Chuck Schmidt wrote:
> I also had some Maillard Helicomatics and always felt they were the
> answer to a question nobody had asked, in other words, stupid! Just my
> opinion of course.
Don't forget, it can adjust spokes as well, so you can enjoy a nice brewski whilst truing your wheels.
But seriously, one of the reasons Trek spec'ed the Helicomatic was because it allowed easy removal of the freewheel without requiring a large wrench or bench vice. That way a rider on e.g. an extended tour (touring bikes were big in the early 80's) could readily replace a broken spoke on the road.
--
John (john@os2.dhs.org)
Appleton WI USA