I agree that bike parts are like beer - some like them light and others prefer them heavy... it all depends what taste you have and how you like them prepared.
I am somewhat drawn to lightweight competition parts because they reflect memories of the races I have seen over the years. Am I a "weight freak" trying to save energy by trimming that last half once to prepare for a century ride? No! I am fascinated by the gradual historical development of bike parts and the lightweight industry and constantly wonder how or why did a company market that bike part. I have been thinking abou bike marketing and competiton frames since working at a Raleigh dealer in the middle 1970s. I marvel that the Regina SL America chain and Huret Jubilee derailleur sets were the second lightest commercial chain and derailleurs ever produced and wonder "how did they do that"?
This is why some of my bikes are not "period correct" and sitting on a shelf... I prefer to carefully use the frames and parts that comprise my completed bikes. I believe the beauty of cycling is in enjoying the ride and the scenery, not in maintaining a 'show bike" where I personally feel I would not be able to enjoy it.
Cheers! Steve Neago
Cincinnati, OH
> Light weight bike parts are kind of light beer, I will let others order
it.
> Now in my mid 50's all I have to do is stand in front of a mirror naked
and
> can see where the target area of weight reduction should be.
>
> Always wondered how much weight one saved by drilling all those aluminum
> parts?
>
> Just a week and a half to go!
>
> Mark, snow is really a four letter nasty word when the ski area is closed,
> Poore
>
> Linwood, WV
>
>
> >From: Tom Dalton <tom_s_dalton@yahoo.com>
> >To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> >Subject: [CR]RE: lightweight chains
> >Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 10:36:47 -0700 (PDT)
> >
> >
> >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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