[CR] Re: Welded & Lugged Frame Pricing UK

(Example: Framebuilders:Jack Taylor)

Date: Sat, 13 Aug 2005 23:04:40 +0100 (BST)
From: "Michael Butler" <pariscycles@yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: [CR] Re: Welded & Lugged Frame Pricing UK
To: CR Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>


Further to the postings on the pricing of lugless (fillet brazed frames)I had a chance to ask my Dad today as to what his recollections were on the subject. He said just before the war when Harry Rensch pioneered lugless frames in 1935 followed closely by Holdsworth with their LaQuelda and a little later by Claud Butler they were all quite expensive. They were the in thing to ride very continental in design just the same as the pros rode in the Tour de France, but they soon got a reputation for frame failures. Saying he thought that Hobbs were the main culprits but also that Clauds had some mishaps especially with tandems sighting the case of Harris and Bannister when they ripped the bottom bracket out of their Claud at speed on Herne Hill. Moving to straight after the war when lugs were in short supply and frame angles had changed so that the lugs which were available were not the right angles for the job, lugless frames took off big time. This was boom time and prices were high for several years but by 1949 if you look at Claud Butlers catalogues you can begin to see the welded frame becoming the cheaper option. For example their famous "Path" model was available as No.23 International Path welded £12.17.6d No.24 Worlds Championships Path brazed £16.5.0d No.25 Olympic Path bi-laminated £16.10.0d. He reckoned by 1950 that welded was the second cousin and decidedly cheaper. Lastly he said don't forget Taylor's he always built the same frame in welded or brazed lugged form the only difference being the prefix "Super" for the lugged version eg. Tourist welded or Super Tourist lugged and the same goes for most of their models especially the Track and Super Track. The Taylor brazed lugged super was always the dearer option over the welded version. I know their always exceptions but this definitely seems to be the case with the majority of makers.

Thats all for now. Keep those wheels spinning, in your memories if not still on the road. Be lucky Mick Butler Huntingdon UK.