Bicycle on the back cover of "The Complete Book of Bicycling"

[E Goforth]

Hello,

I have a copy of the "The Complete Book of Bicycling" by Eugene A.
Sloane that I picked up at a thrift store. The copyright on the one I
have is 1970. I remember this book as being in pretty much every public
library I ever went into as a kid.

There's an Italian racing bike on the back cover and spine of the jacket
that kind of morphs into a Raleigh 3-speed on the front cover. Does
anyone know what kind of bike is on the back cover? It has one of those
Made in Italy decals on the seat tube you used to see on Italian frames,
Campy Neuvo Record components with center-pull brakes. The seat
cluster is chromed and rather distinctive looking. The bike is blue
with white decals.

-Eric

 

[David L. Johnson]

On Wed, 13 Dec 2006 14:34:16 +0000, E Goforth wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I have a copy of the "The Complete Book of Bicycling" by Eugene A.
> Sloane that I picked up at a thrift store. The copyright on the one I
> have is 1970. I remember this book as being in pretty much every public
> library I ever went into as a kid.
>
> There's an Italian racing bike on the back cover and spine of the jacket
> that kind of morphs into a Raleigh 3-speed on the front cover. Does
> anyone know what kind of bike is on the back cover?

I have that same book. In my hands now. I'm not sure what it is.
Certainly looks Italian, but it is not a Cinelli, not a Masi. The seat
lug looks a lot like my Frejus, except I can't see the oval cutout that
should be in the middle of the lug. It's older, though, than mine, if it
is a Frejus. It even has a clamp-on derailleur cable stop and (I think)
clamp-on cable guides at (above) the bottom bracket.

Funny to look though this book. It even has a buying guide for high-end
bikes, topped out by a Cinelli at $255.

> Campy Neuvo Record components with center-pull brakes. The seat
> cluster is chromed and rather distinctive looking.

Yes, it is. Decals are a bit generic, though, so it's hard to place.

I also have a little white dog like the one in the basket of the 3-speed.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Deserves death! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve
_`\(,_ | death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to
(_)/ (_) | them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement.
-- J. R. R. Tolkein

 

[* * Chas]

"E Goforth" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hello,
>
> I have a copy of the "The Complete Book of Bicycling" by Eugene A.
> Sloane that I picked up at a thrift store. The copyright on the one I
> have is 1970. I remember this book as being in pretty much every public
> library I ever went into as a kid.
>
> There's an Italian racing bike on the back cover and spine of the jacket
> that kind of morphs into a Raleigh 3-speed on the front cover. Does
> anyone know what kind of bike is on the back cover? It has one of those
> Made in Italy decals on the seat tube you used to see on Italian frames,
> Campy Neuvo Record components with center-pull brakes. The seat
> cluster is chromed and rather distinctive looking. The bike is blue
> with white decals.
>
> -Eric

I'm thinking that it was an Atala. I'll have to go down in the basement
and dig out my copy of the book.

Chas.

 

[John Forrest Tomlinson]

On Wed, 13 Dec 2006 14:34:16 GMT, E Goforth <[email protected]> wrote:

>Hello,
>
>I have a copy of the "The Complete Book of Bicycling" by Eugene A.
>Sloane that I picked up at a thrift store. The copyright on the one I
>have is 1970. I remember this book as being in pretty much every public
>library I ever went into as a kid.
>
>There's an Italian racing bike on the back cover and spine of the jacket
>that kind of morphs into a Raleigh 3-speed on the front cover. Does
>anyone know what kind of bike is on the back cover? It has one of those
>Made in Italy decals on the seat tube you used to see on Italian frames,
> Campy Neuvo Record components with center-pull brakes. The seat
>cluster is chromed and rather distinctive looking. The bike is blue
>with white decals.

Is that the book that a had pictures of a cute girl stretching in the
middle of it? Ah, the memories.
--
JT
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[Donald Gillies]

you'll have to tell us which edition (there were 3x editions) of this
classic book you have. most of them have a Schwinn Paramount on the
front or back cover, I cannot remember which one.

Sloan's book caused me to fall in love with bicycles.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

 

[[email protected]]

E Goforth wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I have a copy of the "The Complete Book of Bicycling" by Eugene A.
> Sloane that I picked up at a thrift store.

Ah yes. The book that explained that 700c wheels were 700 centimeters
in diameter, right?

- Frank Krygowski

 

[David L. Johnson]

On Thu, 14 Dec 2006 08:02:46 -0800, Eric wrote:

> Atala sounds plausible.

Except that the Atalas on Classic Rendezvous all have "ATALA" on the side
of the seat tube, which on the book is essentially blank, except for a
crest that you can't really see. The pictures there are pretty crummy, so
you can't tell what the seat lug looks like, although it certainly could
be the same as the bike on the book.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Become MicroSoft-free forever. Ask me how.
_`\(,_ |
(_)/ (_) |

 

[* * Chas]

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> E Goforth wrote:
> > Hello,
> >
> > I have a copy of the "The Complete Book of Bicycling" by Eugene A.
> > Sloane that I picked up at a thrift store.
>
> Ah yes. The book that explained that 700c wheels were 700 centimeters
> in diameter, right?
>
> - Frank Krygowski
>

That's what I always believed.... ;-)

It wasn't until the ERD dimensions came along that I realized the error in
my thinking.

Chas.

 

[David L. Johnson]

On Thu, 14 Dec 2006 09:51:16 -0800, * * Chas wrote:

> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>>
>> E Goforth wrote:
>> > Hello,
>> >
>> > I have a copy of the "The Complete Book of Bicycling" by Eugene A.
>> > Sloane that I picked up at a thrift store.
>>
>> Ah yes. The book that explained that 700c wheels were 700 centimeters
>> in diameter, right?
>>
>> - Frank Krygowski
>>
>
> That's what I always believed.... ;-)

Even the "centimeters" part?

--

David L. Johnson

__o | "What am I on? I'm on my bike, six hours a day, busting my ass.
_`\(,_ | What are you on?" --Lance Armstrong
(_)/ (_) |

 

[* * Chas]

"David L. Johnson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Thu, 14 Dec 2006 09:51:16 -0800, * * Chas wrote:
>
> > <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> >>
> >> E Goforth wrote:
> >> > Hello,
> >> >
> >> > I have a copy of the "The Complete Book of Bicycling" by Eugene A.
> >> > Sloane that I picked up at a thrift store.
> >>
> >> Ah yes. The book that explained that 700c wheels were 700
centimeters
> >> in diameter, right?
> >>
> >> - Frank Krygowski
> >>
> >
> > That's what I always believed.... ;-)
>
> Even the "centimeters" part?
>
> --
>
> David L. Johnson
>

You mean it doesn't? ;-)

The conventional wisdom of the day was 700c was 700mm!

I never could reconcile the 27.55" part (700mm = 27.55" while 27" =
685.8mm). I just though that it was some kind of incomprehensible French
thing.

27" was the norm in the US until the late '70s. 700c first became popular
here with folks who rode sewups and wanted a set of clincher wheels.

Chas.

 

[Donald Gillies]

>> > <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> > news:[email protected]...
>> >>
>> >> E Goforth wrote:
>> >> > Hello,
>> >> >
>> >> > I have a copy of the "The Complete Book of Bicycling" by Eugene A.
>> >> > Sloane that I picked up at a thrift store.
>> >>
>> >> Ah yes. The book that explained that 700c wheels were 700 centimeters
>> >> in diameter, right?
>> >>
>> >> - Frank Krygowski

What makes you think that 700c wheels ARE NOT 700 mm in diameter ??
Or are you talking about a misprint (mm vs cm ?) The wheel size
designations have ALWAYS included the TIRES, so a 700c wheel with an
appropriate vintage tire WOULD BE 700 mm in diameter. And, 700c is
one designation (as opposed to 700b and 700a).

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

 

[[email protected]]

Donald Gillies wrote:
> >> > <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >> >> Ah yes. The book that explained that 700c wheels were 700 centimeters
> >> >> in diameter, right?
>
> What makes you think that 700c wheels ARE NOT 700 mm in diameter ??

Well, my meter stick, for one thing. Have you never measured? But
that wasn't really the point.

> Or are you talking about a misprint (mm vs cm ?)

It was more than a misprint. Here's the quote, p. 35 of the second
edition:
"Also, today, the better bicycles now use 700-centimeter wheels rather
than 27-inch wheels and tires, simply because 700-centimeter tires are
available throughout the world ... Eventually... we will all have
700-centimeter wheels on all bikes. Right now the 700-centimeter
wheels are a sign of a higher-quality bicycle."

When it occurs four times in one paragraph (AND once in the index!)
it's not just a typo. ISTM that a) Sloane was ignorant of the history
of the "700c" notation; and b) he didn't realize that 700 centimeters
is roughly 23 feet!

> The wheel size
> designations have ALWAYS included the TIRES, so a 700c wheel with an
> appropriate vintage tire WOULD BE 700 mm in diameter. And, 700c is
> one designation (as opposed to 700b and 700a).

I know the history. But modern 700c tire & wheel combinations are
closer to 675 or 680 mm diameter. Much more important, they're one
hell of a lot smaller than 23 feet!

Engineers get used to paying attention to units of measurement. When
people screw them up that badly, we tend to notice.

- Frank Krygowski

 

[[email protected]]

[email protected] wrote:
> E Goforth wrote:
> > Hello,
> >
> > I have a copy of the "The Complete Book of Bicycling" by Eugene A.
> > Sloane that I picked up at a thrift store.
>
> Ah yes. The book that explained that 700c wheels were 700 centimeters
> in diameter, right?
>
> - Frank Krygowski

Frank,
Where does that book state this?
Thanks,
Kerry

 

[KERRY MONTGOMERY]

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> [email protected] wrote:
>> E Goforth wrote:
>> > Hello,
>> >
>> > I have a copy of the "The Complete Book of Bicycling" by Eugene A.
>> > Sloane that I picked up at a thrift store.
>>
>> Ah yes. The book that explained that 700c wheels were 700 centimeters
>> in diameter, right?
>>
>> - Frank Krygowski
>
> Frank,
> Where does that book state this?
> Thanks,
> Kerry

Frank,
Never mind, sent my question before seeing your latest post. My copy is a
first edition; couldn't find the reference.
Thanks,
Kerry

 

[[email protected]]

KERRY MONTGOMERY wrote:
>
> > Frank,
> > Where does that book state this?
> > Thanks,
> > Kerry
>
> Frank,
> Never mind, sent my question before seeing your latest post. My copy is a
> first edition; couldn't find the reference.
> Thanks,
> Kerry

I goofed. It's in the third edition, not (AFAIK) the second.

Sloane, E., _The All New Complete Book of Bicycling_, c. 1980, page 35.

- Frank Krygowski

 

[* * Chas]

"Donald Gillies" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> >> > <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >> > news:[email protected]...
> >> >>
> >> >> E Goforth wrote:
> >> >> > Hello,
> >> >> >
> >> >> > I have a copy of the "The Complete Book of Bicycling" by Eugene
A.
> >> >> > Sloane that I picked up at a thrift store.
> >> >>
> >> >> Ah yes. The book that explained that 700c wheels were 700
centimeters
> >> >> in diameter, right?
> >> >>
> >> >> - Frank Krygowski
>
> What makes you think that 700c wheels ARE NOT 700 mm in diameter ??
> Or are you talking about a misprint (mm vs cm ?) The wheel size
> designations have ALWAYS included the TIRES, so a 700c wheel with an
> appropriate vintage tire WOULD BE 700 mm in diameter. And, 700c is
> one designation (as opposed to 700b and 700a).
>
> - Don Gillies
> San Diego, CA

As I pointed out, 700c wheels are smaller diameter than 27" wheels with
similar size tires so the concept didn't make any sense and I wrote if off
to some kind of French machination.

700mm = 27.55"
27" = 685.8mm

Chas.