Dale, I think this is the answer to my previous post asking why the Titan is darker grey than any modern Ti bike. You're exactly right - the finish does almost look like automotive primer. It would have been much more attractive if they had polished it like modern Litespeeds, but it definitely is "distinctive". The drilled Sugino Mighty cranks, Phil BB, and Phil platform pedals have been installed. Am retaining the original Phil hubs with Rigida clinchers and planning to use Cyclone derailleurs and original model DuraAce sidepulls. Hoping a couple of list member who thought they had the oversize TT clips in a parts bin are able to find them. Do you think a Tange Levin HS would be period correct?
Regards,
Jerry Moos
OROBOYZ@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 1/30/01 2:22:38 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> bikgeek@hotmail.com writes:
>
> << The finish on the Titans was pretty much as it came from the foundry.
> There
> may have been some light polishing - but i mean light light light. >>
>
> No, actually they had/have a soft, blasted finish and then a really odd and
> hard to touch up anodized finish.
>
> There was some talk about this already quite a while ago on the CR list and
> maybe Jim Cunningham spoke up on it.
>
> The anodizing was talked about at the time in Teledyne advertisements and is
> a muddy, dull satin gray. It almost looks like automobile primer. I am
> intimately aware of this, as my own Teledyne has a burnished and mildly
> scratched spot and I have been trying, unsuccessfully thus far, to minimize
> or touch up that spot...
>
> Also, Teledynes were, briefly, distributed by Linder Imports, the folks who
> were also bringing in the French Follis bikes and labeled in ads as
> Teledyne-Follis. Later that was changed to Teledyne distributing the frames
> (not avail. as bikes from them) out their own offices.
>
> Teledyne caused a bit of an uproar at European bike shows by first showing
> these radical new bikes with a Shimano Dura Ace group. Up until then, no one
> dreamed of showing a super top end bike w/o Campagnolo. Plus this was just
> about the same time as the intro of the Campag Super Record group so it was
> unimaginable that that set wouldn't be a 1st choice... Shimano also was the
> only producer at that time of the over sized top tube brake cable clips,
> needed for their 1 1/8" oversize Ti tube.
>
> Dale Brown