There’s no denying that some drillium efforts can be beautiful, but this distinctly DIY effort as spotted by Bike Snob AUS — the Facebook account of Brisbane based shop Cranks Bicycle Garage — hasn’t quite hit the mark.
I was unable to find the original Facebook post (probably because I'm not on the Facebook) but if Bike Snob AUS did not point out the delightful irony that the drillium derailleur is an Ultegra then he/she/they should cease and desist using the moniker forthwith:
If weight is such a concern why not just buy the Dura Ace in the first place?
Anyway I'm currently running Sora derailleurs with both pulleys removed in order to save weight, so maybe I shouldn't talk.
(Runs a little rough with no pulleys and the shifting does suffer a bit--well, it suffers tremendously--but it's worth it for the weight savings.)
In other tech news, while searching to see if anybody has covered the Jones SWB Complete nearly as comprehensively as I have, I happened upon this review:
I agree with most of it, I thought he did an excellent job, and I'm sure he has his reasons for not removing the reflectors. (Maybe Bike Snob AUS wants to weigh in there.) I was also intrigued by these nubbins:
Here is the source of the intriguing nubbins in question:
I think having a place to hang the ol' thumbs when using the forward hand position in conjunction with the Jones handlebar purse would be just the ticket, and I may have to order a set of these things just as soon as I get around to it, which knowing me will probably be somewhere around 2020.
In the meantime I'm still getting plenty of use out of the bike:
And it's pretty much become my default choice for fall, except when it's been raining and the ground is all muddy, in which case I revert to a state of Fredness by riding a road bicycle.
Speaking of road bikes, VeloNews goes uncharacteristically advocacy-ish by way of explaining why the road bike will once again have its day:
Couple that with the woeful state of cycling infrastructure on and around American roads and you’ve got a hurricane of doom for road bikes. Let’s be honest: People who don’t feel safe riding on the roads won’t ride on the roads. And since there’s almost no accountability for drivers who injure or kill cyclists, the problem persists. Compare that to many European countries in which drivers are always on the hook if they strike a cyclist. (Go ahead and Google “Stop de Kindermoord.”)
The industry response to this problem has been inadequate at best, lazy at worst. Hi-viz clothing and flashing lights are nice and all — and boy were they everywhere at Interbike — but they won’t stop a texting driver from mowing a cyclist down. The best way to increase the road cycling population in the United States is to protect riders from drivers. That means infrastructure, not bright, goofy-looking clothing with embedded crystals and wiring for flashing red LEDs. It’s going to take some real, coordinated effort and a lot of heavy lifting to make real headway here.
Nice. At this rate they'll be admitting bicycle helmets are mostly BS in no time.
As for road bikes, it's their "long and storied" heritage that will save them:
But I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Road bikes are not dead. Not even close. While they’re certainly not as profitable as they used to be during the halcyon-yellow days of Lance Armstrong’s dominance, group rides still roll out on Saturday mornings. Lunch riders abound around noon. A culture as long and storied as the roadie culture isn’t likely to die a swift death.
So are road bikes cool anymore? Who cares? If it’s fun, ride it. It’s clear we’re in a downtrend heading toward a trough, and road bikes could even be considered a small niche. But the bounce will come. If you’re not convinced, take a look at the data.
I'll buy that. Every now and then you've got to run a razor over the leg stubble, swaddle yourself in Lycra, and hunch over the drops. I suspect it's the same sense of familiarity and obligation that compels mostly secular people to go to their respective places of worship on the major holidays.
Every so often you've got to supplicate yourself before the Altar of Fredness.
from Bike Snob NYC https://ift.tt/2IKAM4P
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