Original Message:
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From: Chuck Schmidt chuckschmidt@earthlink.net
Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 12:48:36 -0800
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR]Italian Simplex Was: Jerseys
> Now, I suggest some prudent historic research by you Italianisti...
(rant
deleted)
"I don't think anyone likes to be pigeon holed Peter, certainly not me.
While I own and ride quite a few classic Italian bikes I also own and ride more than a few French, English, Belgian bikes so there is no need for me to play favorites or get confrontational with country of origin bike choices.
Of course, if this is another troll I got sucked into then my face is certainly red..."
Why is this a "troll" let along a "rant" to suggest that the reason Simple x had an Italian plant was to get around possibly high Italian import duties
on cycle components? We have very few historians around here as you all accept things as they are (were) and never ask "why"? I can cycle from Italy to France and vice versa in an afternoon (even Ricky and Lucy did it!) and tis a lovely ride so the idea they would have factories in both countries indicates something other than distance was the cause.
Nor is it absurd to consider vaguely absurd that because a French designed , engineered and financed component was made in Italy makes it, well, Italian. Raleighs were made, under license, all over the world.. Cey lon, India, South Africa, Canada, even Ireland, but I think we'd still consider
it a British company.
So nationalism, it seems, must have played a role in cycling by your very point re. Simplex. It sure seems to have do so in France and Italy, tw o of the world most cycle-sport oriented countries. It might not make any difference to you, but it seems to a lot of people who built, bought and rode this stuff when new.
Peter Kohler Washington DC USA
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