Re: In defence: [CR]A Raleigh Complaint!

(Example: Framebuilding)

Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2003 15:02:03 -0800 (PST)
From: "David Feldman" <feldmanbike@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: In defence: [CR]A Raleigh Complaint!
To: Joe Bender-Zanoni <joebz@optonline.net>, raleighpro@dejazzd.com, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
In-Reply-To: <008701c3b8e3$dd549220$6400a8c0@jfbender>


At "Schwinn School" in 1974 we were told a rationale for the undertensioned Chicago wheels: Bikes were shipped "long pack" with both wheels in by rail. The tremendous strength and rigidity of those Schwinn steel rims coupled with loosely tensioned spokes were alleged to be a shock absorber for boxed bikes in transit--sort of like the crumple zones in small cars.
David Feldman
Vancouver, WA


--- Joe Bender-Zanoni wrote:


> You had to be a dealer to see enough bikes to say
> there was a problem in
> general. Samples of individual bikes don't tell the
> story.
>
> Some bike boom trends:
>
> Raleigh missed brazing on some lugs.
> Schwinn built terrible (or barely laced) wheels.
> Motobecane forks had terrible alignment (may have
> been flimsy boxes).
>
> All the decent bike companies could sell everything
> they could produce, so
> out the door it went. Concientious mechanics faced
> a different problem
> every day. Every box was a mystery as to what was
> wrong with the bike. For
> example, I aligned the fork or frame on at least
> half the Motobecanes I
> built. It did not help productivity to start the
> build of a bike by pulling
> off the fork Especially with 10 builds scheduled
> that day.
>
> At the same time some shops were pulling out the
> forks and getting them
> right, the mechanics at the competition down the
> road boasted about 20
> minute assemblies. They got paid piece work and
> made money hand over fist.
> I suspect the never "saw" a misaligned fork or
> frame. To do that, you would
> have to look, and they didn't have time to look.
> Same thing on the assembly
> end as at Raleigh. And out the door they went!
>
> Joe Bender-Zanoni
> Great Notch, NJ
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <raleighpro@dejazzd.com>
> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003 7:40 AM
> Subject: In defence: [CR]A Raleigh Complaint!
>
>
> > Perhaps I was just lucky but of the four Raleighs
> I have
> > none have exploded or fallen apart, or shown any
> problem with lugs not
> being brazed. (3 are 531 frames)
> > The frames are 231/2 to 251/2" so they're big
> enough to exhibit any bad
> flexing habits if they were so inclined.
> > OTOH: Maybe the paint's holding them together. ; )
> > The worst "defect" I've noticed on my Super Course
> is that the head tube
> was brazed in a bit off center and since the badge
> holes were predrilled the
> little heron always looks off to one side!
> > I did see a cheap Record in a Goodwill store that
> had the biggest gaps
> between the tubes and lugs, like they used French
> tubes in regular sized
> lugs.
> > So I don't doubt there's some bad jobs out there
> but sure like to think
> there's more good than bad.
> >
> > OT: as for British sports cars-watch "Victory By
> Design" on Speed channel
> when they cover Jaguar and Aston Martin to see what
> they could do.
> > (be sure to pipe through stereo-beautiful sounds!)
> >
> >
> >
> > Pete Geurds
> > Douglassville, PA
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> >
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>
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