Seen.

Day one on Saturday sees the flea market come into town, I say flea market it is a great big cycle jumble in English terms. Stretched out either side of Gaiole’s main road this jumble is big and not only is it big, it is good, very good. Everything you ever needed for your period build and all the accompaniments to go with it can be found here. Even the rarest of the rare is on the tables, it seems that the cream of Italy’s cycle merchandise dealers have landed in Chianti for the day to bless all of the hungry with their wares. You simply do not get a selection this good in the U.K.

I could have bought it all, I really could. Had I gone there with an empty suitcase and a full bank account I surely would have at least grabbed a frame or two, and some wheels, and a groupset and then probably most of the other needed components to build a complete. Instead I bought a Gios T-shirt, I figured I should buy something off them considering how much I was lurking around their stall all day, staring at those beautiful blue frames.

Peep more photographs over at my Flickrspot.

Colnago Pista Mexico
Italy, 1975

Professional track bike from Colnago with extralight Columbus framework, with fully chromed “cromato” finish. Campagnolo Record Pista group, Cinelli bar/stem and Arius plastik track saddle. Martano Turbo rims with Clement Seta tubulars.

Zing! What a beaut… and a perfect winter hacker too!

Seen at Speedbicycles.

Whatever doubt that I had in my mind as to whether I should stump for that modern group for my steel frame was quickly dispatched upon sight of this fluoro Tommasini.

Spotted at Fame & Spear.

Now this I like. Eveything about it has got it ‘going on’… Frame, wheels, group, Slamming.

More at Cycleexif.

Dilemma. I’d always wanted one of these and this was again my size. It looked a bit tatty and the fork was rusted to within an inch of it’s life but then it’s not everyday someone presents you with one of these in your size. Even though the Raleigh was in much poorer condition to the Carlton he wanted more money for it. More than my budget. I got him to put wheels in both, stand them up side by side and I stared at them for a bit. The mental tussle went on for half an hour and then Bang! it finally happened. I saw the potential in that Red, yellow and black, I had chosen to burn the budget and I had bought the Raleigh.

Three years later and I still use it daily, rain or shine. It is scratched, battered and bruised but continuing to work like a beautifully oiled machine, hell it is a beautifully oiled machine! I love it and I can’t see it leaving my hands anytime soon. I’v had many bikes since this has been around but they’ve all gone to new homes, all except one.

I want to live in southern France one day and when I do I want this in the lounge.

Previous Raleigh posts.
The awesome Recollections of Ilkeston.
Classic lightweights on Raleigh SBDU.

The ‘Manufacturer’s Challenge’ is a stage-by-stage race within the race, celebrating the equipment and its respective technologies. Of course the riders make it exciting, but its the bikes that have truly evolved, and the bikes are what we all can have in common with the world’s best riders. The respective groupsets gather points based on daily race results of the top 20 riders throughout, 20 for 1st, 1 for 20th. Sprinting, climbing, time trials, all factor in over the complete three weeks of the world’s largest Grand Tour.

Standings up until and including yesterday’s stage, stage 16 of the 2011 TdF.

Campagnolo: 785
Shimano: 1406
SRAM: 1074

Ooof! Sram sponsor the most teams this year with 9, Shimano have 7 and Campagnolo have 6 so make up your own mind on which manufacturer you think is taking the biggest spanking.

Sram road diaries.

This guy added me as a contact on Flickr this morning and as soon as I spotted those gloves I had to take a peek. Dude has three NOS DX aero posts… nuff said.

So, I cracked another set of vintage pista cranks ( must be the hench ) and instead of yet again replacing like for like, in fear of a catastrophic fail I drew for a modern crankset. Enter Campagnolo Record Pista.

First appearances are a bit “Meh”. For the price of them ( even though I got a killer deal ) I was expecting a bit more. People all over the net gun for these ( anyone watch Louis Theroux t’other night? ) saying they’re the bees bits but to be honest the finish is garbage. They have painted on logos as opposed to laser etched or machined and the worst crime of all is that fact that the rear of the spider is not polished…. Like folks don’t look there. Believe me Campagnolo, we look there. I mean, you don’t see Ferraris with shabby engine bays do you?

I’v owned modern Suginos and vintage DA and, well, I think our eastern brethren make better quality stuff. Was it not for my bike being Euro and the rest of the hardware that adorns said bike being Euro I would’ve definitely gone for Dura Ace.

All that said, I’m still rather happy with my purchase and I can’t wait to slap ‘em on but in all honesty Campagnolo just lost a customer*. Not that that matters, mind you… there are still plenty of Dentists and Doctors out there.

*edit. They look totally badass on the whip. Shame on me for ever doubting the Campag.

My love for the classic TT bike continues.