Oh Those Crazy Italians

Last year's Liquigas team bike colorway was a polarizing kind of thing (personally, I love it - nice job Kramer!). Seems Italian brand Shock Blaze (I know...) liked it as well, as evidenced by this low-end knock off. You have to give them credit though, it's pretty hot for a cheap bike. All alu frame, oversized head tube, team graphics and only € 830. They even have the look of the Mavic Ksyrium ES down.


On a similar note, The same shop window had this Bianchi "knock-off" of a HeadShok fork. I think this is probably that ball-bearing or even bushing design that's been out for a while now, certainly not the performance mtb fork attempt back in the 90's. You know the old imitation/flattery thing, right?


The same shop window brought me back to my youthful days growing up in Iowa and dreaming about this bike...


Pantographed C-Record (some in Century finish), celeste leather tape and pedal straps, chrome Silca pump, even celeste tubular sidewalls! Check out the high-flange hubs - I had a set once laced to some ultra light aero tubular 24 holed hubs... light and stiff. Yep, those were the days!