That photo should also remind us that the euro pro road race crowd didn't arrive at what they are using now without trying a lot of different things. Those Vitus bikes were widely reputed to be very flexible, they must plane. Didn't Jan say his Alan cross bike does. Lots of experimentation with suspension for cobbles back then. I don't think any of it stuck. Which of course is not to suggest that we should ride what they do.
On Tuesday, November 25, 2014 8:26:00 AM UTC-8, Bill Lindsay wrote: > > You're absolutely right, Scott. There were a bunch of things mixing > around at once during that era. Very good eye. You got more out of it > beyond the point I initially intended to deliver, but you are totally > right. It's all there. > > Bill > > On Tuesday, November 25, 2014 8:09:29 AM UTC-8, Skenry wrote: >> >> That actually is a GREAT picture Bill. Thanks for posting, it has been >> saved. >> >> Sean Kelly on that Vitus 979 with downtube shifters and toe clips. Then >> moving back we have the barcons, then STI levers and, on the far left, Greg >> Lemond with Scott Drop-in bars and a converted RockShox Mag 21 fork. >> >> Not to mention a hard shell helmet, a cap, bare headed and a hairnet. >> All in the same picture. >> >> That photo is an essay on the last 30 years in pro cycling! >> Scott >> >> >> >> On Tue, Nov 25, 2014 at 10:55 AM, Bill Lindsay <tape...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> OK, that makes sense. Just like some riders would use one or two >>> barcons on their criterium bike in the 1980s if they felt that reaching for >>> DT shifters would make them too wobbly. Just like a few of the pros would >>> run barcons just for Paris Roubaix or similar. Just like most cyclocross >>> racers would run barcons before brifters came about. I'll keep that in >>> mind. Here's Sean Kelly not needing barcons but the racer behind him >>> running them: >>> >>> >>> <http://images.cyclingtips.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/CORVOS_00000684-025.jpg> >>> >>> On a related note, I found it kind of cute how easily I can shift from >>> the tops with my thumbs, not letting go of the bars at all. That was just >>> around the block. When you, Steve, say that stem shifters are unacceptable >>> for these situations, are you saying that because it's self-evident to you, >>> or because you actually tried it? Just curious. If this experiment >>> doesn't work out for me the barcons will go right back on the Hillborne. >>> >>> >>> >>>> >>>> Here's one at the top of the list: You are going fast and the road is >>>> rough: alligatored, cracked, patches upon patches with small holes in >>>> between. (I don't know if you have stuff like that where you ride, but >>>> where I ride in the rural areas of Southern Maryland, there's lots and >>>> lots of it.) It's somewhat like riding on rumble strips only with the >>>> occasional bigger impact. On surfaces like that, I wouldn't venture to >>>> remove one hand from the bars and move it to the center line of the >>>> bike >>>> to shift, but with bar end shifters (and brifters, of course) you can >>>> hold on to the bar and maintain stability while shifting with your >>>> fingers or your palm. >>>> >>>> But basically, in any situation where the bike could be jostled, either >>>> from road surface roughness or from irregular, gusting side winds it >>>> would be ill-advised and sometimes downright dangerous to get yourself >>>> into the position required to operate a stem shifter. >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com. >>> To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com. >>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>> >> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
