I always thought one of the top non-Campy's was the '70 Raleigh Competition (hope I got the year right...): Zeus crank, Simplex shifters, full 531 DB, Brooks Pro, Nervex curly lugs, center pulls (Weinman?), MM Atom hubs, and tubulars - I still want one! Sure, I'd a' took a PX-10, too, but even in high school I knew those French parts could be a problem. Ended up with a Rossignoli. How that got to a Chicago bike shop, I'm still guessing. It replaced a Falcon, and the Rossignoli was still cheaper than a Competition or a PX-10. In those days I got a bike for good grades, but I had to watch the price. Even my Dad knew I didn't need a Cinelli!
Ken
-----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of kohl57@starpower.net Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2005 2:53 PM To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: RE: [CR]Cheapest all-Campy bike, was: Raleigh Pro Questions
Nice story, Bob! And I bet you weren't passed by too many Campy-equipped bikes, either.
That was the old story in the 1970s.. all of the French bikes, all of which seemed to be variations on the PX-10 theme (and if I had room, I'd happily
collect all of them!) were SO much cheaper than their Italian or British competition. No need to start the old arguement about Simplex vs. Camp y (oh, why not.. it's a CR List evergreen debate!), but the simple fact remains: Campy had major "mojo" and you paid for it. A lot. It was fun
buying French bikes and sneering at Campy blokes who paid double what you paid, but if you applied your brakes, that Mafac squeel would just ruin your street cred. So here's to French PX-10s and their myriad clones: th e best lightweight for the money of the Bike Boom.
Peter Kohler Washington DC USA
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