Sad for the Passing of an Era…Embracing Technology with a Smiley Face.
Sat, April 21, 2012 Yesterday there was some discussion on the Twitterverse about the merits of the latest, newest, not yet released Dura Ace crankset based on pictures leaked on a variety of Interweb Forums.
It's a wonderfully, gloriously, FUGLY bit of kit.
But there's something beautiful about the massive stiffness that will be the result of that featherweight girder of a big ring. When Sean Lally of Cyclesystems Academy and I recently chatted about Electronic gruppo's we discussed the force used to produce the flawless, faster than a blink of an eye, front shifts of Di/Ui2. Force greater than that used to tighten the bottom bracket. Force that would snap your finger like a twig if you got it in the way of the front mech.
A traditional front ring, even of the beefiest nature, would deflect under those forces and compromise the speed of the shift (described by Lennard Zinn as having an effect like a hand sling).
So yes, the DA crankset is ugly, but it promises a front shift quality only dreamed of a scant couple of years ago (when certain deluded fools thought Di2 would never catch on. ;oD)
All of this is by the by though.
A comment that really resonated with me during the exchange was one from Alex (@Velocentric) about how all he saw was yet another Shimano specific "standard" that locked us into their product range whilst singing the praises of his favourite Middleburn chainring. Alex is a bit younger than me but we're from the same mindset and it reminded me of an earlier era.
An era when every single component of your bike said something about what kind of cyclist you were and god help you if you were uncool enough to run a stock unified drivetrain.
A time when the "phantom click" on 7 speed XT thumbies let you run an 8 speed cassette as did the sleeker looking Suntour XC Pro 8 speed thumbies.
When men were men and bolts were purple.
When the pixie dust that is Titanium Nitride (still appears on items on "Ultimate Bike" Emporia's stock-lists to justify exorbitant prices for custom do-hickies) was first seen on sprockets from the likes of Middleburn.
A time when folk cut and mixed various elastomers for flexstems so the compliance was "tuned" to their riding style. ;o)
etc. etc. etc.
and that's just the mountain bikers!
Don't get me started on the time trialists.
The seeking out of obscure brake sets that could be mounted behind the fork (even though they wouldn't stop you any more efficiently than a noodle).
The filing down of children's bike brake levers to aero profiles (see above re noodles)
The spacers to cut a 7 speed cassette down to three speeds to save the weight of extra sprockets.
I could go on forever.
Here's the thing. Even back in the early 90's we knew that a unified drivetrain would provide the best shifting but customising was part of the ethos, part of who we were. Hell, it was part of the fun!
Now though? In the 21st century? The shifting provided by matching a drivetrain throughout provides performance that you couldn't buy, however rich you were, a mere 5 years ago.
It's time to move on.
We still have creative options when it comes to finishing kit and, arguably, brake sets and BB's (ceramic wonder-bearings anyone?) but drivetrains? Designed from the ground up by super brainy men and their computers to work as an integrated package?
Trust and enjoy.
Pick the matched set from the company that least offends your aesthetic sensibilities.
I loved to tinker. Still do. I'll save it for areas of the machine where I won't compromise the performance from now on though.
My all time favourite shift combo? Huret Duopar Titanium Derailleur with Suntour Powershift friction levers.
Changed my life.
Would I put it on a modern era bike?
Would I f***!
J
tech