[CR]Cinelli bivalent orientation

Chuck Schmidt commented on a Tom Adams post, the gist being that the Cinelli Bivalent will have its operating lever pointed backwards if it is put on the right side, and the splines on the front wheel are on the right, too. I've been using mine for a decade or so, mounted with the lever on the left, and the splines on the left. Works just the same, except, as Chuck points out, that the lever points forward when fairly tight. I'm feeling sort of sheepish, since I couldn't remember seeing them in use when I got mine, so I just relied on the CONI illustration (p. 99) for guidance. I might have played with it and come out prefering Chuck's way (but, in 40 years, I can't remember tangling a front QR lever, so I don't regard this as critical). What is critical (and the CONI shows, and Chuck emphasizes) is that the skewer operating lever and the splines be on the same side of the assembly. After that, I think it has to do more with preference that "correctness." thanks! harvey sachs mcLean va Tom Adams wrote:
> CR stalwarts I remember meeting were Dan Artley, Harvey Sachs, Larry Black and Paul Raley. Bikes included Dan's curve tube Taylor with a SA 4 speed fixie hub, Harvey's Cinelli mit Bivalent system,... Picture of front bivalent: http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/thomasthomasa/vwp?.dir=/Nov%2703+Balt-DC+rides&.dnm=Cinelli+Bivalent+front+hub.jpg&.src=ph&.view=t&.hires=t

Try this one if the above link is split: http://tinyurl.com/thp7

I noticed in this photo that Harvey's front bivalent hub lever is pointed forward and is on the left side of the bike. I had mine the same way on my 1960 Cinelli originally, but found out later after seeing the correct set up in a catalog illustration that the front lever is actually supposed to be set up on the right side of the bike.

This way the lever points to the back when tightened and the spline drive is on the same side of the bike (right side) front and rear, so that the front and rear wheels are in the same relationship (less confusing during a wheel change).

For those who are unfamiliar with the Cinelli bivalent wheels, the same wheel is used for the front or the back; interchangeable in other words.