The Corvair of "10 speed bikes"... Unsafe at any speed!

During the bike boom the buzz word was: "10 Speed Racing Bike". Anything with 2 wheels got derailleurs thrown on it!

Many bikes like the one in question were "resistance" welded; a form of electro-arc welding where the mitered tubes were pressed together and an electrical charge was sent through them causing enough heat to melt the contact points and fuse the tubes together. Sort of like spot welding but very poorly designed and executed. There was little or no weld penetration and no fillet buildup. It wasn't uncommon for the whole head tube to break away from the frame (riding over curbs and so on).

In the US at that time, bikes were still viewed as "kid's toys". That was one reason some of the stupidest requirements were written into the CPSC regulations (US Consumer Protection Safety Commission). For example, a 3" diameter cylinder had to roll over every surface of a bike and not get caught on anything. That's why Campy had to change a number of their components including the quick releases on brakes and hubs!

verktyg

Chas.