Originally Posted by
steelbikeguy
Just for the sake of enjoying some of the cromovelato joy, here's a 1981 Raleigh Superbe that Mr. Bingham displayed at the 2016 Classic Rendezvous event. Note that this Superbe is named for the SunTour Superbe components, and is very much unlike the earlier Superbe roadster.
Can you imagine how good it would look in sunlight?!
Steve in Peoria
Spring of 1980 I purchased a Superbe frame from a local bike shop. A customer had ordered it for the parts group and I, having just crashed an old Raleigh Competition, bought the frame and built it up with my Campy NR components. The bike gathered many looks and comments..."Is that gold plated"?...
The finish was durable for the first couple years I owned it but by 1984 it was looking a little worn. No paint chipping, but the finish was wearing thin on the sides of the top tube and along the fork blades. Perhaps the wear was accelerated by road salt as I commuted on the bike one Chicago winter. By 1984 the bike looked a little shabby. Decided to take some lacquer thinner to it and remove the gold. Very quickly I had a chrome frame that was in excellent condition. Even around the bottom bracket the chrome was fully polished.
As to when chromovelta became popular I was looking at a frame on German ebay a few years ago... a Rabenieck from 1958. The finish was black, yellow and red chromovelta...german national colors. It was all chipped up with a lot of chrome showing thru but still a looker. Price was a little crazy and shipping was a no go.
As for my Superbe I held onto it for almost 30 years. Sold it around 2010 for the price I paid originally...$200.