Originally Posted by
Chombi1
Never did understand why they "collared down" the down tube. Was it just to accommodate existing derailleur lever clamps and cable stops??
Not the wisest engineering solution, with the resulting compromise in frame stiffness and aesthetics....
Teledyne could have just made up custom clamps to adapt such components on to the frame..
Yes, to fit the standard clampings, same reason the seat tube was standard diameter, not oversized as they knew it should have been.
Remember these were sold as frame sets, you or the selling shop built them up.
The advertising imagery showed Shimano fitted. Shimano did tool up for the oversized top tube cable clamps, sold Teledyne headsets and seat binder bolts.
If they had thought just a bit ahead to under the BB cable routing and been willing to attach Campagnolo style down tube cable bosses...
And figured out waterbottle attachment points... maybe a seat binding collar in aluminum instead of that minute welding, save that effort for the shifter bosses.
The collared down forming was impressive from a technical viewpoint- so was the fork curve. big beefy fork blades at the crown.
I had watched the prior construction of the Ti-22 Can Am car, so had listened intently to the designer and fabricators of that race car... I really felt ti was a potentially terrific frame material, but it guided one to design in a different way, exploit the material not kill it.