Re: [CR]No more DeRosas : they all broke ?!?!

(Example: Framebuilding:Restoration)

Date: Sun, 07 Nov 2004 13:08:44 -0600
From: "John Thompson" <JohnThompson@new.rr.com>
Organization: The Crimson Permanent Assurance
To: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR]No more DeRosas : they all broke ?!?!
References: <88.18e85347.2ebfa5b7@aol.com>
In-Reply-To: <88.18e85347.2ebfa5b7@aol.com>


OROBOYZ@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 11/7/2004 12:02:28 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> JohnThompson@new.rr.com writes:
>
> << When we were designing the first Trek bonded Al frame back in the early
> 1980's we built a stress testing machine similar to what Damon shows on
> his web site. The model "2000" Al frame was designed to have riding
> characteristics similar to a steel frame (in part to avoid problems with
> Klein's patent on using oversize tubing to increase frame stiffness).
> The prototypes for this model were tested on the machine to demonstrate
> that the frame and bonded joints would be at least as durable as those
> of a steel frame of similar geometry. >>
>
> Neat insight on this question, John.
>
> Makes me curious about your background with Trek, you and I may have almost
> overlapped in our association with the Big T company. I was their very first
> manufacturer rep in the mid atlantic~-south east USA. My territory (in the
> beginning at least) was from Wash DC to Florida! Shortly after that they hired
> Bucky Weatherell to do Georgia & south....I have many funny(?) stories of those
> days with Bevil Hogge, Tom French, etc.

I joined Trek in early 1980 as a brazer and worked on the factory floor the whole time I was there. After a couple years I started doing work on prototypes and team frames, quality control, and warranty replacement determinations. In 1986 I left to return to school.

Bevil was there the whole time I was with Trek. We still had his old Campy tool kit from Vitesse Cycles in Bloomington IL. Tom French left for Blackburn shortly after I was hired. Tim Isaac was the frame designer, and Bob Reid the chief engineer. Harry Spehar was the big sales/marketing guy. I spent most of my time working for Bob Reid.

Some other Trek names you might recognize: Dave Tesch was hired as a brazer about a year after I was hired. Chris Fiorini (now with Paramount/Waterford), Dave Tupy (ditto), and Bill Phelps (worked for Paramount/Waterford for a while; now with Wisconsin DNR in wildlife habitat) were all Trek old-timers. And Joe Stark (Masi) was hired about the same time Tesch came on.

--

-John Thompson (john@os2.dhs.org)
Appleton WI USA