Louison resurgent.

I have a wealth in interesting friends, many of them are, like myself, unstoppable scroungers. Last year, one of them in Michigan, which seems to be a hotbed for vintage lightweights, found this 60's Louison Bobet touring model, (well, his wife found it) in a dumpster! I was a pretty good timecapsule of it's era, right down to the Rigida dimpled rims laced to high flange Normandy hubs, and the cottered Nervar crankset. Even the early Huret Alviet derailleurs were intact! With a soft spot for old French steel, we came to an agreement and Louison followed me home.

It's not up to the quality that the three time TDF winner rode, but it's as good as any moderate Mercier, (which it is). And it seems that Bobet's were only imported through a shop called Cyclopedia in Michigan in the 60's and 70's.

http://www.cyclinghalloffame.com/riders/rider_bio.asp?rider_id=32

http://www.classicrendezvous.com/France/Bobet_bicycles.htm

http://www.bianchiusa.com/09-bicycles/09-c2c/via-nirone-7-alu/09-c2c-nirone-alu-sora-comp.html

Yeah, I'm a sucker for a pretty face. We, (The shop I work for) became an official Bianchi dealer last week. I've been busy bolting together beautiful

Taiwaneese Bikes that speak with an Italian accent. Got to admit, though I was raised a steel purist, and my only venture into Alloy has been my pair

of welded in Bedford Cannondales, I truly want a Via Nirone, yeah it's asain, it's alloy, and it's only Sora, but still!

Visions of a low buck build dance in my head like a spinning Veloche crankset, and I'm digging for the $600 I need to buy it with my employee discount.

will it happen?? I hope so, do I need it?? No way, my '93 C-Dale R300 is a quite capable machine.

Another day, a few more sad wrecks.

And the most destroyed wallyworld cruiser I have ever seen, the owner gave up when the potential repair bill passed the cost of a new bike. But sadly not until after I tore away at it for two hours trying to change a headset that had never seen grease, topped by an immoveable stem, in a fork worn through by said headset.

Ugggh .

Some days you wish for a hipster, be a nice change from BMX's and battered cruisers...