Gods of VR-2005,
I would like to throw one of my bikes up for consideration: Freddy Maertens' 1981 Colnago he rode to victory at the 1981 World Championships. Wonderful trick geometry with a mix of several tubing sets. No question the bike is real as it came directly from Freddy and has also been photo matched to several race photos.
Summary: Riders look at bikes as tools. Wonderful, they won a great race on the bike. They continue to use the bike for the rest of the season. At the end of the season the bike either goes back to the team or the rider keeps it to use for training or as a spare at races. Freddy continued to use this bike after the 1981 Worlds and also used it the following season. Clearly the biggest race he won on the bike was the World Championships.
The Issues:
- Decals: He won the race with white vinyl panel decals. The bike has transparent decals. As was the custom at the time the decals would be removed on a near weekly basis and replaced with new ones so the bike maintained a "fresh" appearance. Does one leave the decals, which are original to the bike and exactly how he last raced on the bike, or do you replace them with NOS white panel decals identical to the ones used at the 1981 Worlds?
-Wheels: He won the worlds using sew-ups. The bike now has clinchers. Similar to the issue with decals, he did race on these wheels, just didn't win the worlds on them. Replace with configuration actually used?
-Cosmetic: Touch-up the paint?
-Minor Component Issues: Replace rusted or nearly broken parts, even if the ones on the bike are original to the 1981 World Championships?
All the best, Brett Horton San Francisco, CA
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