RE: Galmozzi
 

I thought I was being honest as possible, in fact considering the pictures I feel this was a very good auction description, as are all of my Ebay auctions are. I have 500 + positive feedback and that means something. You guys are experts in the vintage arena-I get that. I'm not and do not claim to be an expert in fact quite the opposite-that is why I took so many pictures! I do have a love, like many of you, for older steel framesets. There cool and unique. The reality here is the Galmozzi is a cool vintage frameset with a mix a campy parts some not period correct based on the fact they were not on the bike whenit was sold..... My friend sold a rene herse (sp?) to a collector in Japan that was not rideable, had rust and many non-original parts for over 5000.00- the new owner was going to restore it. The bike was found as a thrift shop! So what does that say?

Ironically, I also have a Campy 8 speed ergo grouppo on a vintage Masi frame! Why? I ride to work in traffic and I do not want to take my bars or eyes off the road!. I enjoy the bike because it rides GOOD-better than my carbon Khota Kharma in fact. To many collectors this is blasphemous (sp?) mixing a 90's grouppo with a 80s bike- definitey not period correct but the bike is, at the end of the day, a machine for transportation, quite possibly the best machine ever invented at that. But to 99.9% of the world, it is a tool for transportation or a toy to be disguarded at adulthood in favor of four wheels. Now some of us choose to see them as more than that and well thats when it gets. from what little I know but am now seeing, very subjective. Which year Campy is best? which year Masi. braze-ons v. clamp-ons for cable guides. Fords v Chevys or Sunni v. Shiite......

It is man's nature to debate and discuss-we americans are very good at it! Yet, the best part guys, and we can all agree on this point, is those brief moments, the wind-in-the-face feeling, wheeling down the road on a unique, one-of-a-kind bike that no one else has, the one you have cleaned, changed parts, touched-uped, that bike that the weekend Trek 1000 crowd has never seen nor knows anything about, and the bike that only a few, very few cyclists recogonized and then they stop, check it out, smile and say, "cool bike bro!" Thats what it is all about! Agree!

it says that I have been looking in the wrong thrift shops.

If it says Singer around these parts its a sewing machine.

Really...nobody's dissin you. Put what you want on'er, just don't take a hack saw to the permanent bits.

An interesting bike that sold for a provacative price, a Cyclart (note spelling) repaint where someone attempted to remove the transfer advising as such. At the time it was repainted it was probably "just an old bike" upgraded to suit the owner, tastes regarding modification have changed, even weather to repaint or not, in the 80's it was about painting to save from rust, and adding braze ons to help prevent dirt catchers and more rust. The paint does not impress me here, rust appears to be creeping from the BB cups and head set races, I am not convinced the BB cable guides are rust free either, but it needs a respray anyway.

Be interesting what the new owner decides to do with it, probably had Universal brakes or "standard reach Campagnolo, not the short reach with drop bolts front and rear. Nice fork crown, that could use new chrome too, a restoration could cost $1000, with transfers, chrome mod removal, I have no idea what other chrome it had originally.

I have seen other Galmozzi's and this one shows a short top tube and probably a slack head angle, might evven be 71 degrees, no steeper than 72, but the seat tube angle reads steeper.

This might be a case where too much was paid for it TODAY, but after money, time and effort, "break even" could be attained, and with the pleasure of riding it to boot.

I guessed this one would show up around the corner on the CR list, the buyer came forth. You can read it yourself, unfortunately Kevin did not notice the repaint. It was haste, but he did not have to outbid anyone, just ask fewer questions and be ready to commit.

Buyer posted to CR, seems happy.

As of today, I own three Galmozzi bikes, one from the 50's, one from the 60's and one from the 70's. As a brand, Galmozzi's are great bikes, with great provenance. The bike that sold on ebay is however a far cry from original. I am convinced that the new owner will be happy in the long run, but find the description to have been unfair and totally misleading. At this point there are two explanations: either a total newbie seller or somebody trying to deliberately mislead.

Had it been my auction and I were a newbie bike seller, and learned of all the deficiencies of the bike, I would have volunteered a partial refund to the seller. Such a refund is, in my opinion, the only ethical thing to do. I feel that such a refund is warranted because of the numerous misrepresentations. The auction text makes no mention of the repaint and the repaint decal looks to have been willingly hidden or obscured. The text says that apart from the Shimano brake shoes, everything is apparently period-correct. I feel that when one uses such declarations in your auction text, combined with the myriad of quotes from the CR website, you can no longer claim to be a newbie and ignorant. A newbie also doesn't state, were it my size, I would keep it... Lastly, a newbie doesn't have 500 bike related auctions.

update Galmozzi
 

Here's the latest: I took the bike to Brian Baylis (the link is on the CR website-check out his work) to help with a reluctant stem and well, that stem was terminal! It had to be cut and the fork steer tube had a big bulge from the wedge bolt being jammed into it! At the very least, it would need a new steer tube. So after confering with the new owner, we both agreed the best option was to leave the frame and fork in the best hands possible to do a full restoration. I agreed to pay 1/2 of that and we are both statisfied. I am a firm believer in "what goes around, comes around" and it is always best to do the right thing even when our society rewards the opposite. I feel that everone is winning with this option: New owner will have a real classic, I feel I did the right thing and the frame will be restored properly to period correct condition. By the way, 99% of all my Ebay transactions are bike related though not usually vintage stuff.

Thanks for writing the update. Your actions speak clearly of your good character. It is good to know that there are other like-minded people who realize that the bike gods will reward their good deeds.

Good for you! That was the right thing to do. I am a pretty serious collector and the numerous problems (pointed out by previous posters) are things that put me off from buying ---- and I am looking for a Galmozzi! Anyway sounds like all will work out in the end and I hope the new owner posts pics when the bike is completed.