The Bike Hive

The other day I decided to take the long way to work and ride my Olmo - a bike I've had for 25 years and ridden over 25000 miles.   This is not the first road bike I purchased, but it is the first Italian bike I purchased.  I fell in love with it immediately, mostly because I felt so special riding Italian steel.  This was 1990, when carbon fiber was starting to appear on the market and aluminum frames were all the rage.  I was 19 and this bike made me feel special when I'd ride. One of the greatest things about it is that I purchased it on clearance from the importer for $135.  Brand new Italian steel for a screaming deal!  Granted, it's Oria steel that doesn't have the same pedigree as Reynolds or Columbus.  However, it has been a fantastic bike for me.   A few years ago I updated it with a Campy Daytona group.  Campy was something I'd only heard of when I was 19.  We didn't see it in our shop, the general consensus was that it was to...