Julian Bennett Holmes
Description: Portland, Oregon, USA
On this bitter cold snowy day in Portland, Oregon I took a nostalgia trip back to the 1970’s. Long ago, I had a copy of this 1976 Bicycling! magazine edition but it had somehow gone missing. I’ve been searching for another one since, and finally found a copy in good shape on eBay. So, since cycling today (or tomorrow or the next day) is likely out of the question due to record snowfall and below freezing temperatures, it was fun to spend time perusing this mag’s fascinating pages.
The ads in vintage cycling magazines are actually as interesting (or more so) than the articles themselves. Here’s Campagnolo making its case for the Super Record rear derailleur. Catching my eye immediately was the “removable stop for easy disassembly” so that the derailleur can be properly serviced. That’s a big contrast to today’s black box, unserviceable and throw away technology and one of the many reasons why I prefer vintage components.
Pricing is also interesting. This Masi could be had for $699 from beloved Bikecology (whose mail order catalogs were legendary). Likewise, framesets from well regarded builders were also on offer. In today’s prices, the Masi would go for $3,675.
Julian Bennett Holmes