click to enlarge

Figure 1
Marcel Duchamp,
Bicycle Wheel
(Fork), 1964

As a small point, the ‘straight fork’ (Fig. 1) might not be a functional on the road fork at all, but rather a wheel truing stand. These are still available to those of us who ride regularly, and resemble forks. When wheels go over bad bumps, over time, the spokes can loosen and the rim needs to be pulled back into shape. It is adjusted in such a bracket with added measuring tools to detect wobble and roundness. I don’t know how this enters into the thinking about the bike wheel, but I thought it might be useful to share. I am delighted to contribute to anything Stephen Jay Gould had a hand in. His work has given me so much pleasure and clarity of thought. Thank you.

Fig. 1
©2003 Succession Marcel Duchamp, ARS, N.Y./ADAGP, Paris. All rights reserved.