Don wrote:
<< My first purchase was a Suntour VGT (to replace a simplex prestige
rear mech, which had snapped) My second purchase was to replace the
simplex shift levers when they snapped... >>
Ha! I wonder how many of us had this exact experience?
That Suntour VGT was affordable and said (I think correctly) to shift as well or better than anything of the time... Then the Simplex DT shifters cracking or just plain being rejected due to their sponginess...
In any case, I bet a high percentage of us relate to that set of experiences!
THANKS Don!
Dale Brown Greensboro, North Carolina USA http://www.classicrendezvous.com -----Original Message----- From: gillies@cs.ubc.ca To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Sent: Wed, 25 Apr 2007 1:21 AM Subject: [CR]Campy copies
In the 70's I was a poor jr. high and then high school student. I just could not afford campy. The best LBS in town didn't even display campy stuff - what's the point ?? Probably 4/5ths of the people in the midwest could not afford any campy at all - certainly not at LBS prices! The display case had mainly french parts and suntour/sugino.
My first purchase was a Suntour VGT (to replace a simplex prestige rear mech, which had snapped) My second purchase was to replace the simplex shift levers when they snapped !!! Used shifters, CAMPAGNOLO, from a swap night at the UIUC cycling club meeting, they cost $12 ~ the brand new price was $18 !!! yikes !!! Even $12 me was a horrific amount of money (1/8th the value of the entire bicycle the shifters were being installed on ...)
My campy collection did not grow for another 4 years, until I lucked out and got a used schwinn paramount for 25% of brand-new price due to a bit of incredible luck assisted by 70's hyperinflation (brand new price in 1980 : $1075, owner paid: $675 in 1976, I paid: $300) And who did the paramount belong to? One of our town's most successful lawyers, that's who.
- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA