Hello Jeremy , Hello List ,
I had a recent e-mail conversation with a list-member .
He mentioned "pencil stays" , and talked about chain stays .
I mentioned that I'd always thought "pencil stays" referred to seat stays .
I also mentioned that I thought "rapid taper" referred to chain stays .
And finally , I mentioned that I was fairly sure about companies other than Reynolds making "rapid taper" chain stays .
So , have I been hiding my head in a very dark place all these years ?? Am I completely confused ??
I need knowledgeable friends to explain these things to me !! Thank goodness I have you folks !! :^)
Last Question ; I have an old abused frame-set ( thanks Brian Blum , I love it ! ) - it's an early 1970's Raleigh Competition Mk. II - black - Huret dropouts - you know the kind - these had Reynolds Double Butted in the three main tubes only ( o.k. , single butted for the seat tube , you know what I mean ) - the stays , seat stays and chain stays , all four , were not Reynolds tubes on these frames - the chain stays are completely round in cross-section , they go very quickly down to a very small size , to fit easily between tire and chainrings - ARE these chain stays "rapid taper" chain stays ?????? IS that the correct term to use for these chain stays on these early 1970's Raleigh Competition Mk. II bicycles ??????
Thanks !
:^)
Raoul Delmare
Marysville Kansas U.S.A.
I am now in the process of trying to build (will be working with Mike Barry/Mariposa in Toronto) a close but by no means exact re-creation (rather a bit experimental) of a 50's Herse, with a few other ideas mixed in- and with some super advice from Jan Heine (very nice guy).
Two ideas I've gleaned from these pages (of note were comments made about pencil chainstays by Brain Baylis and Bob Reid, as well as an insight about sloping fork crowns made by Steven Thomas) were that old Reynolds pencil stays and fork blades can really have a positive effect on comfort (obviously not speed).
My question (before I begin a very difficult search for such old tubes) is: did all British makers of such pencil stayed frames use the same guage tube? Were there many different specs of such pencil stays, or just one or two? And last, regaring Mr. Thomas's favorable remarks about old Reynolds sloping fork crowns- does anyone think these might still be extant, or could other makers crowns be used to equal effect provided they were joined with the older Renyolds tapered blades? Thanks very much,
Jeremy Lieberman
New York City