when at witcomb, london in the early '70s, 'we' built frames for tom boyden labeled 'fastab'. e-RICHIE http://www.richardsachs.com
On Wed, 13 Jun 2001 12:58:41 -0700 (PDT) Morgan Groves
<m_groves@yahoo.com> writes:
>
> Tom Boyden, of Garland, Texas (Dallas suburb), built
> racing bikes for at least ten years, beginning in the
> 70s. Later, he developed some timing devices for bike
> races that he used throughout the Midwest. Tom died
> last year of lung cancer (though never a smoker).
>
> I came to know Tom in 1971, shortly after he'd been
> fired from Texas Instruments for designing and
> building a seatpost on company time. Though I counted
> him a good friend, he must be considered one of the
> stranger rangers of the bicycle world. His seatpost
> was a marvel of simplicity: there was no adjustment of
> seat angle, but it was a light, sturdy, one bolt job.
> His attitude was "I know what your seat angle is
> supposed to be, so why should I build in
> adjustability?"
>
> He took the same approach to frame design and
> construction: I never owned one of his frames, but
> beauty was not a criterion in design or construction.
> Utility was. There was a time that he was importing
> Witcomb frames, but he built his own as well. He had
> little use for the Campagnolo mystique, again favoring
> utility. He wore EEEE shoes, and equipped his bike
> with cheap rattraps because they fit any foot.
>
> His brand name was "Fastab,", fas+his initials, tab. I
> knew him only as a friend, and would be delighted to
> hear, on or offlist, any good Tom Boyden stories.
>
> Morgan in DeKalb
> 93 and muggy.
>
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