Dear Mr. Hollenberg, Medical Doctor: Happy to hear that your experiences run counter to mine. Yes, you are absolutely correct in your guess that the Modolo Kronos brakes were designed for Time Trial use. And it's also heartening to hear that your particular Cinelli Laser has no bondo or cracks as the Lasers that I observed years ago did.
However to characterize one man's first hand observations of the existence of bondo in the manufacture of the Cinelli Laser as "nonsense" is ill-mannered and does nothing to further the discussion of Cinelli Lasers or even Modolo Kronos brakes for that matter.
"Tis with our judgments as our watches: None go just alike, yet each believes his own." --Alexander Pope (1688-1744)
Chuck Schmidt, GD (Graphic Designer) CA, USA
On May 7, 2007, at 3:06 PM, George Hollenberg, MD wrote:
> Dear Mr. Schmidt:
> The Modolo Kronos brakes on my Laser work very well. So do the ones
> on my Colnago Cx.
> I have purchased both well used and unused Modolo Kronos brakes.
> The last set I bought, from Europe, was used by the former owner
> for many years. I may have extra sets, both used and unused, if
> you are interested. Like all high-tech parts they must be properly
> installed and maintained. I have original intruction manuals as well.
> Please know that the Laser and Kronos brakes were most likely
> designed for TT use.
> There is no bondo and there are no cracks on Cinelli Laser #007.
> George Hollenberg, MD
> CT, USA
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Chuck Schmidt
> Date: Monday, May 7, 2007 4:22 pm
> Subject: Re: [CR]1981 Cinelli Laser?
> To: CR RENDEZVOUS
>
>>
>> On May 7, 2007, at 12:52 PM, George Hollenberg wrote:
>>
>>> As in all areas of our hobby there's a lot of dis-information
>> about
>>> the Laser, too, i.e., that the tube shapes were done with
>> bondo--
>>> (nonsense), and that the Kronos brakes wouldn't stop the bike--
>> (not
>>> true either), etc.
>>
>>
>> Unfortunately, quite a bit of the fairing of the tubes into each
>>
>> other at the head tube was accomplished with lots of bondo.
>> This is
>> very apparent to the eye when you see all the cracks in the
>> surface
>> around the back of the headtube fairing as the bondo has shrunk
>> over
>> the years. The few Laser's I saw had these cracks developing
>> when
>> the bikes were still fairly new (four or five years old?). I
>> loved
>> the look, these extreme design/aesthetic exercises at which
>> Italians
>> excel, but the cracking of the bondo was one of the reasons I
>> was
>> happy not to own one.
>>
>> Oh, and I rode with friends that tried Modolo Kronos on their
>> racing
>> bikes and eventually took them off their bikes after a few
>> months
>> because of the braking was only marginal at best. I'd be
>> willing to
>> wager that you'll never find a "well used" set of Modolo Kronos
>> brakes for auction on eBay... they were all show and no go (stop?).
>>
>> "Who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?"
>> -- Groucho Marx
>>
>> Sincerely,
>> Chuck Schmidt
>> South Pasadena, CA
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>>
>
> George Hollenberg MD
> CT, USA