This is a meeting of the minds. The near, the far. The new, the old. Technology meshing across a gulf of time. Old doesn't necessarily mean crap and new rarely equals good. Why? I've been asking myself this question with regard to bikes since my mom bought me a $10 Schwinn from a consignment store in ~1986. She said, "It's a Schwinn!" when asked if this was a nice bike, of course it was, the name said so. Things have changed since then. With the advent of internet bike sales, and increase in planned obsolescence, there is less accountability in bike production. It used to be that you could ONLY buy a "bike shop bike" in a shop. A "bike shop bike" was something you could trust for 10+ years. The major brands insisted, in order to honor your warranty, that a bike shop assemble your bike. Now even the major bike companies are building for that internet/disposable market. Wheels last months instead of years. First ride on the street, fixed cogs strip to freewheels. Besides, the gear ratios the bikes come with are practically unusable. Nowadays, the best way to be sure your bike is well built is to build from scratch. Hand built wheels, holistically chosen parts and the personal touch. Some components on this build are from the seventies, the frame is possibly 80's/90's and the other parts are 9/02/10...(hehe 90210 that's today). Each person needs a very specific bike to meet their needs. This is the goal of each build. The Rasberi Bertoni pictured here is Greg's dream, pure and simple.
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