At 12:29 3/25/2001 -0500, Leonard Bulger wrote:
>After all this discussion of the pinnacle of lightweights, how about
>something completely different. I've always been more interested in
>failures than successes, so what was the worst bike part? I want to
>exclude junk made for department store bikes, but rather discuss parts
>made for good bikes by companies who should have known better.
<snip>
Here's a short list, inspired by the "should have known better:"
Campag Sport derailleur, and the other one-jockey-wheel units. As the freewheel cog gets smaller, it progressively engages fewer teeth, guaranteeing early failure by skipping. All this because someone was too lazy to look at the relative friction losses of chain deflections and stuff.
Campag Gran Turismo Rear Chain Strangler. Heavy enough to emulate a tandem by itself. Shift waulity worse than old plastic Simplex. All in all, a thoroughly useless bit of junk -- not quite heavy enough for a good boat anchor.
Cinelli M-71 WidowMaker Pedals. When lying on one's side after an "incident," really, really, awkward to reach the release lever to get out. If the accident hadn't sheared it clean off.
Early Cinelli Bi-Valent hubs, which managed to kill a brilliant concept by making the parts too fragile for intended use.
Boy, do I have enemies now!
harvey sachs (who has one bike with the Cinellis stuff, for gentle riding)