"No, I don't need therapy!"

…was the answer to the question my son Carrick asked when he saw me pull in the driveway with four bicycles crammed into our minivan. “And there’s one more that didn’t fit,” I added. As he shook his head, I jokingly told him that I traded them all for my cyclocross bike. Although it seems that I have bicycle collecting issues, I will defend myself by saying that I always have a plan in mind and that I don’t have any more bicycles than I had last winter.

    The truth was that only one of these bicycles was initially intended as a keeper, a 2002 Saeco/Cannondale team replica bicycle (pictured right), with two others scheduled for return after tune-ups and the fourth a “throw in” mountain bike that Carrick has already claimed. It needs some minor work, but he has outgrown his mountain bike, and this one is of much better quality. There is actually another bike that I couldn’t quite squeeze into the van during this trip, and that one will be fixed up and sold. All of this was a result of an interesting and enjoyable trade+cash transaction with a very nice gentleman that came about via Craigslist. 

  After a few spring rides on the Motobécane Mirage that I had refurbished last year, I realized how cumbersome the steel frame bike was, especially when hitting some uphill sections of the nearby Perkiomen Trail. Sure, I’ve been a bit spoiled lately by the superlight carbon frame of the Pinarello, but the inadequate gearing of the mid-1970’s era Mirage didn’t help its case either. I enjoyed the repaint project and its results, but I wasn’t too disappointed with the prospect of selling it.

   The Mirage was one of Motobécane’s lower level machines, probably only worth about $100 these days, but I hoped to make a bit more on the work and new components. I planned to only spend, at most, a couple hundred dollars to replace it. While concentrating solely on road cycling all summer, I had been tossing around a few alternative bicycles in my mind and casually scanned eBay and Craigslist for deals.

   I had made a decision to go with a late 80’s to early 90’s bike, but I was not looking to buy an expensive brand that I was going to be afraid of getting nicked with stones or other debris kicked up from unpaved trails. I narrowed it down to an Atala Corsa (pictured left), in what appeared to me as a paint scheme inspired by my favorite Inter Milan soccer team. Months ago I had seen one listed and considered for a fix and re-sell project, but passed on it because of the price. However, judging by photos online, they weren’t super rare, so I just had to wait until another within my budget became available.

   Sure enough, a couple of weeks ago I saw a blue and white Corsa listed in North Jersey, and then a beautiful bright red version with cool World Champion decals showed up in the local shop, all tuned up and ready to go. This model even had some nice Mavic wheels and some Campagnolo components. I was strongly considering making my move on one of these two bikes until I rode the metric century in Delaware in preparation for the MS150 later this month.

   All four of the other members on our family cycling team ride Cannondale bikes, and it always made me feel left out, particularly because of my history with that brand. I grew up a “Cannondale guy”, having ridden thousands of miles on a royal blue machine I kept in pristine condition for nearly 20 years until a careless motorist ruined it in a collision that I was lucky to escape from without major injury. I purchased a Trek as a replacement bike, mainly because I couldn’t find a Cannondale at that time that fit my requirements and price range. However, there’s more to my connection with this bike company, so please excuse me while I digress. My Mom will be the first to tell you it is a family storytelling trait, of which we are both EXPERTS.

   Years ago I had a Saeco/Cannondale team jersey that matched this bicycle’s colors and graphics, but Sue and I agree that wearing it with the bike would have made me an extreme poseur (means the same thing in French and English). I had purchased this jersey because one of my favorite cyclists, Mario Cipollini, rode for the team during the 1990s, when I couldn’t get enough of the European racing scene. Mario was a very handsome athlete that could be seen often wearing flamboyant outfits in competition (see photos below), but most importantly, he backed up everything he did with supreme talent and results.

 

 

   Known as The Lion King for his full head of hair and dominance in the peloton, Mario claimed the points jersey three times and a record forty-two stages at the Giro d’Italia and won classics like Milan-San Remo and Ghent Wevelgem (a record three times). Although during his career he also won twelve stages of the Tour de France, including a modern-day record four in a row in 1999, and three at the Vuelta a España, Cipo never claimed the points jersey at either of those grand tours. I suspect that because his Italian team sponsor focused so much on success at their national tour, Mario rarely had enough left in the tank to hold it together for three weeks in France or Spain. The 2002 World Champion has always been one of the coolest personalities in cycling, and is often seen these days at the big races, promoting his bicycles which are used by the ISD/Farnese Vini pro cycling team.

   Mario grew up in Lucca, Tuscany, one of my favorite cities in the world. The city, also known as the hometown of Puccini, is surrounded by a wide Renaissance-era wall, upon which is now a 4 km bike path loop, where you can have beautiful views of the Apennine Mountains and the surrounding river valley stretching towards the nearby Tyrrhenian Sea. The city inside the walls has very limited auto traffic, so you can stroll about relatively safely while you check out the remnants of a Roman amphitheatre, the famous Torre Guinigi (a tall stone/brick tower with trees growing at the top) and Duomo di San Martino.
 

   Well, not all of this information was running through my head when I did a casual search of Cannondale bikes on Craigslist, but when I saw the fantastic red, yellow and white Saeco graphics on this bike, I was hooked! The seller, Tom, had even mentioned possible trade, so I thought this could be a one stop deal – out with the old, in with the new. It ended up being more of a case of out with the old, in with some more old and a little new.

   My wife laughed when I told her that as soon as I walked into Tom’s office and saw the bike I told him, “Oh, I’m taking this home!” She commented that I’m not exactly the world’s best negotiator, but I know what I like and had a great idea about what I was getting beforehand. I had seen pictures and a thorough description in the listing, and I had been exchanging emails with the seller for any additional information about the bike.

   I may have spent more than I originally intended, but considering the fantastic bike I bought, the convenience of not having to list and/or ship the Mirage and the extra bikes I came away with, I am extremely pleased. Next week I’ll provide more details on the work to be done on everything I acquired.