Yeah, some folks just don't have the C&V bug. My friend at work is one. Drives me crazy. Like me he's a cycle enthusiast with a very similar stable of bikes: modern road bike, semi-vintage Japanese touring bike, mountain bike, and of course a vintage racing bike. He's a guy in his mid-50's and bought his Gitane Tour de France in early 70's I guess. Broke the frame racing in the mid-70's and Gitane sent a replacement. He replaced all the original components in the late 70's with full Nuovo Record. To me it has that history behind it, the provenace as they like to say on Antiques Road Show. It's in excellent condition with a beautiful 2 year old paint job and most of the NR parts and he rides it to work regularly. And yet...it looks so forlorn sitting out there on the bike rack in the company parking lot. It's NR shifters and read derailleur have been replace by some early 90's vintage Shimano 7-speed index stuff which isn't so bad. And the brakes are old Dia-Compe though he's never explained how that came to be. Still not atrocious. But...the beautiful blue metallic paint has no decals to adorn it. And the NR high flange hubs are laced to black aero-rims. And the old Turbo saddle I used to see on it has been replaced by the ugliest Specialized saddle in black with red trim. Arrrgghhh! There is nothing red on the bike! I've asked him about those things but he has no interest in it. It's just his fair weather commuter. It makes me want to give him a set of decals and my old Unica saddle for Christmas
It's just painful to look at. Clearly he just isn't infected
. If it weren't two sizes too big for me I probably would have made him an offer on it. Well, there is always hope.