[CR]RE: CRIT BIKES or WHYS THIS BIKE SO TALL?

(Example: Production Builders:Teledyne)

Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 07:49:05 -0400
From: "Daniel Artley" <dartley@co.ba.md.us>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR]RE: CRIT BIKES or WHYS THIS BIKE SO TALL?


I've had my share of crit frames and one was enough. My second Woodrup around 1974 was a pretty face I couldn't say no to. I'd just had my last Woodrup wrecked by a truck, and this one was a beautiful black with creamy chrome long point lugs, stays and fork with a Cinelli style sloping fork crown. The fact that it had about a half inch of fork rake, 75 degree head and seat angle, high BB and was 24-1/2" tall with a 38-1/4" wheelbase didn't stop me for a second. It handled like thought and felt a bit tippy when braking hard, you had to pay attention every second. One day I was standing up passing traffic in the curb lane on my daily commute and the next thing I knew I was airborne ... for too long. I didn't even find out what had happened until I was out of the hospital and examined the bike and the road. The bike was fine except for a bent front brake centerbolt. I'd hit a particularly nasty chunk of macadam that had been sluffed up by braking city buses when the pavement is hot and soft and it just snapped the handlebars away from me. I stay away from crit bikes now. I believe it was Richard Sachs back then who's philosophy was that the one frame that was perfect for you and most of your riding was the best bike for whatever you wanted to use it for, criteriums included (probably a terrible approximation of a quote).

Happy trails,

Dan Artley Parkton, Maryland


>>> Bob Freitas <freitas1@pacbell.net> 05/13/2004 8:40:06 PM >>>

ANGEL Funny you would acquire one as I did(by mistake) a couple

years ago I bought a 1977 EISENTRAUT A bike. At the time of purchase I measured and found it to be my size(54CM) and not wanting to show the seller I was TOO EXCITED forwent

the test ride(you know the drill,OH,that old heap?) plus the wheels had

seen better days. Well arriving home and putting a set of wheels on it ,I

immediately noticed less airspace between the frame and me, maybe I was shrinking? I hauled it by ED LITTONS and asked what gives with this bike? he leveled the bike and measured the BB height and lo and be hold I was the proud owner of a "CLASSIC CRITERIUM

BIKE" I told ED "well its to tall for me so I am going to sell it" he "NO, its your size" The long and the short of it (or TALL of it) is the BB is 20mm taller than my best handling bike(81 BIANCHI SUPER CORSA) the feel of the bike on the level is good ,climbing is a little different(need to go up from that 24T) and down hill is real different. I ride it from time to time and dont let the downhill

stuff bother me,Its a great bike with excellent finish(its close to CELESTE also) ED is pretty sure that it is a mixed tubeset from the master of tube mixing, So I have mine,you will all have to go find your

own (of course RITA has not seen all the boxes arrive yet ,I went to CIRC with one but some how will get 3 back ,so the above might change)
                                              BOB FREITAS
                           marvelous MILL VALLEY,CA