From: "Scott L. Minneman" <minneman(AT)onomy.com>
"There are some really "special" parts on this Teledyne. Still has the Titanium fork, too (but in the grand scheme of this particular bike, I'm not sure that's the most frightening item).
As one who grew up in the flatlands, I must ask: why do you need that kind of gearing in central Indiana?
Scott Minneman San Francisco, CA, USA"
hi Scott,
That's quite a bike! Love the drilled out TA chainrings, although it makes one wonder how many miles it has seen. Are the pedals some of the Bob Reedy parts? Those were the basis for the fine pedals SunTour later produced, and have a very similar look.
As far as low gears... he's got a 26T up front, and a 22T in back, for a low gear. I've done some riding around Bloomington Indiana, and can vouch that there are some very short and very steep hills. Over 15% grade, I believe. I know that I'm working fairly hard to get up them with a 34 x 25. A 26 x 22 would let you get up the hill without tearing up all of the lightweight parts on this bike. :-)
wow... looking at the stem just now.. he really drilled it out! I'm glad that the seller says that the bike is meant to be used as a showpiece. That bike would be very risky to actually ride!
regards,
Steve Kurt
Peoria, IL USA