Some time ago, one of our members posted a note that Gios was releasing a limited edition 'new build' of their famous 'Super Record' of blessed memory. There was a far amount of speculation as to how close Gios would come to what had been built several decades ago, and what more than a few of us have in one iteration or another from the 70s and 80s, including the undersigned.
Given the chance to buy something I could ride whenever I wanted without fear of damaging something I had worked so hard to put into near-as-possible like new condition, and finding the price of $995 with fork not all that outrageous, I took the plunge a few months ago and ordered one in my size. Delivery was supposed to take place beginning on the 28th of this month, according to the folks at Excel Sports.
It showed up on my doorstep yesterday, arriving early. My first impression, based on unpacking it last night and taking it down to put alongside my carefully-nutured 1980 is, close, damn close, and not bad at all.
Authentic down to the slightly askew lineup of the edges of the decals (never saw one put on so the edges matched perfectly, not part of the Italian psyche), the paint color is spot on (no shock there, it's not called "Gios Blue' for nothing, the cable and brake guides over the BB and on the TT are correct or damn close, the rear dropouts look like the correct Campy style (didn't feel like popping out my rear wheel on my original to check last night), and the only thing I question at all is the fork crown and the medallions set into it.
My original has a flat crown with a slightly different lug. The medallions on the original are silver, the new bike having a gold or bronze color for the medallions and a slight slope to the crown. On the other hand, the Super Record shown at the CR site has a crown that follows the new one in shape, so mine may have a slightly different crown based on age and model differences.
There are no tubing stickers on the new frame, but looking down the inside of the headtube, I saw the 'rifling' that would indicate SLX, but I don't claim to be a tubing guru, so don't bet the ranch on my half-arsed observations.
All in all, the paint was nicely applied, the lugs nicely donw, and all the details close enough that if you want something to ride and build up old school or modern, and still have the 'look and feel' then it is $995 well spent IMHO.
Oh, I spoke to Excel Sports last night to get some backordered items. Gios really did produce only a handful of these framesets, and in the three days they have had them on sale, Excel is already selling out fast. If you want one, don't sit on your hands.
Dave Novoselsky, Chicago, Illinois and Pleasant Prairie Wisconsin