The Guerra was Rik Van Looy's first professional six-day bike and was used by him for at least 3 seasons from 1956-1958, including his first six-day win at Brussels in 1957. Beginning in 1962, he was riding Flandria bikes. I have not yet been through my six-day photographs from 1959-1961 to attempt to corroborate any use during that time. (For a snapshot of Van Looy's incredible career, go to: http://tinyurl.com/
It is not out of the realm of possibilities that the bike could have been used for upwards of six years. Even today, many of the six day riders use the same bike over multiple seasons. Bruno Risi, the current king of the sixes, is using the same Colnago that he has ridden for 3 years. Earlier this year he told me he thinks he will probably get another year out of it. This length of usage is certainly a far cry from the number of bikes a Division I road rider would go through in the same period.
The bikes in my collection, including the Van Looy, are to be photographed in 7 weeks. After that is done, I plan to put them up on the web site.
I have received a number of emails as to the correct address of the site as it appears many people are going to my business (email origination) web site and looking for a link to the cycling page. Unless you are interested in forensic economics, and even if you are, the business site is boring and has no personal / cycling links. The correct cycling swag address is: http://www.TheHortonCollection.com
Brett Horton San Francisco, CA
<<From: "Aldo Ross" <swampmtn@siscom.net> <<To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> <<Subject: Re: [CR]The Horton Collection
<<Hey - the first picture of the Bici Spor article shows a blue Learco Guerra with the same decal as on my 1953 bike - who's bike is that?
<< http://www.thehortoncollection.com/
<<Aldo Ross <<Middletown, Ohio
.