Beausage

The awareness and appreciation of vintage stuff is ever increasing; as always, old is cool, endlessly! I see a renaissance of connecting with the past and reliving fond memories; such is the case for vintage car and bicycle collecting. Many collectors are going back in time, by owning a piece of nostalgia- of fun times in their youth.
The 80's was a great time to spend your childhood; I can attest to that! It was in 1980, that I put together a 10-speed bicycle, for the first time. It's a time, I always go back, for feel good thoughts of wind-in-your-face freedom.
Thirty five years after (2015), I had a wonderful chance of owning a dream bicycle from that era. It certainly has every evidence, of being used to its fullest: a host of scratches, chipped paint, blemishes here and there. These add a distinct character to this vintage Italian racing bicycle. I have painstakingly cleaned, removed rust, oiled, greased and serviced its Campagnolo parts; but carefully maintaining much of its original finishes. Most of its finishes have beautiful patina: faded logos, well-worn original paint, thinned chrome edges, rubbed alloy; of which shows its history and decades of use. A term fittingly referred to as "Beausage"; beautiful usage!

My 1982 Cinelli Super Corsa

SN# 82179M

And another vintage, un-restored piece: A diecast miniature cycle, with Eddie Merckx
figure. A gift (in 2015) from a Belgian friend :)

In retrospect, I created this custom miniature VW T2 Crew Cab Pickup in March 2008, eight years ago  ( click > original 2008 post ); hoping someday, I'll be having an 80's Cinelli Bicycle to go with it. Dreams do come true!