Re: [CR]Pic of the Day - Innovations That Changed the Tour de France

(Example: Framebuilding:Restoration)

Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2007 20:54:20 -0400
To: CR RENDEZVOUS <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
From: "John Betmanis" <johnb@oxford.net>
Subject: Re: [CR]Pic of the Day - Innovations That Changed the Tour de France
In-Reply-To: <CFAA9F99-DC1C-44AF-BD2B-7B747B9A454F@earthlink.net>
References: <001701c7cc64$c9f793b0$ca15fbd1@Newhouse> <0412d08347ad79e6cc221e5f6ae72aa8@comcast.net>


At 11:01 AM 22/07/2007 -0700, Chuck Schmidt wrote:
>> http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/aldoross/pd/Leducqetatl.JPG.html
>In the photo it looks like tiny Benoit has been put at a real
>disadvantage with his standard issue "l'Auto" bike as to bike fit.
>Almost looks painful in the photo.

Actually, back in the fifties (don't know about the thirties!) people rode frames a lot larger than in the last 30 years. I ride a 21" frame, but when I was maybe 13 or 14, my first "good" bike was 22" because I hoped to "grow into it" and didn't expect to be able to buy another bike for many years. The term "stand-over height" had not been invented. You never saw more than 2" or 3" of exposed seatpost and when we saw somebody with 12" or more of seatpost showing, we concluded they had grown out of it, but couldn't afford a new one. At least that's how I saw it back then.

John Betmanis
Woodstock, Ontario
Canada