When I first started reading Bicycling magazine--about four decades ago!--Lambert of England was advertising a 24-karat gold-plated "Professional" bicycle. It went for the princely sum of $279.88.
Apart from the gold plating, this, erm, model was interesting in other ways. For one thing, it was filet-brazed: that is to say, constructed without lugs. The joints were built up with brass solder and brazed at a low temperature. While Lambert was not to employ this method of construction, it was one of the few to do so--and, apart from the Schwinn Sports Tourer (which later became the Superior), one of the few high-quality mass-production bikes to feature it.
As for the frame material--it was called "aircraft tubing" but was just straight-gauge chrome-molybdenum steel. Plenty of moderately-priced bikes have used it, but it was nothing unusual. The forks, however, were often called the "death fork", as a number of them broke.
Most of the bike's components were made in-house and patterned after other well-known parts of the time. So, for example, their centerpull brakes looked like Weinmann Vainqueurs and the cranks resembled those of TA. However, some of those parts had their own proprietary specifications. As an example, the bottom bracket--probably the worst part of the bike--had an axle that didn't taper, so the cranks had a habit of working loose and getting gouged. Also, the threadless bottom bracket assembly was held into the shell with circlips and was not interchangeable with other setups. So, when the crank (or simply the bottom bracket) had to be replaced, the frame's bottom bracket shell had to be tapped to accept standard bottom brackets.
But, oh, that gold-plated frame! At the time those Lamberts were made, the price of gold had risen from $35 to $58 per ounce. As of this writing, the going price is $1236. I wonder whether it would be possible to simply take off the gold plating and melting it down.
If I am thinking that way, I am obviously not in the market for a bicycle that was produced a few years ago. It, too, is gold-plated--not just in the frame, but on all of the major parts, including the cranks, hubs and rims. As near as I can tell, the parts are standard: the sort of stuff you'd find on fixed-gear bikes today. And the Brooks saddle and hand-sewn leather handlebar covers are the brown, just like the ones you can buy in your neighborhood shop. They sure look good with the gold frame.
But perhaps the most striking part of the bike is the headlugs. Adorned with 600 Swarovski crystals, they wrap like glittery necklaces and bracelets around the frame's headtube, top tube and down tube.
The bike, created by Aurumania, was made in very limited quantities--ten or fifty, depending on whom you believe. If the latter numer is true, then you have to buy the wall rack that goes with the bike. You're not going to prop the bike against your carved mahogany door, are you?
And let us not forget the Campagnolo gold-plated corkscrew you'll need to celebrate your new bike After all, you're not going to use something you found in Bed Bath and Beyond to pop open that bottle of Romanee-Conti Grand Cru you're going to drink in celebration, are you?
Apart from the gold plating, this, erm, model was interesting in other ways. For one thing, it was filet-brazed: that is to say, constructed without lugs. The joints were built up with brass solder and brazed at a low temperature. While Lambert was not to employ this method of construction, it was one of the few to do so--and, apart from the Schwinn Sports Tourer (which later became the Superior), one of the few high-quality mass-production bikes to feature it.
As for the frame material--it was called "aircraft tubing" but was just straight-gauge chrome-molybdenum steel. Plenty of moderately-priced bikes have used it, but it was nothing unusual. The forks, however, were often called the "death fork", as a number of them broke.
Most of the bike's components were made in-house and patterned after other well-known parts of the time. So, for example, their centerpull brakes looked like Weinmann Vainqueurs and the cranks resembled those of TA. However, some of those parts had their own proprietary specifications. As an example, the bottom bracket--probably the worst part of the bike--had an axle that didn't taper, so the cranks had a habit of working loose and getting gouged. Also, the threadless bottom bracket assembly was held into the shell with circlips and was not interchangeable with other setups. So, when the crank (or simply the bottom bracket) had to be replaced, the frame's bottom bracket shell had to be tapped to accept standard bottom brackets.
But, oh, that gold-plated frame! At the time those Lamberts were made, the price of gold had risen from $35 to $58 per ounce. As of this writing, the going price is $1236. I wonder whether it would be possible to simply take off the gold plating and melting it down.
If I am thinking that way, I am obviously not in the market for a bicycle that was produced a few years ago. It, too, is gold-plated--not just in the frame, but on all of the major parts, including the cranks, hubs and rims. As near as I can tell, the parts are standard: the sort of stuff you'd find on fixed-gear bikes today. And the Brooks saddle and hand-sewn leather handlebar covers are the brown, just like the ones you can buy in your neighborhood shop. They sure look good with the gold frame.
But perhaps the most striking part of the bike is the headlugs. Adorned with 600 Swarovski crystals, they wrap like glittery necklaces and bracelets around the frame's headtube, top tube and down tube.
The bike, created by Aurumania, was made in very limited quantities--ten or fifty, depending on whom you believe. If the latter numer is true, then you have to buy the wall rack that goes with the bike. You're not going to prop the bike against your carved mahogany door, are you?
And let us not forget the Campagnolo gold-plated corkscrew you'll need to celebrate your new bike After all, you're not going to use something you found in Bed Bath and Beyond to pop open that bottle of Romanee-Conti Grand Cru you're going to drink in celebration, are you?
