On Apr 21, 2007, at 7:41 AM, Jan Heine wrote:
> I also disagree with your assessment that racers were conservative.
> Consider the facts: Pro racers adopted aluminum rims within a year
> or two of their introduction. They adopted derailleurs within two
> or three years of the introduction of a suitable system, the Super
> Champion.
Professional racers are conservative about their equipment by nature Jan. You have to be able to finish a race to win it. You have to have trust in your components; they have to be proven before you stake your livelihood (paycheck) on a new piece of equipment. In the past all new product was tested for a year or two before a pro would race on it. This is the way Campagnolo did it and I'm sure it's the way every other manufacturer did it.
A trait of human nature, and obvious, wouldn't you agree? I have no references for this or footnotes.
Chuck Schmidt
South Pasadena, CA