Re: [CR] Rene Herse Ligtweight Record Bike

(Example: Framebuilders:Alberto Masi)

In-Reply-To: <507532.7851.qm@web82208.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
References: <BAY141-W6DF904CE80941DDF9809E8CBE0@phx.gbl>
Date: Sat, 7 Feb 2009 11:33:48 -0700
From: "John Wood" <braxton72@gmail.com>
To: <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net>
Cc: classicrendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: Re: [CR] Rene Herse Ligtweight Record Bike


On Sat, Feb 7, 2009 at 9:18 AM, Jerome & Elizabeth Moos < jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> I believe at the end of the account of the last Technical Trials Jan
> proposes that sometime similar should be reestablised. I think that would
> be desirable as the original trials clearly improved bicycles, and new ones
> would do the same. Not sure the big manufacturers, focused on making bikes
> cheaply with cheap labor and selling them at high prices driven by
> marketing, would be very supportive, but then the large manufactuers weren't
> very supportive back then either. I think such trials today would probably
> be supported by and won by the builders who we here call KOF and who now
> exhibit their products at such events as the NAHMBS.

Jerry, I believe that such a thing (modern Technical Trails) was attempted by Chris Kostman of AdventureCorps and Jan Heine a few years ago and was abandoned for to a number of reasons, not least of which was problems with developing the rules/goals. My question is, at this point what would a new technical trials accomplish? We already have very reliable, crazy lightweight components and frames. I saw a report of a guy in germany who built up a complete 7 pound bike - believe he spent $15,000 on it, and claims to ride centurys on it. I don't see what a technical trials would accomplish at this point. They were indeed a great boon during their time, to show what could be done - but are we after a 3.5 pound bicycle? Would that really be noticably different from a 7 pound bicycle? Just wondering where you think the need is.

John

--
John Wood
Missoula, Montana, USA