Re: [CR] Surprising Cinelli Pista and no brakes

(Example: Books:Ron Kitching)

From: <hersefan@comcast.net>
To: gabriel l romeu <romeug@comcast.net>, Ken Sanford <kanford@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [CR] Surprising Cinelli Pista and no brakes
Date: Fri, 08 Dec 2006 03:17:08 +0000
cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

As a person with a love of statistics, I must differ with this assessment. The logic will work wonderfully - until that rare instance that may only happen once in a lifetime, at the very conclusion of ones lifetime!

Because something almost never occurs and is hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean that it won't. With folks on cell phones and varying degrees of attention, it is folly in my mind to assume all will be OK all the time.

And remember this - Cino Cinelli was quite brilliant and if my hunch is right, a pragmatist. Ever see the photos of him in his latter years with the bars turned up high in a casual position? He would have sharp words I suspect for someone who destroyed both themselves and their bike for lack of a brake.

Just my two cents. I've always loved buying track bikes already drilled for a front brake - no guilt for doing the deed, but I get to enjoy the results.

Mike Kone in Boulder CO


-------------- Original message --------------
From: gabriel l romeu

> caught me in a bit of a troll Ken, very perceptive.

\r?\n> I think that is an excellent assessment. I only ride a fixie every

\r?\n> weekday, weekends i get to play gears. On the roads around here, I

\r?\n> really do not have to use the brake if I am thoughtful of what is in

\r?\n> front of me- there are many ways of stopping a fixed with or without

\r?\n> brakes and I prefer to do it with grace, and that is with a

\r?\n> consideration to what is ahead.

\r?\n> safety is a perceptual thing, varies according to it's source. I find

\r?\n> that safety 'rules' such as helmets, brakes on fixed bikes, bright

\r?\n> clothing, etc are generally a panacea and an excuse for no further

\r?\n> engagement.

\r?\n> the important rules are to ride to your abilities, be astute to the

\r?\n> conditions of the locale (with all the implications of defensive

\r?\n> pedaling, predictable riding, pedaling with a group, etc.) and adjust

\r?\n> riding style appropriately. If the accroutements make one feel

\r?\n> comfortable, by all means. It is secondary to the general quality of

\r?\n> one's riding that determines safety IMHO.

\r?\n>

\r?\n> Ken Sanford wrote:

\r?\n>

\r?\n> > I owned a nice circa 1990 Cinelli Pista and rode it a bit on the road i

\r?\n> n

\r?\n> > more or less controlled areas - without a brake. But, I did not want t

\r?\n> o

\r?\n> > ride it in circumstances where I would need to stop quickly - I just

\r?\n> > ain't that skilled in skid stops. I felt it would be horrific to drill

\r?\n>

\r?\n> > the front fork and using a different fork did not appeal. So I sold

\r?\n> > that bike to a friend (who lusted after it). He rides it everywhere.

\r?\n> I

\r?\n> > was glad it found a proper home.

\r?\n> >

\r?\n> > Riding a fixed gear bike with or without a brake is a personal choice

\r?\n> > and I do NOT want to open up that debate! That's one reason I like

\r?\n> > British path racers - they are usually drilled for a front brake.

\r?\n>

\r?\n> >>I hope the buyers at least ride them occasionally on the road,

\r?\n> >>although that often requires drilling the fork for a front brake to

\r?\n> >>do so safely.

\r?\n> >

\r?\n> >

\r?\n> > I am not so sure I understand this. why?

\r?\n>

\r?\n> --

\r?\n> gabriel l romeu

\r?\n> last post of the day, chesterfield, nj usa

\r?\n> ± http://studiofurniture.com Ø http://journalphoto.org ±