Thursday, December 9, 2010

Lucky's new (new) look

A little more than a year after I bought him, and after numerous twists and turns in his development, Lucky, my Corsaro 12-speed, finally is sporting the components and accessories he was meant to wear.  I think the end result is gorgeous and well worth the wait to get it right.



I purchased this bike strictly for the frame.  The idea was to take all the parts and components off my wrecked Specialized and transplant them onto the new bike.  One after the other, key parts refused to comply with this plan.  The old brakes were not a match for the new mounting system.  The old 700c wheels were too small for the new brakes to reach.  The list went on and on.  I was very disappointed that the plan to resurrect the Specialized didn't work out.


As is often the case in life, I am now eternally grateful that I didn't get my way.  As much as I liked the Specialized, it was absolutely nothing special to look at.  Grafting parts from a 1993 hybrid onto a gorgeous '70s frame would have been a travesty.  If you look at the earliest incarnations of the bike that would become known as Lucky Jitensha, you'll see what I mean.  The handlebars and twist shifters look horrible to my eye now. 



It's funny how tastes and perceptions change.  A year ago, the news that my old bike wouldn't be reborn on this frame was greatly disappointing.  Today, I'm embarrassed to say my wishes nearly kept this beautiful bike from being born.

3 comments:

  1. I should clarify one thing... While I think I've got the look I want for Lucky, I'm not suggesting the budget saddle bag or red bungee is part of the ensemble. These minor details will be ironed out in time, as the bike budget allows!

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  2. Hi there, Mike, Nice fleet of bikes!

    I have a Corsaro, too - all OEM, two tone frame in original "creme" and brown. Great ride - light as a feather.

    My frustration is that I can't find ANY info about these bikes or their maker anywhere. I'd love to know when they were made, who sold them, etc. Do you have any info about Corsaro? If so, please PASS IT ON!

    Thanks, ;- )

    Suzanne
    suzannemcable@comcast.net

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  3. Hi Suzanne! thanks for visiting and for commenting!

    I have found very little about Corsaros... on epost on a bikeforum site, I think. The gist of it seems to be that they were part of the made in Japan boom of the 1970s, in which Japanese bikes often were marketed with Italian names.

    I'll look again and see if I find anything new and send to you. In the meantime, please send photos of your bike! the color scheme sounds beautiful.

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