tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post6945152719229451212..comments2024-03-28T11:56:48.304-04:00Comments on The Retrogrouch: Step Back In Time - '94 Bridgestone CalendarBrookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12110998345857993287noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-81558439984153747942017-04-24T09:24:43.702-04:002017-04-24T09:24:43.702-04:00I get the idea of threadless steerers but where in...I get the idea of threadless steerers but where in the thought process did they decide that the have to be ugly and clumsy as hell?<br /><br />Sadly I do not think that I shall live long enough to see efficient sealed wide range IGH drive system, odd when you glance back in bicycle history... European commuter cyclists take these things for granted and cycle in all seasons almost maintenance free.Colinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01667939789517989280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-32439622110939113222017-04-24T07:23:48.217-04:002017-04-24T07:23:48.217-04:00Round and butted spokes. Tubes and rim strips. On ...Round and butted spokes. Tubes and rim strips. On the other hand, most of the parts mentioned, including thread-on freewheels, live on in the world of inexpensive bikes. It's unlikely that we'll ever see much more than cosmetic carbon on department store bikes because it doesn't make sense. It does nothing to either reduce cost or to make the bike more reliable, providing the opposite effect on both counts.<br /><br />How about a list of these changes that have truly improved cycling? I would include cassette hubs, profiled cog teeth, 130mm dropout spacing (allowing 8 & 9-spd cassettes while reducing wheel dish), 1.125" threadless steerers, open-front stems (even if I still prefer the look of most quill stems), sealed insert headsets, clipless pedals (at least ones that dont creak), anatomic saddles, inexpensive but effective sealed bearings, and indexed down tube shifters. All of these have made cycling easier, more comfortable, more trouble-free, and bikes easier to maintain. On the framebuilding side, I'd give the nod to TIG welding, which allowed inexpensive bikes to be made with lighter tubing while improving quality control. Did anyone ever replace a top tube on a Raleigh Grand Prix?<br /><br />As the first foray into reducing cog spacing to increase cog count, Suntour's ultra-6 most definitely lives on. In fact, it will remain a fundamental feature until internal hub shifting improves to the point when it can take over. My crystal ball says that in 20 years, most bikes will have internal-geared hubs and maintenance-free belt drives.Steve Barnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05141738452735566462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-57201800591613842422017-04-06T19:21:49.227-04:002017-04-06T19:21:49.227-04:00A lot of the things people here have mentioned see...A lot of the things people here have mentioned seem to be relatively easy to find in college towns. I'm a graduate student at UW-Madison, and I've been commuting on a 1979 Sekai for the last couple years. At different times I've replaced the chain/cranks/chainrings/freewheel, bottom bracket, and wheels. So far I haven't even had to wait for parts to be ordered - I was able to pick them up at my LBS and put them on that night. It also has 27x1.25 tires and I've been able to either find them online (Conti makes good commuter tires) or at an REI garage sale for $4/tire (Kendas that I've been riding for about a week).<br /><br />I think as long as people continue using the older technology for bikes they commute on, there will thankfully always be a good supply of classic components for those willing to look. Even if they aren't being made in the same numbers as they were 30 years ago, it's not like they're wearing out quickly. I know the late-70's SunTour components on my Sekai have been amazing despite daily commuting through snow, slush, salt, rain, and sun, something I can't imagine newer, high-performance components surviving for three years with virtually no maintenance.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15886967582030626460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-61564600249551571242017-03-31T13:06:22.203-04:002017-03-31T13:06:22.203-04:00Oddly enough, those old components are cherished b...Oddly enough, those old components are cherished by cycle tourers. Their robustness and simplicity makes them both reliable and easy to service all over the world.Alexander Lópezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08517986861000324855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-74129542921225333062017-03-31T09:55:41.998-04:002017-03-31T09:55:41.998-04:00I agree with you about battery-powered shifters. ...I agree with you about battery-powered shifters. They're expensive nonsensical toys that are trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist. Mechanical shifters are reliable and don't need electric power to work. The powerful electric motors of the battery-powered variety may allow you to shift while pedaling uphill, but to what end? A broken chain after only a few rides and aggressive shifts? Whatever happened to choosing the right gear at the bottom of the hill and riding it up to the top?<br /><br />I do carry a smartphone and battery-powered lights; I'm a skeptic, after all, not a luddite. Phones and lights have proven their worth to me on countless rides and in daily life. I haven't yet lost a GPS signal while riding along forested roads in my area. That sort of thing was quite common with my first GPS device back in 2002, but nowadays, that's a thing of the past for me. GPS devices really have improved a lot over the years.Morlamwebhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17799436150549217033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-7379477876788475792017-03-30T21:31:44.450-04:002017-03-30T21:31:44.450-04:00Battery-powered whatever (shifters, phones, GPS, y...Battery-powered whatever (shifters, phones, GPS, yadda, yadda, yadda. It's all fun and games 'till the batteries run out.<br /><br />I always carry a map and compass in backcountry. No satellites for GPS (heavy trees, deep canyons)? No problem!GAJetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12542134685802151719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-78355939573006833652017-03-30T21:19:47.270-04:002017-03-30T21:19:47.270-04:00Already gone, but probably a niche product -- the ...Already gone, but probably a niche product -- the "ultra" spaced 6-speed freewheel. Originally by Sun Tour allowed a 6-speed cluster on the (way back) then default 120 mm rear spacing. Can still find 5-speed freewheels, but takes some looking.<br />Cheers!GAJetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12542134685802151719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-69793613947509456922017-03-30T17:33:41.805-04:002017-03-30T17:33:41.805-04:00Bowden cables (brakes and shifters). They're ...Bowden cables (brakes and shifters). They're facing an assault on two fronts: the hydraulic-actuated disc brake camp, and battery-powered shifters. (Side note: any bets on when we can expect to see battery-powered brakes?)<br /><br />Conversely, one thing that is in no danger of dying out is the half-inch chain pitch. Somehow, that standard has persisted from the earliest days of cycling up to the present day. That's rather astonishing when you think of all the recent bike "innovations" and the bike component industry's fervent attempts to stamp out old tried-and-true tech.Morlamwebhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17799436150549217033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-71522853555321886882017-03-30T14:25:38.386-04:002017-03-30T14:25:38.386-04:00+1 on the square taper, threaded bottom bracket an...+1 on the square taper, threaded bottom bracket and to take that one step further, the Italian thread bottom bracket shell. Even Colnago frames now, when you can find one with a threaded shell, is 1.37 x 24. A small part of my soul died when I discovered that.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09010547135298448087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-37909830708847732292017-03-30T14:05:31.930-04:002017-03-30T14:05:31.930-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Chris Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03206266021301909754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-29339481305956235922017-03-30T09:14:33.208-04:002017-03-30T09:14:33.208-04:00Surprisingly, I had no problems getting hold of a ...Surprisingly, I had no problems getting hold of a 7-speed freewheel for one of my cheap mountain bikes. The choice of ratios is a bit limited but it seems 6- and 7-speed freewheels are still available. I thought freewheels were long gone but it seems there's still a market for them, thankfully.<br /><br />I wonder if 3-speed hubs are on the endangered list?Steve Davieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16129833132673287626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-44954855740347354062017-03-29T23:24:31.301-04:002017-03-29T23:24:31.301-04:00Raleigh offers lugged steel at present.Raleigh offers lugged steel at present.Rudyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08526299983764921564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-59517013213360758502017-03-29T21:58:02.657-04:002017-03-29T21:58:02.657-04:0028.6 mm front derailleur clamp. Good luck with a m...28.6 mm front derailleur clamp. Good luck with a more modern Campag front. It does require finding an older compatible derailleur and making a switch. I never could understand why Campag gave up on the traditional steel down tube.reynolds631https://www.blogger.com/profile/13523879899843824142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-49049291552812653142017-03-29T20:40:06.391-04:002017-03-29T20:40:06.391-04:00Non aero brake levers. I love the gentle radius th...Non aero brake levers. I love the gentle radius the cables form when they exit the hoods.Chris Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03206266021301909754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-30039644652616724442017-03-29T15:20:43.411-04:002017-03-29T15:20:43.411-04:00mike w. seems to have got it all. Endangered they ...mike w. seems to have got it all. Endangered they may be but I have much of that stuff on my 1970's bike which I am giving a thorough parts off clean for the first time in it's life and it is all still working well. who would have thought 27 1.25 tyres would ever be hard to find!? My Barelli pedals are getting their first ever polish, never have been lubricated and spin better after all that time than any new pedals I try to spin at the dealers. Retro rules....Colinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01667939789517989280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-46645852305383987252017-03-29T13:34:18.288-04:002017-03-29T13:34:18.288-04:00Bikes that don't need to have a battery charge...Bikes that don't need to have a battery charged or be connected to a phone.<br /><br />Wolf.N/Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14710395292374599493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-32417516975674324242017-03-29T13:10:49.821-04:002017-03-29T13:10:49.821-04:00Cloth handlebar tape seemed like an endangered spe...Cloth handlebar tape seemed like an endangered species for a time. But it is making a comeback. (I just wrapped the bars on two of my bikes with it!)<br /><br />Ditto for Lyotard Berthet-style platform pedals. (Thank you, MKS and White Industries!) <br /><br />Campagnolo-style two-bolt seat posts seem to have disappeared--though, frankly, I prefer seatposts with the bolts on the underside. <br /><br />Speaking of Campagnolo-style: How about the cable guides that were brazed to the top, or underside, of the bottom bracket shell? Today's guides are plastic and bolted on.Justine Valinottihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-5105409070244982562017-03-29T12:53:39.359-04:002017-03-29T12:53:39.359-04:00You can still get single-pivot brakes, and very go...You can still get single-pivot brakes, and very good they are too...<br />http://www.cyclingweekly.com/reviews/brakes/token-tk-br7230-accura-brake-calipersAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04713990522773011214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-43921989059446209072017-03-29T11:15:02.255-04:002017-03-29T11:15:02.255-04:00Square-taper bottom bracket spindles; bottom brack...Square-taper bottom bracket spindles; bottom bracket cups with caged or loose ball bearings; French, Swiss, or Italian threaded bottom brackets; 25x1 fork threads; 26.4mm diameter handlebars; 27x1.25 tyres.mike w.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10317710564489321690noreply@blogger.com