Bruce,
I see your point. I hope you can see mine.
Of course, Ken's message wasn't really a reply with new evidence. But it did show to members that somebody disagrees with me, and as such, by academic standards, I feel this information should be shared. Especially since it clearly referenced a post of mine, and was sent by somebody who is not on the list and thus cannot post to the list directly.
When I still was in sciences, I was very peeved when others just ignored my writings, because they didn't fit into their conclusions (even when the writings were just "personal communications," but later, they ignored my published articles, too).
While it may seem childish to post Ken's comments to the list, please also consider the following:
I didn't want to broker the sale of a very expensive bike frame, and later be accused that I withheld crucial information. Especially when Ken claims to be an expert on the matter. I can see myself in court, two years from now, the buyer's lawyer saying: "Well, Mr. Heine, the expert on French bikes, Ken Denny, e-mailed you that he thought your representations were not valid. Why did you withhold that information from prospective buyers..."
When teaching at a university, I once was in a similar situation, and I could not remember the original conversation, and it all became very embarrassing. (BTW, my career change a few years later was not due to that incident...)
Furthermore, I don't like unsolicited, unconstructive e-mail from people I don't know - whether it promises to size increases, or otherwise. At least the e-mails sent under assumed identities have stopped... (speaking of illegal here - the people whose names were used were not too happy when I contacted them!)
And finally, I really am interested in the history of these bikes. It is unfortunate that some things are written that cannot be substantiated. I once belonged to a newsgroup on Rene Herse bikes, which later turned out to be a complete fraud. I still have a few hundred messages of entirely made-up information on these bikes, with some true facts mixed in to add to the confusion. If you are just after a good read, these stories are great. But if you want to find historical information, they make it difficult to determine what really happened... Ever since, I am a bit touchy if somebody comes up with great stories but is unwilling to give sources.
And to be clear, Ken Denny was NOT part of the above-mentioned newsgroup.
Jan Heine, Seattle