Marty - I think it would be fun to see your bike next to Dale's at Cirque. From your description, it sounds like someone put a lot of thought and love into "updating" your Colnago for the best of the early 80s (?). That cable tunnel work was a mark of the very high end for quite while. It shows a different history than Dale's. Not better or worse, but different. I like having bikes with this kind of history of attention and change revealed in the frameset. My '65 Paramount was originally full chrome, but went to "silver mist" after the top tube cracked. Waterford left some of the old chrome in places where it looks good, and the effect reflects the history of the bike. My Ephgrave is great fun, and I point out to people that the S/A hub wasn't the original fitment: someone hacked off the gear hanger long ago, before it was painted. And didn't even grind it to look like the left side. It's sort of funky, so no one is surprised that I love it.
So, it were me, I'd ride the heck out of it, proudly run my brake cable through the frame, and remember how we loved the wet look of great Imron.
Regardless of what the purists might think, to me your Colnago is just more interesting with the changes. Evolved,eh? I look forward to seeing it.
harvey "Patina is Real, too" sachs
mcLean va.
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Marty Walsh wrote:
Dear CR List,
I've been following the debate of the ebay Colnago Super that has been
"restored" in Italy with incorrect graphics and braze ons,and wether
it's a 1971 or earlier.
I looked at the following link that Dale Brown supplied of his 1971
Colnago "Super" and find the below "Restored" 1971 Colnago truly
inspiring !!!
http://www.cyclesdeoro.com/
I have a similar vintage early 1970's Colnago "Super" that has been restored and modified once before by the previous and original owner. My circa 1971 Colnago begs a "more correct" restoration like what I see in Dale Brown's restored 1971 Colnago "Super". My question(s) have to do with "chrome finishes" when I get my Colnago restored. I've read that some early Colnago "Supers" from circa 1970,1971 did not necessarily have chrome fork crowns or possibly for that matter any chrome,i.e. not even chrome drop outs. The way my Colnago Super is at present is that the fork crown was painted black like the frame set along with the Campagnolo drop outs. "Paint it Black" as the Rolling Stones said in one of their songs.That's what the previous owner had done,"paint it all IMRON black" along with braze ons for down tube shifters and top tube "cable tunnel" through the top tube. I personally like and want the fork crown with the four little holes in the fork crown, to be chrome when I get my 1971 Colnago Super "restored" if possible. Is doing a chrome a fork crown,and chrome drop outs at least on the front fork possible when doing a restoration of a vintage bicycle?
Dale, I hope we get a chance to see the 1971 Colnago "Super" frame set
at the Cirque du Cyclisme,next month in Leesburg,Va. along with the
other bicycles you plan on bringing to the show!
http://www.cirqueducyclisme.com/