On 10/02/10 07:37 AM, dkernan@mindspring.com wrote:
> Memory is a tricky thing--I sent the previous message, then thought to
> search online to see if I could find a Deeley catalog, and the first thread
> mentioned Apollo. Why did I not remember this, considering the number I
> assembled back in the day...
>
> These were the Deeley direct import bike boom Japanese bikes that competed
> head to head with Norco, and flooded the Vancouver market in the '70s.
>
>
>
Apollo, I've had a few pass through my hands over the years and wondered
who imported them as a house brand as they were common in Ontario too.
I still have a small Apollo frame in the basement with its "Made in Japan" sticker. The ones I have seen were made by Kawamura Cycle and were pretty much identical to the Nishiki offerings of the time.
The note about marketing head to head with Norco adds another strange link to the puzzle, since at one point Norco was selling Nishiki with "Designed by Norco" on the chainstay and they were produced by Kawamura as well. Mr. Kawamura must have liked Canadian's version of competition.
Marcus Coles
London, Ontario, Canada.