Re: [CR]Did the old racers use half-step gears?

(Example: Bike Shops)

From: "Mike Waite" <mrwaite@btinternet.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>, "Joe Bender-Zanoni" <joebz@optonline.net>, "Jan Heine" <heine93@earthlink.net>
References: <a05210611bcbc8a4d66c4@[66.167.140.138]> <005401c43179$2af946c0$6400a8c0@jfbender> <a05210615bcbca75d69f3@[66.167.140.138]>
Subject: Re: [CR]Did the old racers use half-step gears?
Date: Tue, 4 May 2004 08:06:49 +0100


I can only speak for the UK and to a lesser extent France.

In the 50's for road racing most of us used a three tooth gap in the chainrings, usually 46/49, 47/50 or 49/52, with 14/16/18/20/22 block.

Mike Waite
Amersham Bucks UK
mrwaite@btinternet.com


----- Original Message -----
From: Jan Heine
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org


<joebz@optonline.net> Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2004 2:55 AM Subject: Re: [CR]Did the old racers use half-step gears?


> Joe,
>
> It seems that the Koblet example is not the exception, and the texts
> did not mention that he used something non-standard. In fact, they
> talked about something that was his "base gear" and how he had chosen
> one that was too high or too low (don't recall) for one stage. Also,
> the fact that the racers changed gearing almost every stage seems to
> indicate that they didn't use half-step. Half-step has the advantage
> of providing a relatively wide range of gears, with no need to
> customize it for the conditions.
>
> I don't know any old racers who could help. The randonneurs used
> cross-over gearing back then, often a 48-32 front with a 14-22 or
> 14-24 rear. But of course, their derailleurs were able to handle
> those chainwheel differences. (I can imagine the racing derailleurs
> would have been designed to do so, too, if racers had demanded it.
> Chicken-and-egg, as usual.)
>
> Anyhow, both the Koblet story of "base gear" and the fact that he
> does not appear to have been an exception seem to indicate that there
> is more to the story.
> --
> Jan Heine, Seattle
> Editor/Publisher
> Vintage Bicycle Quarterly
> http://www.mindspring.com/~heine/bikesite/bikesite/

>
/classicrendezvous