Re: [CR]Re: Odd-weird-interesting-scary NOS 1972 Czech bike & saddle

(Example: History:Ted Ernst)

Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2006 12:34:33 -0500
From: "Eric Goforth" <ewgoforth@earthlink.net>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR]Re: Odd-weird-interesting-scary NOS 1972 Czech bike & saddle
References: <E93A8DF87F99D042B59F87E864328C0A083FE9EB@ems7.uwsp.edu> <8C8F00804BB83F1-12B8-FF98@MBLK-M30.sysops.aol.com> <c6d151100612170806r5372c389w5f1eab070b2d2959@mail.gmail.com> <8C8F01623CC4559-FB4-16A5@MBLK-M27.sysops.aol.com>
In-Reply-To: <8C8F01623CC4559-FB4-16A5@MBLK-M27.sysops.aol.com>


There was a guy in Burlington, North Carolina in the early 80's who had a little bike shop inside a laundry that carried Czech-made bikes similar to this.

They looked kind of like copies of an early 70's French bike with Mafac knockoff brakes like on this bike. In person the fit and finish looked really cheap and nasty, worse than a Huffy.

-Eric

oroboyz@aol.com wrote:
> << (like the influence of Alphons Mucha on classic bicycle ads and graphics) >>
>
> Tim, tell us more about this! Very interesting!
> Dale Brown
> Greensboro, North Carolina USA
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: timvictor@gmail.com
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Sent: Sun, 17 Dec 2006 11:06 AM
> Subject: Re: [CR]Re: Odd-weird-interesting-scary NOS 1972 Czech bike & saddle
>
> Dale wrote:
> > #320062087983 and 320062471061
> >
> > That is a funny-cool-weird-odd-scary bike! These "Iron curtain" companies are sort of like Yugos.. They LOOK normal but are still distinctly Third World when it comes to machining tolerances, etc.
> >
> > One thing bothered me in this auction.. Ths seller appears knowledgeable so why would he say "Has a really nice leather seat made by Brooks or Ideale I suppose." He knows that is pure BS. Troubling... What else is BS in what he says?
> >
> > Dale Brown
> > Greensboro, North Carolina USA
>
> Thanks for the comments, Dale, especially for the "What else is BS" heads-up.
> I read right past that, and never imagined for a moment that the saddle would
> be anything other than a Warsaw-Pact copy. I had only seen the listing for the
> full bike, not the other one for just the saddle.
>
> Yes, about "iron curtain" companies, I have several dozen Russian and Ukrainian
> copies of Leica and Hasselblad cameras. Their factories were capable of some
> very technically sophisticated stuff when they felt like trying, and consumer
> goods were often made in the same plants as their weapons and aerospace
> products. But worker morale was typically at rock bottom and quality control
> usually non-existent. Doug Fattic has relayed some great anecdotes about
> this world.
>
> Part of the charm for me is that it's a window into the world we didn't get
> to see at the time, "behind the Iron Curtain" that I heard so much about
> while growing up. Also Czech culture is wonderful and much overlooked
> (like the influence of Alphons Mucha on classic bicycle ads and graphics)
> and Prague is a most wonderful place to visit, fabulously beautiful and
> cultured. But the cameras sure are a lot cheaper to buy and ship and
> easier to store too.
>
> Peace,
>
> Tim Victor
> Greensboro, NC, USA
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