Re: [CR] FS: 1983 Plum Vainqueur candy apple red

(Example: Bike Shops:R.E.W. Reynolds)

In-Reply-To: <D206479C2EE441819193F63771E9CC4C@D7YXN561>
References:
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2010 08:38:49 -0700
From: "Jim Merz" <jameshmerz@gmail.com>
To: jim abt <jamesabt@charter.net>
Cc: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR] FS: 1983 Plum Vainqueur candy apple red


I was close to Hero Tange, the owner of the tubing company. The Champion tubes were made with 4130 steel and the finish was great. When I was building frames I used Columbus and Reynolds tubing, mostly I liked the decals better than Tange's! I would say the best reason to use Tange in the period you are talking about here is that the shipments were reliable. This was not the case for Columbus especially. But the 3 brands all made great tubing, nothing much different in tensile strength. I think the forks and chain stays on the Columbus was done very nicely. When Reynolds came out with 753 (basically heat treated 531), I build race frames with this and really liked it. In order to buy this tubing the builder had to submit a frame to meet the very stringent criteria required. I mentioned to Hero Tange that he should look into coming up with something compete with 753 and gave him a set. Next time I went to Japan he had come up with Prestige tubing. In my opinion that was the best steel tubing of the time, although slightly out the CR period.

Anyway, a lot of famous builders don't put tubing decals on. This allows tube mixing and keeps anti Japanese feelings from detracting from the mystic, if in fact Tange was used in the build.

Jim Merz Big Sur CA

On Fri, Jun 11, 2010 at 7:58 AM, jim abt <jamesabt@charter.net> wrote:
> Hi: I am not sure what the down play of Tange and Champion are (I do not
> think that Freek Faro is doing that he is simply mentioning that why someone
> in Europe would be using Japan steel chromoly, I am sure, but I have been
> meaning to bring up the point for some time). Please someone explain. I have
> had my hands on a share of European bikes and the Reynolds 531's and also
> the afore mentioned Japanese bikes and the paint jobs and the finish on the
> Tange steel frames were left far superior and seemed to hold their own over
> time in comparison to any other. So, I don't get it. I am thinking that this
> Plum presented here is a fine example. Thank you for taking such great care
> of a wonderful two wheel machine. She is beautiful!

>

> Jim Abt

> Wausau, Wi. USA