Hmmm...a bit of a sore subject, so please bear with me...

I put together an '83 Atala for my wife. Originally all SR equipped, she requested brifters that necessitated a compatible drivetrain and updated brakes. By the time it was all completed, the only SR left was the seat post (which clamped her favorite saddle). No matter; it was a gorgeous metallic purple with a brass headbadge (restored by yours truly), white Atala decals - and her name on the top tube. She went on a total of two rides with me, whereupon she asked if I'd be really upset if we got her something more like a mountain bike...

Actually, I wasn't upset at all - even though while dating she'd borrowed a friend's wife's Rodriguez road bike and proclaimed to love it. That's why I built up the Atala to begin with. I was understanding enough to know she would only ride with me on something she was comfortable with, however, I wished she'd told me earlier - before I invested all that money in the brifters/drivetrain/brakes, of course.

So, I dismantled it and sold off the modern stuff to fund a different bike for her. Never got the chance to get her another bike, however.

In September we filed. She listed the complete Atala on her asset paperwork! She knew it had been taken apart and sold off on Ebay! She didn't and still doesn't want a road bike, but asked anyway about the frame a couple of weeks ago. I told her it was going to be sold and she got all teary-eyed...why?

Because it had her name on the top tube.

If there is ever a next time around, being a bike-person is going to be a prerequisite. I find bike people in general to be very nice, understandable and generous human beings

DD