Re: [CR] 1970s UNION 'Team Replica' Dutch racing bike.

(Example: Events:BVVW)

Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2006 12:19:59 +0100
From: "Freek Faro" <khun.freek@gmail.com>
To: "Bob Hanson" <theonetrueBob@webtv.net>
Subject: Re: [CR] 1970s UNION 'Team Replica' Dutch racing bike.
In-Reply-To: <564-458A5EFF-6111@storefull-3273.bay.webtv.net>
References: <564-458A5EFF-6111@storefull-3273.bay.webtv.net>
cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

Bob, listers,

In the spirit of Christmas, or the nearing year's end, I picked up the phone and called Gowa, the company of Rini Wagtmans, and spoke (at length) to the man himself. So here are the facts on those Union bikes. Wagtmans was connected to Union at the time (mid-70s), and was teammanager of their amateur team. The bike in the lobby of his office is a real teambike. Union marketed the same bikes to the general public. Union did not have eiher the capacity or ability to build those higher-end frames, so Wagtmans had them build in Italy, by Gianni Motta. The cheaper ones (in Falck tubing) were build in France. At the same time Wagtmans was importer for Colnago, so that's why I remember that the Union brochure also showed a Colnago bike.

Freek Faro Rotterdam Netherlands

2006/12/21, Bob Hanson <theonetrueBob@webtv.net>:
>
> Now that I've finished my earlier Ode to Winter Cycling posting... I
> wanted to share this unusual bike with everyone.
>
> I purchased the frameset several years ago from Baron Corpuz of
> Renaissance Cycles, and have still uncovered very little about the
> frameset. However, recently, a CR member offered me some additional
> insight, and his personal sighting of what may have been the original
> race bike which inspired this copy, seen in the offces of the retired
> former racer who had once rode as Eddys team mate for Moltini.
> On the linked page I have made you will find most everything I know
> about the UNION company, their most famous racer (certainly for fans
> outside of Holland), and lastly, my links on a photo page, which may
> save you from negotiating a maze on any of the various commercial photo
> gallery hosting sites.
>
> http://community-2.webtv.net/theonetrueBob/UnionRace/
>
> Comments and/or further info welcome!
>
> Cheers!
>
> Bob Hanson, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA