<------ Bicycling Magazine 05-1977 ------> 21 American Frame Builders
Date: 07/09/2009
Views: 852
Frameset - 15
TYPE:
10/12 speed - "lightweight" road / race type - 1977 model Graftek G-1 - serial number I-262 ... [In development and testing throughout 1975 and then used exclusively by the Cool Gear / Exxon team during the 1976 racing season, at the time of its initial public sales offering in the Spring of 1977, the M.S.R.P. for a basic Graftek G-1 frameset including front fork and both a standard Campagnolo Record headset and customized Campagnolo Record seat post was $725 USD, or in other words, approximately $2550 USD in 2008 dollars when cost adjusted for inflation. And while this may have been the most common configuration in which well heeled aspiring racers purchased these bikes, a complete Campagnolo Record equipped Graftek G-1 could be had for the sum of $1275 USD (...i.e. roughly $4480 in 2008 dollars) with other examples having particularly exotic kit costing yet considerably more. For purposes of perspective and comparison, in 1977 you could also purchase a serious and complete entry level racer in the form of a Stronglight, Maillard, Simplex, and MAFAC equipped Peugeot PX10/LE similar to Thevenet’s TdF winning PY-10/CP for $385 USD, a pedigreed Mondia Special fitted with a full complement of Campagnolo Record components excepting its Universal brakes for $660 USD, or the Ilkeston works very latest and most advanced offering comprised of a super thin walled steel alloy, the race ready to build Raleigh Team 753 frameset and fork with Edco headset for a mere $475 USD.]
SIZE:
60 cm : 23.625 inches or 600 mm (physical seat tube C-t-T) - 22.62 inches or 575 mm (physical top tube C-t-C) - 16.00 inches or 406 mm (chainstay) - 39.50 inches or 100.33 cm (wheelbase) - 10.875 inches or 276 mm (bottom bracket height) - 2.70 inches or 68.50 mm (bottom bracket drop) - 33.50 inches (standover height with 700c wheelset) - xx mm (trail) - 40 degree (fork rake) - 74 degree (head tube angle) - 74 degree (seat tube angle)
COLOR:
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BADGING:
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FRAME:
[MORE WORDS TO WRITE - Three main tubes and rear stays of aluminum wrapped with carbon fiber. Joined by with epoxy resin with investment cast stainless steel lugs with adjustable dropout. Fork is Reynolds 531 double butted steel with Campagnolo fork tips and Haden Europa fork crown.]
FORK:
Columbus SL butted 4130 Cro-Moly steel fork blades / Columbus Cro-Moly steel steer tube (...oval "dove" logo etched into the face of the steer tube toward its bottom) - 1" (25.4 mm) x 24 TPI Italian threaded steer tube - exposed chrome plating on entire length of forks - Haden Europa chrome plated semi sloping investment cast fork crown - chrome plated Campagnolo model 1010/A forged dropouts without rack eyelets - 100 mm dropout spacing ... [Correct and original. MORE WORDS TO WRITE]