[CR]Rino equals Excel

(Example: Racing:Jacques Boyer)

In-Reply-To: <CATFOODN0fC1npbmjDD000005e5@catfood.nt.phred.org>
References:
From: AdventureCORPS News <news@adventurecorps.com>
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 2004 10:33:22 -0700
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Rino equals Excel

Hi gang

Rino is the line of parts, like Dura Ace. The manufacturer was the Italian company Excel, which was imported by Bicycle Parts Pacific, I believe. They were the official component sponsor of RAAM back in 1983 and also of RAAM legend Lon Haldeman in 1982. The company went by the wayside a few years later, no doubt in part because of the advent of index shifting. (Ditto for Galli, another Italian component maker that also sponsored Lon Haldeman and definitely was imported by BPP.)

Excel also made a weird infinitely geared crankset system called Cambiogear. I still have one of those in the original, snazzy, silver box. I have no idea how it works!

I also have an Excel Rino group (minus the brakes and hubs; I don't think they made brakes) on a Carlton Raleigh frameset that was made for RAAM as Raleigh was the official bike of RAAM in 1983. The frameset with Excel Rino parts sat on display in the RAAM office until they couldn't afford to pay rent on an office. John Marino, the RAAM founder, gave it to me in 1985 as neither company was a RAAM sponsor anymore and it was just taking up space in his home office. Lucky me! Maybe I'll bring that bike to the Cirque du Cyclisme next year!

My 1990 article "The Bikes of RAAM" has some info on these issues http://www.adventurecorps.com/when/raam/raambikes.html

- Chris Kostman
LA, CA