At 7:42 PM -0700 3/16/07, Mark Bulgier wrote:
>John Redman wrote:
>[snipped]
>> The reason is that I, several months ago, bought an original
>> set of 531 SL tubes. The other day, I bought this very neat
>> set of lugs but they are "racing angles".
>> I'm 63 and don't race but I ride horrible distances at a time.
>> Then there are two upcoming auctions for Nervex lugs. Most
>> of my Motos have Nervex lugs. It will probably be a certain
> > R.S. that builds the bike for me.
>
>This brings up the fact that "racing" angles of not too many years ago
>are considered perfect touring angles by most folks today.
Many classic (and current) racing frames used 73 degree head angles. Many of the best French randonneur and cyclotouring frames also used 73 degree head angles. The difference between the two is in the fork offset, which is independent of the lugs.
As the article on bike handling in the current issue of Bicycle Quarterly explains in detail, the old "touring" geometries with shallow head angles, lots of trail and lots of wheel flop are useful if you carry significant weight on the rear, and none on the front. Whether that is a good idea is a different question altogether...
So I would not worry. Look over some of the geometries of the best old randonneur bikes, and pick one. Most likely, your "racing angle" lugs will be perfectly suited. Most of my favorite old randonneur bikes are built from Reynolds 531 SL, so that seems like a great choice, too.
Jan Heine
Editor
Bicycle Quarterly
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Seattle WA 98122
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