I vote for myth. If the frame's ride changed at all, wouldn't it be suffering structural damage that would continue to progress? The frame would eventually fail with enough cycles, it wouldn't "soften" a bit and then magically stop. The prevelance of 50 year old machines indicate that steel frames can be built to work without suffering any significant damage from pedaling.
But I know there are many, many folks who swear that a strong racer will "soften" up a frame in a season. This of course is a boon to poor riders who can only afford used bikes, and shop owners selling the latest and greatest.
And if you're worried about riding a "softened" frame, don't forget Sean Kelly was quoted as having said that he liked the Vitus bikes because the whippy BB allowed him to really wind up his sprint! (Can't recall where I read it, but it was in print so it must be true.)
Tom (230 pounds and riding a '47 Ephgrave) Adams, Shrewsbury NJ
>From: Chuck Kichline <chuck_kichline@yahoo.com>
>To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>Subject: [CR]Old, worn out racing frames
>Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2004 20:49:43 -0700 (PDT)
>
>When I started riding again in the 80's the bargain quality bike
>frames were "Old, worn out racing frames", generally a year or two
>old and Reynolds or Columbus tube. I was told many times that even
>the power of amateur riders took the temper out of the tube and
>turned them into flexible flyers.
>I was never a racer and picked up a few and built them back up and
>never noticed anything wrong with them, but never had a NEW one,
>either. (I sure have found a lot of bikes with sloppy loose spokes
>though)
>
>So, do old bike frames lose their sharpness? Maybe this has already
>been beat to death in the archive.
>
>=====
>Chuck Kichline
>Austin, TX
>
>
>
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