Re: [CR]Card suite cutouts in fork reinforcements (Ed Granger)

(Example: Component Manufacturers:Campagnolo)

From: <"brianbaylis@juno.com">
Date: Sat, 29 Oct 2005 04:33:13 GMT
To: EdVintage63@aol.com
Subject: Re: [CR]Card suite cutouts in fork reinforcements (Ed Granger)
cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

Ed and all,

Regarding the card suit cutouts, There is in fact a commonly available s tamped fork tang with the designs we speak of. I've seen them on many di fferent bikes for a long period of years. I use the same ones everyone e lse does, but like Ed mentioned, I reshape the designs and refine them. I haven't seen anyone else do that. It's one of hundreds of subtle refin ements and differences I put into my work. It's those small things that add up to lots of extra time in a custom frame. It's exactly those thing s that impart "MOJO" to a frame and what seperates it from many other bi kes. I'm currently working on an article on exactly this topic for a pop ular vintage oriented magazine. Stay tuned for the appearance of this pi ece. I will explain in depth about both lug cutouts and lug filing, as s equal to the Peter Weigle piece just published.

I have been doing the heart, spade, club, diamond motif for many years o n my frames. All of the cutouts that appear on my lugs and other places, except for the modified stamped tangs, are cut by hand. It is difficult and demanding work. Placement, perportion, and design are all important factors when doing cutouts. I just spent a full 8 hours over a period o f a week on a single set of card suits cut into a special fork tang I'm working on. Photos will appear in the article most likely; but to see th e full effect and appreciate the complete bike and harmony of the concep t, one will have to attend either the NAHBS show is March or the Cirque in June.

While I'm at it, I'd like to mention that I have officially thrown my ha t into the ring. I sort of announced this before, but here it is officia lly. My primary works in framebuilding will be randonneur and constructu er bicycles from now on. Fixed gear road bikes will probably make up mos t of the rest of what I will be building in the future. Of course, tradi tional road bikes and track bikes will always be available; but my heart in in randonneur bikes from this point forward. Prepare to be dazzled! I don't mess around. Expect some innovative designs and some reintroduct ion of classic French treatments in a way I'm sure you've never seen bef ore. The Japanese builders have always made fine bikes and reproductions of classic bikes and parts; but I promise you that the high end America n version will set a new standard for the pinnicle of randonneur bicycle s.

Big talk? We'll just have to wait and see. If you miss these shows and y ou're interested in super randonneur bikes, you'll hate yourself for the rest of your life.

Brian Baylis La Mesa, CA Talk is cheap! Put your bikes where your mouth is!


-- EdVintage63@aol.com wrote:


In a message dated 10/28/2005 9:43:21 PM Eastern Standard Time,

classicrendezvous-request@bikelist.org writes:


> Sachs has used all four suits on his fork reinforcements, "cause the
> supplier had plenty of them"... if I remember correctly. So has Brian Baylis,
> although he probably cut out his own vs. a buyout.
>
> top of the memory has run dry.
>
> John Jorgensen
> Torrance Ca
>

I believe these were actually commonly available - my Serotta has them. The

key is how well they're finished/shaped, a la Brian B.

Ed Granger
Lancaster, PA, USA