Yea, Colnago learned their lesson; now they get their frames made in China!
James Valiensi, Northridge California
On Tuesday, October 23, 2007, at 03:34AM, "Bianca Pratorius" <biankita@comcast.net> wrote:
>For a long time I have enjoyed the Colnago factory's fascination with
>pantographing. A look through my past Ebay transactions shows me that I
>have often purchased or obtained some pantographed items to enjoy them,
>inspect them, clean them up, and then turn a profit. A friend of mine
>calls them bicycle jewelry and I have to agree. I have noticed so many
>different styles of pantographing, perhaps from different years,
>perhaps not. I have come to the conclusion that someone in the factory
>obtained stock stems and seatposts and then was given access to a
>pantographing machine with the loose instructions to "have at it". This
>is part of the appeal of these "custom - factory" bikes. Long before
>McDonalds and Howard Johnson's had the idea of total standardization,
>the Italian factories were making custom one of a kind versions of
>somewhat mass produced bicycles. I think one could see a Colnago ad in
>a magazine, hunger for a similar bike and order one. What he actually
>ended up with may or may not have been a close copy of the ad bike.
>That is part of the charm and part of the excitement of collecting
>these bikes. Depending on who was assigned duty at the pantographing
>machine that day determined how long the flutes were, what kind of club
>was depicted, whether or not there was a Colnago "C" and in what
>typeface. Nowadays the Colnago factory has probably learned its lesson.
>They churn out thousands of identical Carbon moncoques or whatever they
>are called. I have a lot of trouble feining interest in any one of
>their new bikes, no less comparing one to another.
>
>Garth Libre in Miami Fl. USA (enjoying the pantographotos of Ray's
>Pantografatta and wishing that his bike were pantomine. Ray, ... Do you
>polish your pantographed parts in your good pantalones or do you have
>some old aluminum stained overalls for the job?)