Jan. 23, 09
Hi Jan + List,
On 23.01.2009, at 17:32, Jan Heine wrote:
> A constructeur bike is designed for a certain rider and with certain
> components. There never should be a need to raise or lower the front
> derailleur - you choose a good gear ratio when you buy the bike, and
> that is it. Of course, front chainrings with a few teeth difference
> can be accommodated anyhow. My Alex Singer was designed for a
> different rider who specified a 52-42-32 triple, but I prefer a
> 48-32 compact double, and the brazed-on front derailleur is just fine.
>
> When you buy a car, you don't usually raise or lower the gear ratio
> after a few years, either. (Of course, in a car, the engine can be
> tuned up to restore its power, riders may age and thus have to live
> with decreasing horsepower ratings.)
I believe I understand the historical context behind Singer's braze-on front derailleurs, but I can't agree with the statement that there should "never" be the need to raise or lower the front derailleur. I speak only for myself, but for me a bicycle is all about choice, and a braze-on front derailleur limits my ability to make evolutionary changes in the course of the years of using a given bike. For that reason I don't like them at all, even on custom bikes. Of course, that's only me, and they may be fine for many folks. But for tinkerers like me, "never" doesn't fit too well.
I also hold the car analogy to be questionable, since cars don't need to be adjusted much to different people, whereas bicycles do. In a car, you adjust the seat and the mirrors, and that's basically it. But on a bike, you're the motor, so you have different frame sizes, crank + stem lengths, handlebar widths etc. A short woman and I can drive the same car, but she will never be able to get on a 63 cm frame, much less ride it.
Greets
Kai Hilbertz
Munich, Germany