John Thompson wrote:
>
> Chuck Schmidt wrote:
> > John Thompson wrote:
> >
> > (snip)
> >
> >>But seriously, one of the reasons Trek spec'ed the Helicomatic was
> >>because it allowed easy removal of the freewheel without requiring a
> >>large wrench or bench vice. That way a rider on e.g. an extended tour
> >>(touring bikes were big in the early 80's) could readily replace a
> >>broken spoke on the road.
> >
> >
> > And if per chance you had any problems with your Trek spec'd Helicomatic
> > on your extended tour of the U.S. it would always be a piece o' cake
> > readily finding replacements in any hamlet, town or city... <grin>
>
> But that never happens, does it? :-)
>
> Another reason it was spec'ed is that both Bevil Hogg and Harry Spehar
> were die-hard Francophiles...
I always thought "Trek" was a great name for a company making touring bikes (in Germany, folks do "trekking"), but a lousy name for a company making race bikes.
Of course in Germany in the 1980s there was "Checker Pig" and "Booger" bicycles I remember...
Chuck Schmidt South Pasadena, Southern California
.