Jan Heine wrote:
(snip)
> However, I have to admit that I haven't studied the Raleighs etc.,
> that served as inspiration here. My knowledge does not extend much
> further than the high-end custom bikes... which in most cases were
> racing-inspired.
>
> Might be a worth-while study, but another question is whether these
> bikes are at all optimized for their purposes.
I'd say, given that virtually all bike design is the result of trial
and error, I'd have to say yes, these bikes, by definition, were
optimized for their intended purpose.