But then again, new AL frames are so brittle now, they crack up frames routinely so they would not consider a chrome process (chrome is nasty finish on AL). So if Chromed forks had a value, it was on steel frames, and complete 531 frames may be too brittle on fork ends after chrome process. Maybe Im' just rationalizing why my 1971 Raleigh Supercourse with only a 531 triangle was a well composed bike, but it does make sense as far as what they chromed on it and how it does feel solid and smooth riding it now after 36 years.
Thanks, Phil Bailey Sarasota, FL
On 1/21/07, philip bailey <bailey.philip@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Willie,
>
> I can hear what you're saying, but isn't Chrome potentially the same
> ingredients as chrome moly steel which
> is supposed to be a beneficial frame material? As per the forks ends, some
> reenforcement seems advantageous. Its one of the advantages of front and
> rear racks that I value.
>
> But as for the main triangle, I can see a greater parallel to what you are
> saying since reheating metal would seem to make it more brittle. I am just
> saying for the fork ends, that this stiffness may be benficial for road or
> touring bikes. Raleigh and several others seemed to think so. Notice how
> now, 'better' correlates with 'cheaper'?
>
> Remember, cost is the greatest variable in manufacturing competition. If
> everyone agrees to drop a costly feature, then everyone benefits, and the
> odd person who does chrome has a hard time justifying why they are losing
> money. I cant' find any whole frame chrome platers advertising on web. I've
> seen one who does parts which all add up to about $2K but doesn't mention
> (whole) BB, downtube, and main tube. I'm sure there are, but it sounds risky
> unless done that way from the factory. No one would seem to have experience
> at plating whole bicycles, so there may be no 'real' experts - defined as
> doing a task 500 times consecutively.
>
>
> Phil Bailey
> Sarasota, FL
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 21:57:13 +0000 (GMT)
> From: wilc <cherrycycle1@yahoo.co.uk>
> To: Stronglight49@aol.com
> Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: Re: [CR] Re: fully chromed frames etc DEADENS RESPONSE
>
>
> hi,all,
> like most cyclebuffs i like a smatter of good plating on a classy
> frameset, however a conversation recently cropped up with a cycle buddy and
> friend who have just taken delivery of 2 new custom frames from Mercian
> Derby ENGLAND. while my friend had a road path fixed machine his pal had a
> geared machine with loads of chrome , this guy is a good repeat customer of
> the Derby builders and is having the managing director staying over for a
> leisure weekend in the late spring. he has the run of the works while he is
> with them at the shop, DERBY PLATING are the platers which Mercian use and
> supposedly the best in the UK . will not chrome old accles and pollock or
> 753 /853.. this new track iron machine is Reynolds 631 has no plating at
> all .. the experienced and ready to retire frame builder commended his
> chrome free choice and told him that plating had always deadened a frames
> response this is a strongly held belief among many of the old builder