I am I right or wrong? The geometry of the newer model seems to be a lot more "criterium" than the original 'Gran Criterium'. The newer bike looks to be considerably faster handling and better suited for pursuit and close combat in corners. If so, perhaps there is no shame in recycling the name.

Yes. I drooled over the Vent Noir at my local shop back in the day ...... It opened my eyes to high quality, beautiful bikes .......... Some names should not be reused.

Or at the least, their reuse should be truly worthy of their legacy.

I was stunned to see one parked at my favorite coffee shop a couple of months ago (the Vent Noir was rare to begin with and rarer still out here on the west coast, outside of SoCal); chatted with the owner a bit, she was completely in love with it-- her husband found it on a trip back east & snagged it as her birthday present. Sweet, huh? : )

Specialized also brought the Sequoia back. The 2nd generation is what I would call a good credit card touring bike and not that far off in function from the original which was pretty much an Expedition frame with calipers instead of cantis and not all the braze-ons. At least the newer aluminum version has rear rack mounts and a third bottle cage mount to pay tribute to it's touring heritage.

Agreed, re-using old names or just advancing the model through the years with updates is not always a negative thing. While the current Clubman has a retro style, it is very much along the same lines as the first, not in style but in function. It's a capable commuter with the geometry and function to handle it's self on spirited club rides, much like it predecessors.

Man, I really wanted one of those newer styled Clubmans, when they came out the first year. What a fine looking machine. I guess I will half to search around to get one. I was just picturing it with NOS Mafac Racer Competition brakes, and an internal hub.,,,,BD

Maybe not so much of a recycle as a resurrection. I'm glad he's back to making & selling bikes:

Lemond then:

http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/a...psd005013a.jpg

(source: http://bikecult.com/works/archive/06...dTVT90TdF.html)

Lemond now:

http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/a...pse8d8f9bc.jpg

(source: http://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/...es-return-2014)

You very nearly brought a tear to my eye. My images of previous appliances will always be colored burnt orange, avocado green, and harvest gold, I'm afraid. Don't want anything tinted like that either.

I'm loving the first pic. What a bold combination of wrap and bike color! Makes me strangely hungry for Spanish olives.

Seems to me Schwinn did a lot with the Traveler name over the years. Sometimes they added "World" to it. You could get a Traveler built from gas pipe or CroMo, depending upon the year.

Thanks!

Red/green is a popular combination with Legnano bikes. It must be an Italian thing as Moto Guzzi motorcycles and Lancia cars have been painted similar.

Had that thought too at first but the sloped top tube and thread less stem just screams "I'm not what I used to be". So I've learn to enjoy it for what it is and what it's not. It's a surprisingly fast commuter that just eats miles and is odd enough to create interesting chatter on both vintage and club rides.

I have experienced the same thing except that when my friend asked me if I wanted a Lenton he knew what I was looking for.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/2012reg1.JPG

Yes, I think it is. I briefly considered the idea of someday having a fixie custom painted the red, green, and white of sriracha, but if people didn't see the rooster where the headbadge belonged, they might mistake it for one of these Italian jobs.

I think it's the Italian equivalent of red, white, & blue:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Vittoriano.jpg


One interview way back when said the 7-eleven team had a good reception in Italy back in the 80's because the team colors matched the flag.

As the owner of both (I have an '88 and an '07) they're aimed at two different audiences. My '88 feels like an indy or a grand prix car on the street. My '07 is a more practical bike for moving at speed with a moderate amount of cargo. It's also more comfortable as the '88 is set up to be more aero in positioning for all out road racing and the '07 more upright. If they had both back in '88 I would take a hard look a the characteristics of the newer bike and buy it. Why? It fits better and is more versatile. It can do the racing role sufficiently well and still function as day to day transportation.

Don't misunderstand I still feel my '88 is a thing of beauty, but it's a thoroughbred where I really need a quarter horse most of the time. Not an all out racer..