Where shall I begin?
First I would like to thank Richard Sachs for his continued encouragement to have me post here. The V'Salon has, over the years, grown to be interesting and informative.
I have created an entirely new, synergistic steel frame. This is not just another retro road bike. I have designed every tube, lug, and braze on through a process that has completely re-imagined what a steel bike might be based of my last 40 years of design work. It’s a bike that carries all the inherent ride qualities of modern steel coupled with the type of modern technological advances that push it into a new category. From the alloys and design of the lugs, BB shell, fork crown, dropouts, bridges, and braze-on bits integrating with the tube material, tube wall thickness and braze alloy used, to the shape and design of the tubes, every detail has been optimized to function with the design's conceptual intention. This process began nearly three years ago and has consumed more than a few hours of work.
I believe this is an important landmark in the development of the bicycle frame in that it may be the last chance for a complete re-thinking of the ferrous based frame. With carbon now dominating the performance market, what company is going to invest what it takes to do all this work in one shot and how many companies still have a capable designer on staff who is experienced in steel? Developing this was an eye opener in that regard. So few folks are left who really get this work and we had to push both tube and lug makers hard to get this done.
I would say that the design is fairly conservative in that I have changed some parameters, to increase increase stiffness for example, without adding weight (decreasing weight where available) or sacrificing durability, instead of trying for an all-out effort to eliminate weight. Test results have shown an extremely durable structure.
I will attempt, as a first time posting, some photos that should show some of the more visibly interesting details.
Specialized will use this design to celebrate their 40th anniversary. They state "It’s the culmination of 40 years of bike building filtered down into the very best steel bike we’ve ever made. In a special nod to where it all began, the 40th Anniversary Allez frame is being built in the very factory that was responsible for the first Specialized Stumpjumper".
As I will again attend the Bicycle Art Meets Form/ USAC Men’s and Women’s National Professional Criterium Championships please do not expect a prompt response from me.
dubdubdub.bicycle-artform.org/
Thanks
Mark DiNucci
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