Re: Subject lines and quoting (was Re: [CR]bfd...brilliant ?????? deal.)

(Example: Component Manufacturers:Ideale)

Date: Sun, 25 Dec 2005 16:56:01 -0800 (PST)
From: "Peter Naiman" <hetchinspete1@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Subject lines and quoting (was Re: [CR]bfd...brilliant ?????? deal.)
To: Sheldon Brown <CaptBike@sheldonbrown.com>, JB Froke <jbfroke@msn.com>, classicrendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
In-Reply-To: <p06230912bfd4a5db3c5f@[10.0.1.49]>


Sheldon; Brett Horton on December 23nd posted a letter to the CR List which I've pasted below about a Pre-WWII track bike he had acquired. Apparently he got a response from another list member which was the quote that follows: "bfd...brilliant ?????? deal". Brett posted his response to that list member with a second letter through the CR List. That letter is also below, and contain the "bfd...brilliant" response that Brett recieved from said list member. Although you can look up the CR members handle and name on the archive that sent this uncalled for response, I've deleted it from the letter below, as he possiblymight have heard from Dale already, and I'm really not sure what really provoked his response to Brett Hortons letter about the track bike, as it appears it was offlist.

I did send my thoughts to said list member, that I thought his response to Bretts first letter was rather rude, unkind, and really uncalled for, and I did so offlist. I've had a few dealings on sales, and otherwise with this list member and have always had a good working relationship with this member and I was a bit taken aback by his comments. Hopefully this is all overwith as we really don't need any arguing, and nasty comments on or off the list. Both letters are below.

Best regards, and best to all on the Holidays. Peter Naiman Glendale, WI ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Letter #1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [CR]New Acquisition - Pre WWII Track Bike

Every so often I am able to get my grimy little mitts on something really special. Earlier today I closed a deal for a couple of items I have been pursing for several years: Jean Alavoine's race used bicycle and four foot original hand tinted photograph of him.

You may be saying to yourself, "BFD, who is Jean Alavoine?" Alavoine was an important pre and post WWI French rider. He won the French National Championships in 1909 and repeated 11 years later in 1920. He was a rider who always intrigued me. Not so much for his great exploits as much as his fighting spirit. He was a Poulidor kind of rider. No slouch, always in the thick of things, won some important races, but never fulfilled his dream to win the Tour de France.

For years, his three bikes, the large photo, and a few scattered medals lay hidden away with the family. A couple of years ago, a friend of mine in France was able to purchase almost everything directly from the family. When a book idea about Alavoine that he was trying to get published failed to materialize this past year, he decided to part with a couple of the items.

The bike I am receiving is c.1921 and was Alavoine's track machine. The beauty in the bike is everything is original. No one has ever attempted to restore it at all. The bike literally went from the Alavoine family garage to my friends basement and now to San Francisco. The astounding part is to be able to find a true racing bike that pre-dates WWII, is untouched, and one with unequivocal provenance to a well regarded professional rider.

The large photograph hung in the family home for nearly 80 years. The sheer size of it is enough to make one stop in their tracks. It has lovely hand tinting and is in great shape. Of course, I now have no money and will be enjoying a bowl of corn flakes and a glass of tap water at every meal for the next eight months.

I should have these in my hands toward the end of January. I will certainly post up photos.

Brett Horton San Francisco, CA (The gloating machine is on full tilt today) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Letter #2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ {List members name deleted!!)

Sorry you feel that way. Perhaps someday I will have a collection comparable to the depth and breadth of your vast stash of pre-war racing bikes so I can flippantly disregard a rider who won, among others, 17 Tour de France stages, finished on the podium in Paris four of the eight times he rode the TdF, and was a two time French National Champion on the road. Jean Alavoine achieved these palmares despite missing four of his most potentially productive years due to the first world war.

I guess I must be searching in the wrong places. In 14 years of looking, I have only seen five bicycles outside of museums that were pre-war, untouched, and had credible rider provenance.

So, solemnly bowing to your vast knowledge of cycling history, I will have to be happy with an apparently meaningless bike from an apparently meaningless rider. (Maybe I should spruce it up with some fake Campy brake hoods.)

I remain you humble servant.

Happy Holidays,

Brett Horton San Francisco, CA

?????????@aol.com wrote: bfd...brilliant ?????? deal.

bretthorton@thehortoncollection.com wrote: <snip>Earlier today I closed a deal for a couple of items I have been pursing for several years: Jean Alavoine's race used bicycle and four foot original hand tinted photograph of him.<snip> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sheldon Brown <CaptBike@sheldonbrown.com> wrote: JB Froke wrote:
>I have been a CR member for better than a year now, and have seen and
>read a bit. But, this ["bfd...brilliant ?????? deal"] I don't get. Is
>the author, NitroRobbie (sp?) a renowned collector? I need context.
>Thanks, JB Froke Pebble Beach CA

I need context too!

When replying to threads on email lists, it would really help if you would either quote relevant parts of the message you're replying to, or leave the "Subject:" line intact.

When you change the "Subject:" line for a reply, _and_ don't quote, it makes it difficult or impossible to know what/whom you're replying to.

Not every list subscriber reads every posting in the list; I typically get over 1,000 emails per day, so I have to be a bit selective.

Sheldon "Puzzled" Brown Newtonville, Massachusetts +--------------------------------------------+ | And the end of all our exploring | | Will be to arrive where we started | | And know the place for the first time. | | --T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets | +--------------------------------------------+ -- Sheldon "" Brown Newtonville, Massachusetts

Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041 http://harriscyclery.com Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide http://captainbike.com Useful articles about bicycles and cycling http://sheldonbrown.com _______________________________________________

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