At 7:38 AM -0700 6/24/08, Rachel Valiensi wrote:
>Jan,
>That quoted weight was less tires, as the tradition was?
With tires. There is a photo of the complete bike hanging from a
scale. The 1946/1947 technical trials machines weighed 6.8 kg (15
lbs) without tires, but with fenders, lights, racks, and even a pump.
But a lot more work went into those, plus they had to last for
hundreds of miles of hard riding, not just hang from a scale!
>I bought a carbon fiber Centaur derailler, only to find it was the
>same weight as the all alloy version it replaced. Plus to rub salt
>into the wound, Campy had cheapened-up the construction of the
>carbon fiber version.
I was surprised that a set of super-long reach Mafac Raid brake (with brazed-on pivots) is significantly lighter than the latest Campagnolo Record Titanium Skeleton brakes. The Raids have as much braking power, better modulation, and much more clearance.
A Mafac Competition approaches the weight of the "Zero Gravity" brakes, while offering much better performance.
The latest Campagnolo carbon brake levers (non-Ergo) weigh as much as the old Nuovo Record. The list goes on...
Jan Heine
Editor
Bicycle Quarterly
140 Lakeside Ave #C
Seattle WA 98122
http://www.bikequarterly.com