Re: [CR]De Rosa vs. Merckx (crimped stays)

(Example: Framebuilding)

Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2008 10:35:17 -0500
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
From: "John Betmanis" <johnb@oxford.net>
Subject: Re: [CR]De Rosa vs. Merckx (crimped stays)
In-Reply-To: <8CB37722CA28F36-E10-C4@FWM-M29.sysops.aol.com>
References: <8CB376E96641F76-71C-C09@WEBMAIL-DY14.sysops.aol.com>


At 09:13 PM 28/12/2008 -0500, Dale Brown wrote:
>
> <<Check out this ebay De Rosa, which appears to have those self-same
>"pre-crimped" stay ends referenced by Dale:
>
>http://tinyurl.com/8l8mqb
>
>Maybe De Rosa wasn't always more refined? >>
>
>Ouch! You are Oh-So correct! Drat! ? :)

I wonder if those crimped chainstay ends wouldn't actually make a stronger, lighter assembly than if they were made prettier by using extra filler rod to fill the void?

http://www.jakesantiques.com/EbayImages/derosa23.jpg

We all think of crimping ends of tubes as a cheap and dirty method of construction used on department store bikes, but done like on that De Rosa, it actually appears very neat and efficient.

Looking at an ancient Reynolds Tube catalogue on Dave Ross's Flicker site, I see that it wasn't just the "cheap" bikes that had pre-crimped fork ends back in the day.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9466770@N03/3129639914/sizes/o/

John Betmanis
Woodstock, Ontario
Canada