[CR]Re: butchered De Rosa...rant, and a question

(Example: Production Builders:Teledyne)

To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
From: <marcus.e.helman@gm.com>
Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2008 15:16:31 -0500
Subject: [CR]Re: butchered De Rosa...rant, and a question

Masi builders, Californian and Italian, were apparently more judicious in their slot work

http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/mhelman1/2masis/100_0250.jpg.html?thumbIndex=11

Best regards, Marcus Helman Huntington Woods, MI

At 04:41 AM 04/03/2008 -0800, MARK wrote:
>This issue had me racing down to the basement to survey my fleet. While reading the post, I was thinking, I've seen many bikes with the slot going into the seat tube. My survey revealed a mix. While I think it's both asthetically and structurally superior to have it end in the lug, I don't see a real problem if it goes into the tube below it, provided it not TOO far, and you do drill or round out the bottom to eliminate the stress riser. After all, your putting this big thick piece of aluminum in there to strengthen the area.
>

I did exactly the same! I only found one of my lugged bikes with the slot not cut beyond the bottom of the seat lug; it was the highest end bike I have, a Nishiki Ultimate. The others all had thicker lugs, which would not be as flexible. Since no picture of the De Rosa in question had been posted, I searched for one on wooljersey.com and saw a couple with a rather long point at the back of the seat lug that didn't appear to be sawn through. So I guess the jury would still be out on whether this particular one was "butchered" or not until we see a picture. But you're right, unless an undersize seatpost is used or the seat lug gets pried open, there's really no reason a crack should start at the bottom of this slot.

John Betmanis
Woodstock, Ontario
Canada