CR folk:
Apparently the Crescent Stainless Steel frame was the genuine pinnacle of bikes (according to an advert in the Nov 23 1973 issue of Competitive Cycling). Thought I'd share the advert copy with the rest of you folks who seem to have overlooked its preeminence.
AVAILABLE IN JAN, 1974: THE MCB CRESCENT STAINLESS STEEL BIKE
This bike has been tested by top professional riders and their undivided opinion is that its bounce and twang, and therby (sic) the riding perfection and handling of the Crescent Stainless, is superior even to bicycles built of the best double butted tubing. The Crescent Stainless does not get soft and consequently does not lose its good riding quality after being in several competitions as is the case with any frame built of double butted tubing. The Crescent Stainless will keep the bounce and twang built into it as it is carefully hand brazed with silver solder by our skilled craftsmen. Erik "Faglum" Pettersson, world team champion in 1967, '68, and '69, has expressed his impressions of fact: "When coming to the finish of a race, you must be able to use every ounce of power for driving the bike forward instead of wasting it on twisting a frame that has gone soft. That's why I prefer Crescent Stainless."
There you have it. Double butted bikes are inferior. Mustn't go soft.
The same issue includes Owen Mulholland's report on Junior Tom Richey kicking the (apertures) of the Senior racers in the Mount Tam hillclimb.
Brad Stockwell (New theory: Kessel built Coppi's Masi!) Palo Alto