I have seen a number of French track bikes which, for whatever the reason, use fork blades that have an oval profile. Still, my recollection is that those blades seemed more stout than ordinary road blades. I.e. their cross-section seemed to lie somewhere between that of a standard road fork blade and a tandem fork blade.
In any event, take a look at the fork in this auction's photos.
You can see from the rake that this isn't simply an undrilled
road fork. Another thing to consider is that this frame might
have been specifically designed for one of those large
velodromes with relatively shallow bankings.
Regards,
Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)
> Regarding the fork, it appears to be a road fork which was
> not drilled. Aren't track forks usually round, not oval?
> Perhaps this was a common practice, but most of the steel
> track forks I have seen are round. I am sure there are some
> folks on this list who can set me straight on this one....
>
> Stephan Andranian
> Costa Mesa, CA
> http://www.GitaneUSA.com
>
>
> marcus.e.helman@gm.com wrote:
> Guy Apple sent this link to his Motobecane Track bike
> auction on eBay:
>
> Auction #270110434675
>
> I think it is a cool looking bike, but I am struck by the
> large tire
> clearance in front. Even allowing for an underinflated tire,
> it seems
> like there is a lot of space there. This bike does not have a
> hole in the
> fork for a front brake. Why would a track bike be built with
> so much
> space between the top of the tire and the bottom of the fork
> crown?
>
>
> Best regards,
> Marcus Helman
> Huntington Woods, MI
>
>
>
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