Oldpotatoe's Place

[rounder]

We are working in Denver and went to oldpotatoe's place last weekend.

Drove up Mt. Evans to the summit. Super scary but awesome. On the way back decided that I did not want to go back to the hotel so drove to Boulder to see Vecchios. I followed maps and ended up on a corner with a huge bikeshop. There were no Vecchios signs so walked down the street and came to a Rapha store. That was not what I was looking for so kept walking down the street and came to Vecchios.(three bike shops on one block).

Vecchios was cool. Lot's of interesting stuff to look at. There was a 1936 Atala hanging up. Jim, the new owner told me that it had first generation Canpagnolo derailleur. Not sure how to describe it but the dropouts had teeth and the derailleur had two levers...to open the dropout and move the shifter to the next gear.

There were two old Eddy Merckx bikes hanging up with old Campy. There was Oldpotatoe's Moots with anniversary Campy stuff. There was lots of other stuff interesting stuff to look at.

Talked with Jim and he told me lots of stuff about the store. Jim was cool. He told me that he bought the shop from Peter 5 years ago. Bought two water bottles and was on my way. Saw lots of people riding bikes around in Boulder.

It was a good weekend.

[Hellgate]

I hope you said hello to my old Phil's spoke cutter while you were there.

That came from High Gear Cyclery in Longmont. I used to cut spokes for Forrest when he ran the GT shop back in the day.

Sweet bikes BTW. Too bad they are all but forgotten now. I built several up. One with a mix of XT and Mavic road/mountain. Sweet bike. The customer let me build what I would ride.

[Scuzzer]

Back when Spud owned the place I had him build a couple of wheels and tear a stuck Campy aluminum cogset off a wheel. Just standing in the place made me want to buy a pair of socks and a coupla water bottles. I'm old, it felt like home.

[oldpotatoe]

Back when Spud owned the place I had him build a couple of wheels and tear a stuck Campy aluminum cogset off a wheel. Just standing in the place made me want to buy a pair of socks and a coupla water bottles. I'm old, it felt like home.

Thanks for the nice notes..Yup, Jim is doing a great job and the place hasn't really changed(except this grouchy old fart replaced by a younger, grouchy old fart:))

That 'bike shop' up the street is more bar than 'bike shop'...Nice to have Rapha right there, Pete(manager) good guy with lots of bike 'cred'.

I miss the 'bike' part of bike biz, don't miss the 'biz' part at all..:)

[redir]

I used to stop in there when my sister in law lived a few blocks away but it's been so long I don't remember. It's on the street that is closed off for pedestrians only right? What ever that street's name is I always likes that idea for a down town.

[oldpotatoe]

I used to stop in there when my sister in law lived a few blocks away but it's been so long I don't remember. It's on the street that is closed off for pedestrians only right? What ever that street's name is I always likes that idea for a down town.

Vecchio's 1833 Pearl street but the 'mall', 'pedestrian mall' starts at 15th street.

[redir]

Ah ok. That's right PEarl St. So you can legally ride the bike to the bike shop, that's good :D

[simpsonn]

Thanks for the write up. I'm heading out to Boulder for the first time this weekend and was already planning to head up to Mt Evans and stop by Vecchio's so this just solidified that plan.

[BobbyJones]

I was out there last week for a stretch as well. Rode by but didn't stop in. Now thinking I should have.

Boulder and its surrounds are an amazing place for cycling (my first visit). You locals have got it very very good.

[Butch]

Rodeo Drive of Boulder... Get a sandwich at Cured while you're there as well.

[MikeD]

Thanks for the nice notes..Yup, Jim is doing a great job and the place hasn't really changed(except this grouchy old fart replaced by a younger, grouchy old fart:))



That 'bike shop' up the street is more bar than 'bike shop'...Nice to have Rapha right there, Pete(manager) good guy with lots of bike 'cred'.



I miss the 'bike' part of bike biz, don't miss the 'biz' part at all..:)



Well, with a name like Vecchio, which means old man, it wouldn't do to have anything but an old fart running the place ;-)

[chuckred]

Saw vecchios mentioned in yesterday's WSJ. Hints for traveling with a bike.

[Polyglot]

There was a 1936 Atala hanging up. Jim, the new owner told me that it had first generation Canpagnolo derailleur. Not sure how to describe it but the dropouts had teeth and the derailleur had two levers...to open the dropout and move the shifter to the next gear.

Something like this? It is not likely that it is a 1936 Atala with cambia corsa, more likely 1946.

[belopsky]

Ah to visit Colorado again!

[oldpotatoe]

Well, with a name like Vecchio, which means old man, it wouldn't do to have anything but an old fart running the place ;-)

Name came from Marco Saligari, Casino team, came to visit and ride in Boulder after an injury to get ready for Giro. Sponsored by Northwave, we(ProPeloton) were a NorthWave shoe dealer so supported him. We started the rides in the AM with him..every morning, when I showed up, "Ciao Vecchio"..hence the name when I started Vecchio's in 1999...:)

[redir]

Nice! :)

[MikeD]

Name came from Marco Saligari, Casino team, came to visit and ride in Boulder after an injury to get ready for Giro. Sponsored by Northwave, we(ProPeloton) were a NorthWave shoe dealer so supported him. We started the rides in the AM with him..every morning, when I showed up, "Ciao Vecchio"..hence the name when I started Vecchio's in 1999...:)


I'm going to have to make a pilgrimage to Veccio's someday. I lived in Boulder in the mid '80s and owned a home with a GF (what a bi-och) up on Table Mesa. Wasn't into cycling at the time, unfortunately.

[wtex]

man, that is funny - I was just there this weekend. Great guys. They said the Rapha store nearby was good synergy. And that Tommassini with the Delta brakes, rrrr!
Great selection of bikes- Waterford, Gunnar, Linus, and Moots of Course. The Moots was a bit outside the budget, so got a pint glass and water bottle, love them.
That area is seriously gentrified, but that said, a Rapha store next to Vecchio's next to a bike and brew place is pretty sweet!

[martl]

Well, with a name like Vecchio, which means old man, it wouldn't do to have anything but an old fart running the place ;-)

Vecchio just means "old", to be nitpicking :) yet it is used in the way you say. French ("eh, vieux!"), spaniards and even Germans (Oida/Alter/Alda") do the same :D It is noted that it isn't necessarily restricted to adressing old people. Perfectly normal for two twenty-year-olds to use it.
It'S just the anglosaxons, it seems, who feel the need to add a "man" to the "old"...

[oldpotatoe]

Vecchio just means "old", to be nitpicking :) yet it is used in the way you say. French ("eh, vieux!"), spaniards and even Germans (Oida/Alter/Alda") do the same :D It is noted that it isn't necessarily restricted to adressing old people. Perfectly normal for two twenty-year-olds to use it.
It'S just the anglosaxons, it seems, who feel the need to add a "man" to the "old"...

I initially wanted to call it 'Il Vecchio', but that was taken by a shop in Seattle..'The old way'...alas, now closed..heard 'George(?) got sick, closed shop..
https://www.yelp.com/biz/il-vecchio-bicycles-seattle

[MikeD]

I initially wanted to call it 'Il Vecchio', but that was taken by a shop in Seattle..'The old way'...alas, now closed..heard 'George(?) got sick, closed shop..

https://www.yelp.com/biz/il-vecchio-bicycles-seattle



You could have opened a shop in California and called it Vato's :-)


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[rounder]

Ah to visit Colorado again!

Yeah the derailleur looked liked that. It must have been a beast to shift compared to today's stuff. The Itala was repainted and really pretty. I thought Jim said it was a 1936 but probably did not here him right.

[Dirtdiggler]

Probably will never visit, but I did buy the jersey off the OP's back.. Now if only he had the wool version.