July 2011 rBoTM - Nominations Please

Re: CHESINI Precision Arena '83

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I just had an epiphany about internal cable routing from looking at this picture. So beautiful. b
 
Well, I might have a crack at this. I've not entered a BOTM poll before.

Here's my CAAD4 Saeco Cannondale. Hope its eligible.

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It's going to be one of those months!! How can anyone make a choice out of this selection? They're ALL lovely!!
 
I will admit that I have not even taken into account the Cannondale and Ellison. In my eyes, with their "brifters" and frame materials, they are simply not retro or classic. Please feel free to disagree, but I believe there are far better forums for them and not here (even if I must admit to always having loved the Cannondale.)

I love colour as can be seen from my Bob Jackson tandem: http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=120699

But the Chris Chance just leaves me confused. The changes in colour don't seem to have any logic and do not show any artisitic expression. At first I thought that the frame was lugged and you could then come up with some justification for the colour changes in proximity to the lugs. I then went to look at the fantastic photos supplied here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31761614@N ... 104984414/ and realized that the frame is without lugs and the borders between colours are quite arbitrary. In the end it makes me think about my daughter's artwork when they were young.

I far prefer the way that colour was employed on the Lemond or Eddie Merckx. While the colour lay-out on neither is what one could classical, they suit the bike, with the Merckx keeping more tried and staid colours and the Lemond the more outspoken colours.

As far as workmanship of the frame goes, I will always remain a sucker for the full internal cables of the Chesini. This was cool when I first saw the initial Chesini bikes with this treatment in the early 80's and hasn't lost any of its impact today. I also find that the single colour paint job only goes to underline the fascination of the internal cables, almost as if to say: "look at my workmanship, you don't need a paint job to to make me attractive." In the end that is why it got my vote.
 

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