[CR]Raking "old" Continental Oval

(Example: History:Ted Ernst)

Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:27:10 -0700 (PDT)
From: "EPL" <lowiemanuel@yahoo.ca>
To: "classicrendezvous@bikelist.org" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR]Raking &quot;old&quot; Continental Oval

Question mostly for frame builders or owners of old British frames.

In looking at 531 frames with &quot;old&quot; Continental Oval fork blades (i.e. before Reynolds offered blades profiled more like Columbis blades), I note that the rake bend is mostly low on the blade, with much of the upper blade straight.

With the later New Continental profile (like Columbus), rake bends may start much higher, even more than halfway up. Best proponent of this gentle gradual bend is Ron Cooper, IMHO.

Is this change in style a simple function of taste, or was the old oval blade profile hard to bend higher up vs. the more slender Columbus-type oval profile?

Some numbers:

&quot;old&quot; Continental blades = 28.5 x 16.5 or 29 x 16 oval New Continental blades = 27.5 x 20 oval

Why care? Because both fork blade profiles are still offered by Reynolds, so KOF details...

Emanuel Lowi (who thinks fork blade raking is way kewl) Montreal, Quebec

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