I rearely get crotchety about these discussions, but I'm on the verge here. Perhaps it's because I'm working today and all I can find for background music is Hindustani disco. Not even real Bangra... :-D
Listen - when this was done in auto racing, it was entirely due
to the exegencies of the moment. I.e. there was crash damage
to be repaired, or a new design proved to be unsuitable at a
particular circuit. If you need some explanation about this
sort of thing, you might enjoy reading "The Unfair Advantage"
by the late Mark Donohue:
http://www.bentleypublishers.com/
Parenthetically speaking, the book has a lot to say about general engineering development principals (that pertain as much to areas such as bicycling and software) and it might do everyone on this list well to read it. I'll even promise to read it again (twice if necessary) myself! Again, insert smile here :-D
Now, I certainly believe that De Rosa had several frames pre-built for these big races, and might have "built one up" - that is, assembled a bike overnight - using an existing frame. Bear in mind, we're talking about a matter of millimeters here. These are differences that can be taken up my sliding the saddle and changing the stem. So I'll restate what I think is clear: no one of Merchx's caliber is going to risk success in as important a race as the Giro on a frame that was literally built and assembled overnight.
But we can all agree to disagree on this one. Yet again,
insert smile here
:-D
Best regards to all,
Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)
> I also believe this. Back when steel and aluminum were the
> primary components used in racing cars, it was nothing for an
> prominent team to work all night to build up a new chassis or
> make major structural modifications to a chassis &/or body.
> All this occurred during the heat of qualifications &/or
> right before the start of a major race. Given this, I have
> no problem believing that Ugo and one or more assistants
> couldn't build a frame or two over night for Eddy. Ugo could
> be building the main triangle while an assistant built up the
> rear stays w/rear dropouts. Or the rear stays/rear dropouts
> could have been pre-fabricated days/weeks/months before. A
> few coats of enamel with heat lamps would dry good enough in
> a 1-2 hours to be used immediately by Eddy.
>
>
> Dave Patrick
> Chelsea, Michigan USA
>
> Chuck Schmidt <chuckschmidt@earthlink.net> wrote:
> I believe it.
>
> Chuck Schmidt -- South Pasadena, California (USA) retro.com>
> (reprints, t-shirts & timelines)
>
>
> On Dec 25, 2006, at 11:56 AM, Fred Rafael Rednor wrote:
>
> > De Rosa and most of the well known Italian builders were
> > tremendous self-promoters. For that matter, so was Merckx,
> one
> > he entered the frame building business. So I doubt that one
> > can take all their assertions too seriously. DeRosa might
> have
> > built several frames for Merckx to use in the Giro - but I
> > refuse to believe he built them overnight for use the next
> day.
> >
> > Consider this: he would have to construct the frame, paint
> it,
> > face the appropriate surfaces, mount the parts, adjust
> > everything and then put in a little testing to ensure there
> > were no unforseen problems. Then there's the matter of the
> > transportation... If you were trying to win one of the
> world's
> > most important bike races (and the most important one in
> > Italy), would you risk using a a bike put together in that
> sort
> > of situation?
> > Regards,
> > Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)
> >
> > --- Jonathanadamgree@aol.com wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> Jerry,
> >>
> >> I know nothing of how Derosa might have painted, but many
> of
> >> todays best
> >> painters heat the frame in one manner or another to force
> >> dry. Primer and one
> >> color could happen pretty quick if it were only for a race
> >> bike. If the story
> >> is true I'm guessing UGO didn't care if the frame had a
> >> Baylis like paint job
> >> or not.
> >>
> >> Jonathan Greene
> >> Oviedo FL
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> In a message dated 12/25/2006 11:53:50 A.M. Eastern
> Standard
> >> Time,
> >> jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net writes:
> >>
> >> Can DeRosa's account really be true? Even assuming one
> >> could build a bike
> >> to a rider's specification in one night, one then has to
> >> paint it in the team
> >> colors. That couldn't leave more than a couple of hours
> for
> >> the paint to
> >> dry. I've never painted bikes, but I'd think it would take
> >> at least a day for
> >> a paint job to dry properly.
> >>
> >> Regards,
> >>
> >> Jerry Moos
> >> Big Spring, TX
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >>
> >
> >
> > __________________________________________________
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> > _______________________________________________
>
> Chuck Schmidt
> South Pasadena, CA USA
> http://www.velo-retro.com (reprints, t-shirts & timelines)
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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