Re: [CR]stucchi, lugs, aesthetics etc.

(Example: Component Manufacturers:Campagnolo)

Date: Mon, 02 Oct 2006 15:39:45 -0400
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
From: "John Betmanis" <johnb@oxford.net>
Subject: Re: [CR]stucchi, lugs, aesthetics etc.
In-Reply-To: <7d49b7530610020820g19c32d35qdf84be4fd7c8ec86@mail.gmail.com>


At 10:20 AM 10/2/06 -0500, Marty Eison wrote:
>While british marques like Hetchins, Bates etc added
>flamboyant lugs to make their bikes stand out from the
>rest of the crowd it must be remembered that Lugs are
>first and foremost a method of joining the bikes tubes together.
>In a serious race frame I don't believe the intent/purpose of a lug
>is to produce "art" or the please anyones sense of aesthics.

Granted, intricate, curly lugs serve no purpose on a tool specifically built for racing. However, lugs that look like pipe fittings are both heavy and cause stress concentration at their straight ends. Lugs that are tapered, thinned and cut away make a stronger, lighter frame. And as any framebuilder will tell you, cutouts in lugs help monitor the flow of the brazing metal.

John Betmanis
Woodstock, Ontario
Canada