Re: [CR] What would you ride if we erased part of your brain? (was Shimano 600 ..)

(Example: Framebuilding:Paint)

Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2009 06:32:36 -0800
From: "Thomas Adams" <thomasthomasa@yahoo.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>, Bianca Pratorius <biankita@comcast.net>
In-Reply-To: <65e905cc24eaa2f8917c6c160f5a5d69@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [CR] What would you ride if we erased part of your brain? (was Shimano 600 ..)


Dear Garth and List:

Racing bike:

Suntour Superbe (Pro, if we push the time limits out a bit).  The smoothe st shifting derailleurs, nicest finish and most graceful lines in existence .  I like Superbe hubs fine, but if we can mix and match, would add Campy Record.

Touring:  Superbe (Pro) augmented with a Cyclone GT rear mech and Special ized 110/74 triple front crank.  If I'm on a super long tour with durab lility concerns, replace the Cyclone GTwith a Suntour VXGT or use a Shimano Crane GT.  Those Cyclone GTs do tend to bend the cage, but boy are they lite and purty.  Phil Wood hubs.

I actually have my Nobilette racer set up this way, and the Marinoni tourin g is close except for the TA triple crank.

The looks and durability of Campy stuff is great, but functioning is a smid ge behind other brands.  I still have 2-3 NR bikes, though, so function i sn't everything to me.

Tom Adams
Manhattan KS


--- On Thu, 2/19/09, Bianca Pratorius wrote:


From: Bianca Pratorius <biankita@comcast.net> Subject: [CR] What would you ride if we erased part of your brain? (was Shi mano 600 ..) To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Date: Thursday, February 19, 2009, 6:32 AM

I have a friend who waxed poetically about the beauty of old Shimano 600. A lbeit he was born in Turkey and is a Muslim (the design of the Arabesques on Shim ano 600 was originally inspired by Islamic Mosques). I remember back in the day hearing about how other worldly the Suntour Blue Line was both in color acc ent and sexy shape. Dura Ace from the early 80's feels like metalic magic in my hands - both brakes and shifters, Royal Grande Compe brakes came on my ball s to wall - spare no expence - must have the absolute most reliable and best functioning Raliegh for racing.

The question is - if you had all your mechanical skills and all of your ski lls to be able to evaluate and critique various bike parts - and you were sudde nly placed in the middle of a major world city ALL ALONE with no one to influen ce your decision and prejudice your choices - And your past memories about Nuo vo Record and such were purged from your brain ------ What would you ride? Wh at would you lovingly run your fingers over? (bike parts that is).

I know of many CR members who have eclectic on topic bikes who choose Sunto ur this and Shimano that and Universal brakes and odd ball Campy and second ti er French frames and Japanese saddles for their most cherished ride. If they c an eliminate their pre-conceptions why can't the rest of us? Wouldn't this be a better world if we chose who to marry and what to ride based on love r ather than indoctrination?

Garth Libre in Miami Florida USA