Pipmeister
Senior Retro Guru
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Two RB members that I am aware of have tried to contact Jeff Lyndsay, with a view to gaining some insight into what happened at Altitude.
Altitude may have over committed themselves after the somewhat ambitious aims in output that was hoped for. See magazine piece below, presumably from 1996.
I haven't seen any evidence of weld failures at the Bottom Bracket, and it is common practice to build frames with an 853 Main Triangle and 725 Stays - Reynolds Decals do show this with the lettering "Heat Treated - Air Hardened - Butted Main Tubes". The (U.K. Merlin) Rock Lobster Reynolds 853 Tig Team is an example. This is quoted from a respected former member, "The tubesets are of high quality - Reynolds 853 with 725 stays, which is as good as it gets".
As far as alignment goes, we still don't know if the "Cali Stoner" welders rumour was exaggeration of the facts or indeed poetic license. Reynold 853 was new to the industry in 1996, and apparently difficult to cold set after welding. JeffB claimed that Enigma built the first all 853 Hot frames. We don't know for sure if Altitude initially attempted to make them entirely out of 853, and as a result, found that there was an alignment problem until the welding distortion could be correctly anticipated before welding.
96Altitude by Philip Mock, on Flickr
Finally, you may like to read this thread in the Bike Chat 1998 --> section, which has some interesting information. Al-onestare and I have been exchanging information regarding the move away from Altitude over to Enigma for the 1998 Hot, so there may be a piece written on that sometime.
viewtopic.php?f=41&t=394443
Pip
Two RB members that I am aware of have tried to contact Jeff Lyndsay, with a view to gaining some insight into what happened at Altitude.
Altitude may have over committed themselves after the somewhat ambitious aims in output that was hoped for. See magazine piece below, presumably from 1996.
I haven't seen any evidence of weld failures at the Bottom Bracket, and it is common practice to build frames with an 853 Main Triangle and 725 Stays - Reynolds Decals do show this with the lettering "Heat Treated - Air Hardened - Butted Main Tubes". The (U.K. Merlin) Rock Lobster Reynolds 853 Tig Team is an example. This is quoted from a respected former member, "The tubesets are of high quality - Reynolds 853 with 725 stays, which is as good as it gets".
As far as alignment goes, we still don't know if the "Cali Stoner" welders rumour was exaggeration of the facts or indeed poetic license. Reynold 853 was new to the industry in 1996, and apparently difficult to cold set after welding. JeffB claimed that Enigma built the first all 853 Hot frames. We don't know for sure if Altitude initially attempted to make them entirely out of 853, and as a result, found that there was an alignment problem until the welding distortion could be correctly anticipated before welding.
96Altitude by Philip Mock, on FlickrFinally, you may like to read this thread in the Bike Chat 1998 --> section, which has some interesting information. Al-onestare and I have been exchanging information regarding the move away from Altitude over to Enigma for the 1998 Hot, so there may be a piece written on that sometime.
viewtopic.php?f=41&t=394443
Pip
