I posted this introduction earlier today, but I realize that this is the most appropriate thread for the thrift shop story and so I am copying it to here. Any advice and counsel about the Ochsner, et al. is much appreciated.

Everything is relative. Take my brother for example. But seriously folks, I am new here and by most accounts the bike that brought me to this forum would be counted as old by most of you (I imagine...). Let me explain.

I am a 50+ year old father of three, who recently started to fix up his youngest teenager's now neglected mass-produced Raleigh mountain bike to ride occasionally in an effort to get some exercise and have fun. I went into a local thrift shop, just browsing for bargains earlier this week, and noticed an old racing bike amongst the junkers. My instincts were triggered by its thin tubing and lots of Campagnolo hardware beneath the dirt. The blue frame was prominently labeled as Ochsner, but I didn't know anything about the name. My eldest son, 20, works for a good local bike shop, building and selling higher end bikes. I asked him by phone and he told me that he had heard the name and it might be worth more than its $7 price tag, so I went back and bought it. Now I am suddenly obsessed and I have been cleaning it and exploring the web to find out all that I can. Here is what I know so far: It is a 55 cm (marked on bottom of frame) Ochsner frame. Ochsner, which is a story in itself, is a private company in Illinois founded by Orthon Ochsner, a Swiss bicycle racer from the early part of the 20th century (1919-1921 in competitions) who emigrated to the US, had a long career as a chef and manager of resorts and clubs, rode bikes into his 80's, and founded his company with his wife from their suburban Chicago home in 1969 after he retired (he was then in his 70's). They imported bicycle components and by 1975 had become the Campagnolo distributor for the US. The company is now owned and run by his son, who also collects classic cars and bicycles. In the early 80's, around 1981 or 1982, the Ochsner company imported a Swiss-made frame that they had built by a company called Royal (?) which came in two models and multiple sizes. The frames were made from Columbus tubes, lugged and brazed and all painted blue and prominently labeled as Ochsner. They sold the frames to bike shops who then outfitted them with various components to build custom road bikes, which must have been good, but not outrageously expensive, higher end consumer racing bikes. Not professional racers, but more than the Schwinn, Fuji or Peugeot racers, that I remember coveting as a lad. Mine is made from a steel alloy containing manganese and called their Aelle version, which I understand was there higher end version.

I haven't figured out the model of the Campagnolo brakes, gears, derailuers, etc. yet, but I will. The seat (I know now to call it a saddle.....) is a Brooks Professional, in reasonable condition given its age. The pedals are probably not original because they are clip-less. They are Shimano DP1065's, which are marked as "made in France". (Did Shimano, which is Japanese, settle a lawsuit brought by Look over their alleged patent violation by contracting to have Look manufacture pedals in France with a Shimano label? I am just beginning to learn about this stuff....). The handlebars seem to be aluminum and are marked Windsor, from Mexico, which is another mystery to be unravelled. Finally, the bicycle has a Trek Vision 30 headlight, which works and judging by its brightness, must be halogen and an even later addition. My suspicion is that the headlight alone is worth more than I paid for the bike.

I don't know that I will become a road bike rider. I am probably more of a fatter tire, higher handlebars, more cushioned seat with springs, kind of guy. But the aesthetic of this road bike has me hooked. The lines are great, the technology is simple enough to quickly grasp and beautifully fitted to its purpose. I understand why people love these "classic" road bikes. I am smitten. Maybe I will sell it, but maybe I will learn to ride it and enjoy the art in motion. In any event, I am working to fix it up, clean it, and understand all that I can about it and the history of its ilk. That is why I found the Bike Forums and have now joined. Thanks for your welcome. I will welcome all advice, information and suggestions.