The August / September issue of News and Views (the Newsletter of the Veteran-Cycle Club -- I am sure many of you are members and that all could contribute and benefit from membership) gives details of a 1932 Southall Olympic with similar stays. I would venture to suggest that these stays are totally pointless except for some possible value as a marketing gimmick. The extra weight will enable you to go imperceptibly faster downhill to partially compensate you for the effort of carrying them uphill in the first place.
Hugh Thornton
Nantwich, England
>From: Bob Reid <bob.reid1@virgin.net>
>To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
>Subject: [CR]Another "odd" lightweight frame design.......
>Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2002 19:31:40 +0100
>
>But this time it's Scottish !
>
>As much input as possible (theory or fact) would be appreciated on this
>frame ;
>
>http://www.flying-scot.co.uk/page62.html
>
>Though dating from 1949, at first It doesn't look particularly unusual,
>until you notice it has two more tubes than usual !.
>
>Is this just another "funny" frame with peculiar ideas ?. Something makes
>me think I've seen this treatment of the seat stays done before, but about
>the only benefit I can see from doing it, is to stiffen the ultrathin
>pencil
>seat stays in reaction to the forces under hard braking.....but I'm sure
>one
>of the framebuilders on the list will tell me different !
>
>Bob Reid
>Stonehaven
>Scotland