Re: [CR]Was: Baylis' frame. Now: Bruce Gordon's Ti bike.

(Example: Framebuilders:Jack Taylor)

In-Reply-To: <8CAFD09F283AAC3-1B2C-9F8@FWM-M38.sysops.aol.com>
References: <8CAFD09F283AAC3-1B2C-9F8@FWM-M38.sysops.aol.com>
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:55:38 -0700
To: Dale Brown <oroboyz@aol.com>
From: "Jan Heine" <heine94@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [CR]Was: Baylis' frame. Now: Bruce Gordon's Ti bike.
cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

>Lugs, ti, decidedly vintage appeal, a true Neo-Classic!?

If we accept Alans with aluminum tubes glued into aluminum lugs on CR, then we probably should accept Bruce Gordon's bike with titanium tubes glued into titanium lugs.
>this approach to titanium construction was so unique and clever,

There have been other glued titanium bikes, but most used carbon tubes.
>Then there was the 'how-did-he-do-it' stem,

You know how he did it, don't you? He used a standard quill stem with a step-down design. Tightening the quill pre-loaded the Aheadset. Obviously, it will take a few trials to get the headset pre-load right... When I asked him whether I had guessed it correctly, he said "Of course, how else would you do it?"

I'd consider the bike art, rather than a truly practical machine. Bruce's bikes always are a highlight of the shows. We featured the "lugged" titanium bike in the Bicycle Quarterly show report, and divulged its "secrets." Aside from his bikes, Bruce himself also is a highlight of the show!

For me, the best of show was Bilenky's 650B Allroad bike. That one was truly classic, down to the components.

Jan Heine
Editor
Bicycle Quarterly
140 Lakeside Ave #C
Seattle WA 98122
http://www.bikequarterly.com