Richard Sachs Cycles

RICHARD SACHS CYCLES
No. 9, North Main Street
Chester, CT 06412 USA


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Double Duty On Dual Richard Sachs
by Ed Arnet

The following article was originally written for Road Bike Action, and appeared in May, 1995. All references should be kept in that context.

After spending thousands of dollars buying CDs & converting your system to laser, weren't you shocked to discover that vinyl still produces better sound quality? The old ways are still the best. That's a weird introduction to Richard Sachs, but it's apropos...

Remember the time you were over at some buddy's house and listened to fresh vinyl on his quality sound system? Remember the sharp highs...crushing bass...and fine resolution? Wasn't that sound bouncing around in your head the entire way back home? Once there, didn't you head straight to the entertainment center and compare the sound of your equipment by cranking The Downward Spiral on the new $3000 CD system you pieced together at Circuit City last year? Okay, so the CD sound was at least similar to vinyl...instant selection changes are only a push of the remote away...CDs don't scratch...no snap, crackle, pop...and they are easier to store. Unfortunately, the truth remains painfully clear: The sound is only "close"—and close only counts when throwing hand grenades at slow-dancing horseshoe players.

RICHARD SACHS THROWS DOWN VINYL

It's obvious that Connecticut's Richard Sachs (not to be confused with Sachs components) doesn't abide by the "as the world goes down the information superhighway, so does the record industry" doctrine. Sachs believes that good steel and solid engineering (and some good diamond) are all it takes to build a bicycle that is sharper, clearer, and finer than any mix of plastic, carbon, matrix, or exotic metal. After all, how many years have they been perfecting the classic steel frame?

REMEMBERING THE WAY IT WAS

We'll give the keyboard over to 41-year-old Richard Sachs for this one: "I was your basic boarding-school weird kid before I got my first bike back in '68 or '69 [at the age of 15 or 16]. I was totally infatuated with the sport of cycling, and soon it became a passion, which I simply pursued. At that time, competitive bikes were true works of art, and I saw them as objects of beauty. I wanted to learn how to build beautiful bikes like that myself, so 25 years ago I took all the money I had, went to southeast England and worked at Witcomb Cycles [not to be confused with namesake Witcomb U.S.A. in America] for free. As long as I learned how to build frames, I didn't ask for pay or even expect it.

"One of the more influential people who helped steer me in the right direction was Fred Kuhn who ran a pro shop in Princeton, New Jersey. Fred is a mentor to dozens of people. The sport was different back then, and it makes me sentimental [Richard is momentarily interrupted by a fire siren asking for volunteers out of the 2000 Chester, Connecticut, residents to help quench a local fire, which, thankfully, wasn't in Sachs' shop].

"I'm a Cat. II racer and compete 40-50 times a year. It helps balance out the work week. As a matter of fact, sometimes the racing activity seems more important than the business! I sometimes race Pro-Am and place occasionally. Our CYBC [Connecticut Yankee Bicycle Club] Masters team gets in the money twice a month."

BACK TO THE FUTURE

"I haven't used a tubing decal since '77," replies Sachs when queried on what type of steel he uses. "A lot of people buy a bike based on the tubing decal, but that makes no sense at all. Tubing doesn't dictate the ride quality—it's entirely based on the geometry, gauge, diameter and method of construction."

Okay, we can accept that—but what geometry do you use, we asked?

"I don't really know," was as eloquently as Richard could put it. "My bikes are designed to provide the optimum rider position, and that choice precedes modern-day geometry. I design my bikes around the optimum setback [the distance a rider sits behind the crank spindle, which dictates pedal efficiency]. Too much is misunderstood about angles. If the bike didn't have a seat tube, you wouldn't care about the seat tube angle-only where the seat is positioned in relation to the crankset. If you know what that optimum seating is, the rest of the bike forms around it [form follows function in the reverse]."

PROOF IN THE PROPORTION

Some might think it's unusual not to find an angle finder hanging on the wall of Richard Sachs' workshop, but that is the modus operandi of the true Italian frame maestro. They, too, are famous for, as Richard says, "building frames by the tape measure rather than a protractor. Shorter riders have a proportionately different ratio between the upper limbs and legs. To compensate for a larger cyclist's proportionately longer legs, they must be allowed to sit farther back over the crank. That generally means that larger frames will end up with shallower angles."

So when you continue to build the bike around this "proportionate" larger rider, using optimum setback and a European-standard one-meter wheelbase as a guide, the slacker seat angle automatically allows for a longer top tube that will fit the longer length of the rider's upper body. "When the correct rake figure and chainstay length is worked into the equation [Richard runs a minimum 50mm rake and 41.5cm chainstays], you will arrive at what the ultimate head angle and front centers will be. The angles are direct result of the correct linear measurements, and there is no way you can build a good frame if you first start with the angles," Richard states.

"When I see a rider on one of my bikes and the saddle is positioned in the center of the rails, I know I've done my job correctly."

ONE FOR ALL & ALL FOR ONE

"To me as a competitor, I don't know what crit geometry is. I only make one type of bike. If you build a bike correctly, it can be used for stages, crits, TTs and long-distance riding with not much more than basic gearing and hardware setup." Richard believes that once you achieve the best possible position on a bicycle, you are not going to find a better power-producing or finer-handling chassis more suited for any particular type of road riding. "One style of geometry-read, correct geometry-should work in all conditions," says Sachs.

To give an example of his custom fit work, Richard provided the RBA test crew with two Signature test units: his personal 54.75cm ride and one 58.5cm Twentieth Anniversary Special. "I only made 20 Anniversary bikes, the main difference being more intense workmanship [like hand re-shaped lugs] and a reversed-color look. All the bikes I sell have been red and white for as long as I can remember," says Sachs.

"The fittings I use are not sold commercially. I've been stockpiling the stuff for years. Most are pressed-steel Nervex lugs; the dropouts are Campagnolo and I don't know where the neat three-piece brake bridge with reinforcing diamonds came from. I have 500 left, and that should last me the rest of my life," jokes Richard.

Butting dimensions of the Reynolds Record chromoly read: 0.5mm x 0.8mm main tubes, 0.8mm x 0.6mm chainstays and 0.1mm x 0.05mm blades. Richard brazes all frames with a rod containing 56% silver.

BRING TEARS TO YOUR EYES

When you tell someone about your Richard Sachs bike, expect that blank look that you get when you ask someone to come over and listen to some hot new vinyl on a turntable. Also expect complete astonishment after the friend has listened to the LP or looked at the red and white Sachs. Joe Bell Paints in Spring Valley, California, is responsible for the impressive Imron throwback-to-tradition finish. "Customers can have any color in the world, but most of the people who have bought bikes from me in the last ten years have asked for them in red and white. It's my identity, and it's the look of the CYBC bikes [to match the red and white Le Coq Sportif team gear] made popular in the early '80s. To this day, we sponsor the team," continues Richard, "and it's often referred to as Team Richard Sachs/CYBC. That's not really true, though; I'm not the only sponsor."

We like old stuff, too, but even the most hardcore vinyl fan will admit that there are a lot of special mixes and import versions available on CD that have never seen wax. Richard is aware that the world moved on, and you can componentize one of his frames in any re-mixed version that feels comfortable. However, knowing the background of Richard, it comes as no surprise that any complete bike that you buy from him will be assembled using either Campagnolo Chorus or Record.

"That's all I use," comments Sachs. "I'm making a certain type of high-quality frame and it makes no sense to put anything else on except Campagnolo. It goes back to the '70s when it was the only group to use, and other than some occasional faux pas, I believe they are unparalleled in the components they offer, and it works best for my bikes."

Other component/hardware particulars include: 3TTT bar and stem, San Marco Rolls saddle, 330-gram 32-and 28-hole Campagnolo Sigma Strada Hardox rims and Clement Criterium tubulars (wouldn't expect anything else but sew-ups on a Richard Sachs, would you?).

Gearing is 52/39 on 170mm arms on the 58.5cm bike," worries Richard. "That is all Campagnolo had when I built the bike up."

ANOTHER NAIL IN THE...

Both bikes are perfect examples of poetry in motion. We used the Richard Sachs bikes to compete in road races, TTs and crits, and were able to place in all three persuasions. Specifically, this is what the Richard Sachs adventure is all about:

Flatland: You will become a firm believer in linear measurements once you experience the performance of the Sachs on level ground. Holding a straight line takes minimal hand input and the seated pedaling position allows total pedal efficiency-you can feel it and will thus believe in it. The Sachs won a local time trial with Zipp 40 wheels, Scott RCO clip-ons and with the saddle slid 10mm forward in the clamps.

Sprints: Testers commented on how comfortable and stable both of Richard Sachs' bikes felt when powering out of the saddle. Veering sharply off to the side to shake anyone looking for a free ride could be done with complete confidence-the rider's weight bias is finely positioned between the front and rear wheels and opens the door to great out-of-the-saddle handling. Neither Sachs wandered in a sprint, bar input remained light, and all pilot effort resulted in pure forward motion.

Climbs: We had our best luck climbing by tempoing up in the saddle and taking advantage of Sachs' great seated power transition. Both Richard Sachs' bikes tipped the scales at a shade over 20 pounds. In this era of 17-pound carbon wonders, that might seem heavy, but in the real world it's light.

Descending/turning: Perfection! Richard Sachs' do-everything geometry results in a bike that is just as comfortable at 50mph down Suicide Mountain as it is at 30mph in the tight confines of a crit corner. Cornering precision for both of our test bikes was exemplified by a natural in-the-drops, stay-low and lean-into-the-flow. Other than holding on, no hand input was ever required. It was also one of the few bikes we have experienced that allowed us to trade off between the drop and the rake position at any speed with complete confidence.

Comfort: As Richard Sachs promised, the ride of a bike (any bike) is more dependant on rider position, geometry (linear, remember) and construction method than anything else. Backing in the glass-coat abilities of well-constructed chromoly tubes were the comfortable Rolls saddle and frame-size matching bar and stem.

Componentry/hardware: The Wheelsmith-built hoops stayed true. The Clement tubulars were trouble-free and, except for the rear derailleur shifting that requires too much lever pressure, the Campagnolo gruppos were flawless. We ran the 28-hole wheels off Richard's personal bike under big, powerful riders with no problems whatsoever.

BACK TO THE PAST

Richard Sachs' double-whammy test proved that there is still some credit left to be given to the old school of thought. A Richard Sachs bicycle is built by someone who races full-time, loves bicycles and lives his profession. He is a living, breathing, talking framebuilder who puts all his love, pride and joy into every tube. However, don't think that a Richard Sachs frame is good just because it's built following an "old way of doing things" creed. It's not built the old way. Tooling and construction techniques have changed considerably from decade to decade, and, while Richard may have learned at the knee of the British masters, he could teach them a thing or two today. So, while a Richard Sachs bike is built using Old World linear measurements and proven lugged construction, it is also built by the hands and beliefs of an up-to-date competitive racer.

A Richard Sachs bike feels good because it's the perfect blend of what's good from the past with what works from the present. Take another look at steel, and seriously consider a red-and-white bike in your future. Richard Sachs can be reached at 860.526.2059.

Richard Sachs is a craftsman framebuilder who has been refining his skills for over a quarter-century. For more information, please contact:

Richard Sachs Cycles
No. 9, North Main Street
Chester, CT 06412
(860) 526-2059

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