Re: [CR]Connection between Gun tubes and Bike Tubes

(Example: Racing)

From: "Amir Avitzur" <avitzur@013.net.il>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
References: <7EA3FEAA.611F944C.0269AA25@aol.com> <p0611045ebd3deeccf1c7@[10.0.1.9]>
Subject: Re: [CR]Connection between Gun tubes and Bike Tubes
Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2004 07:45:51 +0200
cc: Sheldon Brown <CaptBike@sheldonbrown.com>

BSA (British Small Arms) was a gun maker.

I don't know why there were so many gun makers that produced bikes and bike components. The manufacturing methods and machinery is quite different. Gun barrels, for example, are typically drilled and honed while tubes are drawn through dies.

In the 70's the Eibar region of spain was famous for making knock-off copies of almost any good pistol. There were many small shops doing this. The quality varied from poor to better than the original. But, the price was right

Amir Avitzur
Ramat-Gan, Israel


----- Original Message -----
From: Sheldon Brown
To: LouDeeter@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 5:25 AM
Subject: Re: [CR]Connection between Gun tubes and Bike Tubes



> At 4:06 PM -0400 8/9/04, LouDeeter@aol.com wrote:
> >Eibar, Spain is also the home of Star firearms and maybe others. I
> >know it was the primary steel producing town for Spain in the early
> >1900s. I don't know of a connection between Star & Zeus other than
> >both are in Eibar. A couple of days ago, I posted an ebay outing
> >for a Browning bike that might have been connected to the Browning
> >Firearms company in Belgium. And, it seems that last month someone
> >mentioned that Steyr (the Austrian gun company) made Puch at one
> >time. It seems logical to me that a steel company would manufacture
> >tubing and gun barrels. But, other than these examples, were there
> >others? Lou Deeter, Orlando FL
>
> Iver Johnson used to be an important bike maker (I own an old I.J.
> frame I haven't yet decided what to do with.) They also made Sirhan
> Sirhan's revolver.
>
> There are Smith & Wesson bicycles, but I believe they're just generic
> asian bikes with the S & W logo.
>
> Going back to 19th century England, there was a connection between
> Rudge and Whitworth. Whitworth also made military rifles for Queen
> Victoria's Redcoats.
>
> Sir Joseph Whitworth was a great man of the British Industrial
> Revolution, second only to I.K. Brunel. He was the first to
> manufacture all-metal machine tools. He invented the milling
> machine. He was the first to develop a standardised [sic] system of
> thread sizes and wrench sizes.
>
> Sheldon "Shimano Makes Machines For Killing Fish" Brown
> Newtonville, Massachusetts
> +----------------------------------------+
> | Yes Britain set the world ablaze, |
> | In good King George's glorious days! |
> | --W.S. Gilbert |
> +----------------------------------------+
> --
> Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
> Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
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