While we're taking names let's not forget Hi-E Harlan Meyers and his Cosmopolitan frame made from rolled and riveted sheets of aluminum. I know he also built everything for his wheels, pedals, seatposts, bars, and stems. Did he build anything else for bikes? best, Brandon"monkeyman"Ives Vancouver, B.C.
On Jan 18, 2007, at 11:38 AM, Tom Sanders wrote:
> It seems a slippery slope to use the term Constructeur as anything
> but a
> descriptive term...it just does not seem to work well to define
> narrowly any
> group of builders or exclude others. Mike Barry, Brian Baylis,
> Peter Weigle
> and Bruce Gordon all make extra parts ...are they Constructeurs or
> bike
> builders who make some extra parts? Which parts would qualify one
> as one or
> the other? Art Stump and George Omelenchuck made parts that Singer
> and Herse
> did not, I believe. Stump and Omelenchuck probably lacked the time
> to build
> very many bikes this way...Art once told me he had build 18 and I
> only know
> of three or four Omelenchucks...If he made a dozen bikes I'd be
> amazed.
> More like machinists who built bikes. I think they are not
> different, only
> have different talents and interests...and that semi-wonderful French
> terminology. In the end they are all bike builders and we get to
> slipping,
> once again, into such discussions as how many angels can dance on
> the head
> of a Campagnolo drop out screw...you can tell it's winter and folks
> are
> spending a lot of time at their computers... :^)
> Tom Sanders
> Lansing, Mi (4 degrees here last night) USA