I have absolutely nothing against the bike makers. I want to be certain that is clear. I am also not boycotting them or anything because of their name. My path has not intersected with one, but neither have I really sought one out.

Quite simply, my perception of the Roman Empire is mixed. Yes, they achieved a lot, and did much to advance technology and also, in some ways, civilization in general. On the other face though, I object to Imperialism - even when the result tends to uplift the standard of living amongst the subjected people. The mechanisms of slavery, conscription and forced tribute (to name a few), run counter to the golden rule - hence my generalization of, "the bad guys".

I truly didn't intend to make more than the initial, admittedly cheeky comment. My apologies for having side-tracked the discussion to the extent that I have. Would prefer to avoid further discourses about ancient political mores in this particular thread. From all that I hear, they did make some very good bicycles, and I can only speculate as to why the name has not made a comeback like several others have.