donald gillies wrote: Does anyone have any insight into this crazy 1970's idea of how to build a low-end bike? Around about 1974, Raleigh went to QR hubs front and rear, even on the lowly $125 grand prix model. Meanwhile, several japanese brands started to arrive at our shores with a quick release hub ... only on the front! Please, pray-tell, how does this help the buyer? You still have to carry an adjustable wrench in case you get a flat, and now thieves can steal your front wheel or your whole bike and so you need to lock the front wheel every time! Worse that no QRs at all, imho !! What were the bike designers thinking? If you worked in a shop back then, what would you say to the customer to justify the bike ??
Why, so you could pop out the front wheel, place it beside the frame, and use the cable lock to secure the whole thing to the power pole! Or, so you could pop out the front wheel and stuff the complete bike into the trunk of your car! Regards, John Wilson (remembering the bike shop days in the 60s and 70s at Hearn's in Asheville, NC) Greensburg, PA USA