Ironically, the between-the-wars and just post-WWII UK builders like Bates, Bains, Hetchins and Paris are sometimes similarly accused of using unconventional geometries or tubing mostly to differentiate their products rather than for any real performance advantage. I guess "everything old is new again".
Regards,
Jerry Moos Houston, TX
Suzy.Jackson@csiro.au wrote:
Tony Rentschler wrote:
> Learn to TIG weld, and when you can smoothly and cleanly join very
> thin-walled steel tubes with a tiny weld, or, as a challenge, perhaps
> two beer cans or some stainless steel foil, then I just _know_ you
will
> gain a new perspective, and see beauty and soul where you now see
none.
> "Soul," for my money, is poured into a creation by the builder, and is
> not dependent upon any specific technique.
I haven't learnt TIG welding (yet), but it's most definitely on my list of skills to master. Unfortunately my partner balks at spending $2-3K on a TIG setup, so it may take some time :) Given this of course it's reasonable that, having spent some time brazing (at least enough to appreciate the skill required) I've got a fairly healthy bias towards things involving flames.
I guess what I was trying to get at is that the perfect TIG weld looks like there isn't a weld at all. Put two bikes by different builders side by side with perfect TIG welds (and without paint), and you'd be hard pressed to spot the difference. That, I guess, is why a lot of manufacturers now do other things to differentiate their frames. My Colnago's strangely shaped tubes, and my GT's triple-triangle frame come to mind as attempts to differentiate.
The same goes for most lugs though. Put two bikes side by side with perfectly brazed bog-standard lugs (of whatever flavour) and they look identical. However unlike TIG welded frames, it's fairly easy for a builder to differentiate his or her frames when using lugs. Just a little work with a file, and the mark is made.
Regards,
Suzy Jackson,
Sydney, Australia