cl?rk, w?s, et al.

i understand the economics and marketing of this, but i just
can't subscribe to it and can't understand why anyone on "this"
list would justify it; that's why i used the word "concede" in my
original post.

using this logic, it's easy to understand why everyone in the US
wants an OCLV in late july after Lance does his thing, and all the
young Italians scoop up Cad 7s after Simoni wins a Giro D'Italia.
yada,yada,yada...

we all know this too be true: the public perceives these factory made
products as high-tech, etcetera and they juxtapose this against the
typical offerings from the the corner framebuilder.
to dovetail this off of zanc's recent query about "selling", i think it
shows a lack of confidence to make a frame and then add the fork
as though it were an accessory. yes - i know that this is what the
era dictates, but so what!

regarding the weight issues: my steel forks are 660grams before
paint and before the threadless steerer is trimmed. they'd be less,
i guess, without the canti studs! my racing and building experience
tells me these are light - and light enough. mine are curved, but the
material i use can build up a straight fork too, if that's the issue
here.

to take these and likeminded issues to their exponential end, the day
may soon come when we framebuilders are debating the merits of
our products - which will all be made FOR US rather than BY US.
the resources exist. the so-called european builders that had reknown
in the 70s & 80s are now major consumers and branders of factory
frames sourced from asia. these guys all once built their own forks.

NOTE:
i am NOT blasphemin' the commercial possibilities of selling the item
that the public craves. but to endorse this on a framebuilder list -
that's the part that i find hard to comprehend.

e-RICHIE