Andre Jute wrote:

Jimbo said of Klein that "they not only figured out the torsional
stiffness thing, but actually acted on it. *they deserve medals for
that."

Can you give us some references, preferably with pics, and maybe you
want to spin out a short par so we know to look for precisely what
you're referring to.

Gary Klein is often credited as being the first to offer a commercial
big-tube aluminum bike. As far as I can tell, Harlan Meyers of Hi-E
beat him to it by a span of years, having brought his frame to market
in 1972, a year before Klein claims to have conceived the idea while
in college.

http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/v/...geViewsIndex=1

Fat tubes are torsionally much stiffer than skinny ones. This
accounts for the relative lack of BB sway in fat-tubed aluminum frames
versus traditional steel ones. The problem "jim beam" has is in
believing it matters that much. If one prefers the feel of a
torsionally stiff frame, a very fat-tubed and not-too-light aluminum
frame may be the most cost- and weight-effective way to attain that
end. But many of us either don't care or prefer more springiness in
our frames.

Having become infatuated at one time with the superior stiffness of
big-tube aluminum frames, I now feel more or less agnostic on the
matter. I believe that there is far more difference and more benefit
in a stiff crank and BB spindle, since using these has made various
otherwise inadequate skinny-tubed steel bike frames more than
acceptable for my own use.

Chalo