Originally Posted by
Flying Merkel
I'll be following this thread with interest. Dunno myself.
At the local swapmeet there was an Italvega for sale in sad shape. The sew-ups were rotting on the wobbly rims, the front Campy derailleur was worn through. Most of the components other than the shift levers were a mix of Suntour & low end Shimano. The guy manning the booth told me proudly that they were selling the bike for $500.00 because it was an Italian bike with Full Campy and Sew-Up tires. Pointed out that it wasn't full Campy, or even a good percentage. Got a blank look. He had no clue what it meant. At the same swap meet was a nice Univega in rideable condition for $150.00
EXACTLY my point. I've seen similar stuff on Craigslist. It's funny - the same guy imported both those bikes.
A great example is a Univega Super Speciale vs. an Italvega Super Speciale. No, they're not the same bike, but they're both one form of Record-equipped. I picked my Univega up for $280. I see Super Speciale Italvegas on eBay for way over $1,000. I got lucky, but still.
Chewa: thanks for the comments. I think a lot of the differences I find are either related to geometry, or my psychological craziness in thinking that Columbus SLX MUST be better than other steels.
-Collin-