I'd say that you may be correct about Richard and maybe Peter. I can say that Jeff Lyon (who went to England about 6 months after Richard if I remember correctly) is highly Brit influenced. I would say that Doug Fattic seems more Brit influenced than Italian, but hopefully he'll speak for himself. best, Brandon"monkeyman"Ives Vancouver, B.C.
On Monday, Feb 27, 2006, at 10:37 US/Pacific, Chuck Schmidt wrote:
> I'm guessing that while Richie Sachs started his career at Witcomb in
> England and then Witcomb USA, that he would tell you his inspiration
> came from the Italians (Masi and Confente). I'm hoping that since
> Peter
> Weigle is on the list he'll tell us what inspired him (I'm guessing
> Italian again). Peter?
>
> Chuck Schmidt
> South Pasadena, Southern California
>
>
> Jerome & Elizabeth Moos wrote:
>>
>> I think Chuck's statement may be accurate for the West Coast. On the
>> East Coast/Midwest, British bikes were a bigger influence as Mssrs.
>> Sachs, Weigle and Fattic demonstrate.
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Jerry Moos
>> Big Spring, TX
>>
>>
>> Tom Sanders <tsan7759142@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>> When Chuck said of Italians "They provided the source of
>> inspiration for
>> most of the US frame builders in the early 1970s I'd add. " My
>> eyebrows
>> went up sharply. I certainly would not dispute his word, as I know
>> full
>> well he has forgotten more about bikes than I'll ever know and I
>> really have
>> the deepest respect here.
>> I would ask how this Italian influence squares with the fact that so
>> any of
>> the American frame builders went to England to learn how to build?
>> Was it
>> simply that employment in Italian bike shops was not available, or
>> perhaps
>> the language barrier was intimidating ? Hard to imagine such
>> stalwarts as
>> Richard Sachs, Doug Fattic and Peter Weigle being easily intimidated,
>> but
>> maybe. For sure Richard's bikes have more than a bit of the Italian
>> in them
>> to my eye (Now I may be getting into real trouble), but Peter's bikes
>> seem
>> to embody the English more and Doug's are clearly part of that
>> American
>> School represented so well by himself, Chris Kvale and Eisentraut.
>> Although
>> Doug's fancier lugwork is certainly English influenced. Lord, I have
>> probably alienated all of them by this point! Hope not.
>> Chuck would you expand on your comment a bit? Perhaps a couple of
>> frame
>> builders might chime in here too?
>> Tom Sanders
>> Lansing, Mi