I agree that "crap" was too harsh, but that remark gives you an idea of Jack's appreciation for elegant and beautiful, not merely functional, bikes. One wonders why the top Italian builders spent so much time on cosmetics on bikes supposedly destined to be abused by racers who typically cared little for such things. I think the answer is that the business is supported not by the racing teams who nearly always get the frames free, but by the payings customers, mostly not serious racers, who like Ferrari customers, expect elegance as well as performance.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Joseph Bender-Zanoni wrote:
> My impression of Colnago in the mid to late '70s was always affected by
> these cookie cutter bikes. They often showed notable heat distortion. At
> the shop we called them 'Nags. There sure were plenty out there.
>
> As to the "crap like this", there is a certain sort of bike you really hate
> to see crashed and another that is just a racing tool. It always gets kind
> of funny when a bike made for racing is too good to race. I think, for
> example of a racing tool, that Marinoni is very focussed on this "real"
> racing market. Thousands of frames being raced, crashed, new ones bought
> for a reasonable price etc. Just a cost of the sport to the racer.
>
> Joe