Ike was one of a number of small production Chicago area frame builders in the 1970's who generally produced very nice frames. Ike took a lot of time on the thinning and finishing of the lugs and his frames were very elegant as well as very well built. However, there were failure problems with the early frames at the chainstays where they were pierced by the bridge and he subsequently abdicated that practice. Other local builders of note included Bob Myers, Bob Hodge and most definitely Ron Boi who built for a long time and provided frames for several very successful racers. Ron was not a proponent of a lot of lug thinning as he believed this potentially jeopardized the integrity of the frames so his frames were perhaps not as elegant as some but they were aesthetically nicely executed nonetheless and were technically very well built and reliable. There were a number of American "unsung hero" frame builders who through lack of marketing and/or small numbers of frames produced are virtually unknown today. I'm sure the same is true for some high quality U.K. and Italian frame builders. I have come across several beautiful frames from makers who are not yet represented on the CR site. Hopefully some of the list members who are more knowledgeable than I can fill in the blanks for the rest of us. Edward Robert Brooks Managing Director Edward Roberts International Auctioneers of the Fine and Rare 1262 West Winwood Drive Lake Forest, Illinois 60045 Phone- 847.295.8696 Facsimile- 847.295.8697 Email- ebrooks@eriwine.com Website- http://www.eriwine.com -----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of marcus.e.helman@gm.com Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2005 8:01 AM To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: [CR]Was: Holy mackerel, 77 Masi Prestige Fiera, Now: holes in csbridge
John Jorgenson wrote about seeing a frame with a hole running through the chainstay bridge. Dwight (Ike) Safter, who built frames at Turin Bicycle Co-op in Chicago in the 1970's made them like that. Local legend was that he been taught by Albert Eisentraut. The frames did look cool with a contrasting color inside the tube. Later I heard that a fair number had cracked at the bridge. I wonder how many frames he made. Has anybody heard of Safter frames?
Marcus Helman Huntington Woods, MI
Chuck & All
Falerio's signature was on the frames when slotted chainstays first appeared on a Masi. With show bike frequency I think and different in execution.
Regarding the structural integrity, there was an American builder who's name escapes me, building in the 70's, that fabricated the chainstay bridge as a section of tube that pierced both stays and terminated at the outside. One could see through the bridge. Was for additional stiffness the owner told us, a few months later He was by the shop with the bare frame seeking a frame repair at the cracked stay radiating from the piercing tube. Probably too big a hole in that case, and easier to prototype than do a structural analysis. Perhaps the price of advancement, or attempt to.
Regarding the Masi twin plate crown, I like them for their additional fore & aft compliance, they are softer in ride, as long as the harmonic is not sympathetic,
John Jorgensen
Palos Verdes Ca