[CR]Was MacleanID and 531 tube-weight..now In.Tutto

(Example: Component Manufacturers:Chater-Lea)

From: "Norris Lockley" <norris@norrislockley.wanadoo.co.uk>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Sat, 17 Jun 2006 01:07:02 +0100
Subject: [CR]Was MacleanID and 531 tube-weight..now In.Tutto

Having just reread Peter Brown's contri..and the parts of my earlier contris about his Maclean, I think that I ought to apologize to the readers on this List, for the combination of my appalling spelling mistakes which, coupled with dreadful typewriting, made for a pretty grim spectacle. I am happy that it was the latter that made the former appear worse than it usually is.

Reading about Arthur Staff's diary of his meanderings around the London bike shops, makes me wonder whether our paths must have crossed more than a couple of times. If he had visited Fonteyns at Percy Street, just off Tottenham Court Road, to look at their "Fontalloy" frames ( I'd heard that that were built by Barra), Arthur would probably have visited GA's not too far away. There must have been at least fifty lightweight shops in and around London in those days..it was a tremendous place to visit..and such a variety of products, particularly when compared with the present-day's one-type-fits-all philosophy.

Arthur was quite correct in his jottings and the "In.Tutto" does have some relevance. It was the top of the range frame built by Bondun's Lightweights, of 12 Kingsbury Parade, NW9...Arthur had just abbreviated the real model name "Innanzo Tutto." I only ever saw a couple of these but remember them as being very impressive..and different from the bunch, so to speak. Mark Stevens, a List member, hoped to get his hands on one a couple of years ago, and raised a query about the name on the List at the time..to which someone, well versed in Italian, gave a meaningful interpretation. Clearly Bondun beat Hyman Hetchins to the Italian phrase-book.

In the light of the current debate about the respective qualities of various oversized tubes, it is interesting to read the gauges of the tubes that Bill Hurlow chose when building the T-T frame now in Peter's ownership. The top tube with its 22/24 gauges is very light..and it would again be interesting to know if the frame has a 1.1/8" top tube and whether the frame is lugged or lugless.

Over to you Peter

Norris Lockley..Settle UK