Road Test/Bike Review (1982) Top Racing Bikes from Italy and Japan
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Road Test/Bike Review (1982) Top Racing Bikes from Italy and Japan
Italy: DE ROSA Super Prestige, GUERCIOTTI Jet, ROSSIN Record
Japan: FUJI Professional, MIYATA Team, 3RENSHO
Japan: FUJI Professional, MIYATA Team, 3RENSHO
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Thanks for posting this. A really interesting read. I love the Rossin's leather handlebar covers.
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Arguably the best single issue of Bicycling Magazine. In the same issue they evaluate bike tubing from the major manufacturers.
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Yes! And coming soon in a series of C&V posts starting this weekend to be called "Frames and Framebuilding", or something like that.
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The reference to the tested lowest priced bike of $1,300 back in 1982, adjusted for inflation and in 2020 would be approximately $2,940. Pricey, yes but that was top line.
Consider the retail price today for a top racing bike today, of course in CF~ yikes!
But for apple to apple, steel frame- new offering by Miyata, a frameset only is approx. $2,200. Add a top groupset and wheels, and the spread greatly widens.
Consider the retail price today for a top racing bike today, of course in CF~ yikes!
But for apple to apple, steel frame- new offering by Miyata, a frameset only is approx. $2,200. Add a top groupset and wheels, and the spread greatly widens.
Last edited by crank_addict; 01-24-20 at 09:35 PM.
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Nice article. Interesting reading about the era just before the Japanese bikes took off. Contrast these Japanese bikes, with their finicky early Shimano indexing gears, "prototype" hard anodized rims and hit-or-miss components to just a few years later when bikes like the Centurion Ironman were selling for $5-600 with Shimano's "nailed-it" sis 105 or 600 groupsets and other components that needed no excuses.
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I had to chuckle, a couple of years after this was written, I bought a $400 ($399.00+tax) road bike, A good dependable Centurion ProTour touring bike. Took me over all the Santa Cruz Mts roads. It rode a bit heavy and 'soggy' - but it rode dependably and stayed with me for 30years, before being sold. Most of my rides now are on racy-type frames. Since, at nearly 70, my serious touring miles are behind me, my riding preference is non-soggy.
Thank you (again) SpeedofLite for these wonderful C&V memories.
I had to chuckle, a couple of years after this was written, I bought a $400 ($399.00+tax) road bike, A good dependable Centurion ProTour touring bike. Took me over all the Santa Cruz Mts roads. It rode a bit heavy and 'soggy' - but it rode dependably and stayed with me for 30years, before being sold. Most of my rides now are on racy-type frames. Since, at nearly 70, my serious touring miles are behind me, my riding preference is non-soggy.
Thank you (again) SpeedofLite for these wonderful C&V memories.
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Vintage, modern, e-road. It is a big cycling universe.
Vintage, modern, e-road. It is a big cycling universe.
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I love these scans and reviews. Thanks for taking the time to create the threads- they are definitely worth reading thru and way more interesting than most threads on this site or elsewhere in internetville.
I did chuckle at how some of the bikes were described as too stiff. Relative to what is produced now, in carbon fiber, aluminum, or steel, all those bikes would be seen as noodles.
Perspective and relativity are interesting to employ when looking at history.
I did chuckle at how some of the bikes were described as too stiff. Relative to what is produced now, in carbon fiber, aluminum, or steel, all those bikes would be seen as noodles.
Perspective and relativity are interesting to employ when looking at history.