...And my TDF is curiously heavy, @~25lbs in a 54cm size, 1972 w/Simplex/Mafac/Stronglight 93 and Weinmann clinchers. Maybe they used some tubing contrary to their reynolds labels?
Mine's also a quick steerer, so much so that looking over my shoulder's always an event. Being 3cm too small only exacerbates the problem, with the 75-degree seat tube angle putting my mass maybe too far foreward of the bb.
The singlewall Weinmann rims also pulsate fiercely under braking, making fast descending a scary event. I can picture some shop apprentice hand-rolling the aluminum strip stock into those rims, paying little attention to maintaining a constant roller speed. English Birmalux clinchers were also as lumpy, but their more-vertical sidewalls allowed for much smoother braking. Some of these singlewall rims are TERRIBLE! I've also had new, welded-seam Arayas and Weinmann concaves with huge depressions machined away from the seam location.
Was this stuff meant to be riden? Was braking optional?
David Snyder Auburn, CA usa
Art-monocular- Link wrote:
> My 1971 Gitane TDF was also a poor rider,especially on fast,steep
descents
> because of the steep fork angle and small fork trail. This is the bike
I
> had a spectacular downhill crash on while descending "Big Hill" south
of
> Alpine ,Texas on Highway 118 which resulted in major road rash,
coughing
> up blood from my lungs, and a detached retina and ultimate blindness
in
> the left eye(just missed going off the cliff). Should have gone slower
or
> had a less twitchy bike with more fork trail, or been a better rider.
My
> next bike was a Crescent and that yielded to an all Campy Follis(which
I
> still enjoy). Some bike geometries should be kept from the general
public,
> even if they look cool in the Peleton.>
Amir Avitzur wrote:
> My TDF was not a good rider.
> It got much worse when loaded wih touring kit.
>
> Some bikes used 531 DB well, others didn't.
> The TdF might as well have been gas pipe.