One might also consider that when the (Italian) builders bought in large quantities then the price differential was significant. Or it is also likely that Columbus and other tubing manufactures offered discounts for buying lesser grades. Dave P
frogeye@porterscustom.com
Porter Customs 2909 Arno NE Albuquerque, NM USA 87107 505-352-1378 1954 BN2 1959 AN5 Porter Custom Bicycles
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-----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of Jerome & Elizabeth Moos Sent: Saturday, January 17, 2009 8:04 AM To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org; Doug Fattic Subject: Re: [CR] Columbus Aelle tubing
I think Doug's attitude is typical of American framebuilders, i.e. since most of the cost of a frame is the labor, why use any but top tubing in a handmade frame? But the Italian buliders seem to have looked at it differently. Perhaps they had to make a less expensive model for amateur racers simply because the market for their top models was not sufficient to sustain the business. But they continued to produce very nearly the same level of detailing and finish either out of pride, or because their competition for the amateur market did. In this case, $20 saved by using Aelle probably did not reduce the price nearly enough to compensate for the lower price of the amateur frames, so they were simply making less profit on these machines. But $20, or however many Lire that was at the time, was better than nothing, and perhaps the more important objective was to differentiate the frames so as to support the price of the pro frames. I mean, let's suppose the pro frame was $500, while the amateur frame was $350. If they were perceived as identical, everyone might just buy the cheaper one. But by using Aelle in the amateur frame, one could make the pro frame buyer feel he was getting something significant for his extra money. From this point of view it might even have made sense to make all the frame from SL, but apply Aelle stcikers to the amateur ones simply to justify the price of the pro frames.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Big Spring, Texas, USA
> From: Doug Fattic <fatticbicycles@qtm.net>
\r?\n> Subject: Re: [CR] Columbus Aelle tubing
\r?\n> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
\r?\n> Date: Friday, January 16, 2009, 9:42 PM
\r?\n> I think there are a couple of things to keep in mind about
\r?\n> tubing
\r?\n> comparisons. The first is that the weight and riding style
\r?\n> of the rider has
\r?\n> a lot to do with whether they like the tubing or not.
\r?\n> 7/4/7 tubing with a
\r?\n> 1" top tube is perfect for me but not for somebody
\r?\n> that weighs 235 lbs
\r?\n> instead of my 135.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Columbus SP and SL tubing was heat treated to some degree.
\r?\n> You can see it
\r?\n> on the surface of the tubes when you take them out of the
\r?\n> box. They varied
\r?\n> in color from golden to dark burnished blue or red tone.
\r?\n> Aelle was not heat
\r?\n> treated and just a normal gray color. I remember seeing a
\r?\n> video of Columbus
\r?\n> making tubing at the New York show probably sometime in the
\r?\n> 70's. After the
\r?\n> tubes had been butted, the words "SECRET PROCESS"
\r?\n> (like "pow", "bam" in a
\r?\n> Super Hero comedy book) blanked out whatever they
\r?\n> didn't want to show.
\r?\n> This, I understand, was the treating process.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> I never had any affection for it. I couldn't see
\r?\n> spending many hours custom
\r?\n> making a frame and then trying to save $20 on a set of
\r?\n> tubes. I've had
\r?\n> several sets of it in my shop but I think it came from when
\r?\n> I collected
\r?\n> stuff from Melton when they went under in Delaware, Ohio.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Doug Fattic
\r?\n> Niles, Michigan USA