[CR]Re: Yes, Virginia, Regina FW designs were flawed.

(Example: Component Manufacturers:Chater-Lea)

Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:50:28 -0700
From: "mike scammon" <mike@scammoncycles.com>
To: hsachs@alumni.rice.edu
In-Reply-To: <481910D6.4000901@verizon.net>
References: <481910D6.4000901@verizon.net>
cc: Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR]Re: Yes, Virginia, Regina FW designs were flawed.

I think you just didn't see the fun in it. ;)

On Wed, Apr 30, 2008 at 5:37 PM, Harvey Sachs <hmsachs@verizon.net> wrote:
> I submit that the Regina and Atom FW designs were poorly thought out. I
> suspect that the 5, 6, and 7-speed versions were just stretching earlier
> designs; no one would have done so many poor choices all at once.
> --> The two-prong remover was at very best user-hostile. Sure, we all
> learned the work-arounds, like using a skewer to hold things together, but
> that is not good design.
> --> The incredible inelegance of a fundamental design that made it all but
> impossible to remove all 5 cogs. Yup, could do it with special tooling,
> but...a design that was inherently hard to work on.
> --> and there were how many different bodies, with how many different
> thread types for the cogs? To say nothing of flanged cogs, etc.
> --> And, the sheer elegance of the pair of LH threaded cogs on the inside.
>
> Compare with the contemporary CycloPans, or the British TDC, both of which
> used splined cogs. Easy to make, easy to change.
>
> I still have a bunch of Regina FW, at my age surely a life-time supply. I
> use them where they are appropriate. Otherwise, I much prefer the lowly
> Suntour Perfect (14 th min).
>
> harvey sachs
> mcLean va 22101
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> I just used the skewer method to hold the tool in place. Never had one
> slip. I agree they could have
> made the the prongs thicker from the beginning though.
>
> On Wed, Apr 30, 2008 at 6:19 AM, John Thompson <johndthompson@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>
> >> mike scammon wrote:
> >>
> >
> >>> > Was it really flawed? Or did something just come out that was
> better?
> >
> >>
> >> In the late 70s, Regina changed from the fragile 2-prong design to the
> >> same splined design used by Atom and Zeus.
> >>
> >> --
> >>
> >> -John Thompson (john@os2.dhs.org)
> >> Appleton WI USA
>

--
Mike Scammon
Menlo Park, Ca.