it would be like classic car restoration being biased towards the expensive and exotic cars leaving the more mundane, yet obviously more popular cars used by the masses to simply rot away and be forgotton for ever. I agree to a point, but..... When I was young and stupid, I decided to "restore" cars that had rusted out pans, fenders, and such to flip them. Not full restorations, just enough to make them presentable so I could make a buck. In my investigation, I had a guy at a body shop tell me that it costs just as much to replace rusty metal on a VW as it does on a Porsche or Mercedes. Point being that after you spend $$$$, your Porsche or Mercedes will be worth a lot more than the VW. I find a similar line with bikes. It takes me just as much time to disassemble, clean, lube, replace bearings on a Peugeot as it does on a Masi. Consumables such as bearings, spokes, chains and cables cost the same. So, while I no longer "flip" bikes like I did at one point, now being old and brilliant, I guess I would not be the one to preserve the mundane bike boom era bikes for posterity. I don't mind helping out a neighbor or friend who found their old, family bike in the garage and they nee d to get it back on the road. Or, the young guy who picked up a garage sale bike that needs a little help. But, I wouldn't go out of my way to buy and sell old bikes and parts like that.
Which gets back to my point with Garth about his Triomphe parts. Why would I buy those parts when I can go to the swap meet at Cirque and buy Nuovo/Super Record parts at close to the same price. Sorry, probably sounds elitist, but unless the low end stuff had an emotional/historical connection to me, I don't think I could do that. I'm glad there are people in the world who will. Just not my cup of tea. Lou Deeter, Orlando FL USA
-----Original Message----- From: kevin sayles <kevinsayles@tiscali.co.uk> To: Bianca Pratorius <biankita@comcast.net>; classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Sent: Sun, May 2, 2010 4:43 am Subject: Re: [CR] Campy line up through the years
My view on this subject....'lower end components' has been refreshingly changed thanks to this CR list. I admit I probably fall into the category of collector who prefers the top end stuff.......Nuovo and Super Record, and Gran Sport for earlier bikes, but reading some of the posts made by others on the list I realise there is a 'historic vintage life' out there for the less exotic and expensive equipment, such as some of the French stuff......Normandy hubs for example, years ago I would probably have dismissed them as being cheap and nasty, but now I appreciate their place in the make up of a period bike build......and actually when set up right where pretty good.
Its good that we don't just restore and cherish the top end stuff.......it would be like classic car restoration being biased towards the expensive and exotic cars leaving the more mundane, yet obviously more popular cars used by the masses to simply rot away and be forgotton for ever.
So to anyone out there building up a 'Valentino' equiped bike or simular.......you've got my vote of approval........
cheers Kevin Sayles Bridgwater [in the rain] Somerset UK
----- Original Message ----- From: "Bianca Pratorius" <biankita@comcast.net>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 02, 2010 8:43 AM
Subject: [CR] Campy line up through the years
> It occurs to me that Triomphe was indeed the cheap end of the Campy > spectrum but so was Grand Sport. Even Dale himself purchased a mint > condition Grand Sport rear derailleur from me at one time (They must have > some value) ... So without any bias and being totally objective, here is > my take on the line up ( the ones I've actually owned at one time or > another).
>
> Valentino - cheap and mostly lacking in dependability.
>
> Grand Sport - cheap but rather functional
>
> Nuovo Record - absolutely classic
>
> Super Record - Misguided effort at being more starkly modern than NR but > with the smallest measure of added functionality.
>
> Triomphe - cheap but strangely durable and interesting. Still functional > and having the same lines and angles as NR in the rear derailleur.
>
> Victory - essentially NR and with a modern edge that makes it classic and > clean.
>
> C Record - overly fussy in it's modern approach but still nicely > functional.
>
> Modern stuff from the 90's and to now - cutting edge and made to a precise > dimension and functionality. Essentially Italian cache on Japanese > mentality.
>
> Garth Libre in Miami Florida ... laid up looking to the possibility of > having a cutting edge anterior approach replacement for my ailing left > hip.