What we were talking about ?
The picture of Ms Loren is actually a good example of why Italian bicycles and components fetch so much more than their counterparts... they are exotic and beautiful and even though they may not function as well as some of their contemporaries that Italian effect comes into play.
I have never been so lucky to find out how Ms Loren rides.
Anyways...
If I put my new old Garlatti and my Ron Cooper side by side most people would be attracted to the Garlatti... she has an exotic look what with her being all chrome while the Cooper comes in a plain grey / silver wrapper but is all business and few frames have ever been made with such attention to detail.
The Cooper is sporting a mix of parts... Cyclone Mk2 derailleurs, Sugino Mighty crank, Zeus centre pulls, Campagnolo Victory levers... all of these are some of the nicest parts in their class and there is not a vintage Camapagnolo part that can exceed them from a performance standpoint. But the Campagnolo parts will always cost more and fetch more except for the Zeus bits which are also uber collectible.
The Cooper is a rocket that has the perfect blend of performance and ride quality... even with 700:20 tyres the bike is still silky smooth.
The Garlatti also has a mix of parts... Stronglight crank, Valentino front derailleur, and just installed a wide 14-30 Suntour Perfect and a Cyclone MK1 GT. A finer touring derailleur has never been made... and to this day few derailleurs can claim to be as light.
The Garlatti is a touring bike with very slack angles and feels like an old friend despite only being here for a few days.
And then we have those quirky French bikes... and if anyone knew how to make a beautiful riding bicycle it was Peugeot. Everyone should ride a UO8 for a while to give them some perspective on what a really comfortable bike feels like.
I have a UO8 and it handles a little quicker than the Garlatti but has a ride that is enviable... and one can pick one of these up for very little money.
Japanese bikes are probably the best value out there as you get a well made and well designed bicycle with quality parts that are easily interchangeable with most everything and nice performance can be gotten without running Superbe or Dura Ace.
My Japanese made Kuwaharas are exceptionally well made bicycles and their stock gear was excellent... I picked them up rather cheaply because no-one would give them a second look or appreciate how fine a bicycle these are.
I am a huge fan of Suntour components... they don't have the oooooh factor of higher end Shimano or Campagnolo but functionally... they are truly excellent and if we based value on how well things work, Suntour would sit very highly on the list..