I (along with Classic Rendezvous list members)
received the following e-mail and link
from Richard Sachs. I think it is very apropos to the
discussion of "what is classic". I am attaching the
e-mail in its entirety, with permission from The Author
(that would be Richard Sachs). Maybe with a little
luck we can entice him and a few of the other
classic rendezvousers to join us here.
Marty.

If you are on this list, there is a good chance that you
appreciate fine bicycles and also appreciate quality. I
have spent most of the past year working on a project
that I am now pleased to make public.
I am introducing a new line of frame-making materials,
soon to be available to all builders, production shops,
and to folks that just want to keep them on their mantelpiece.

Please visit this link to view the first pictures of the
Richard Sachs lugs and fork crown:
http://tinyurl.com/6pga
(once there, please bookmark)

To keep step with the times, to be able to employ the
best of the steels currently available, and to be able to
build bicycle frames in the fashion that I deem best—to
do all this on my own terms and be able to share it with
likeminded frame builders, enthusiasts, and aficionados—
I have designed and produced a new set of frame lugs
and fork crown that represent a high degree of style,
precision, and elegance, sized for use with modern,
lightweight, oversized steel tubing.

The design of the lugs is an evolved version of the detail
work I did on various frames built in the 1970s and 1980s
coupled with some shapes I have explored for the last 6-7
years. In addition to being spec’d for oversized tubes, the
lower head lug has cast-in threaded bosses for modern gear
systems. The upper head lug has a built in 14mm extension
to better complement modern headset and stem dimensions.
And the seat lug is just plain b*tchin’!
The fork crown represents the first change to my flat crown
shape since 1982. I widened the centerlines by 8mm and
increased the pocket height by 6mm. The brake holes are
pre-drilled and counter-bored, while a built-in lip exists to
keep the steerer ‘in place’. Newly added contours on the
crown’s shelf will help better position the headset race. Each
pocket has a precision cast ‘well’ built in to receive decorative
reinforcements—brazed in simultaneously with the fork blade—
which will be supplied. Because the crown is hollow, these
additions & revisions will not affect the overall weight.

To borrow from the film Spinal Tap, "I hope you like my new
direction". The first pieces should be off the back of the truck
within a week or two. By that time I will have firm prices for
all those interested in making a purchase. If you have any
questions about these new pieces, please contact me.

Lastly, a word of praise and attribution: Kirk Pacenti has
been an enormous influence on me. While my lug project was
teetering along nicely in the seedling stages, it occurred to me
that I should also do the complementary fork crown. It was
fairly easy for me to communicate my needs and desires to
the casting house for the three lugs.. However, the fork crown
presented a separate challenge. I made a completed mock-up
based on my existing crown and collaborated with Kirk to
come up with a solution that would be rational and easy to
manufacture. Kirk’s ability to interpret my aesthetic and translate
it into engineering drawings made all the work involved that much
easier. He was my eyes and ears for this piece. Thank you, Kirk,
for a job well done!

That’s it for now. Thanks for reading.

e-RICHIE
Richard Sachs Cycles
No.9, North Main Street
Chester, CT 06412 USA
www.richardsachs.com