At 12:37 AM -0700 5/15/08, Mr Donald W Gillies wrote:
>http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120260320778
>
>This top-of-the-line gas-welded and hand-polished
>frame has a few things i've never seen with an
>on-topic frameset, such as : (a) An intentional
>no-bolt seat cluster, the seat is attached with an
>expander bolt
Alex Singer has used internal expander seatposts since the early 1950s.
>All told, the frame looks as if it were chromed, but
>its all polished aluminum alloy. If you believe gary
>klein, this will fail because it was not annealed to
>stress relieve the frame after brazing, but until that
>day comes, you've got an 18.5 lb masterpiece with
polished mavic ssc componentry.
I don't know about Sablières, but already in the 1950s, André Marcadier did anneal his aluminum frames. The two shown in our book "The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles" have lasted quite well, and André Marcadier claims to have had hardly any frame failures.
The frames of Nicola Barra, on the other hand, appear to have a more mixed reputation. They either failed early or lasted a long time.
Jan Heine
Editor
Bicycle Quarterly
140 Lakeside Ave #C
Seattle WA 98122
http://www.bikequarterly.com