Thorn Cycles Forum

Technical => Transmission => Topic started by: Andre Jute on July 27, 2013, 10:29:52 PM

Title: An engineering improvement or a marketing brandshare grab?
Post by: Andre Jute on July 27, 2013, 10:29:52 PM
Unevenly spaced chainring bolt circle. Honestly.

http://pardo.net/bike/pic/mobi/d.uneven-round-chainring-bolt-patterns/index.html

Have they "improved" it till it no longer works? After all, with evenly spaced bolts, you can rotate the chainring and get a significant increase in the life of the component.

Andre Jute
Title: Re: An engineering improvement or a marketing brandshare grab?
Post by: Danneaux on July 28, 2013, 12:20:44 AM
Yeah...no. I saw this first occur in the Dura-Ace stuff for roadies. Bad idea there, bad idea elsewhere. I always "clock" my chainrings around periodically to even out the wear from my power stroke and find it helps; I have managed tremendous chainlife on my old, wide Sugino anodized alu 'rings, but my cruising-gear chainlines are almost dead-straight by careful design of my gearing and the use of a half-step arrangement, thick chainrings, and wide 5-sp or 6-sp chains. My old derailleur drivetrains have led easy lives.

This, though...this is absurd.

I do recall at least one subcontracted name-brand crank from the late 1980s or early 1990s that had such poor design standards, it had one peg outside the BCD, rendering the chainring effectively "indexed" in place just as these do by intent.

Same bad idea, no matter if by accident or design. Harrumph.

Best,

Dan. (...who sees bad ideas come 'round again more frequently that good ones)
Title: Re: An engineering improvement or a marketing brandshare grab?
Post by: il padrone on July 28, 2013, 03:18:59 AM
Strange crank designs are always fun  ;D ::)

(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6156/6231286452_dfb7b1a848_b.jpg)

(http://pardo.net/bike/pic/mobi/d.pmp-cranks/i.ebayimg.com/t/EMMEPI-MP-SUPER-FAST-CURVED-Crank-arm-set-172-5-130-BCD-VERY-RARE-/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/88QAAOxyLchRv24c/$T2eC16VHJIkE9qU3kIdIBRv24b8mJw~~60_57.JPG)

(http://pardo.net/bike/pic/mobi/img/mobi/ic2957.jpg)

(http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s269/caterham1700/bikes004.jpg)
(The ones I had  :( )

(http://www.oldbike.eu/museum/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/1931_Agache_Curly_Cranks_041.jpg)

(http://sonic.net/~ckelly/Seekay/splitcrank01.jpg)


Not cranks but pretty extreme
(http://s3files.core77.com/blog/images/2013/04/Donhou-crankDetail-viaBikeRadar_OliWoodman.jpg)
Title: Re: An engineering improvement or a marketing brandshare grab?
Post by: Andre Jute on July 28, 2013, 06:10:25 AM
Holy Moses, what monsters will next crawl out of the cupboard of history? -- Aj
Title: Re: An engineering improvement or a marketing brandshare grab?
Post by: NZPeterG on July 28, 2013, 10:04:52 PM
Hi All

The new bolt set up from DA and more coming is to help out your not so good LBS!

WHY?

So they can work out how to fit them the right way On! Sad but true!  >:(

Also to sale there chain rings! and not aftermarket chainrings  >:(

It just like cars and motorcycles, there is more money in parts them the whole bike or crank etc.  :o

Pete
 :P

PS I like the bend cranks  ??? Sold well because a longer crank is good to climb Hills! but with the bend is is shorter at the same time  :(  Mad Idea but good to make some money  :P




Title: Re: An engineering improvement or a marketing brandshare grab?
Post by: No on August 05, 2013, 10:55:49 PM
Strange crank designs are always fun  ;D ::)

(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6156/6231286452_dfb7b1a848_b.jpg)

(http://pardo.net/bike/pic/mobi/d.pmp-cranks/i.ebayimg.com/t/EMMEPI-MP-SUPER-FAST-CURVED-Crank-arm-set-172-5-130-BCD-VERY-RARE-/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/88QAAOxyLchRv24c/$T2eC16VHJIkE9qU3kIdIBRv24b8mJw~~60_57.JPG)

(http://pardo.net/bike/pic/mobi/img/mobi/ic2957.jpg)

(http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s269/caterham1700/bikes004.jpg)
(The ones I had  :( )

(http://www.oldbike.eu/museum/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/1931_Agache_Curly_Cranks_041.jpg)

(http://sonic.net/~ckelly/Seekay/splitcrank01.jpg)


Not cranks but pretty extreme
(http://s3files.core77.com/blog/images/2013/04/Donhou-crankDetail-viaBikeRadar_OliWoodman.jpg)


Who could actually turn the cranks on that last one?
Title: Re: An engineering improvement or a marketing brandshare grab?
Post by: Danneaux on August 05, 2013, 11:55:31 PM
Quote
Who could actually turn the cranks on that last one?
Possibly any well-conditioned professional cyclist. How? Well, such chainrings were rarely spun-up from rest. Instead, they were used in motorpaced records, where the cyclist was first towed up to a speed where they could actually turn such a gear, then rode even faster in the draft of a pace vehicle (shrouded automobile, motorcycle, or even a train with boards laid across the railroad-track ties to make a riding course. Here's an example: http://www.bikereader.com/contributors/woodland/murphy.html

Best,

Dan.
Title: Re: An engineering improvement or a marketing brandshare grab?
Post by: NZPeterG on August 06, 2013, 02:27:00 AM
Hi Dan,

 ;D

Very Good also a few years ago they used Big Chainrings for Mountain Bike Downhill  :o and that was before Disc Brakes  :o and I do NOT mean downhill at speed on snow  ???

Pete

Max speed for me offroad downhill race 84kph  8) not any more for me I have slow down a little (to 60+kph on Sunday)

Title: Re: An engineering improvement or a marketing brandshare grab?
Post by: Danneaux on August 06, 2013, 02:45:34 AM
Quote
Max speed for me offroad downhill race 84kph ...not any more for me I have slow down a little (to 60+kph on Sunday)
:o :o :o And that is on unpaved surfaces, too!!! :o :o :o

Best,

Dan. (...who hopes Pete will be careful of himself and not get hurt)
Title: Re: An engineering improvement or a marketing brandshare grab?
Post by: NZPeterG on August 06, 2013, 03:02:26 AM
Dan. (...who hopes Pete will be careful of himself and not get hurt)

Hi Dan,
I hope not too get hurt again  :P just keep loose and pedal hard is all that is needed to go a little faster! But as I said i'm slowing down and having fun  8)

Pete........................................................................................... O' no slow down with the writing too!.......................................   :D