Oh no, we're getting well into the 80's now, I fear we may be OT!!!! There actually was a ti chain - I don't remember the specifics of who made it or how heavy it wasn't but I do remember it was EXTREMELY expensive (I think - but not sure - that it cost something like $300).
I remember the Viking Ti chain from the early 90's. It was aimed at weight-freak MTB riders. In that application it had chronic problems with stiff links. It is my understanding that one or more companies made ti chains in the 1970's or early 80's. Someone else on the list must have more info on these.
And I also remember seeing somewhere that Regina's hollow pin chain (which I ran on a Merlin way back in the midst of the lightweight fad) was nearly as light, much, MUCH cheaper, and it worked.
This strikes me as funny. I think of the lightweight fad as the early 70's drill-out craze that lead to the SR group with Ti pieces, drilled levers, and cut out chainrings. Certainly there were times before this that riders were equally concerened with weight, and times following that when there was a backlash toward reliability. If you're talking Merlin with SL chain you're well past the 70's lightweight craze and leading into the current lightweight craze that is running full tilt. In my opinion, things got pretty heavy in the 1980's when everyone reacted to all the broken Ergal rims and ti BB's of the 70's. The C-rec group with Deltas was the peak of the heavy bike backlash. I think that the revival of the superlight craze started with MTB's than came over to road bikes. We gained useful wieght reductions in the form of Aheadsets, and OS aluminum frames, as well as silly, expensive and delicate carbon parts and ti fasteners.
My own experience with the hollow pin Regina proved out that it worked okay - can't say if it really was an improvement over the solid ones but it sure made me feel cool (!).
Cool looking chain. I think they were reliable, but less durable than a Sedis SL, for example.
Tom Dalton
John Price
Denver, CO -----Original Message----- From: ben kamen [mailto:ko_te_jebe@mac.com] Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2002 10:43 AM To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: [CR]Re: Classicrendezvous digest, Vol 1 #1255 - 24 msgs
4/23/02 12:05 PMclassicrendezvous-request@bikelist.org
>
> I have not the timeline but I have a book from 1989 that mentions the
Regina
> Superleggera with hollow pins.
> It also states that even a lighter chain made of titanium was available
back
> then. But no brand name is given.
>
> Dirk
>
> --
> Dirk Feeken
> Heidelberg
> Germany
a titanium chain? forgive my cycnicism but how would they work - my mind tellms that wear would be fast. and i wonder if the simplex product and design group had toyed with ideas of a 'delrin' chain that probably never made it to market.
but i could be wrong and titanium could be a suitable material for a chain. i do find the idea fascinating, tho. anyone ever use one?
ciao,
ben kamen NYC
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