All- Wasn't it Andy H that said "the only thing more scary then descending on a Ti bike was ascending without one".
>I haven't followed this thread closely but I thought I would re-post an
> email from Andy Hampsten that I received in 2004 in response to a question
> I
> had about a particular bike he was riding in a stage. His reply:
>
> "Hi Angel,
> Good eyes there. Eddy Merckx was and still is the master of matching
> riders
> to frames. He would start all of us on Columbus's Max tubing for the
> earlier
> season races. They weighed more than other tube sets but it was a joy to
> get
> such responsiveness out of a frame. For my bikes Eddy would get me on
> lighter but very strong frames for the April Ardennes races and early
> stage
> races. By June and the important stage races I would be flying on his
> lighter bikes with the Tour ride being a very sweet Reynolds 753 based
> super
> light frame ready to rocket.
>
> Of course a lot of riders, me included would moan about "yeah but that
> team
> gets to ride super light carbon or aluminum" or what ever else looked like
> greener grass to us. Eddy was good at pointing out to us that there was no
> sense shaving ounces off of a frame and fork that would save us seconds on
> the climbs but wouldn't handle well. "Why gain 40 seconds on a climb and
> loose 2 minutes on a descent?" he would reason. Looking back to where
> those
> materials where in the early 90s I have to agree.
>
> The riders where able to decide what they wanted to ride on. Of course it
> was limited and I hate to say it but it depended on how the rider's
> political status was with the team. Eddy took care of all the riders but
> few
> were spoiled with a new frame every week or two like I was.
>
> I really liked the 753 tube set, but Eddy knew it was not a long lasting
> material. He let me use them for the mountainous tours and a few big one
> day
> races, and then put them to rest.
>
> In '88 I had a fantastic frame made by John Slawta of Landshark that got
> me
> up and over the snowy Gavia pass. He used Tange Prestige tubing back then.
>
> Enjoy your ride, whatever it is. Andy Hampsten"
>
> Angel Garcia
> Long Valley NJ
>
>
>
>
>
Andrew R Stewart
Rochester, NY