New Dura Ace Anticipation - And a Look Back

A lot of the bike blogosphere has been making much of the fact that 2021 marks Shimano's 100th anniversary. Much is also being made of the fact that the company's usual 4-year cycle for major component redesigns was interrupted by the pandemic, so while 2020 might otherwise have marked the introduction of a new version of their top of the line Dura Ace group, many are now salivating at the prospect of a 2021 introduction to go along with the company's anniversary.

Just so we're clear on this, the current iteration of Dura Ace is their 9100 group, which is an 11-speed setup, available in cable-op or electronic shift versions (electronic Di2 is labeled 9150). Since Campagnolo has moved up to 12-speeds, most of the cheerleader blogs are hoping that the next generation Dura Ace (9200, presumably) will also shift 12 cogs in back. And there's a lot of anticipation that the electronic version may even be wireless to go head-to head with SRAM.

By the way, here's the current 9100 rear derailleur:

Sorry - but as far as I'm concerned, that thing is just fugly. Yes, it will shift an incredibly wide range for a road racing derailleur, but it hurts my eyes. 

In fact, I'd say the same for the whole group:

I have no doubt that the new 9200 Dura Ace, if it is indeed introduced in the upcoming months - or whenever it gets released - will work flawlessly. And I also expect it will look similarly hideous.

It really increases my appreciation for the stuff of the past.

It just so happens that I have nearly complete Dura Ace 7400 group from 1984 in my possession. I think it would be impossible to fault the performance of that group. But not only did it work impeccably, it also looked beautiful - crisp, simple, minimalist, and finished with jewelry-like attention to detail.

Here's the rear derailleur:

This particular example has just a bit of road rash on it, but overall still holds its own. The logo is unharmed, and functionally it's still perfect. The smooth, but crisp design was cutting edge in 1984, and still looks great today.

The front derailleur is similarly sleek, compact, and minimalist.

The shift levers are simple and smooth - but the thing that made them revolutionary was hidden inside. The clicking detents in the right lever were the heart of the SIS (Shimano Indexing System) that upended the industry. These are the original 7400 - 6-speed version, and could be switched to normal "friction" mode in the event one needed it.

The crank had that same crisp-edged aesthetic. It was smooth and low profile - without being overtly "aero." It was almost as though Shimano was doing a complete about-face after their less-than-successful aerodynamic Dura-Ace AX group.

The brakes were a sleek design - and were about as good as single-pivot sidepull brakes would ever get. Only available in short reach, as far as I know. If one needed a longer-reach brake, the 600 brake (most readers probably remember that 600 was later renamed "Ultegra") from that time looked similar, and were available in a 55mm reach version.

The pedals retained some of the aerodynamic styling of the 7300 AX group, but without the bizarre "Dyna Drive" innovation with its oversized spindle (which required a similarly oversized pedal hole in the crank). These had a low-profile design that allowed for more cornering clearance - not that pedaling through corners is really a recommended practice, but tell that to criterium racers in the '80s. The design would have been welcome on track bikes, too. One issue I have with the pedals is that the toe clips are yet another "does not play well with others" example from Shimano, as they are a unique design meant to integrate with the pedal. Also, there was an attempt to make a unique Shimano shoe cleat that would also integrate with the pedals and clips. The toe clips have little "wings" that would interloc with matching "wings" on the leading edge of the shoe cleat, with the intent being to make a more "positive" attachment to the pedals. All of that was rendered obsolete when Shimano embraced clipless pedals a couple of years later. But good luck finding either the special toe clips or cleats today. (luckily, the pedals do work with common non-Shimano slotted cleats - or with flat-bottomed shoes, but it's less than optimal).

Though I didn't take a photo to post, I also have a nice pair of wheels with the appropriate Dura Ace hubs (freewheel, not cassette) and the correct Dura Ace seatpost. In fact, I think the only thing I don't have is the headset.

Here's a scan of one of the ads explaining SIS, from early 1985:

Funny thing is that even as a teenager in 1984, I was already showing serious retrogrouchy tendencies. I remember reading all the hype about indexed shifting, and all I could think was "who needs that?" and dismissing it as a fad. Keep in mind that in 1984, I was still very much a SunTour guy. One thing that the ads and articles about SIS never mentioned was that one of the key elements of the new Dura Ace derailleur design was taken straight from SunTour, whose slant-parallelogram patent had just expired.

Another thing about indexed shifting that made me skeptical was that I knew it wasn't really "new." Shimano had several versions of their Positron system which brought indexing to low end entry level bikes and never caught on. Even SunTour had an early indexed shifting system called "Mighty Click" which failed to catch on. In fact, click shifting systems actually can be found all the way back to the beginning of multi-gear bicycles. But unlike Positron and most other indexing attempts, Dura Ace was a top-level group aimed at pros and serious racers - which brought that "trickle down" appeal (unlike the economy, "trickle down" does actually work in marketing bicycle components). And the engineering of the design - as a whole drivetrain system - was what really transformed things.

Other attempts to create indexed shifting usually focused on either the shift lever, or the derailleur - either one having precise detents built into their mechanism. But SIS integrated the whole drivetrain and shifting system. It wasn't just the clicking levers. It was about optimising the chain, the profile and spacing of the sprockets, the movement of the derailleur in each gear position, and even the cables and housing. As the competition tried to answer with their own indexing systems (SunTour's Accushift, and Campagnolo's Synchro) that full-system integration was the stumbling block they had to overcome. And by the time the competition figured that out, Shimano was working on integrating even more of the bicycle's components.

Okay - so was this all a good thing for the industry? From a retrogrouchy perspective, probably not, as that increased specialization and integration came at the expense of simplicity and compatibility - and ushered in an industry-wide race to obsolescence. But to be fair, the precision that made this Dura Ace group work so well gradually filtered down the line to more cost-conscious component levels to the point that even an entry level bike will function like a top-of-the-line machine -- and for the general bike-buying public, that's probably a good thing.

I remember all the "excitement" among my college bike club friends when SIS made its way to the second-tier 600 group, then later 105, and so on. The whole time, as more and more of my friends were clicking, I saw no reason to jump on the bandwagon. It's funny when I think back on it, but I didn't get a bike with click shifting until my Rivendell in 2001 (20 years ago!), which I built up with Ultegra 9-speed and bar-end shifters -- which by that time was more than 10 years after everyone else had moved on to STI integrated brake/shift levers. Even now, while my main commuting bike has STI, and I have a very nice retro-mod Mercian with Campagnolo Ergo, I still do a lot of my riding on bikes with traditional friction shifting. 

I don't currently have a project bike in mind for that 1984 Dura Ace group. But if I do end up using it someday, I still like to think that I might substitute some old Simplex retrofriction shift levers just to be contrary.

Once a retrogrouch, always a retrogrouch.

Memorial Day 2021

After several days of non-stop rain, our Memorial Day Monday turned out to be a perfect day for a bike ride. Brilliant sunshine, low humidity, and temperatures in the upper 60s. The RetroKids and I took our bikes to the canal towpath, but instead of heading north through the national park as we often do, we decided to take the somewhat less-traveled part of the path that passes through downtown Akron and southward out of the city.

One of the cool things about this section of the towpath is that it gives a person a glimpse at the industrial roots of the city, as it passes between the old Ohio & Erie Canal and the former rubber factories of the city's heyday. It's a good place to go with a camera, too, as there are great contrasts with the rusting iron structures, stone and brick masonry, burgeoning greenery, and occasional bursts of urban art/graffiti.

After a long uphill climb, and crossing a bridge over the city's old (and now mostly defunct) interbelt, the path comes into the downtown landscape - which was dead quiet today for the holiday.

A view of what had once been one of the factories for the B.F. Goodrich Tire Co. - One of many factories that made Akron the center of the North American tire and rubber industry. B.F. Goodrich, Goodyear, Firestone and more all called Akron their home. Only Goodyear remains headquartered in the city, but most of the factories are closed.

Colorful urban art where the path passes under one of the city streets.

One of several giant-sized Adirondack chairs placed along the path, overlooking the canal.

An urban park on the edge of downtown, with the canal as its centerpiece - and another glimpse of the old B.F. Goodrich factory.

South of downtown, a floating boardwalk carries riders over Summit Lake -- once the site of an amusement park featuring a rollercoaster, ferris wheel, a dance hall, an enormous swimming pool, and other attractions. It was known as Akron's Coney Island. All of that's gone now.

Here was a cool spot under a railway trestle, beside the remains of one of the old canal locks.

And, some pictures of the bikes:

Not a whole lot more to say. It's just still my favorite way to spend time with my kids, and I can't overstate how much it means that they still enjoy getting out to explore things on their bikes.

Whether you get out on a bike or not, wherever you are, I hope you're having a good holiday with someone you love.

Beating the Heat

Here in Akron we're having an early heat wave. It's unusual for us to be hitting the upper 80s in mid May like this, but that's where we are. We're expecting some days in the 90s next week. Heat like that can make a bike ride a little less enjoyable, but there's one way to beat the heat - get out on the road early while it's still cool.

While the rest of my family was still in bed taking advantage of a chance to sleep in, I got out shortly after sunrise this morning - on what promises to be a very nice - but hot - Sunday. It was partly cloudy with a bit of hazy sunshine, patches of mist in some of the lower-lying areas in the valley, and temps in the mid 60s. 

I hit the road on the Sequoia and was once again reminded of what a well-sorted-out bike it is. Its handling is reassuring and predictable. It soaks up rough pavement handily. The '80s vintage SunTour drivetrain works so well, it convinces me even more certainly that much of the "innovation" of the past 30 years has been "new for the sake of new," but not real improvements. 

I stopped for a picture by the farm market in the heart of the national park. Activity at the farm hints that their season opening is just around the corner.

The little farm market has corn fields scattered all around the valley floor, and I could see workers plowing and sowing one of the fields. Others fields are already sprouting with this summer's crop. As this summer promises to take us more "back to normal" after the pandemic, I can imagine the market (which is always a popular stop for visitors to the park) will be busier than ever. Seeing the work going on around the farm fills me with anticipation for summer.

By the time I was climbing the long hill back home, I could already feel it getting hotter - but I'd beaten the worst of it. After a cool shower, I could relax outside on the porch with a cup of coffee while I'd wait for the rest of the family to rise.

Road(s) Closed

Anyone who reads this blog with any regularity knows that I am fortunate to live near, and to be able to do a lot of my riding in and around the Cuyahoga Valley - with its national park and variety of county metroparks. Between the canal towpath, a rails-to-trails path, a couple of mountain bike trails, and a network of roads into, around, and through the valley, the local area is a Mecca for NE Ohio cyclists.

In the southern part of the valley (that is, the Akron end), there are two main roads that run along the valley floor, roughly parallel to one another, beside the east and west banks of the river, with several roads connecting them along the way. From Akron to the little town of Peninsula, which is right in the heart of the national park, those roads form the backbone of most out-and-back riding loops. 

The sign may say Road Closed --
but that doesn't stop someone on a bike.

Due to erosion problems on the eastern bank of the river, one of these two valley roads has been closed since winter - and I should add, closed indefinitely. Hopefully there is a plan to mitigate the erosion issues where the river comes close to the road, and then reopen it. But so far, I haven't heard any specifics regarding a plan, or any kind of timeline for completion. At least one sign I saw literally says "closed until ?" 

The good news for cyclists is that, despite signs clearly indicating no cyclists or even pedestrians allowed, it's a simple matter to get around the barricades and ride a couple of car-free miles. The closure probably hasn't stopped hikers or joggers, either. Is it legal? Hell if I know - but I was riding through the closed section on Saturday and saw a park ranger who didn't say a word as I went by. It's probably not worth the trouble to stop us - and there's no immediate danger, so why bother? 

This isn't the only closed road in the valley these days.

The northern end of this same road - the end that offered a long, steep climb out of the valley - has been closed for roughly 20 years now. That end of the road was closed permanently and allowed to "go back to nature." I and many other cyclists continued to ride that section of road for a lot of years and observe it as it was gradually reclaimed by plant life. Over the years, as the pavement disintegrated, it became increasingly difficult to ride, and the last time I tried exploring it, I ended up finishing on foot - the former road was virtually indistinguishable from the surrounding woods.

Another road in the valley was closed a couple of years ago - that road formed part of a loop around Hale Farm & Village (a local living-history village/museum) and an old covered bridge that has appeared in photos here on the blog a few times. It also included another long and challenging climb out of the valley if one were so inclined. That road was closed permanently, as the county officials decided they no longer wanted to maintain it. Local cycling clubs petitioned to keep it open - at least for use by cyclists and hikers - to no avail. Again, the barricades and signs don't keep us out, but the road is degrading noticeably. Grass is protruding from the many cracks in the pavement, which leads to more and bigger cracks, and more crumbling asphalt. I still ride it regularly. The red Mercian pictured above with its 25 mm tires works okay, but I'm finding that bikes with fatter tires are becoming more desirable. The Sequoia (32 mm tires) the Rivendell (33.3 mm) and the Motobecane (650B - 37 mm) all feel more reassuring where the pavement is crumbling.

Still another closed road sits right on the edge of the valley, in one of the metroparks, and which also happens to be one of the connectors between the two main valley roads. Locals have been used to this one being closed temporarily for a few weeks every year due to -- (wait for it) -- salamander migration. That's right. Apparently there is some rare salamander that lives in this part of the metropark, and for a few weeks every spring, they have some kind of mating migration from the marshy areas on one side of the park road to the marshy areas on other side of the road. There's probably a bad joke in there somewhere (Why did the salamander cross the road?) For the last couple of years the road has been closed - at least to the cars - more or less permanently. I don't know if the park service has any plans to reopen it someday, but the joggers and cyclists have no complaints about the closure. It's actually nice to have some car-free roads in a park like this one, and the inconvenience to drivers is minimal.

The closed roads do make for quiet, more secluded riding experiences, and offer some variety on rides through the valley. Nevertheless, I'm hoping the latest closure is only a temporary one.

A Foggy Morning - and an Odd Sign

As I'm sitting here typing this, the sun is once again shining in through the window after a solid week of rain in NE Ohio. No joke - it rained every day for the past week, and seemed especially biblical on Mothers Day as some of our local streets looked like canals, and flash flood warnings were the order of the day. I know of more than a few folks in my area whose homes are currently looking like lakefront properties. I don't think the showers stopped until sometime early this morning.

This morning promised to be the start to a good day for riding to work, but first I'd have to negotiate with heavy fog for the morning commute. The fog got particularly thick once I'd left the city limits and got into the more rural part of my ride as I neared my workplace. On the rural roads, the visibility was reduced to only about 20 yards -- possibly less in some spots.

I do get a little concerned about my own visibility on such mornings. I've got a flashing light on the back of my helmet, a couple of bright tail lights on the back of my bike, and two bright LED headlights - but in fog as thick as what we had this morning, I can only hope it's enough. I couldn't see car headlights until they got within about 30 yards away, so I doubt my lights are any better than that.

An odd sight emerged from the fog. Some kind of sign? A single lost shoe, looking to be reunited with its mate? And if so, why is it that whenever you see a shoe on the side of the road, it's always just ONE shoe? How does that even happen?

As the morning progressed, the fog burned off, revealing clear skies - finally. The ride home should be quite nice. In fact, if the forecast is to be believed, we should have a nice week ahead of us. That would be a welcome turn.

Well, that's all I've got for the moment. Just a short post for today.

Brooks Imperial Test Update

 I wrote some months back that I've been testing a Brooks saddle - specifically a B17 "Imperial" or "carved" model. That's the one with the big "pressure relieving" hole cut into the top. I've been using the saddle since August, and have put well over 2000 miles on it and can report a few observations.

First - the saddle still looks beautiful. The leather barely has any signs of wear. I did apply some Brooks Proofide before installing it on the bike, and I've used a cover whenever I've encountered rain, which I'm sure has helped protect it. But really, it hardly looks like it's been used. The chrome on the undercarriage is keeping its lustre. Like most Brooks saddles, it is, and remains, a thing of utilitarian beauty. The chromed rails (as opposed to painted, as on a "standard" B17) mark it as a deluxe model. The contrast between the rich brown leather and the gleaming chrome gives the saddle a luxurious look.

As far as comfort goes, something I've noticed is that the saddle remains quite stiff or hard, even after more than 6 months of regular use. It's almost as if it is taking longer to break-in than what I've experienced with other similar (non-carved) Brooks saddles. I'm curious as to whether this saddle has a different quality leather from what they use on standard B17 saddles. Maybe a tiny bit thicker? I have no way of knowing for sure - but I do suspect there must be something different about it. The Imperial model has been around for more than 10 years, so I can't understand why Brooks would be asking people to conduct long-term tests on one unless they were doing something different with it - and since I can't see anything obviously different, I can only suspect it may be something harder to detect. Different leather might be the thing.

Having said that, there could be another reason the saddle has remained so stiff. The laces along the bottom really keep the lower sides of the saddle from flexing, which in turn keeps the top firm. People will sometimes lace an older sagging saddle in the same manner to firm it up. Lacing a new saddle is probably overkill. The thing is, I typically find B17 saddles to be reasonably comfortable right out of the box, and they only get better as they break-in. This one doesn't yet seem to "disappear" underneath me as my other saddles do. I have loosened the laces on this example to allow some more of that flex that I've come to appreciate. That has helped some - but I'm considering removing the laces entirely to see what difference that makes to my comfort.

OK - so what about that big hole in the top?

Some readers may recall that about 20 (or so) years ago, some doctor published a study in which he connected frequent cycling to erectile dysfunction in men. The article was widely publicized in mainstream magazines, newspapers, and even on television talk and news shows. Even though the study's findings have since been called into question, if not flat-out refuted, the result is that many saddles today come with slots, holes, channels, or grooves in the top that are designed to reduce pressure on the blood vessels and nerves that travel through the perineum.

I for one have always been skeptical of the scare stories about impotence and the claims about "safer" saddle designs. In some cases, I've even questioned whether some "grooved" or "channeled" saddles might not be prone to do more harm than good. No, I can't perform a scientific study on it - but just looking at some of the designs, it simply strikes me that some "channeled" or "grooved" designs replace one large, broad pressure point with two much smaller, sharper pressure points, and I'm not sure that would really help the issue.

So back to the Brooks . . .

When I first looked at the saddle, I wondered if I'd even be able to notice the hole, much less whether it would it make any difference in comfort. After getting on the bike and riding a few miles, I started thinking - was it my imagination, or could I actually feel that hole? But I don't mean in a good, "pressure relieving" way. I mean, I thought I was feeling the edges of the hole - like digging in. After more miles and more days, weeks, and months of riding, I was certain of it. The edges of that hole were causing some chafing, even with padded cycling shorts. I had hoped that as the saddle softened up, that sensation would go away, though as I've already mentioned, the saddle still remains quite stiff so I'm still waiting to see if that happens. I'll remove the laces, free up the top to flex more, and maybe that will help. But what I'm struck by is that I'll get out for a ride on another bike with a standard B17 (and by the way, this can include saddles with similar mileage on them, or not that much more) and feel instantly comfortable with no fussing.

I've still got some time with the Brooks Imperial, and I remain open to the possibility that with more break-in miles, that it could match the comfort of the more traditional saddles I'm accustomed to. But so far, my impression is that the standard "non-carved" B17 is hard to beat, and I'd be willing to bet that would hold true even if someone truly was concerned about perineal pressure.

Oh yeah - one more thing. . .

Back in August, when I first wrote here in the blog about receiving this test saddle from Brooks, I mentioned that I had noticed an odd thing. Brooks leather saddles are notably still made in England, even though Brooks is now owned by the Italian company Selle Royal. When my saddle arrived, I saw that it had come shipped from Italy. I've since then learned the story. The leather saddles are indeed still made in the English factory (the non-leather saddles may be made elsewhere, though I'm not certain where) but they are then shipped to Italy for distribution. This arrangement is causing a bit of a flap now in post-Brexit Britain. Brooks has no distribution within Britain -- it is all handled through the parent company in Italy. That means that the saddles are made in England, shipped to Italy, and then (for U.K. buyers) have to be re-imported to the U.K. Post-Brexit trade, tariff, and tax issues with European Union imports means that U.K. buyers are having problems getting their hands on Brooks saddles, even though the saddles are made in their own country. What a mess. 

If anything changes my impression of the saddle, I'll be sure to give an update.

Catching Up

It's been a while, hasn't it?

The past few months have been pretty uninspiring when it comes to writing blog posts. Combined with work, and family concerns, updating a blog has shifted lower on the priorities. But I have a few moments to think about what's gone on since I last posted here on the Retrogrouch.

The Pandemic

Still dragging on. I got two doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Our state prioritized teachers, so I was able to get my shots a little earlier than other friends of my same age group. I was also fortunate enough that our employer made the arrangements for all employees to get the shots, so it was a simple matter of picking a time slot and showing up. It has been a lot more complicated for many other people. At this point, every adult in Ohio is eligible for a shot, but for a while there, actually getting an appointment for one was something like an "every-man-for-himself" proposition, made harder for those who weren't computer/internet savvy (which includes most of the oldest population who were most at risk of the virus). Needless to say, getting a vaccine for my aging father was an ordeal, though I did manage to get him one. I understand the process is getting better, or so I hear.

Commuting

I've been back at work full-time since late January, and I've been riding to work whenever I've been able. January and February are always lousy months for riding a bike in Northeast Ohio, but I still managed to ride a few days in those dead-of-winter months. Since March, I've been riding at least three days a week, but rain, and even snow sometimes, have made it hard to do much better than that. I know - I could always simply ride in the rain, but cold and wet is a terrible combination. Plus, part of the attraction for biking to work is that I enjoy it. I'm not actively seeking out misery.

Yesterday we had a snowstorm blow through the area in the morning, and I ended up driving. This morning the roads were clear, but black ice was an ever-present danger. The trees along this stretch of road still had that "wonderland" snow-frosting. It was cold - but a good ride to work.

Progress - Or So Some Might Say

For about 27 years now I've been passing, and admiring, this "perfect" old barn along my route to work. I've even captured it in a number of photos over the years. The barn, the little farmhouse nearby, and the surrounding farm fields with their rolling hills have always captured my imagination. The scene exhibits such a quiet, peaceful beauty, and I've long found something soothing and reassuring in it.

About a year ago, the farm was sold to developers, and I knew it was only a matter of time before the fields were carved up for houses that people like me would never be able to afford. I had hoped maybe someone would buy the farmhouse and the barn, and possible keep them, but that was probably just foolish wishful thinking.

Earlier this week, passing the farm on my way home, I saw this:

It had been standing that morning. It took only a few hours to reduce it to scrap.

It was one of the last little farms still left in the area. Such a shame to see it go this way.

Don't it always seem to go

That you don't know what you've got till it's gone

They paved paradise, put up a parking lot

- Joni Mitchell