Dear Peter, et al: Aside from all the factory and private wholiness we've all seen, this lightening and "tricking" out has been done since racing started. Back in the 1940's in my memory timeline quite a few racers of the 1890's were still alive and spinning tales. They took pieces of glass and other sharp tools to shave the wood rims down as thin as they could to save weight. Filing and trimming of steel components was common. A little later as BSA became everyday items , the guys would file and cut out as many ribs and support areas as they thought possible. Manys the chainrings I've seen all trimmed so that they were hardly recognizable. Aluminum posts were left alone, they bent back on their own thank you. But the steel swiss cheese posts were enough to give a drillomania man ohhhhs of exstasy. We used to wonder if drilled properly would they whistle or play a tune. If you put stress on the wrong hole, broke the saddle pillar and fell on your basso profundo the falsetto vibratto made the neighborhood chandaliers' chrystals tinkle. What's a broken glass among friends? How many of you remember the rims that George Omelenchuk of Detroit made back in '50 or so that had the big lightening hole drilled on the outside between the spokes? They did whistle somewhat in the right wind and speed condition. I don't remember why he didn't succeed with his manufacture. Maybe it was because the Europeans made lighter ones without the holes. George's were very strong and straight. Haven't seen any for over 40 years. Ted Ernst
Apropos the discussion awhile ago about high flange vs. low flange hubs, take a look at these:
http://ebay.com/
Anyone seen these on a machine before and any reason for them being undrilled (or were these on the conveyor belt at 4.51 pm Friday before a Bank Holiday weekend?)?
Truly the Mother of All High Flange Hubs. "Bacon Slicers" indeed.
Peter Kohler Washington DC USA
--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/