Fred Rafael Rednor wrote:
>
> > > The only explanation (urban legend?) I have ever
> > > heard for the reason Hetchins made the hellenic
> > > stays, was that years ago racers/sponsors were
> > > not allowed to put any identifying decals/graphics
> > > on their bicycle frames. By making their frames
> > > visually different from every one else's, the
> > > public could easily identify the brand.
> > >
> > > I could be completely wrong....:)
> >
> >
> > Sorry Kirk, this myth seems to surface at least once
> > every couple of months...
>
> Okay, Chuck - but do you dare posit a theory of your own? I
> happen to like Ken Denny's. His theory (I hope I can
> paraphrase correctly) that these were like Cadillac tail fins.
> I.e. Hetchins knew they served no purpose but they were still a
> mark of distinction for a luxury item.
>
> By the way, have you seen the photo on the Hetchings Web site
> of the frame that incorporates both the "Vibrant" (curly) chain
> stays and the Hellenic seat stays? The former was supposed to
> absorb vibration and the latter was suuposed to stiffen the
> rear (which must have increased vibration). It would be seem a
> contradition, except that neither really has an appreciable
> effect...
Do I DARE??? Gosh! Well... okay...
Personally I don't care for Denny's theory that it is a distinguishing mark of a luxury item at all, even though Denny has been describe on this list as "one of America's TOP intellect/scholor (sic) of vintage light weight bike and parts!"
The Hellenic seat stay was invented by Fred Hellens in 1923, and was used by Thanet (1930s), Hetchins (about 75 in the late 1960s and early 1970s [Hetchins web site]), Colnago (1980s) and GT (1990s) among others.
The Hellenic stay arrangement, by lowering the angle of the seat stays, allows more vertical compliance and therefore a more shock absorbing ride than similar stays in a more vertical arrangement and 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.
Yes, I have seen the Hellenic combined with the Curly on the Hetchins web site. Flash (Mr. Flash to you? ;) notes that, "The hellenic design was straight, but three odd-balls are known to exist. One has a curly hellenic triangle retro-fitted to a Vade Mecum. Another, shown here, is a one-off half-curly. A third curly-hellenic was special ordered in the late 1990s."
Does the Hellenic or the Curly ("Vibrant") have any effect on the ride? I'll leave that for others to debate here on the list.
Chuck "1954 Vade Mecum Curly sans Hellenic caretaker" Schmidt South Pasadena, Southern California
.