i'm about to have a Gazelle champion mondial AB build with 531C tubing.
also gonna have a Gianni Motta, earlier model without the bent stays at the brake bridge, i think that's SL, might be a bit small though. we'll see.

i can't wait to build them and ride them.

+1 on the Finest. My friends from college days (70's) that I used to ride with will ask me if I still have that bike (I do). Everyone liked the great ride it had. And it still rides great!

I enjoy my 1977 Motobecane Grand Touring mixte. Riding a mixte is just different in a good way.

My 80's Centurion Elite RS rides well, too.

[QUOTE=piwonka;5665248].
also gonna have a Gianni Motta, earlier model without the bent stays at the brake bridge, i think that's SL, might be a bit small though. we'll see.
QUOTE]

I also have an old Motta Personal with straight seatstays, looks just like the earliest on the Bulgier website. Very nice, responsive and stable at the same time. (Do not tell anyone but I am going to fix it since it has 120 mm rear end) I might not need the somewhat short pantoed stem and the pantoed Record Cranks. Not mint by any means but not many miles on the crank.

For longer rides on good roads when I want to push myself I use my Raleigh Competition GS since I find it to be a comfortable and very responsive ride. I also really like the Campy GS drivetrain which I think works remarkable well considering it wasn't Campy's top of the line stuff at the time. For those rides where I am looking to enjoy the scenery a little more I take my updated early 1970's Super Course or my 1989 Trek 520. Both have relaxed geometry and are very comfortable rides. I usually take the Trek if I am riding in an area where there are more hills as it is a bit lighter and has lower gearing.

[QUOTE=plodderslusk;5681811]My Motta is mid 80's DA triathalon, and I forget how much fun it is to ride until I have to ride something else...
When I first got it out of the basement after not having ridden it for 20+ years I dropped by a LBS, and the guy sez "throw that thing away and buy something modern" Jeeze!!!

Current favorites:

- 93 Coppi in Genius tubing (lively, sprung, light and not too punishing)
- 85 Specialized Allez, lugged steel (Balanced, stable, quick and sure)
- 84 Paramount 50th (Tight, light and stiff while still feeling a bit plush)
- 83 BMZ monostay (taught, really light and twitchy, but 'wow!' fun)
- 82 Rigi stainless (Teeth rattling and sprung to 'launchpad' status. Almost scary but really fun, provided you pay very close attention to the road)
- 82 Ross Signature (Tom Kellogg)(Balanced, smooth and perfectly stable. A perfect, relaxed ride).
- 86 Columbine (Balanced and smooth to the point of 'Rolls Royce' luxury but slow steering. Must have touring angles)

Recently ridden and noteworthy:

- 85 Univega Gran Premio (Incredibly lively frame, fast and great fun. Weird 58cm seat tube, 56cm toptube combo)
- 88 Serotta Colorado (Great ride but angles so tight the toe overlap starts getting to 'toes in sopkes', instead of just to the tire).

Not that I've ridden that many different bikes, but of all the ones that have passed through my hands, the '83 Motobecane Team Champion was ... well ... the Champion. :o (wish it would have been a bit smaller).

Bob

A make I've not seen mentioned here is Romani. A very explosive ride, according to its owners, who also own numerous Italian frames. The explanation was the use of Columbus SP throughout instead of SL.
Very stiff BB.

From dannyq1 "88 Serotta Colorado (Great ride but angles so tight the toe overlap starts getting to 'toes in sopkes', instead of just to the tire). "

I have a 1990 Colorado II ( a very early one with the horizontal drop outs).
It is still an exquisite ride but a bit heavy with the period correct DA 8 spd. (Purchased new by me).
It is a 21 1/2 lbs bike but I am curious if it can be made into a sub 19 # bike with a new Record group.

The toe overlap is only a problem at very low speeds (like at a stoplight or in a parking lot). It descends very nicely; responsive, lively and neutral.

The sweetest riding bike I've ever owned: A mid-eighties 24" Trek 560 Pro Series, 531 tubing with beautiful window lugs (bottom bracket shell and seat lug have the "Trek" name cast into them), with full Shimano 600 SIS group, including pedals, headset and seatpost.

Bought this one new and have kept it mostly original since then, except for the rims (the stock Matrix rims were replaced with Mavic MA2), the 600 170mm Biopace crank/rings were switched for a longer 177.5 Dura Ace crank with round rings, the orignal short stem and narrow bars were replaced with properly-sized Cinelli stuff, the old-style Shimano cleat pedals with straps were replaced with the more current Shimano Look compatible pedals and the seat has been replaced so many times I can't recall what it came with. Back then they would spec bikes with shorter crank arms, stems and other stuff, no matter how large the frame.

The thing always did fit me like a glove, it rides like a dream (I prefer it over anything else I own) and the bike still looks great (fire engine red with yellow head tube and yellow accents and decals). The original 600 group was/is great stuff: the derailleurs and 6-speed downtube shifters still look and work like new, the 600 brakes and levers are gorgeous and the 600 hubs have been rebuilt dozens of times and still spin smooth as silk. They just don't make them like they used to.