In a message dated 12/25/03 11:27:53 PM Pacific Standard Time,
chuckschmidt@earthlink.net writes:
> Jay Sexton wrote:
> >
> >Please excuse my ignorance but were aluminum rims available in the mid
> >to late 50's? If so were they available as 27", 700c or both?
> >Thanks for humoring me, gang, and hope you all had a good day no matter
> >what you celebrate. Today, the riding was excellent here in Sonoma
> >County. 50 miles and didn't get rained on. Quite the opposite.....it
> >was absolutely gorgeous.
>
> >From Mavic Timeline:
>
> "1934 -
> A Duralumin dished rim, with a sort of 'tube' arrangement called eyelets
> carried the stress of the spokes on the lower and upper walls of the rim.
>
> An Italian, Mario Longhi, perfected the same technique at precisely the
> same time and registered his patent on January 5, 1934\u2013two hours before
> Mavic! The Italian allowed Mavic to exploit the procedure under license
> until 1947.
>
> In the 1934 Tour de France, Antonin Magne tested these new rims in the
> utmost secrecy\u2013they were banned by the rules, and so were painted in
> wood colors. Antonin Magne won the yellow jersey... Dura rims weighed
> 750 g compared with 1.2 kg for steel rims."
>
This explains the "Brevetti Longhi" on 1950s Fiamme rims! Any idea when that marking ceased?
I think Jay was asking about clincher rims.
Stevan Thomas
Alameda, CA