Restoration - 1985 Guerciotti Sprint - ALL Original Campagnolo, full refinish

[ultraman6970]

Back in the day the standard of tubes was different.

Second, who knows if they actually were able to produce tubes with larger diameters. Never seen how thing the tubes are, doubt are paper thin like oversize modern stuff.

[Charles M]

Originally Posted by ultraman6970

Back in the day the standard of tubes was different.

Second, who knows if they actually were able to produce tubes with larger diameters. Never seen how thing the tubes are, doubt are paper thin like oversize modern stuff.

Remember, Back when this was happening, this was the super-new/cutting edge... Nobody had produced anything like this yet and they were still feeling their way around tube fabrication at the time.

The biggest question on everyone's minds was "How can a bike not be steel!!!???"

They didnt have the advantage of 35 years of hindsight like we do

Yes, these tubes were thicker than the Alu tubes of today, because there had to be threaded to screw into the lugs... It did make for a more flexible bike than steel.

[NHAero]

My undergrad thesis at MIT in 1974 was an aluminum bike with 1-1/2 inch diameter main tubes. It was well understood that to make a bike frame stiff strong and light with aluminum it had to use larger diameter tubing than common in steel frames.

The paper given at the 2016 Cycling History conference in New Haven on this bike and others was given by Harriet Fell, Sheldon Brown's wife (now widow) and you can find that on Sheldon's web site and on Youtube.

Originally Posted by Charles M

Remember, Back when this was happening, this was the super-new/cutting edge... Nobody had produced anything like this yet and they were still feeling their way around tube fabrication at the time.

The biggest question on everyone's minds was "How can a bike not be steel!!!???"

They didnt have the advantage of 35 years of hindsight like we do

Yes, these tubes were thicker than the Alu tubes of today, because there had to be threaded to screw into the lugs... It did make for a more flexible bike than steel.

[Velocipede]

Originally Posted by NHAero

My undergrad thesis at MIT in 1974 was an aluminum bike with 1-1/2 inch diameter main tubes. It was well understood that to make a bike frame stiff strong and light with aluminum it had to use larger diameter tubing than common in steel frames.

The paper given at the 2016 Cycling History conference in New Haven on this bike and others was given by Harriet Fell, Sheldon Brown's wife (now widow) and you can find that on Sheldon's web site and on Youtube.

Did you use Bill Shook's bike as an example? He and his bike was used in the great Klein v Cannondale lawsuit.

[binouye]

Originally Posted by dddd

I guess that you mean the cups being pressed into the frame?

I've seen enough aluminum and AlAn frames with split lug(s) and/or headtube, likely an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure.

I still remember my first ride on the red Guerciotti Sprint with the Victory-style crankarms, I crossed through a rough intersection and immediately thought that I must have had a flat tire. Nope.

About 10 years ago I picked up one of those exact same bikes - a red Guerciotti Sprint with Victory group - from a neighbor's curbside trash pile, complete with the cracked head tube. The frame is wall art now. I still have the Campy group off it, minus the 25.0 seatpost which I sold here on PL back then. I once listed the group here, had no interest, and so all the bits are still in a box on a shelf, a bit dull from age but in fine working condition otherwise. Of course, I don't have new hoods though. If somebody wants a project.......

[NHAero]

I was subpoenaed and gave a six hour videotaped deposition in that case. It took Gary over seven years to get a patent and the patent examiner kept asking, but how is this different from this bike built in 1974?

I had heard that they could subpoena my bike so I hid it in a friend's barn in VT for a year. They kept Harriet Fell's frame for years, until Sheldon called someone he knew at C'Dale and got it back.

Originally Posted by Velocipede

Did you use Bill Shook's bike as an example? He and his bike was used in the great Klein v Cannondale lawsuit.

[sg8357]

Barra Garin Aluminium Bicycle c.1941/2

I've seen one and handled one these frames, looks like a better finished
Cannondale, and it had a welded biplane crown fork. (not the one pictured)

https://vintagebicycle.wordpress.com/2011/08/12/809/

[Buzz]

Originally Posted by sg8357

Barra Garin Aluminium Bicycle c.1941/2

I've seen one and handled one these frames, looks like a better finished
Cannondale, and it had a welded biplane crown fork. (not the one pictured)

https://vintagebicycle.wordpress.com/2011/08/12/809/

That deserves a “wow.”

[NHAero]

Ditto!

Originally Posted by Buzz

That deserves a “wow.”

[Velocipede]

Originally Posted by NHAero

I was subpoenaed and gave a six hour videotaped deposition in that case. It took Gary over seven years to get a patent and the patent examiner kept asking, but how is this different from this bike built in 1974?

I had heard that they could subpoena my bike so I hid it in a friend's barn in VT for a year. They kept Harriet Fell's frame for years, until Sheldon called someone he knew at C'Dale and got it back.

I used to work for AMC so we spoke about this as well as other lawsuits and patent issues all the time. It was always fun and interesting the talks.

[sokyroadie]

Originally Posted by Charles M

For these Alan produced models (Guerciotti, Alan, Vitus, Rossin and I think a model from Japan Nagasawa?)

Don't forget Motobecane, I raced one for 3-4 years and sold it to a buddy who still rides it. I told him he needs to retire the fork.