Well, I try to stay out of the fray. I tend to like bikes set up for fixed gear to be plain frames, without useless braze-ons and der. hangers. I cringe only slighted at hacking stuff off. Yesterday, at the shop I oc casionally work at, this black clothed, black skateboardish helmet, iPod eq uiped, hipsterish looking guy was inquiring about something or other. (H e looked like someone "Monty" in the funnies aspires to when he puts on his cycling garb.) "So what's he riding?" I wonder...so I stroll out of the shop area and fix my eyes on this eye-popping bike. With my fuzzy memor y (I knew I should have written it down) I think it was a Cordero? (first i ntitial M). It was a souvignear of his time in Italy, the builder a small o ne man show near Rome, since retired. Beautifully shaped std. but cut ou t lug work. I'm not sure if the guy had thined the lugs as they met the tub es, but who ever did it did a great job. It was a road conversion, the guy had removed all braze-ons and cut off the der. hanger. Then, he had the frame copper plated!!!!! Talk about patina! It shimmered with a clas sic beauty that's hard to describe. The fork was chromed. I didn't have a camera. The guy was new to the area. I hope he comes back when I'm there, cause I think it would interest the list. On not.
Mark Hoffman
New Britain, CT
USA