Is it all flat crowns that are supple, or just those on older De Rosas? Or just Eddy's bikes? I'd sure like to know where to get one of them supple fork crowns. Do they use a more supple steel alloy, or is there a special annealing involved? Is there any way to make my own fork crowns more supple? Rub neatsfoot oil into them or something?
Also, is not some of the most, ahem, creative and entertaining writing in the world found in eBay auction copy?
Regards,
Jerry G. Prigmore Clovis, California, USA ---------------------
I'm not vouching for the accuracy of the seller's description, but the common belief back in the day was that the flat fork crown provided the most forgiving ride, the full sloping Cinelli crown was the stiffest and the semi-sloping crown was somewhere in between. I never could tell the difference, but I don't doubt that Mr. Merckx could feel it. Before computer simulation and wind tunnel testing, it was his feedback and the feedback of other top echelon racers that dictated bicycle design.
Kevin Ko
Eugene, OR