Ladies and gentlemen - I guess my note got several people's goats, including Fearless Leader's (below) so I should try to calm the waters a bit.
1) Contrary to what a couple of folks inferred, I did not criticize or even comment on the lugwork. An argument can be made that elaborate lugs, particularly long points, make a difference in distributing stress, and they are handsome. I'm not a curmudgeon (usually) but didn't comment on the lugs.
2) Below I comment on Dale's notes about the "Hellenic" (I like that term, coming from Fred Hellen, as Dale pointed out).
Starting the "gentlemanly disagreement," I wrote,:
>Personally, I call them an affectation. For your trouble, here's what you
>get:
>
>--> 2 extra joints to make and finish.
>--> The joints on the top tube are likely on the thin part of the tube,
>where most folks would prefer to use silver, but silver doesn't have
>significant strength except in shear (as in a properly done lug), so it
>isn't a really bright idea.
>--> A much more awkward brake cable run. >>
Dale responded <snip>
>"that
>extra work and care that these kinds of details require is actually how we
>place higher values on small production, hand built bikes!"
Gee, I thought it was for impeccable design and craftsmanship, a la Richard
(no relation) Sachs and others. I'll include Hurlows and Clementines in
that, and allow as some of my best friends love Hetchins (which I find a
bit extreme, but that is taste and opinion, not facts).
><snip>
>Dale: Actually you are technically correct in your points but I think the
>description "elaboration" is better than "affectation.". Given that
>description, it makes the feature ("Hellenic" stays?) a more appropriate
>aspect of a bike like this.
>
>No question that the span of seat stay tubing that runs from the seat tube
>contact point to the top tube juncture does relatively little in a structural
>sense.. It just mildly anchors the points of triangulation.
>BUT that Equilateral stay arrangement, by lowering the angle of the seat
>stays, actually does have a few arguing points thus far left out... ;
>- it allows more vertical compliance and therefore a more shock absorbing
>ride than similar stays in a more vertical arrangement.
Harvey: Offsetting that, the shorter stays are stiffer, so they might be
less compliant.
>Dale: - The overlapping of the stays at seat tube and top tube
>limit/stiffen the
>side to side compliance (albeit to a small degree) making the bike frame
>climb and sprint with less side to side movement.
Harvey: I bet you can't show that with conventional frame deflection
gear... Not within margin of error. This is an unadulterated opinion. :-)
>Dale: I personally have built using this "Hellenic"pattern on a few really
>big
>frames with shallow seat angles or frames for heavy riders on the theory that
>they would best benefit from these subtle attributes.
Harvey: I'm not a builder, but I'd be tempted, too, for really big frames. Esthetically, breaks up the big space in the "diamond." Makes the seat stays not look so much too loooong. Makes it look braced.
Heck, Dale, I talk and you build. You're putting your money behind your
bets. I'm just doing mind experiments...
Harvey
>http://www.cyclesdeoro.com/bigdoug1.htm
>
>Dale Brown