The Bike Hive

I received this frameset as a Christmas gift last year and it quickly turned into one of my favorite bikes.  I haven't spent much time trying to find out the exact model and year because, frankly, it really doesn't matter to me.  I have a serious appreciation of old steel, particularly Italian steel.   (Don't mistake me for a curmudgeon though.  I like carbon fiber too- I own a couple carbon bikes)  I was raised in my mechanical youth with steel and they still have a soft spot in my heart. When I was younger I worked in a small shop in a small town.  The only Colnago bikes I ever saw were in a magazine.  To me they were rare and expensive, something I wanted badly but never thought I'd be able to afford one.  At that time the used bike market wasn't anything like it is today (how eBay has changed things!) and these types of bikes have become much easier and less costly than they were in 1990. For the last few years, I've enjoyed b...

A few years ago I had the opportunity to attend Interbike, the annual bicycle industry trade show in Las Vegas, with a couple coworkers.  The show promised and delivered the chance to see all the cool new products that were being released for the next model year, talk to industry insiders, and learn about new product and tech. Along with all the product and clinics, there were stars of the sport there.  Meeting John Tomac again was a treat, as was big George Hincapie, Jay Miron, Ron Wilkerson.  But our biggest surprise came while we were headed out to grab a drink when we noticed a familiar face at a table facing the isle...we both stopped, looked at each other, and said 'That's Eddy Merckx!' Even though we were starving, we decided quickly that we couldn't let an opportunity like this pass by.  We jumped in line and waited our turn to see Eddy.  Waiting in line might seem like a horrible way to spend a half hour of your life at a trade show.  In thi...