There were also Japanese midlevel production bikes with unified headtubes and lugs in the mid-seventies. Some were graced with "Guaranteed World Finest Bicycle Precision Mechanism" decals. C. Itoh, I recall? They were far from pretty, but at least the frames were straight. That was an improvement over the equivalent Raleighs of the time. Kevin Montgomery San Diego, California USA
From: Marcus Coles <marcoles@ody.ca> Subject: Re: [CR] Inventment cast one piece headtube and lugs To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Date: Monday, January 24, 2011, 6:04 PM
On 24/01/11 05:37 PM, jim sikking wrote:
> All,
> I recently acquired a 22.5" 1982 Trek 613 and when inspecting the headset was surprised to see an arraignment similar to a bottom bracket lug. I can see it as a time saver, no mitering required! Did this become popular with frame manufacturers or just a Trek thing? I've never cut up a production frame, but now I wonder in general how much precise mitering was done, even on frames with all real lugs.
>
It wasn't just a Trek thing, I have a couple of Jim Miele "Bianchi" bikes from around the same time frame with one piece head tubes with false lugs. I believe these bikes were sourced in Japan.
One of the bikes is in pieces, so if anybody is interested I can dig my way down to the cellar and attempt to snap some fuzzy pictures of the interior and exterior of the head tube.
Marcus Coles
London, Ontario, Canada.