Hello Craig -
I agree it is a fun site.
However, I am not sure which part of Carsten Rehbein's web site is bunk,
can you help? Do you mean the text on the home page?
http://www.cyclo-24.de/
Mr. Rehbein writes: "The professional massed start racing bicycle has always been the motive power behind technological innovation in the cycle industry." ... Typical examples of this are the hub quick release, light alloy cranks or variable gears."
Whoa Skip, You put way too much thought into this! Or I didn't put enough, one or the tother. I just felt that his Point of View was a little strong and lacked a deeper historical perspective by limiting himself to early racing bikes when some of those early innovations may have originated in the French and later English cyclotouriste tradition prior to the Great War. One of the earliest variable gear promotors was the famous cyclotourist Paul de Vivie at the turn of the century. Cyclogears were on French touring bikes as least as far back as the 20's (according to Jan Heine). Once the racing community began to accept something like variable gears/derailleurs(1930's?) then innovators had to redesign and fine tune the equipment to fit a racing (versus touring) context. I'm speaking of gearing. Of the origins of alloy cranks and quick releases I know nothing, though I suspect quick releases make more sense as a pure racing innovation. I'm never in a hurry to get my wheel off when touring. In fact I use the opportunity as a break time to brew up some coffee while I fix the flat. We seem to have three parties here: 1. the "racer" who (presumably) tests the new development (but does not "pay" for the development); 2. Someone who pays the development costs, (even if the cost is in terms of lost evenings and weekends spent tinkering in a garage) and 3. someone who reaps the benefits in sales. Ideally #2 would also like to be #3, if all of this is economically driven.
You know Skip I don't think these conditions existed during the time goodies such as derailleurs came into common use. This is all conjecture on my part. Maybe Jan Heine or someone else knows. But at least up through the 30's teams were National weren't they? At least for the T de F. The ruling body of the Tour was notoriously conservative and I don't see government officials giving away money for untried technologies either.
For what it's worth, which ain't much, Craig in Tucson (where I don't have time to be playin' on the computer)