Mark wrote:
Augh! If I ever get a degenerative brain disease that leads me to put something like this on my bike, please shoot me, OK? Steven, I respect you like crazy but this stem is hideous. OK the perky breasts are quite nice, but the overall structural design is everything I hate about modern bikes. "But Mark, other than heavy, flexible, weak and ugly, what's not to like?" _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
I quite agree with your sentiments on the functional (or as you correctly point out possibly non-functional) aspects of the stem, but feel the vargas-style has been updated to present-day retaining just the necessary amount of vintage look. The stem does in a very remote way recall some made by Herse. Perhaps they need to add a nice bell off the side? What do you think Jan?
On a previous post relating to the same stem, Brandon mentioned the old St. Christopher's bicycle medals. I would like to offer one to Dale to be used as an award to be given out at le cirque to the one showing the greatest evangelical passion for vintage bikes (or something similar to be decided by Dale) It could perhaps become one of the awards as suggested earlier to be circulated from year to year.
Steven Maasland
Moorestown, NJ