I was given a pair of the Hi-E rims, 28 hole sewups that looked like they were made with a foil strip folded and with the seam riveted closed and that seam running around the inside circumference in line with the spoke holes.

While I was repping, one of my customers wanted to buy them from me so I took them to the shop on the next visit. The guy's buddies were there when I arrived and held them up, announcing their provenance as it had been related to me, "North Carolina State Road Championship, 1973." Everyone's jaws dropped as they stared at me, a becoming-overweight bike rep.

"Not ME. Some other guy."