My take on the weight was that that never was a factor.
Pro mechanics with lots of work and little time took them off so they could
lean from car and be able to tighten crank if needed.
Then the everyday servicing of bikes and snugging upetc, didn't need extra
complication. The thread when needed were just fine with a little brushing
out if needed for crank change/removal.
The valve cap and locknuts on tubulars is an abomination, and probably so on
clinchers, too.
When you are a pro your team car with wheel/bike is quick.
But if you're alone and need to do the change yourself with stiff fingers
and in a hurry while others are racing away, whether pro or amateur, that
locknut when tire is flatted usually draws down into rim well and then
tightens even more.
Having it on loose is useless. If you affix the tire/tube tite and the
casing moves, then the valve seat gets torn sooner than if locknut were left
off.
Properly inflated/glued tires won't slip so throw the nuts over your
shoulder.
QR springs had the habit of jamming in the axle slot and impeding wheel
change amid consternation and cursing along with the valve locknuts.
Boing - boing down the hill with those, too.
It was about practicality of work and speed. Weight was never a factor to
any bike guy who had a semblance of critical thinking and common sense.
Ted Ernst
Palos Verdes Estates
CA USA
.
> After a scare when removing my TA dust caps for the first time, not
> knowing if the threads or allen key hex was going to let go first, I
> decided as dust caps they were questionable. They never went back on.
>
> As a mechanic I found them equally useless, and periodically time
> consuming to remove. Others can use them, but I will not use them on my
> bikes. I never bothered to remember if the Patent or Brev. Campagnolo
> caps were the sought after parts.
> Regarding tire valve caps, when riding with a group and the group is kind
> enough to wait for you to exchange a tire, removing and replacing valve
> caps is just not polite to their time. I ditched those long ago too.
>
> I do like the chrome versions of crank fixing bolts though, but that is
> just the SoCal Junior category racer still left in me 35 years later.
>
> John Jorgensen
> Torrance CA USA