In a message dated 10/15/02 12:27:19 PM Pacific Daylight Time, TheMaaslands@comcast.net writes:
<< What contribution has Frank Berto made to cycling?>> <<My personal read on 'reality' is that Frank Berto was indeed one of the first people to attempt to rationally quantify the functioning of bicycle components. In the way he concentrated almost solely on mechanical properties, I feel he lost touch with the greater truth of how these components were actually used in everyday life.>>
You've touched on this. Through a series of articles "then" Frank did quantify aspects of derailleur performance and bring this to the consciousness of the cycling community. He set up a testing method and compared how various derailleurs performed on a specific gearing system. His engineering observations were most applicable to wide ratio touring gearing and of course, index shifting. Personally I think it was unfair of him to use the Campagnolo single pulley sport derailleur as being representative of Campagnolo in this test ;-) I was giving him that as a contribution.
<<Almost all of my bikes have a mix of component makers>> I have a few with Stronglight Delta and A9 headsets, Nadax, O.M.A.S. and Stronglight bottom brackets and I have a few wheels with Shimano 7 speed cassette hubs. These parts when they came out were significant improvements over Campag products in terms of longevity and reliable lack-of-axle-breakage.
<> Yep! Let's take the worms and go fishing! Stevan Thomas Alameda, CA