The heart of a bicycle frame

Last Sunday (the 10th of Febraury) we had beutiful spring weather here in Berlin. So in the late afternoon I decided to free my Batavus Pro of the thick layer of crud (mostly salt, sand and decomposing leaves) that had built up on it since christmas.

After taking out the bottom bracket I noticed that the chainstays weren't mitered or brazed the entire length of the lug running into the shell. On closer inspection I realised that the shell had a lip stopping the chain stays from being further inserted...makes sense. That way it's very simple to get both chainstay the same length. This must be one of the best shells ever designed.
Below you can se the lengths I went mitering all the tubes going into the Long Shen BB shell of my first frame. I wish I'd had the Cinelli