Tom D. wrote:
<snip>
> Bob, 9-speed Ace has been around since 96 IIRC, and the new Record group
> rolled out in 1995, though there have been annual changes, as is now
> standard for Campy. Six or seven years is a long time. Under an elite/pro
> rider, a season or two is all that can be expected of this stuff, as was
> the case with NR/SR stuff.
>
>
<snip>
Tom:
Six or seven years is definitely *not* a long time in terms of major bicycle component durability IMHO! 20 - 40,000 miles (based on your 1-2 year figure) under a pro-level rider should do less damage to a set of cranks than the same amount of miles from an equivalently-powerful amateur (the pro should have a more consistent and smooth cadence and power delivery - less load fluctuation).
The Campy Record cranks that many say are so crappy have been around since 1958 - that's forty-four years, or nearly seven times as long.... The vast majority of 'em still ain't broken yet!
What's the predicted useful life of the glue in carbon-fiber cranks if they're exposed to Southern California levels of Ulraviolet light exposure eight hours a day? Five years? Ten?
As far as the machined aluminum cranks that are out there on the market are concerned - intuitively, a crank arm CNC'ed from raw aluminum will likely not be as strong or durable as an equivalent-section forged aluminum one - think about it for a moment..... Do racing engine manufacturers use CNC'ed crankshafts? No - they are forged. Same goes for the crankshafts of 18,000 horsepower diesel ship engines.
Again, I think folks have a ton of 20/20 hindsight regarding vintage bicycle part design. We all enjoy being armchair quarterbacks, but you can't re-design something in the 1970s while sitting in the 21st Century (well, at least not without a time machine...).
The new bikes are often worn as a fashion statement, and changed frequently, along with the jersey, shorts, helmet, accessories, SUV, etc. This is because many of the "new age" roadies come from a motorcycle/MTB background, where spending big bucks often to "upgrade" your ride/equipment is considered part of the game. Nothing inherently wrong with that; the Marketing folks have a field day with it, but it is certainly unnecessary, and encourages the spread of our growing "throw-away" society (e.g. frames / components that only need to "last one or two years").
Cheers,
Greg "No user-serviceable parts inside" Parker A2 MI USA Where we are "Recycling old Campy parts for a better tomorrow"
(heeheehee.......)