oval chainrings

Quoted message said:

Whatever happened to them?

My aged Raleigh Pioneer Trail still has one on it in
excellent nick - "Biopace" if I remember the name correctly.

Cheers, helen s

--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam-- to get
correct one remove fame & fortune
h*$el*$$e*nd**$o$ts**i*$*$m*m$o*n*s@$*a$o*l.c**$om$

--Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel
is switched off--

"Jon Senior" <jon_AT_restlesslemon.co.uk> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quadrauple chainset

Funny you should mention it... I saw one just the other
day. Spent about 5 mins looking at this bike trying to
work out why it looked strange before

I

Quoted message said:

clocked the four rings.

There's one (a British Eagle) with a quad that gets chained
up outside my house quite often - I did many takes when I
saw it. Looking closer though, it isn't pretty - the
transmission needs a tad of an overhaul, which I don't think
would be too straightforward.

Still, it has to be getting progressively harder to cram
more gears at the back, so such things may make a comeback,
which is something hub gears are doing - when I worra lad,
such things were limited to the venerable Sturmey Archer,
and every kid who had one secretly lusted after a five-speed
with derailleur.

E

Peter Clinch said:

Pete Biggs said:

Shimano BioPace was the most famous example. I think they
died out because the majority of users hated them. Felt
horrible to me.

My sister in law had an MTB with one on. To be quite
honest I couldn't tell any difference, so I suspect
they died from apathy at increased cost as much as
anything else...

Quoted message said:

Recumbents :-)

Not so much "lost in the mists of cycling time" as
"obscured by a rather overbearing smoke machine operated
by the UCI" :-(

Other "you don't see those so much" would include
handlebar stem suspension. I was going to say Raleigh
Choppers, but I'm just about to be upstaged there...

Pete.

I couldn't tell the difference either. At one point my bike
had a 52 biopace ring and a 39 round. I still have a Deore
Triple Chainset fitted with biopace rings, I doubt I'll ever
use the rings but the cranks and spider are waiting in case
I want a triple on my tourer.

anonymous coward said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What other cycling innovations have been lost in the
mists of time?

Touring bicycles?

?????????

John B

davek <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Whatever happened to them? Were they ever a good idea or
just another crazy gimmick? Who used one? I had completely
forgotten they ever existed until something I read the
other day reminded me of them.

What other cycling innovations have been lost in the mists
of time?

Those little mechanical odometers large flange hubs Those
little wheels on gear changes? Cotter pins (hooray!) Woods
valves Quick release brake levers (Weinmann) Extension
levers for the above those little 10 inch long mudguards
pitted chromed rims

MartinM said:

davek <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Whatever happened to them? Were they ever a good idea or
just another crazy gimmick? Who used one? I had
completely forgotten they ever existed until something I
read the other day reminded me of them.

What other cycling innovations have been lost in the
mists of time?

Quoted message said:

Quick release brake levers (Weinmann)

I have some QR brake levers, essential since my brake are
not QR. I actually have Shimano ones, the Weinman ones were
removed last autumn.

In article
<[email hidden]>, Martinm2
@wcms.org.uk says...

Quoted message said:

davek <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Whatever happened to them? Were they ever a good idea or
just another crazy gimmick? Who used one? I had
completely forgotten they ever existed until something I
read the other day reminded me of them.

What other cycling innovations have been lost in the
mists of time?

Those little mechanical odometers

I had several of these when I was alittle 'un. I wish I
could find one now 🙁

Quoted message said:

large flange hubs Those little wheels on gear changes?
Cotter pins (hooray!)

I remember hours of fun with these!

Quoted message said:

Woods valves

The unicy got one of these

Quoted message said:

Quick release brake levers (Weinmann) Extension levers for
the above those little 10 inch long mudguards

I had these on my cowhorn bike... Theres an other one
Cowhorn handle bars

Quoted message said:

pitted chromed rims And I've got one of these on the unic
as well 🙂

--
.paul

if at first you don't succeed... skydiving is probably not
the sport for you

In message <[email hidden]>

Dave Larrington said:

Jon Senior said:

Shimano branded gearing. I never realised Shimano (Or
anyone for that matter) had tried quadruple.

AFAIK they didn't. It could be done with TA Cyclotouriste
and Stronglight 49D chainsets, by using longer bolts, but
that limited you to a 26T smallest ring.

Is the wrong answer. Or to be more accurate you can mount
smaller inner ring of the 54?? mm crank bolt diameter.

Quoted message said:

At least two manufacturers - Qud and (IIRC) Avid - made
adapters for 74/110 mm chainsets, which allowed the use
of a freewheel sprocket as the fourth ring, and could
thus have a 17T smallest ring. I know someone with a
17/34 bottom gear on his Peer Gynt...

--
Gwyn

JohnB said:

anonymous coward said:

Quoted message said:

>What other cycling innovations have been lost in the
>mists of time?

Touring bicycles?

?????????

In the university bike stands, at least, they seem about as
common as Sturmey-Archer 3 speeds.

AC

"Jon Senior" <jon@restless_REMOVE_lemon.co.uk> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"MartinM" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Those little mechanical odometers

Just thinking about those today as I fitting the mounting
kit for my new speedo to the *proper* bike.

Quoted message said:

large flange hubs

Ok but my last road bike fitted with them was 20 years ago

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Those little wheels on gear changes?

Eh?

For the cable to go round under the saddle/handlebars.

How about those padded leather bondage style h*****s ?

Also,not an innovation but something I had not seen for a
while is turning drop handlebars upside down so you get to
push the levers forwards; Why !!!?? ;-)

MartinM said:

Also,not an innovation but something I had not seen for a
while is turning drop handlebars upside down so you get to
push the levers forwards; Why !!!?? ;-)

The inclusion of a "Why" there just indicates you really
don't understand fashion and the rules of cool... (nor
do I, btw!)

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext.
33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177
Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

Also,not an innovation but something I had not seen for a

while is turning drop handlebars upside down so you get to
push the levers forwards; Why !!!?? ;-)

I think that was what actually got me on to thinking about oval chainrings in the first place - seeing those funny curly bars you see around these days (don't know what they are but they look almost figure of 8 shape) reminded me of turning your drops upside down, which in turn reminded me of an old schoolfriend who had both upside down drops and oval chainrings - he was, of course, a poseur rather than a cyclist.

Quoted message said:

those funny curly bars you see around these days (don't know what they are but they look almost figure of 8 shape)

Answering my own question again - just found this:
http://www.kinetics-online.co.uk/html/equinox.shtml

It's the Riese und Muller Equinox, a rather natty looking utility bike with full suspension, those funny curly bars and *automatic* gears. Automatic!

On Thu, 01 Apr 2004 13:45:31 GMT, davek <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

those funny curly bars you see around these days
(don't know what they are but they look almost figure
of 8 shape)

Answering my own question again - just found this: kinetics-kinetics-Open ↗
online.co.uk/html/equinox.shtml

It's the Riese und Muller Equinox, a rather natty looking
utility bike with full suspension, those funny curly bars
and *automatic* gears. Automatic!

Those funny curly bars are butterfly bars and they are
hardly lost in the mists of time. They are a nice option
for tourers giving three different hand positions with the
levers and changers on the straight part. They are a
standard option on some Orbit tourers and I have seen them
on some Dawes bikes. I spent a week touring with butterfly
bars once and I found them very comfortable and easy to
get used to.

Colin
--

Leather straps round your hubs to keep them clean.

Simon

davek said:

Answering my own question again - just found this: kinetics-kinetics-Open ↗
online.co.uk/html/equinox.shtml

It's the Riese und Muller Equinox, a rather natty looking
utility bike with full suspension, those funny curly bars
and *automatic* gears. Automatic!

"Butterfly bars", I think they're called. I've had a go on
the Equinox, and I could see what they're getting at but
wouldn't want one. The newish Giant EZB looks rather better
value if you're after a semi-recumbent but I'm not: strikes
me you might as well go the whole way and have a proper
comfy chair, and if you're weight's on the seat anyway
there's only limited mileage to be gained from 23 different
places to put one's hands.

The automatic gears are available on a few things,
including one of the Pashley Moultons. I found they worked
pretty well on the Equinox and I can see they'd be good for
the sort of people who just don't grok gears but would
benefit from more than 1, but with only 4 in the box it
isn't exactly much of a labour saving device if you know
what you're at. There is a manual override if you want it,
and I did, preferring to change in slightly different spots
(but only slightly, it isn't by any means broken and has a
couple of different modes according to whether you want to
be sporty or trundly IIRC).

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext.
33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177
Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Simonb said:

Leather straps round your hubs to keep them clean.

Simon

Leather? - Luxury, I used to use a short piece of
thick string.
--

Mark

Simon Brooke said:

in message <[email hidden]>,

davek (') said:

Whatever happened to them? Were they ever a good idea or
just another crazy gimmick? Who used one? I had
completely forgotten they ever existed until something I
read the other day reminded me of them.

I still use Biopace on one of my hill bikes, and like
them. Sheldon Brown also likes them. There's a company in
Wales who will make them but their theory is completely
opposite to Biopace, and I don't entirely trust it.

However, the more you spin the less benefit you get from
elliptical rings, in my opinion.

My wife and me bought each other Rockhoppers as wedding
presents way back in 1987. They had biopace rings. Had? I
mean have. My rockhopper is a bit worn and not used much
these days (it's hanging on the wall) but my wifes is still
used regularly.

I just saw the latest brochure from Edinburgh bike coop and
the price of the rockhopper is just £50 more than we paid 16
years ago.
--
Mark

After thinking long about a signature I've decided not
to bother.

On Thu, 1 Apr 2004 19:51:35 +0000 (UTC), in
<[email hidden]>, "the Mark"

Quoted message said:

Simonb said:

Leather straps round your hubs to keep them clean.

I have often wondered what these were for.

--
[email hidden] Personal Site: www.artybee.net (same
[censored], different layout) Sutton Brass :
www.suttonbrass.org.uk

the Mark said:

I just saw the latest brochure from Edinburgh bike coop
and the price of the rockhopper is just =A350 more than we
paid 16 years ago.

But it'll be a comprehensively superior machine, as well
as cheaper in=20 real terms. MTBs are *astonishingly*
better now than they were in the=20 80s, or at least the
Real Ones are.

Pete. --=20 Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382
660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44
1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net
[email hidden] dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗