Retro Vs. Modern

I recently watched a fun little video from Global Cycling Network on YouTube comparing modern to retro racing bikes. In it, two guys go for a ride together -- one with a new Ridley carbon fiber wünderbike that represents the top-level performance of today, while the other is riding what was probably the peak of performance in 1987. In fact, the 1987 bike is actually one of the very bikes ridden by Stephen Roche to his triple crown victories in the '87 Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and the World Championships. The history of the bike, as well as the close-up shots of the bike itself, alone made the video worthwhile viewing.

The '87 Stephen Roche bike was a Battaglin built with Columbus SLX tubing, and equipped with Campagnolo C-Record components, including the coveted-but-questionable delta brakes. Here are some shots:

About as good as things got in 1987. Campy C-Record had a smooth, aero look, and that crank is a real thing of beauty. The delta brakes, with their modulating mechanical advantage (it increased through the lever travel, which sounds like a great idea but really isn't) were a hot item at the time. 

I can't tell from this picture if these are the regular friction C-Record shifters, or if they are the retrofriction version. Either way, they are still friction-only, non-indexing levers. The retrofriction levers, with their smooth clutch action, had a feel somewhat similar to the very nice Simplex levers, which is to say, superb. 

There's Roche, quite possibly on this very bike, on his way to winning the '87 Giro.

One thing they never mention is where or how they got one of Stephen Roche's actual bikes. That was something I'd be interested to know.

The video occasionally shows some then/now comparisons, like these shots as the guys prepare to set out for their ride:

Notice the modern KAS helmet vs. the 80s vintage Cinelli leather hairnet that was still popular among racers at the time, even though more effective helmets were definitely available by then. Funny thing, as they're putting on the helmets, Matt (the guy with the vintage bike) has trouble getting his helmet secured. I'd forgotten how fussy the little buckles on those old hairnets could be.

Classic Campagnolo C-Rec pedals with clips and straps, vs. Look-type clipless pedals. The guys make a point of mentioning how long it takes to get your feet into the classic pedals (I disagree there completely) but that once the straps are cinched down, there's no loss on the power transfer. I'm really liking those classic black Sidi shoes with full leather soles.  

Notice that the rider on the vintage bike even put on 80s style gloves. I remember those colors and patterns. What were we thinking? Note the SRAM Red integrated brake/shift levers, and the Garmin computer on the new bike. The vintage machine has downtube shift levers, and a less-cluttered, cleaner-looking cockpit, if you ask me.

"Straight away, just picking the bike up, it's remarkably heavy. Compared to the Ridley, you're probably looking at 2, 2-1/2, maybe 3 kilos heavier." Well, that's probably true -- but that weight is more noticeable when "picking the bike up" (but who actually rides a bike like that?) than when you're actually out on the road. After acknowledging the craftsmanship of the lugged frame ("It really is a thing of beauty") the guy also points out how "fragile" the bike looks with its "skinny" tubes in comparison with the fat profiles of today's carbon fiber bikes, then remarks how surprisingly "rugged" it actually is when putting power to the pedals. This is a guy who is old enough to have started out on steel frames, so I'm not sure why that's so surprising.

"Retro vs. modern, retro wins!" I'm not exactly sure what happened here, but I'm thinking the rider on the modern bike must have dropped his chain after a bad shift. Even modern bikes aren't immune. About shifting, the riders describe integrated brake/shift levers as the "biggest revolution in shifting aside from the invention of the derailleur." About the down tube shift levers on the vintage bike, the rider describes them as "self-trimming" because "you have to trim them yourself." Clever. Nevertheless, he remarks that the shifting, at least on the chainrings, is pretty fast and effortless. I'd go further and say that front shifting with friction systems is at least as fast as any modern shift system, if not faster.

Here, the vintage bike rider discovers his limits on a seriously steep climb (they estimate it might be in the neighborhood of 30%). Probably the biggest practical drawback of the vintage race bike turns out to be the gearing. The Roche bike has a "small" chainring of 42 teeth, while the largest rear cog is only about 19 or 20 teeth. Of course, one could always get lower gearing, but in the days of 6 or 7-speed freewheels, one pretty much had a choice of high gearing with closely spaced ratios, or lower gearing with big jumps between gears. The advantage goes to the modern racer with a compact double crank, and a 10 or 11-speed cluster which can give a wide range and still have closely spaced ratios for racing.

After remarking on the riding position of the vintage bike, which has less drop from the saddle to the bars, the rider claims he feels like he could "tour all day without compromising any comfort." Now there's something a lot of us retrogrouches can get behind. "It feels remarkably comfortable. . . it's actually a pleasure to ride." 

Ultimately, the rider proclaims that with the comfort and feel of the vintage bike, despite all the technical advancements that have been made in the past couple of decades, he'd consider riding a classic-styled bike just for the enjoyment of the sport -- as long as he isn't looking for all-out performance. I suppose that's fair enough.

Anyhow, agree or disagree - it was a fun 8-min. video.

You can go to the Global Cycling Network channel on YouTube, or watch it right here:

Enjoy!

"Smart" Pedals For Dumb Bikes

The "connected" or "smart" bike thing is chugging along nicely as we start the year 2015.

I just saw a press release from a French start-up calling itself Connected Cycle that starts with this pronouncement:

Turn Your Bike Into a Smart Bike!

Which must mean that all my bikes (and probably yours, too) are "Dumb" Bikes. But don't worry -- all you need to "smarten up" your old dumb bike is a new smart pedal. Like this one:

Ph.D.

According to the the company, their pedal is "the first connected pedal." Granted, bicycle pedals have always been connected to the cranks -- but these connect to your phone, and the Cloud . . .

Sorry -- Wrong Cloud.

Oops -- Wrong again.

That's the one.

Connected Cycle says their pedal "provides a simple solution to bike theft for regular bike users." Simpler than a good lock? Hmmm. Apparently, the pedals notify the owner any time the bike is moved and the smartphone app can help them to locate their bike at any time. "This location capability not only prohibits theft, but also allows the owner to locate where they last parked their bike."

It must be a really rough night of drinking if you can't remember where you parked your bike.

The makers claim that the pedal uses GPS data to record speed, route, and incline. It also estimates calories burned. It then sends that info to the Cloud, where it makes its way back to the user's phone through their special app. It also is supposed to use the pedal's movement to generate its own power, so there is no need to charge the batteries. Users don't even need to have their phone with them, as all the ride data can be downloaded from the Cloud at a later time.

WHAT?!? Go for a ride WITHOUT A PHONE? What century is this? Next thing you know, they'll be trying to get us back on penny farthings.

Just to emphasize that all this "smart" technology is designed for people who are apparently not so smart, the company says that "installation takes less than 2 minutes and doesn't require mechanical skills." Then again, if all anyone knows about threaded components is "lefty loosie, righty tighty," then I suppose left-hand-threaded pedals would present a pretty complicated challenge. Interestingly, the pedals themselves have their own anti-theft measure built into them, which is that they can only be removed with a special key -- probably along the lines of those "locking" lug-nuts for cars, or locking wheel skewers for bikes. Seems surprisingly old-school, but effective.

The pedals are described as having a "robust" aluminum construction, and are available in fashionable colors:

No way to secure your footing on them, though. No clicks, clips, or straps -- so they're definitely for high-fashion, low-speed city riding. Even for that, though, I see an issue in that I find it unlikely that these one-sided pedals are likely to stay tread-side-up -- so have fun getting going while wearing such cycling-appropriate footwear as this:

I'm so glad the pedals are smart. 'Cause somebody out there definitely is not.

Charges Filed in the Tom Palermo Case

Just a brief update on the story about Tom Palermo, the Baltimore area cyclist and framebuilder who was killed last month. The latest news is likely to make some feel that the justice system is working, while others may feel like not enough is being done.

Tom was out for a bike ride on a clear afternoon on Dec. 27 when he was struck from behind by a driver who then fled the scene. That driver, Heather Cook, was a prominent bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Baltimore. Cook was chased down by other cyclists, who were able to partially identify the car before losing track of it in a gated housing community. She returned to the scene about a half-hour later, where she cooperated with police, was taken to the Baltimore Central District station, and given a breathalyzer test.

In the latest news, it has been revealed that Cook was drunk at the time of the accident, having registered 0.22% BAC (about 3 times the legal limit), and it has also been alleged by police that she was texting at the time as well. This past Friday, Cook surrendered to police and charges were filed, including manslaughter and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. The courts set her bail at $2.5 million.

Some have complained that Cook received special treatment, perhaps because of her position. For example, she was not given the breathalyzer test at the scene of the crime (when someone flees the scene, I'm not calling it an "accident"), and was not arrested promptly. However, according to police, prosecutors and defense attorneys, it is not unusual for charges to be delayed while the incident is investigated. Some former prosecutors have argued that charges in this case were actually brought relatively quickly.

When I first wrote about Tom's death, I wrote, "Unfortunately, a terrible truth for all of us cyclists is that there is far too often an 'accidents will happen' mindset in our justice system, so the drivers who maim and kill cyclists  rarely see any kind of criminal charges, or those charges are so watered down as to be rendered meaningless . . . In this case, with the driver being a notable bishop, it seems unlikely to me that serious charges would be raised against her, regardless of the other circumstances of the case that may come to light." I then expressed the hope that I'd be proven wrong.

Given that unfortunate reality, it seems to me that the justice system is actually taking the case seriously. I, and many others, feared that Cook's position might mean that she would be treated with too much leniency. Perhaps ironically, I now think that the opposite might be true -- because of Cook's position as a bishop, the case has actually become national news and is receiving a lot more scrutiny than is usually seen in the vehicular death of a cyclist.

There is still the distinct possibility that Cook could avoid serious punishment. Plea bargains are not uncommon, and even if the case does go to trial, it's hard to say what verdict a jury might hand down. But at least for now, it looks like the wheels of justice are turning. Time will tell if the cycling world will be satisfied with the results.

In the meantime, those who would like to help Tom's family are again encouraged to visit YouCaring.com, where a fund has been set up to raise money for his two young children.

Retrogrouch's Top 10 All-Time Bicycling Innovations

After that ridiculous Velo News list of "Top 10 Technical Innovations of All Time" -- which could more accurately have been named "Top 10 Gimmicks of Recent Memory," or perhaps "Top 10 List Created By A 20-yr-old Intern" I present the Retrogrouch's Top 10 Bicycling Innovations of All Time. In coming up with the list, I considered suggestions by friends on the Classic Rendezvous group, and readers of The Retrogrouch. I also considered the long-term impact of these creations, not only for the bicycling world, but also for other non-bicycling applications. Several of the top items on my list may have been originally developed for bicycles, but have had a huge impact well beyond their original intent. Like any attempt to put together a Top 10 list, mine will probably generate some disagreements, but here it is.

10. Effective Bicycle Helmets: Remember leather hairnets? They were light, and reasonably comfortable, but given the intended purpose of a helmet -- keeping your noggin from getting cracked up -- they were kind of pointless. In the mid-70s, Bell introduced the Biker, made with expanded polystyrene foam and a hard plastic shell. Yes, it was a bit heavy (a little over a pound), and ventilation was only so-so, but it was an effective bicycling-specific helmet and opened the gates to numerous imitators and gradual improvements. About 10 years after the Biker, Giro introduced the original Prolight, which dispensed with the hard shell and dropped the weight further, to the point where helmets today typically weigh around 300 grams or so. The benefits of a helmet may be debatable -- certainly, they don't deserve the nearly religious zealotry that some people give to them -- but at the very least, a good helmet might just keep a minor spill from ruining your life.

9. Quick Release Hubs: We are all familiar with the legend of Tullio Campagnolo and the Croce d'Aune Pass, and how he invented the quick release lever. It's a great story, though some suggest that it might well be just that -- a story. Heck, I've even read slightly different versions of the story put out by the Campagnolo company itself. Nevertheless, there's no denying that the simple quick release lever is a great invention that makes tire and wheel changes considerably easier. Some have tried to "improve" the design by making open-mechanism versions, but the classic closed-cam quick release that we've come to know since the 1930s is tough to improve upon.

8. Ball Bearings: The basic concept of bearings goes back to ancient times. And even DaVinci sketched a ball bearing mechanism that would look pretty familiar to us today, though it was never made (see right). The first recorded patent on ball bearings was given to Philip Vaughan, a Welsh iron master, in 1794. But modern radial-type ball bearings, made of steel, are generally attributed to Jules Suriray, a French bicycle mechanic. Suriray installed his bearings into the bicycle that won the first Paris-Rouen bicycle race in 1869. And from that time, ball bearings as we know them were indelibly linked with the growing bicycle industry. Ball bearing mechanisms in our hubs, pedals, bottom brackets, and headsets, all combine to help make a bicycle the most efficient mode of transport available.

7. Bowden Cables: Brake cables, as we know them today, with their inner cable sliding through a compression housing, are called Bowden Cables, and they have had all kinds of applications in cars, aircraft, and industry for over a century. There is some dispute as to whether the Bowden they are named after was the Englishman Frank Bowden, founder of Raleigh Bicycles, or the Irishman Earnest Bowden (more likely the latter) -- but either way, there is no dispute that the cable was originally created for bicycle brakes right around the turn of the 20th century. Without the cables, we'd all be stopping our bikes with rod brakes.

6. Ratcheting Freewheels: Despite the recent (but fading) trend toward fixed gear riding, the fact is, it's nice to be able to coast sometimes. The ratcheting mechanism that makes that possible has been part of bicycles off and on going back to the mid 1860s. Whether it is the older style threaded-on freewheel, or the more modern cassette, the basic ratcheting mechanism is a great invention.

5. High-Strength Alloy Steel Tubing: The introduction of Reynolds 531 manganese-molybdenum tubing in 1935 was a major breakthrough for performance-minded bicyclists. Lightweight, thin-walled tubing was possible, which lowered the weight of bicycles without compromising strength. Competing brands, like Columbus, Vitus, Tange, and others have given framebuilders and consumers more choices, and other alloys were introduced, like chrome-moly, and more recently, air-hardening alloys. Today, carbon fiber, aluminum, and titanium have all made steel almost a rare sight in the bike shop showrooms -- but to my mind, there is still nothing that beats steel for strength, durability, reliability, safety, and cost. When it's lugged and brazed by a good builder, there's nothing more beautiful, either.

4. Parallelogram Derailleur (With Extra Credit to SunTour for the slant parallelogram): The ability to shift gears tremendously increased the range and efficiency of the bicycle. And while there have been numerous systems and mechanisms devised over the years to make multiple gears possible, none can match the parallelogram design for its simplicity, durability, and efficiency. The chainstay-mounted Nivex of 1938 was likely the first, or at least the first to be considered successful. The dropout-mounted Campagnolo Gran Sport was the real game-changer, though, as it became the design that virtually all others would copy and/or attempt to improve upon. In 1964, SunTour introduced the slant parallelogram, which canted the mechanism at an angle that allowed it to better follow the profile of the freewheel cogs, improving its shifting performance across the range. After their patent expired 20 years later, the slant parallelogram became the standard for all derailleur designs, and is still the best system for changing gears.

3. Roller Chain: It took a while to come up with a good means for transmitting power from a bicycle's pedals to its wheels, apart from having the pedals attached directly to the wheel, as in the penny-farthing. But the creation of the roller chain in the late 1800s gave us what is still probably the most efficient power transmission system available -- some studies say it is well over 98% efficient. Not only that, but the bicycle chain turned out to have all kinds of applications apart from bicycles, including use in motorcycles, cars, and industrial machinery.

Marcel Duchamp made the
bicycle wheel a work of art.

2. Wire-spoked Wheels: The tensioned wire-spoked wheel is a remarkable invention from an engineering standpoint, with incredible strength for its weight. Just try to imagine riding on wooden wheels! The invention of tangental spokes, which increased strength and durability, is generally credited to James Starley, whom some consider to be the father of the bicycle industry in Britain. His nephew, John Kemp Starley, is credited as the inventor of the safety bicycle.

J.B. Dunlop, enjoying the bicycle that he
made more comfortable, more efficient,
and more enjoyable for all of us.

1. Pneumatic Tires: The wire-spoked wheel was a good invention, but it didn't become truly great until the solid rubber tires were replaced by John Boyd Dunlop's pneumatic tires in 1887. Dunlop was originally a veterinarian, but developed the pneumatic tire to improve the comfort of his son's tricycle. With that invention, the bicycle as we know it today was basically complete. The diamond frame safety bicycle, invented just a couple of years earlier, equipped with wire-spoked wheels, roller chain,  ball bearings, and pneumatic tires, was an incredibly efficient machine, and was not appreciably different than the bicycles we ride today -- any differences between then and now are more "evolutionary" than "revolutionary."

Not only that, but I put pneumatic tires at the number one spot on my list because of the way they revolutionized all kinds of products and machinery far beyond bicycles. Wheelchairs, motorcycles, cars, trucks, aircraft, even the space shuttle -- all were greatly improved (perhaps made possible in part) by Dunlop's tires. Many attempts have been made to improve upon them, but none could be considered successful.

So there you have it -- a Retrogrouch Top 10 list. Notice that most of the things on the list pre-date the 20th century, while a couple date back to the 1930s. The only one created in my own lifetime was the EPS bicycle helmet. What does that have to say about the importance of carbon fiber or power meters? Not much, I guess, and I'm OK with that.

"Connected" Concept Bikes: Enough Already!

The Chinese internet service company Baidu, known as the "Chinese Google," has introduced the latest salvo in the battle of "connected" or "smart" bikes. The Dubike, as it's been dubbed, was designed in collaboration with Tsinghua University's design department -- and it looks like it. It bears all the styling hallmarks of a masturbatory design school exercise -- silver, chunky, plastic, seat-tube-less frame (what do design students have against seat tubes?) -- but has enough off-the-shelf componentry hung on it to look like it might just be ready for actual production.

The Dubike has a generator hub that is designed to power all the bike's electronics, such as the built-in headlights, taillights, and various sensors (of which it has many), as well as charging a rider's ubiquitous and indispensable devices. Baidu has created an OS for the Dubike, which has already been released to the public so that developers can create more apps that will sync with the bike and users' smart phones -- not to mention the ever-necessary social media interactions. Supposedly, the bike has all the wiring and sensors available that such apps could track fitness data, power meters, navigation, security, and more -- which seems like a lot of useless data for a bike that looks like it is designed for urban commuters.

Although it looks like a futuristic urban bike (or a design school student's interpretation of the future, anyhow) with its fat tires, flat pedals, flat bars, and off-the-shelf and completely unnecessary suspension fork, something the bike seems to be totally unequipped for is fenders and racks, which would be far more useful accessories for what appears to be the target users. Doesn't it rain in China? Don't Chinese commuters have to carry anything? Apparently not.

Baidu has a pretty slick-looking video available. See it here, or on their website:

The website is in English -- though from what I can find out about the bike, it doesn't seem likely that it will find its way to the U.S.

Darn.

The bicycle as social media device.

When it comes to function, it seems that the Dubike, like most other "smart" bike concepts, places more emphasis on unnecessary data overload and social media interactivity than on actually riding the bike. No, this is really more of a toy for riding a couple of blocks on clear, cloudless days to the trendy café to meet up with similarly trendy friends while posting the "experience" on Facebook, or Snapchat -- and tracking all the useless data gathered from that 10-minute ride ('cause if you're not "training" for something, what's the point of riding the bike in the first place?). And if this trendy group does actually gather together, if they're like most smart-phone-obsessed people I see today, they'll sit together not talking, with their eyes glued to their own phones while they text message other people and take selfies. That's really what it's all about, isn't it? Am I being too harsh?

What's A Parallelogram? Don't Ask Velo News.

Velo News has a feature currently about the "Top 10 Technical Innovations of All Time." Here they are from last to first:

10. Power Meters
9. Foam Helmets
8. Shimano Electronic Shifting
7. Compact Cranks
6. Digital Bike Fit
5. Look Clipless Pedals
4. WADA Biological Passport
3. DuPont Lycra
2. Shimano STI Brake/Shift Levers
and at #1, Parallelogram Derailleur.

Of course, any time someone compiles a list of Top Ten Anything there are going to be disagreements. And if you're talking about "Technical Innovations" you can bet that a Retrogrouch will roll his eyes at some of the items on the list.

Come on. Power Meters? Just another thing for mid-pack-finishing Freds to blow money on with promises of "secret weapon-like" performance improvements. Electronic Shifting? Toys for rich people. Digital Bike Fit? Meh.

What about that number one? The Parallelogram Derailleur. No argument from me, except for this:

Not a parallelogram derailleur.

That is a Simplex Champion Du Monde from the late 1930s. Velo News uses that as the example of a parallelogram derailleur -- one of the first, in fact.

Here's the text:

"Simplex introduced a cable-actuated parallelogram derailleur in 1938 and the sport never looked back."

The problem is the Simplex was not a parallelogram derailleur. It was a pull-chain, plunger action derailleur, and it was probably introduced in 1935.

In 1938, Nivex produced a parallelogram derailleur that had some success with cyclotourists. It also very likely helped inspire Campagnolo's Gran Sport which was first shown to the public in 1949. The Gran Sport was the derailleur that swept through the sport so that it "never looked back."

The article goes on to explain why the parallelogram derailleur is number one. "The argument for the derailleur's place on this list is as simple as it is obvious: no other piece of cycling technology expanded the versatility and terrain range of the bicycle like the parallelogram (and later the slant parallelogram) derailleur. It brought the bicycle, and bicycle racing, into the modern era." Great!

By the way, Simplex wouldn't introduce a parallelogram derailleur until 1961, with the Juy Export 61 -- a unit that looked somewhat similar to the Campagnolo design, but with some key improvements that actually made it work better. Then they went and blew it by converting their derailleur line to "Delrin" plastic the following year.

Would I agree that the parallelogram derailleur deserves the top spot on a list of the "Top 10 Technical Innovations of All Time"? Yep.

Too bad the folks at Velo News don't know what that is.

The Bicycling Community Pulls Together for Tom Palermo

Baltimore area framebuilder Tom Palermo was killed while bicycling on Saturday, Dec. 27th, when he was struck from behind by a car that fled the scene. Though the driver, an Episcopalian Bishop named Heather Cook, did eventually come forward, it was too late for Tom. I mentioned in my recent article about the incident that Tom had two young children who are now left fatherless. As a father of two young ones myself, I believe that is the worst part of this tragedy.

While it is unclear so far as to what will be done by the legal system to seek justice for Tom's death, the bicycling community has been pulling together to help his family. A fund has been set up on YouCaring.com, and after only a couple of days, has come close to meeting its fundraising goals.

A number of people, including fellow framebuilders and bicycle enthusiasts on the Classic Rendezvous group have been selling bicycle parts and donating the proceeds to Tom's family. Certainly, if any Retrogrouch readers are so moved, don't hesitate to visit the YouCaring site to make a donation.

Another project of a different sort has been started by framebuilder Chris Bishop -- to compile pictures and stories about Tom's work to serve as something of a tribute for his children, to let them understand what their father did, and how much he meant to people in the bicycling community.

Chris writes, "Tom was a great guy, always warm. He loved his family immensely, something I got to see firsthand when I visited his house. We may not be able to bring Tom back to his kids, but we have an opportunity to create something for his wife and kids, who are too young now to really understand, to show them what he accomplished as a framebuilder. My wife and I have decided that a book might be a good idea. We want to compile pictures, stories, and thoughts about Tom and his bikes into a book that, when they are ready, his kids and wife can look at to see how much he was respected and loved in this community, and the talent he had."

Chris Bishop and his wife are seeking pictures from Tom's customers, pictures of his bikes, pictures from rides, news stories, statements, stories, or anything else that might help with the project. If anyone out there has anything to contribute, contact Chris by email at chris@bishopbikes.com, and copy his wife who will be helping with the project, at cdefine8@yahoo.com.

"Tom was always incredibly helpful and encouraging to me when I started out as a framebuilder," said Chris. "I will never forget the ways he helped me. I hope we can create something for Tom to help his kids remember their father with pride."

Nothing can be done to make what happened right. But I think it speaks really well of the bicycling community that there has been such an outpouring of support for Tom Palermo's family.