Originally Posted By: teddyboy
Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: teddyboy
Guru New Steel
Trek OCLV 5500
Eddy Merckx Titanium AX
Schwinn Paramount (1994 model last year built in Waterford)
Serotta Columbus SP 1983 year model
^^^
NICE!!
When I started racing as a 14 year old 'intermediate' (the age classes were VERY different back then) in 1970, in Joyzee, there was a club/team out of the Sommerville area called the Somerset Wheelmen, (I believe they are still around, based out of Flemington now) and almost all of them rode Campy equipped Paramounts of that era (531 tubing back then, correct?).
Sorry I missed your post. Paramounts of that era were built either with Reynolds 531 or Columbus SL (SP) in the larger sizes. My casual empiricism suggests that 531 frames were probably more prevalent. My Paramount is built from Reynolds 753. Although the frame is in really good shape, I'm sending it to Waterford to be completely redone with new paint and decals, putting it back exactly as original. Since my original post, The Eddy Merckx Titanium wore out. It didn't fail, it just developed too much slop in the bottom bracket. It was very recently replaced by a custom built Lynskey.
Lynskeys are COOL!
My Merlin Road is also getting a little bit 'whippy' in the chainstay area as well, but still not too bad yet.
I would go carbon next, but am still a little wary over the way they just shear/crack, sometimes with NO warning or without even hitting a pothole/bump (see Alberto Contador's bike in this year's Tour
).
The era (and riders) of Paramounts I was speaking of were
BEFORE 753 was even around!!
I remember when 753 was introduced, and the whole Dutch Raleigh pro squad were riding frames built of the lighter tubing in the Tour that year.