Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
From: Wichita, KS
Bikes: 1972 P13 Paramount, 1974 P15 Paramount, 1964 Paramount track bike, 1985 Fuji Team, 1983 Fuji Club, 1985 Fuji Serie V, 2007 Trek 5.2 Madone, 1982/83 Schwinn Voyageur, 1982 Takara Challenge, 1979 Motobecane Champion Team, 1985 Panasonic Team Europe 1,
One thing overlooked when dealing with these"mystery" frames is paying close attention to how they were made. If you look at any Japanese high-end handmade frame, you will quickly see another level of refinement in fit and finish. Just take a look inside the bottom bracket to see what I mean. Contrast Italian handmade frames to Japanese and you will instantly see the difference. My "mystery" frame was definitely made in Italy or should I say, not made in Japan. So, is a Cinelli not a Cinelli because it was made for a Japanese resell customer? One must also remember that Cinelli and many other big name Italian frame builders farmed out quite a bit of work that the works shop could not handle. Are these outsourced frames not Cinelli, De Rosa, Colnago, etc.? You decide for yourself.
John