Off to Italy

sergio

On May 22, 8:06 am, "Mike Jacoubowsky" <Mi...@ChainReaction.com>
wrote:
> > ahhh, from the era when the object of the ride was the ride, not the
> > bike. Where the bike was there to get you there, not there to swoon
> > and gush over before the ride.
> Excuse me? When, exactly, was that era?

Perhaps the era, but not that bike!
Do not belittle it.

That bike, a ZAPIER, was built by tha late Piero Zaccagnini of
Pontedera, a bike mechanic very well known the country over, often at
the services of Squadra Sammontana. He provided bikes also to Squadra
Ferretti of nearby Capannoli, winner of a Giro d'Italia too with Gosta
Petterson.
Piero used to have framesets assembled by Luigi Daccordi, of Montopoli
Valdarno, recently moved to San Miniato Basso.
My frame is in fact a Daccordi.

That ZAPIER bike was custom made for me, built and assembled to the
best standards of the time: simply the best racing bike one could then
have, I was told by Piero. He would buidt racing bikes only for local
teams, whether amateur or professional, and I was an exception as a
customer.
I intended to have the best possible bike, most efficient and so most
adequate to tour. Which I did over the years and luckily still do.

In fact, it has taken me to places you can hardly imagine.
Nor should I waste even a minute to tell you, Peter.

Sergio
Pisa

dabac

Sunscreen, sunglasses and an after bike cap. Your address book so you can send gloating postcards.

Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com

On May 22, 12:06*am, "Mike Jacoubowsky" <Mi...@ChainReaction.com>
wrote:
> > ahhh, from the era when the object of the ride was the ride, not the
> > bike. Where the bike was there to get you there, not there to swoon
> > and gush over before the ride.
>
> Excuse me? When, exactly, was that era?
>
Same era as my Ciocc, with Super Record and once built it just went.
Disappeared beneath me, was there everyday I needed it. Nobody in my
club got all weak kneed at the coffee shop before our weekend 4-6 hour
epic, pointing and lifting and talking about the latest gizmo, gadget
or latest, not compatible with anything else, widget. Our bikes were
our tools, not the object of annoying affection and weird lust of
another's ride. After the ride, we went home and cleaned them, checked
them so as to make sure they would do the same thing the next time we
rode them.

Mike Jacoubowsky

"Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com" <peter@vecchios.com> wrote in
message
news:0cddcc8e-ee86-42c7-821e-33094da65919@u6g2000prc.googlegroups.com...
On May 22, 12:06 am, "Mike Jacoubowsky" <Mi...@ChainReaction.com>
wrote:
> > ahhh, from the era when the object of the ride was the ride, not the
> > bike. Where the bike was there to get you there, not there to swoon
> > and gush over before the ride.
>
> Excuse me? When, exactly, was that era?
>
> Same era as my Ciocc, with Super Record and once built it just went.
> Disappeared beneath me, was there everyday I needed it. Nobody in my
> club got all weak kneed at the coffee shop before our weekend 4-6 hour
> epic, pointing and lifting and talking about the latest gizmo, gadget
> or latest, not compatible with anything else, widget. Our bikes were
> our tools, not the object of annoying affection and weird lust of
> another's ride. After the ride, we went home and cleaned them, checked
> them so as to make sure they would do the same thing the next time we
> rode them.

OK, the big difference is that, while I didn't expect ANYBODY else to lust
after my bike, well heck, I didn't want that because it would have made me
jealous. It was MINE to lust after. There's no way I had a purely mechanical
relationship with my bike. It was magical, and I expected nobody but me to
appreciate that. Perhaps that's the difference between what you're talking
about and the "coffee shop" crowd. I would never expect people to oggle my
bike at an event, and am somewhat embarassed when it happens (rather unique
paint job that does draw a bit of attention). Which, of course, is kinda
dumb since it might help me sell more product, but outside of the store,
when I'm riding, that's not really what I do. I ride.

Are we on the same page or am I still wrong to have had such a relationship
with my bike?

OK, you want to know how weird I was? As if you can't figure that out
without any further info? When I discovered, early on, that Robergel 3*
(trois etoille) spokes looked pretty but failed often, vs the
outrageously-ugly zinc-plated Robergel Sports that you couldn't kill... I'd
actually remove the zinc and polish the spokes up from time to time to make
them look nicer. And that wasn't for anybody else. That was for me. It was
something special I could do for my bike.

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

Ryan Cousineau

In article
<0cddcc8e-ee86-42c7-821e-33094da65919@u6g2000prc.googlegroups.com>,
"Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com" <peter@vecchios.com> wrote:

> On May 22, 12:06*am, "Mike Jacoubowsky" <Mi...@ChainReaction.com>
> wrote:
> > > ahhh, from the era when the object of the ride was the ride, not the
> > > bike. Where the bike was there to get you there, not there to swoon
> > > and gush over before the ride.
> >
> > Excuse me? When, exactly, was that era?
> >
> Same era as my Ciocc, with Super Record and once built it just went.
> Disappeared beneath me, was there everyday I needed it. Nobody in my
> club got all weak kneed at the coffee shop [...]

Perhaps, but on the other hand, the amount of gear-wankery described in
_The Rider_ (set in 1977) is pretty high. One rider is known as "le
Douze" for the special 12-tooth cog he specially sought out after
hearing that Merckx used one. Other riders are picking their gears from
their cog boxes before the race.

I realize that you were not like that, but I think there have been
gear-heads in cycling for quite some time. From Carl's studies, there
appears to be evidence for advanced equipment nuttiness back into the
Ordinary era.

Both gear-nut and gear-iconoclast at once,

Obgear: clubmate was riding the weirdest Mavics at the training race
tonight: ordinary shallow-section metal rims, but with the fattest
round-section carbon spokes I have ever seen. They looked like some sort
of deliberate effort to create the least aerodynamic wheel possible.

To his credit, they were loaners,

--
Ryan Cousineau rcousine@gmail.com http://www.wiredcola.com/
"In other newsgroups, they killfile trolls."
"In rec.bicycles.racing, we coach them."

carlfogel@comcast.net

On Fri, 23 May 2008 03:34:06 GMT, Ryan Cousineau <rcousine@gmail.com>
wrote:

[snip]

>I realize that you were not like that, but I think there have been
>gear-heads in cycling for quite some time. From Carl's studies, there
>appears to be evidence for advanced equipment nuttiness back into the
>Ordinary era.

[snip]

Dear Ryan,

Well, since you mention it . . .

"Mr. Hansmann rode a 48-inch 'Xtra' fitted with the levers of a 57
[meaning that the treadles of the safety highwheeler were replaced
with treadles from a bigger version]. He used (as did the others) a
cradle spring [meaning that the original seat spring was replaced]. He
carried a 'Clytie' bag or valise of English manufacture, which, when
packed, weighed just 12 lbs. He had also a waterproof handle-bracket
and bag of his own invention, which easily held and kept dry a coat
tightly rolled. An Amateur photographic outfit (Walker’s), with
folding tripod, and conveniently carried in a small satchel, was
suspended by straps from his shoulders like a knapsack; and the total
weight of his outfit was 79 lbs; machine (with handy bag), 59 lbs;
'Clytie' 12 lbs; handle-bag 3 lbs., and camera 5 lbs."

Here's an 'Xtra' safety highwheeler with treadles
http://www.oldspokeshome.com/museum...s.php?bikeid=17
The whole photo gallery:
http://www.oldspokeshome.com/museum.php


"Mr. Allen rode a 52-inch full-nickelled [meaning a special finish]
machine, by Bayliss & Thomas, made specially with an exceptionally
rigid wheel having 84 spokes [special-order extra-spoke wheel]. He
carried an ordinary M.I.P. bag, weighing 8 1/2 lbs. when packed, and
his outfit complete weighed 59 lbs.

Here's a Bayliss & Thomas:

http://www.eriding.net/media/photos...rans_vb_024.jpg
The whole photo gallery:
http://www.eriding.net/media/vintage_bicycles.shtml

"Mr. Seely used a 56-inch full-nickelled machine [meaning again a
special finish], made to order [meaning custom built] by Singer & Co.,
with balls to both wheels [meaning better bearings than normal], and
H. and H’s ball-pedals [meaning super-duper pedals]. It was, however,
the lightest wheel of the three, and, with 8 1/2 lbs. M.I.P., and
3-lb. bundle on the handle, weighed 58 lbs [meaning apparently a whole
_pound_ lighter than the two other 59-lb rigs--weight-weenies
rejoice!]."

A Singer highwheeler:
http://www.jimlangley.net/ride/sing...hchallenge.html
Mouse over the top photo for a contemporary ad.

--"A Tour to the Natural Bridge" [Virginia] in "Outing" August 1883

http://www.la84foundation.org/Sport...05/outII05a.pdf

Cheers,

Carl Fogel