> On Aug 21, 10:59 am, JoelMatthews <[email protected]> wrote: >> I could not find it, but recall in another string on this that the >> Taiwan factory uses a machine to bend the forks where Toyo and others >> bend by hand.
On Fri, Aug 21, 2009 at 10:21 AM, R Gonet<[email protected]> wrote: > > I don't know why that would make a difference, if the tubing is being > bent around the same shaped form in both cases. But if that is the > difference, why can't the Taiwanese bend by hand, if that is what is > required to meet RBW specs? It can't add that much more to the cost > of manufacture. IIRC, to achieve the desired Rivendell fork bend (the home run, as in the Bleriot article), the builder has to not only bend the fork correctly, but also cut off the straight bit at the end. This is what achieves the continuous curve through the dropout; otherwise, there's that last couple of cm of straight fork blade that fit into the bending jig. I'd have to look at one of the Taiwan-built bikes again to be sure, but i don't think any of those have that particular detail of the fork curve as do the Toyo, Waterford, customs, etc. do. There are further detail difference in the dropout joinery for the customs, but i can completely understand how this particular curve detail would get dropped for production frames, given the extra steps involved. To me, this is one of those semi-precious things that would make the BOB list howl and lead to endless discussions on tig-welded alternatives, but it also typifies the sort of thought that goes into the Riv designs and makes them special. -- Bill Connell St. Paul, MN --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
