scott mattern asked:
Listening to the chatter around the list it seems that cable choice has a
great deal to do with the performance of both brakes and derailleurs on o ur bikes. So this poses a question, what is the cable supplier of choice amo ng the knowledgeable? +++++++++++++++++++++++++ To me, this has a certain resonance with the thread innocently started by Mark Buswell:
Is it 'correct' or 'best practice' to put a wheelset with English- threaded Campy hubs on... say an early eighties Ciocc? Were Italian threaded hubs still the norm for such a bike at the time? Or had/did English threaded hubs take over by this time? +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I see both questions as variations on a theme that I'd express as: "If I want to do a proper restoration, how close do I have to get, and how do I know when I've gotten there? Perfectly reasonable questions, for which you will get a spectrum of responses. They depend on the intended resto ration goal, the restorer's means ($$), what can be found, and personalit y type. At the "anal" end, Richard Sachs restored a pair of Masi road bi kes as near-perfectly as humanly possible, with all NOS period-correct pa rts. Knowing and respecting Richard (no relation) Sachs, I would not be s urprised if he made sure that the threading matched between FW and hub, a nd that it was correct. Let's call this the "museum" approach. Similarly , I, Harvey (no relation) Sachs, aim to restore bikes so they again have proper parts but preserve the patina of age. That means reasonable effor ts to have the right age parts (151 cranks on the '65; 144 on the 1973), but all used parts. I'm delighted that I got the proper Torrington pedal s and Wippermann chain for the '38 Paramount, but it is still gonna be ri dden and enjoyed and the new paint is gonna get more dings. If the "muse um" guys are anal, I'm sloppy or something worse.
Down to brass tacks: What kind of brake cable do I use? Generally, it's w hat I find in the box of cable, sometimes vintage, but more often vintage -style but with teflon lining. Bought by the roll. Off topic, but looks r ight and works better. Sure beats greasing cables every year, like we did years ago. I can't imagine Richard Sachs doing that on one of his resto rations. But, I couldn't tell without disassembly, and I'm not going to t hat.
General conclusion: be true to your aims, within reason, and don't worry about what the other fellow says. He's either jealous or has different goals.
harvey sachs
mcLean va
(barely inside the Beltway, and grateful that Congress is out of town and
thus doing less damage. Us locals say that every year, no matter who's
running the show there.)