Re: [CR] Unknown KOF's

(Example: Production Builders:Cinelli:Laser)

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 20:52:01 -0600
From: "John Thompson" <JohnThompson@new.rr.com>
Organization: The Crimson Permanent Assurance
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR] Unknown KOF's
References: <013020062025.20511.43DE76320002F5170000501F2205886442CE0D909F09@comcast.net>
In-Reply-To: <013020062025.20511.43DE76320002F5170000501F2205886442CE0D909F09@comcast.net>


gpvb1@comcast.net wrote:
> I think there have been far more people than any one individual is
> aware of (that transitioned from being a brazer at a large bicycle
> company somewhere in the World, to becoming an independent
> framebuilder). Mike Appel comes immediately to mind - he is on the
> back of the original Trek brochure, then later went out on his own as
> a frame builder. Nearly thirty years after that, he is now back at
> Trek, interestingly enough, but not doing any brazing.

I suspect that's because Trek no longer offers a brazed steel frame. :-(
> Also, there were two definite sets of requirements to become 753
> certified. Early on, you had to submit an entire frame that was then
> destructively tested. Since that was rather costly for the applicant,
> Reynolds realized that a more relaxed set of requirements would be
> needed.

When I did it at Trek, we just submitted samples of joints brazed from 753 (I recall doing a head lug and bottom bracket) and those, rather than a complete frame, were destructively tested.

You could at the time write to Sturmey-Archer in Chicago (they were the Reynolds importer) for a 753 certification kit, which consisted of a few tube pieces and lugs to be returned to testing. IIRC, it was about $100 for the kit, which included the cost of the testing.

--
John (john@os2.dhs.org)
Appleton WI USA