I know this is an older post, and you may not see this comment, but I noticed something when looking at this 1992 catalog, and at your photos from your 1992 visit. In your own photos, the seat tube decals are already the style we see on current Tommasinis - that is, it's the same kind of decal as on the down tube. But in the catalog, it's the older style that I associate with 1984-1991 (the seat tube decal letters are stacked). I'm guessing the catalog was made in 1991, and after it went to the printer the decals were changed. Does that sound correct?
More likely, these images are older than that 1992 catalog? These pages were picked up in Italy during 1992 and may have been an older model year. I haven't really dug really deep into the slight changes in Campy parts from one year to the next, but as well, lots of these things just weren't as set in stone as we tend to think in today's market standards where if you lose a couple of months showing the latest SRAM doodad, you've lost sales!
PS - I do have a collection of US marketing literature from Colorado Cyclist and a number of reviews from that whole range and I would say that I tend to agree with you nailing down 91/92 as the crossover year. Good eye!
And finally, just found a June 1994 Road Bike Action page 35 showing a blue SP with stacked, black marble and red marble with regular down logos. Never know...
Thanks for looking back through your literature. I'm also trying to determine when the earlier styles of decals changed. I thought all the 1970s bikes up until around 1977 were 'Thomas Racing' on the downtube, and then from around 1978-1983 they were labeled Tommasini on the DT with no 'Tommasini' on the seat tube. Then, around 1984, we go to the stacked 'Tommasini' on the seat tube. But I keep finding an occasional exception, as you note in your response from 3:40 PM. Irio Tommasini seems to have lived by Emerson's quote about "foolish consistency"! I think that's part of the appeal of these bikes.
Ah, lovely. I have Tommasini lust in my heart. Great blog!
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www.tindonkey.com
Just found your blog, nice work on everything Italian, especially l'Eroica and the bici d'epoca! Buon lavoro!
ReplyDeleteI know this is an older post, and you may not see this comment, but I noticed something when looking at this 1992 catalog, and at your photos from your 1992 visit. In your own photos, the seat tube decals are already the style we see on current Tommasinis - that is, it's the same kind of decal as on the down tube. But in the catalog, it's the older style that I associate with 1984-1991 (the seat tube decal letters are stacked). I'm guessing the catalog was made in 1991, and after it went to the printer the decals were changed. Does that sound correct?
ReplyDeleteMore likely, these images are older than that 1992 catalog? These pages were picked up in Italy during 1992 and may have been an older model year. I haven't really dug really deep into the slight changes in Campy parts from one year to the next, but as well, lots of these things just weren't as set in stone as we tend to think in today's market standards where if you lose a couple of months showing the latest SRAM doodad, you've lost sales!
DeletePS - I do have a collection of US marketing literature from Colorado Cyclist and a number of reviews from that whole range and I would say that I tend to agree with you nailing down 91/92 as the crossover year. Good eye!
DeleteAnd finally, just found a June 1994 Road Bike Action page 35 showing a blue SP with stacked, black marble and red marble with regular down logos. Never know...
DeleteThanks for looking back through your literature. I'm also trying to determine when the earlier styles of decals changed. I thought all the 1970s bikes up until around 1977 were 'Thomas Racing' on the downtube, and then from around 1978-1983 they were labeled Tommasini on the DT with no 'Tommasini' on the seat tube. Then, around 1984, we go to the stacked 'Tommasini' on the seat tube. But I keep finding an occasional exception, as you note in your response from 3:40 PM. Irio Tommasini seems to have lived by Emerson's quote about "foolish consistency"! I think that's part of the appeal of these bikes.
ReplyDelete