e-ritchie makes a valid comment concerning who built a specific bicycle. I have a 1971 Masi, and I have never wondered who built it, and I guess that I don't really give a rip who built it, and the reason is...I never knew the guy. Compare Masi with Colin Laing, and the story changes. I suspect that Colin has built every Colin Laing bike ever sold and badged as such. When his son, Ian started building with him, he changed the badge to Colian. If I ever get my hands on an early Colin Laing, I will be quite certain that he actually built and painted the bike. Excepting Ian, I have never seen another person in his shop (except his wife). I guess I would be disappointed if I purchased a bike badged as Colin, but built by Ian. Then again, I'm pretty sure I could tell if it were so. Of all the KOF bikes I have seen, none have the builder's personality stamped as clearly as a Colin Laing. He has left something of himself on each of his bicycles.
Richard Thompson said it better...this is from his song '1952 Vincent Black Lightning' from the album "Rumor and Sigh"....
'Said young James, in my opinion, There's nothing in this world Beat's a '52 Vincent and a red headed girl Now Nortons and Indians and Greeves won't do They don't have a soul like a Vincent '52.....
Pat Moffat Tempe AZ Where I'm out in the garage listening to good music, drinking the Red, and looking at my (OT) brand new purple Vitus F/F that I bought from the catalog during one of their fire sales. Wonder who built it????
-----Original Message-----
From: Chuck Schmidt <chuckschmidt@earthlink.net>
Sent: Aug 7, 2005 10:18 PM
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR]Mid 60's Masi Special Who Built it Question
>From e-RICHIE (Richard Sachs) blog that speaks to the issue of whether
Faliero Masi built my bike or not or if it even matters for that matter...
http://richardsachs.blogspot.com/
"thanks, p?te. you've hit the nail on the head. finally. the focus, or preoccupation with the owner/operator mentality is clearly an american one. and it really isn't all pervasive. mr. minolta didn't make my camera. mr. westinghouse doesn't make the oven. no one named 'levi' made the jeans i buy... why is it so important with this bicycle stuff. alas, in a 4 star restaurant, the chef is the celebrity. does he cook the meal? no f@^! way! in french, chef means 'chief', not 'cook'. and, as is the case in the fine kitchens, the most senior member of a frame making concern is there to administer the work to be carried out, more often than not, in his image. in most places, there is no 'glory' in continuing to toil with your hands if you have the resources and manpower to pass on your skills to those on staff. otherwise, it wouldn't be a commercial entity able to span generations. and, yes, there will be good ones and bad ones. and some 'chefs' may choose to license their marques, adding further to the confusion, (tho' providing the mothership with added sources of income...). i know-it's all very confusing if you expect this to conform to your fantasy of how it was/should be done. the fact is that these companys were never one-man shops, nor were they ever trying to cling to the romantic notion that the guy who signs the checks should also work at a bench rather than a desk. e-RICHIE"
Comments?
Chuck Schmidt South Pasadena, Southern California
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