Trakhak

Just came across mention of the "Atom bottle," defined in various on-line dictionaries as a cyclist's bottle with a mix of flat Coca-Cola and water---a poor cyclist's energy drink.

I doubt that there are many still people around who know the derivation of the name "Atom bottle," though. It's named after the French manufacturer "Atom," who sold, among many other cycling products, very small plastic bottles molded in the shape of a hip flask. "Atom" is molded into the bottom of the bottle; hence the name. I have one around here somewhere.

Also have a two-bolt seatpost hidden away somewhere that looks exactly like a Campy two-bolt seatpost but is finished more crudely than a Campy seatpost would be. The only markings: "Anpi" and "Made in Spain." Sold with Zeus-equipped bikes, I would imagine.

I remember being told by the local bike shop owner when I was a teenager that the reason Zeus components looked like early-'60s Campy components was that Franco nationalized Campy's factory in Spain and the factory continued using the same machinery until it wore out.

True or false?

So---what obscure C&V knowledge do you have that the rest of us would like to know about?

crank_addict

I don't know where this topic will go but interested in the Zeus, Campy relation. Then to really mix it up, the connection with Gian Robert w/ Campagnolo AND for a time with Zeus. More... some Gian Robert components made in Argentina. Would think there was copying going on but my hunch is they shared or traded some designs, declared who marketed what in different territories.

For example, Italian Campy perhaps not having a strong foothold in Argentina or commercial trade handicap, so Gian Robert becomes the solution. As for Zeus, they were remarkable as being a full fledge producer of bike frames and all components. They also produced in various countries.

edit: I had one of those Zeus two bolt seatpost. Absolutely agree with the crude cast head. In comparing, the Campagnolo has beautiful quality.

smontanaro 

Just got an Anpi seatpost from a friend. For now it's holding up the saddle on a city-ish bike I've just about completed for Ellen.

juvela

Perhaps some of the forum's legal experts can comment on this...

With respect to Spain blatantly copying existing products I had heard that under the Falange Spain was not a respector of copyright laws. When they wanted to join Europe in a business/commerce sense following the death of the Generalissimo they had to rectify this.

Does anyone know if this is correct?

rhm

I don't know the facts, but I'm going with false on this one. Campagnolo appeared on the scene after Franco, and was not a major manufacturer until Franco had been in power for many years. They certainly didn't have a factory in Spain at the time of the Spanish Civil War.

I have had a couple Zeus campy-copy seat posts and have not noticed them to be lower quality than the originals; both vary. Not all Zeus posts are of the same quality, and some are quite nice.

Gian Robert, now, that stuff is seriously low quality. I kinda wanna like it just because it's such a shoddy Campy copy, but I don't possess any and am certainly not eager to pay money for it.

As for obscure lore, my favorite bit is the fact that GB, the post war uk company that made aluminum brakes, stems, handlebars, etc, remains a major supplier of office furniture in the EU. As I understand it, the furniture concern was a spinoff from the handlebar business.