[CR]re: CR]Another "odd" lightweight frame design.......

Thanks, Bob Reid, for sharing this URL re a Scot with two extra stay reinforcements. 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 !

I'm not one of the framebuilders, but I'll venture a comment or two:

1) It looks like a marketing solution, not a technical one. Makes the bike look distinctive.

2) IMHO, the "problem" is chattering brakes, which reflect a pretty nasty resonance. Not at all clear to me that this resonance, the stretch-and-release of rubber on aluminum interacting with an imperfect pivot and imperfect brake materials, will be helped by stiffening the seat stays. So, I think it is a solution looking for a problem to solve.

But, I'd love to be shown to be wrong.

harvey sachs
mcLean VA