While Drewing a frame is nearly inexcusable, it still bugs me to see things like that Bottecchia. I've dedicated many (many!) hours to finding original parts to reassemble original bikes and people who do that sort of thing just make my job harder than it has to be. The only quasi-organized ride in my town draws a number of FG types and the other week some kid showed up on a very nice Lotus made from Columbus tubing that had been converted. I told him that it used to be a very nice bike before somebody took it apart. Things are a bit different for things which have no particular historical value* or are acquired as a bare frame, of course.

I guess I just feel like anything which is going to outlast me can't really be considered to be "mine". Because of that I try as much as possible to preserve those little pieces of history for whomever ends up with them a hundred years from now. If all I wanted was a Bottecchia frame, I'd be set. But if I wanted a Bottecchia that thing wouldn't cut it. How long before no more original Bottecchias exist?

*Yeah, I know.