Re: [CR] Frejus now Falck

Chas,

I would hardly say your message was as clear as mud. In fact, I really appreciated it. It happens that in the 1950s and '60s, the Italians were not subject to "tubing sticker envy" the way the rest of us were.

Your thoughts about your '81 Bianchi make perfect sense. I have similar questions about my 1969 Atala http://www.flickr.com/photos/fred_rednor/sets/72157601500213679 which has a rifled Columbus steering tube but no other Columbus markings. It could be Columbus SP or it could be something like Falck. Anyway, it's quite light for the era, rides well enough - and that's what the builders wanted us to care about.

BTW, about your comment on "all Reynolds" French bikes with gas-pipe steering tubes... I have one. It's pretty funny in a way. Even the fork blades are obviously Reynolds, because you can see the markings through the chrome plating. But the steerer is clearly less noble material.

Cheers Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)

> From: verktyg <verktyg@aol.com>
> Subject: Re: [CR] Frejus now Falck
> To: "Fred Rednor" <fred_rednor@yahoo.com>, Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Date: Thursday, November 26, 2009, 4:10 PM
> Fred,
>
> A riffled steering tube is more expensive to manufacture
> than a standard butted steerer.
>
> Steering tubes were one of the places where many European
> bike manufacturers cut corners. Motobecane and Peugeot were
> notorious for making steering tubes from a piece of seamed
> plain gage pipe with a split sleeve brazed into the bottom
> in the fork crown area. I've seen forks made this way even
> on some "all Reynolds" frames.
>
> I always assumed that riffled steerers were a Columbus
> exclusive during the classic era. When I see a fork with one
> of these steerers I assume that the whole thing is made of
> Columbus tubing.
>
> It's possible that Falck and others made riffled steerers
> in those days too but I seem to remember that Columbus had a
> patent on it.
>
> Campagnolo used to sell steering tubes. I was under the
> impression that they were made by Columbus.
>
>
> I've been curious about Falck tubing for many years.
> Finding good technical information has been difficult and
> much of what's out there is conflicting.
>
> Here's an example from Bike Forums:
> http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?371230-Falck-tubing
>
>
> We sold Legnano and Frejus bikes during the Bike Boom. The
> supposedly better models had Reynolds 531 decals on the top
> tubes but I recall seeing a few mid range bikes with
> Reynolds decals. We were told that the frames without the
> Reynolds decals were made of Falck tubing. I remember
> several "all Campy" (except for Universal 61 brakes) bikes
> that were probably made of Falck tubing.
>
> Similarly equipped Falck and Reynolds frame Frejus and
> Legnano bikes weighed and rode the same.
>
> I've only seen one bike "in the steel" with a Falck tubing
> decal. It was  an all original mid 60s Campy equipped
> Legnano on consignment at VeloSport in Berkeley, CA. Too bad
> it was too big for me.
>
>
> I saw an old frame that was stripped for painting that had
> Libellula (dragonfly) logos stamped into all of the tubes.
> The stamping was deep enough to show through most paint
> jobs.
>
> There was some historical info on Libellula on the web but
> I can't find it anymore.
>
>
> I have a a 1981 Bianchi Campione Del Mondo with a Columbus
> "TreTubi" (3 main tubes) decal on the down tube. I've read
> reliable information that the main tubes are Columbus SL and
> rest is Falck tubing.
>
> This bike is a real bastardo! Bianchi put it together with
> a mixture of Campy Grand Sport, Nuovo Record and Super
> Record components so it would stand to reason that frame
> would follow suite. It sure does ride and handle nice
> though!
>
> Clear as mud, eh?
>
> Chas. Colerich
> Oakland, CA USA
>
>
> Fred Rednor wrote:
> >> I misspelled Falck and then found this great
> writeup. Also
> >> libellula apparently. And is there a connection to
> Falck?
> >> http://italiancyclingjournal.blogspot.com/2007/12/falck-steel-other-italian-steel.html
> >
> > By the way, my _guess_ is that many of those Atala
> frames that are very light, yet bear no tubing sticker, were
> made from Falck tubing.
> >
> > The question I have is whether Falck made special
> steering tubes, similar to the ones made by Columbus? 
> Or might a manufacturer have used Falck frame tubing and a
> Columbus steering tube?  And what about those Columbus
> "Tre Tubi" frames?  Would those have used Falck
> seatstays, chainstays, steering and head tubes, to go along
> with the 3 Columbus main tubes?
> >
> > Ciao
> > Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)