mm rear spacing Columbus SL tubing Campagnolo Rear Drop-Outs Braze-Ons for Shifters, Pump Peg, Front Derailleur, 2 bottles Headset: Shimano Dura Ace HP-7410, nice and smooth Fork: Time Carbon 1" threaded w/ alloy d/o's
Paint is rough, as shown in the photos, but there's no reason it can't be ridden as-is if desired. No dents or bends as far as I can tell, but there is some surface rust in spots.
Price is $250 with fork and headset, $150 without, plus actual shipping, no packing fee. Insurance extra if desired. Paypal encouraged. Please ask any questions you might have.
Thanks for reading,
Randy Dugan
Van Nuys, CA USA