28 August, 2008

This and That

I've long enjoyed the Velorution blog and this post reflects something that's been on my mind the past few weeks. Watching a little of the Olympics the past couple of weeks, I was also turned off by the nationalistic fervor. Sports should be about individual athletes, not countries.

Speaking of countries, I'll be at Eurobike, in Germany, next week.

We have the Grand Cru Jockey Wheels in stock. These have sealed bearing and shims to fit most derailleurs, including old Simplex models.

We also have a new version of our chrome plated chain guard. This one lacks the integrated mounting bracket so it can be used with traditional chain guard hardware or on custom frames that have brazed-on chain guard mounts.

Also, we'll be closed for labor day.

11 comments:

  1. A number of years ago, I had the pleasure of spending a couple of months on a Sail Training ship, the Pacific Swift, run by Victoria's SALT Society. I sailed from Hawaii to Victoria, and it was a wonderful experience. There was a small ceremony marking the return of the ship, and at it one guy connected to SALTS remarked that, in contrast to organised sports, which require a loser to make a winner, sail training allows young people to work as a team, to struggle,and ultimately prevail against the elements. This comment has always stayed with me. And believe me, there were times that required everyone on board to get out of our comfortable bunks in the middle of the night and work together--or else we all would have died.
    I am not a huge fan of competitive sports.
    M Burdge

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  2. Chris,

    Do you know if and of the shims included with your new jockey wheels would fit Huret derailleurs? If it matters, I'm interested specifically in fit info for a Huret Jubilee long cage rear derailleur.

    Thanks very much, Greg

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  3. Sorry, I meant "any of the shims..."

    You mention that they work with Simplex derailleurs in the product description, yet it does not appear on the paper instructions in the photograph. Just curious if these might work with other (specifically Huret) vintage derailleurs.

    Thanks again! Greg

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  4. Very Cool Ouellette Bicycles:

    There are two of these very unique bicycles up on eBay. However here are the photobucket photos. Very much worth a gander for you "old school" enthusiasts


    http://s379.photobucket.com/albums/oo232/cafenoir900/cafenoir900-bike1123050

    There are two bikes ... one is set with touring bars and yes custom anodized TA crankset ... this is very unique.

    Phillip

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  5. I like competitive sports, and have really enjoyed watching the olympic games. It's nice once in a while to have sports that aren't just about the selfishness of individual athletes, but about representing their country on an international stage. The actions of my government frequently make me ashamed to call myself an American, but I do love this country and it's people. To see our athletes win and lose with grace was a nice change from the typical things that the USA is noted for in the international news.

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  6. Will the shims fit Campagnolo SR/NR mechs? Perhaps this is a dumb question, but I'm totally ignorant about how new stuff compares/fits with old. Actually, it's not a dumb question; it's a $19 question :)

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  7. the instructions only say 7sp and up. what about 5sp. thx superfreak

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  8. I also enjoy competitive sports, but I cringe whenever I see an athlete drape themselves with a flag and run about for a photo-op. There are so many competitors whose nationality is questionable that I would rather we celebrate their individual or team efforts, and not keep track of how many medals any particular country brings home. We need to get passed that aspect of it all; just like we've had to adapt our definitions of "amateur sport." Now if they could just explain to me how sycronized diving is an Olympic sport, I'll be OK.

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  9. The jockey wheels will work with 5-speed, though you might want to use a 7-speed chain. Actually a 7-speed chain will shift better and have less friction and weight.

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  10. "..I would rather we celebrate their individual or team efforts, and not keep track of how many medals any particular country brings home."

    Agree, but it'll snow for a week in Cuba before that happens.

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  11. Could the chainguard conceivably be modified to accept a front derailleur? I am building a bicycle for my father, and I think he'd like a chainguard of some sort. I don't like the SKS ones because they are plastic and black, so I am hoping to jimmyrig a normal metal guard to work.

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