BalkanExpress
Legendary Member
- Location
- Brussels
Thanks, for posting the whole thing. I'm much more interested in the furniture than the frame
As seen on a Facebook art deco group
- Thread starter stephec
- Start date
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Hover Fly
Lazy so and so
- Location
- Besides the lake, beneath the trees
The “curly“ stays were intended to spring the rear wheel down and keep it it contact with the road, saving the minor loss of traction over bumps. Originally they were only intended for racing.
My father had one for a short while, just after the war, he didn’t pay full price and was glad he didn’t, he said the stays were whippy and the extra forces involved often broke the seat tube just above the bracket (Hetchins were one of the few builders Reynolds released the lightest gauges of 531 to.) He sold it after a few months and bought a far more sensible bike. He also said the stays making the builder recognisable is largely a recent myth, cyclists in those days, on the whole, being far less concerned with the maker’s name.
My father had one for a short while, just after the war, he didn’t pay full price and was glad he didn’t, he said the stays were whippy and the extra forces involved often broke the seat tube just above the bracket (Hetchins were one of the few builders Reynolds released the lightest gauges of 531 to.) He sold it after a few months and bought a far more sensible bike. He also said the stays making the builder recognisable is largely a recent myth, cyclists in those days, on the whole, being far less concerned with the maker’s name.
Ian H
Ancient randonneur
It's a track bike, despite the owner's description.
Curleys were built by various people and seem to have varied a lot. A friend had one which he said was a real pig to ride. Others I know have really liked theirs.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Hyman Hetchin himself stated it in the 50's, and his son Alf on many, many occasions since then. Some where or other I still have an issue of New Cyclist with an article about Hetchin's and an interview with Alf, and he too states it was done solely for easy recognition. He also has a good laugh at some of the other conspiracy theories dreamed up to account for the design, including minimising crash damage, damping vibration and traction. IIRC he said the vibrant triange was patented by Jack Denny for damping purposes, but Hetchin himself adopted it solely formits visual properties.
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Hover Fly
Lazy so and so
- Location
- Besides the lake, beneath the trees
Just shows (some) cyclists were as gullible then as they are now.
