Fixing a Victorian
- Thread starter Nabeaquam
- Start date
Nabeaquam
Retro Guru
The bike frame is very light. It’s fragile and dents easily compared with modern tubing. So, how did they make it so light. It’s seamed tubing and a honeycomb pattern was roll pressed on the sheet before it was formed into tubing around a mandrel. You can see the seam and honeycomb by shining a light down the seat tube or looking down the head tube. The embossed pattern leaves a thick / thin pattern to save weight.
Mickeyspinn
Senior Retro Guru
Wow! I didn't expect that... this just gets better and better 
Mickeyspinn
Senior Retro Guru
So dollar per lb I doubt you'll get much better now! I'm going to enjoy this project !
Nabeaquam
Retro Guru
I didn’t expect it either. One of their advisements, that has been put on line, gives the specs, including the tubing manufacturer. I forget who made the tubing. I wonder if ther is any info on the tubing factory?Wow! I didn't expect that... this just gets better and better
Mickeyspinn
Senior Retro Guru
When I saw that advert you posted on the other thread stating 22lb for an all steel bike total weight my eyes lit up.... aluminium was around then but it was twice the price of gold and more rare!
Ive been scratching my head since quite a bit too!
I've also googled that tubing with no luck either
I'd get all the other stuff on the other thread on to this one chap....this is a special bike you have.....
That tubing is very clever and wouldn't of been cheap to buy or to tool up to produce! I know bicycle's were a huge booming business back then but that tubing really is something else surely it was used in other products....part of me says aviation.....but .....the Wright brothers hadn't even got off the ground then....that was 10 years later!
Remember that bicycle technology was the bleeding edge engineering application of its day - later spawning the auto industry (and indeed aviation, the Wright Brothers were bike manufacturers).
Mickeyspinn
Senior Retro Guru
That's exactly why I suggested aviation ....if you look at the locality of where the bike was made and Wright brothers....Ohio....hmmm! If only the internet existed back then....there'd be so much info to access! Aluminium was understood and could be made but cost a fortune....daring engineers knew flight was possible but weight to power was an issue...really makes me wonder!
In my family on the French side theres links with cars planes and bikes...think it was my great grandfather who left working for de Dion bouton and started making cars.... somewhere in the family photo albums we have one picture of him standing next to a few chaps looking very pleased with themselves next to a one off vehicle outside I presume his workshop that's strewn with bikes and motorised two wheeled contraptions! Oh to be able to travel back in time!
Dion Bouton you say......
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French Barn Find - Buckets of Patina!
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