bhilden@druhi.UUCP (HildenbrandBE) (11/08/85)
As US Olympic Team mechanic Bill Woodul used to say: Alloy is TOY but, Steel is REAL This slogan pertains to many items on one's bike, not just water bottle cages. On the subject of water bottle cages, I must admit that I once had an alloy cage on my bike for about 2 weeks until common sense prevailed and I went back to my old standby, the TA steel cage. I have heard and seen several incidents where cyclists reached for their water bottle and got a little more than they expected(i.e. the old bottle and cage combo). Also, the alloy cages do mark up your water bottle, steel doesn't. TIRADE ON! As for alloy in general, it amazes me how a large number of cyclists put alloy parts on their bikes where there is little effect on performance ----BUT---- there is a definite effect on reliability. I'm talking about stuff like alloy crank arm bolts(come on now!!!), alloy toe clips(you have got to be kidding), seats with alloy rails (frontal lobotamy cases only), alloy headsets and, water bottle cages,etc. Except for the toe clips(which are undoubtebly little moving weight) there is NO(i.e. none) increase in performance but a busted crankarm bolt or toe clip can ruin your day or race. The cyclist may gain a psycholigical advantage but this is not rotating weight --> a few extra pounds lost by the cyclist would be more advantageous from the performance standpoint anyway. However, this is the United State of America, where equipment makes all the difference and actually training on your bike just cuts down on the time you could spend down at the local shop getting technical info on the latest nylon headset. Take a look at the Colombian National Team, you would not believe the equipment they race on and how many Coors Classics have they won? Of course there are a few exceptions. Aerodynamic wheels have proven to provide a large advantage especially in time trial events. Alloy pedal cages are a must in criteriums(when you hit a pedal they shave and you stay up). There are a few cases where added weight provides an advantage. The best example I can think of is heat treated rims. They are worth their weight in gold! I could go bonkers discussing the merits of titanium components but, anybody with enough money to afford that stuff is probably beyond reason. TIRADE OFF! Bruce Hildenbrand
broome@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU (Jonathan C. Broome) (11/13/85)
In article <228@druhi.UUCP> bhilden@druhi.UUCP (HildenbrandBE) writes: > [on alloy vs. steel bottle cages] > I have heard and seen several incidents where >cyclists reached for their water bottle and got a little more >than they expected(i.e. the old bottle and cage combo). Also, >the alloy cages do mark up your water bottle, steel doesn't. >I'm talking about stuff like alloy crank arm bolts(come on now!!!), >alloy toe clips(you have got to be kidding), seats with alloy rails >(frontal lobotamy cases only), alloy headsets and, water bottle cages,etc. Unlike your steel TA cage, an alloy bottle cage will never rust. I dunno about you, but back when I tend to get everything wet when I'm on a hard ride, and I'd really rather not have the steel cage rust on me. I use one of the Blackburn Designs one-piece (welded) alloy cages, not one of those cheap alloy-and-plastic ones, and I doubt it'll ever break. It does mark up the bottle though. Oh well. As for alloy other components, I agree that alloy clips and crankarm bolts have got to be among the dumbest things made. I used to work at a pro shop that sold these things (along with the more traditional stuff), and never had anything but trouble with the alloy parts. I knew one rider who got into a major spill just because his Cinelli clips snapped during a race. Of course, he also managed to snap a Campy Record crankarm once, but that's another story (anyone for old Nervar steel crankarms? :-) And have you ever tried to get a broken alloy crankarm bolt out from a steel spindle? Not fun. Me, I like my (steel) Campy headset and Christophe (steel) toeclips. Nice and reliable. =========================================================== Jonathan C. Broome University of California, Berkeley UUCP ...!ucbvax!broome ARPA broome@ucbvax.berkeley.edu ===========================================================