The Bikes - Then and Now

This page is just getting started and deals with my on-again, off-again love of cycling. Actually it deals with my on-again, off-again physical activity of cycling, my love of cycling has been constant since I was 13 years old.  I have this workaholic syndrome that causes me to veer away from cycling as I do from gardening, and other hobbies from time-to-time.  You know, come to think about it maybe my love is bikes, and now narrowed down to Italian bikes. 

The Early Years (late 60's and 70's)

Columbia - At 13 years of age, I got my first 10 speed bike, a red Columbia.  It was an American made welded heavy piece of junk.  A least two sizes too big.  Dad was like that, it was ok because in his words "I would grow into it." Of course, at 13, I had no idea of what a clunker it was.  All I knew was it was freedom.  I put thousands of miles on that bike, tore out the bottom bracket once, dad had it welded by the local guy who works at the chemical plant, and then I was off for thousands more miles.  I rode that bike for a least 6 or 7 years.  At around 15, I began to read about road bikes, particularly European road bikes, Reynolds and Columbus tubing, lugged and brazed light weight frames.  I wanted one so bad.  

Atala - I had to wait for my first year of college to buy my first light weight brazed frame, a red/white Atala.  It was a real quality frame, but had been crashed.  There was a distinct bend in the top tube right where it entered the head tube, but it was true from side to hide.  The effect was a steeper head tube angle.  I rode that bike also for thousands of miles, literally rode it into the ground and that bent joint never failed, a testament to Italian steel frame building skills.  I do remember what a different feeling it was to ride it from that old Columbia clunker which I still owned.  It is amazing what a difference light, quality tubing and alloy components was over the American junk iron clunker of the day.

The Middle Years (80's)

Kabuki - In the early 80's I started to get a little more serious about cycling.  Cycling was also in a boom and the Japanese were putting out some really good values with both frames and components.  I picked up a Kabuki Kabuki in the early 80's with Suntour components.  It was a steady performer, a little heavy, but solid quality.

Raleigh - Searching for lighter weight and better looks so a red/white Raleigh with a Reynolds 531 frame and Suntour Superbe Pro components came next.   I bought the entire bike part by part mail order and assembled it completely myself.   Light, great looking, totally sweet riding bike.  I wish I still had it.

Nashbar - During this period I also bought a had a funny bike (Time Trial setup) from Nashbar, back when they sold complete bikes.  It had the cow horn bars, a 700c rear wheel and 650c front.  A vinyl cover gave it the impression of a disk wheel in the back.  I don't have any recollection of the components on the bike.  It was black with red graphics I think.  It was a blast to ride when doing sprints and always turned heads this was the mid 80s so for many folks this was their first time to ever see a time trial style bike, even if it was more of a knock off than the real thing.

Bottecchia - With each bike quality got a little better, but it was not until 1989, that my dream came true.  A hand-made Italian Bicycle.  This was while Greg Lemond was in Tour de France riding for bikes with the Bottecchia name.  Actually his Bottecchia was made by KVM and relabeled, a practice still common in bicycle racing.  Mine being a true Bottecchia  was made by Carnielli.  It didn't matter, the bike, made with Columbus SLX tubing and outfitted with Campagnolo C-Record components, was as good riding as it was good looking.  I still remember the sensation when I pedaled off on that first ride.  I felt like it was my first time on a bike.  That bike, and its components were unlike anything I had experienced before. 

In the strange turns of life I sold (actually darned near gave it away) the Bottecchia and Raleigh in 1990 and the Nashbar was stolen. I only owned my dream Bottecchia around 2 years.  Selling it was something I would painfully regret for many years and I thought about that bike often. 

The Lost Years (90's)

In the early 90's I sold my last two bike and owned no bikes nor did I turn a single pedal stroke for nearly the whole decade.  How sad, and my health paid the price.  A serious illness in 99 caused some serious reassessment.  Bikes were the only physical exercise that I thoroughly enjoyed throughout my life and it was time it returned to my life.

Last 5 Years - The Rebirth (Late 99 to present)

Specialized - My love of bicycles began to return in the late 90s after years of high stress work, a close encounter with mortality, and health issues it became apparent that I needed a physical outlet.  I purchased a Specialized Allez aluminum frame on sale from Supergo.  The frame sat in my closet for another 2 years before I got around to building it out myself with Veloce components purchased from Excel Sports.  I had been away from riding for a decade and was so out of shape that my first ride of 4 miles was a true effort.  Embarrassing to say the least for a guy who used to ride 20 or 30 miles after work in 95 degree heat, and enjoyed every minute of it.   Now, I was starting over.

De Rosa - After a couple of years the aluminum ride of the Specialized just wasn't doing it for me.  That Allez was one stiff frame.  And I kept thinking of that wonderful riding  Columbus tubed,  Italian built Bottecchia.  eBay to the rescue! A NOS De Rosa Giro d'Italia frame built with Columbus SLX in a great red/white color scheme came up and I snatched it.  I moved the Veloce components from the Specialized over to this bike, upgrading from down tube shifters to Ergo at the same time.  Wheelsmith wheels, DEDA Newton bars/stem, Campy Record Carbon seat post, Performance Forte carbon fork, and Campy Chorus Pro-Fit pedals completed the package.  This bike has an absolutely sweet ride and is quite light for a steel bike with a modest component group.  It is still my main ride although I now have a few other bikes in the stable.

Kabuki - A strange purchase.  This NOS Kabuki, identical to my bike of 20 years earlier popped up on eBay.  I saw it was going to go cheap and couldn't resist picking it up for $95.  Not sure if I will keep it long term.  It is quite heavy, but also real comfortable.  If I wanted to do some moderate touring it might likely be my choice.  Who knows where it will end up.  I think I will focus on Italian bikes for the rest of my days.  There is just something of a mystique about them for me.

Bottecchia - In a strange twist of fate the "B" is home after 14 years in the custody of another.  As I said earlier, I always regretted selling it. In late 2003 I just kept thinking about the bike.  Since it was fairly unique, I put a message on the Baton Rouge Bicycle Club Yahoo Group explaining that I had sold it over a decade earlier and a description asking if anyone knew of its whereabouts.  A few day later I received an email from the fellow who had  purchased it from me all those years earlier.  He still had it, but no longer rode it.  After a nice exchange of emails, I asked him to contact me if he ever decided to part with it.  Seven months later an email arrived in my email stating that he had decided to sell it, and while he knew he could get quite a bit more money for it on eBay he thought the right thing to do was to put it back with the original owner (me) and would take the same price at which I had sold it to him so many years ago.  It was a steal back then for him, and a steal for me getting it back.  The only explanation for this odd string of coincidences it that God wanted this bike to go back home.  It was both a joy and painful to get it back.  It was absolutely mint when I sold it with C-Record Components that were as much art as engineering.  Now it was 15 years old with thousands of miles.  Well cared for but showing signs of extensive use.  I replaced the Rolls seat and C-Record cranks, which was trashed, with NOS stock acquired through eBay.  A thorough clean up, complete overhaul, new cables/housings and bar wrap has it looking pretty decent if you don't look too hard.  My dream one day is  a complete refinish, but the cost would be significant so unless I get a windfall at some point it may never happen.  And although the white/matte black color scheme is cool and unique, I think the alternative red/white scheme it was offered in would likely get the nod for the new color scheme as I want the liquid look on the paint and I think all that clear over matte black would just net gloss black anyway.

Bianchi MegaPro XL - This story started out with the Specialized.  After looking a perfectly good frame for a year with no parts I just couldn't stand it and they were giving away 8 speed SORA stuff as it was discontinued and everyone had moved through 9 and onto 10 speed.  Here in such flat land 8 speeds is more than enough so I built it out dirt cheap.   But the story really started when I went to upgrade the fork to a carbon fork.  Not an expensive proposition, but as I was watching eBay for one this beat up Bianchi MegaProXL frame came up.  Although the Specialized was nearly mint I could not pass up an Italian frame with a carbon fork already for just a little more than the carbon fork was going to cost me alone.  So now I have it all built up with Shimano SORA components.  Even found a Bianchi labeled ITM stem and bars to match.  Patience is the secret to eBay.  Cosmetically this bike leaves a lot to be desired, but otherwise it is a pretty sweet machine.  It is Italian, and with a really neat story as this is a Team Replica of the frame Pantani road in the mountain stages in the year he won both the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia.  Now of course, he road early Campy 10 speed components and not Shimano SORA, but hey, I am not wealthy.  It'll do till I win the lottery.

Colnago - This is a Frankenbike.  The frame was functionally solid but cosmetically pretty bad when I snagged it.  Got it super cheap and built it out with old hand me down components lying around and a handful of eBay pickup.  The only new part on the bike is a SunRace rear derailleur, Nashbar chain, and a Nashbar 7-speed freewheel to match.  Used Shimano 105 indexed shifters move the gears with a Campy Record front derailleur and the old scratched C-Record cranks that came back on the Bottecchia.  The bars, stem, seat, and brake levers all came off of the Specialized when those components were upgraded while switching them from the Specialized to the De Rosa.  Chain and wheels were NOS parts from eBay.

Bianchi EV Titanium - Another frame that sat around for a year and a half before coming to life.  The whole story here is a bit too personal to share on a website, but suffice to say that the color "Celeste" is the key reason for the Bianchi, as my wife's name is Celeste.  Again, all parts are eBay, waiting for just the right deal to finish this out in Veloce.  My original plan was for Record components as the frame is certainly deserving of them, but changes in life, plans for a new house, and stuff meant going the budget route for now, and probably forever, but Veloce is still a fine solution. 

A shot from today.