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Bikes are getting uglier

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krebs303

krebs303

Mar 16, 2009
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RedheadDane said:
A what?
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rcn_02b.jpg
 
Black Dog

Black Dog

Mar 12, 2009
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krebs303 said:
these were on one of the bikes I posted. are they like the precursor to bio-pace rings. looks like just another place for flex and breakage. what was the thinking on these?

PMPcrnkL.jpg
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They are a classic example of marketing design. They produce a round pedal stroke but "look different". Draw a line from the centre of the crank to the pedal hole and you get a normal crank. The bend is nonsense. A non solution to a non problem. This was not as common an approach as it is today but this kind of crap has always been around in the cycling industry.
 
BroDeal

BroDeal

Mar 18, 2009
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What we have learned here is that experimental time trial bikes are often fugly with a capital F. Not many of the ideas survived. A lot of the bikes are currently illegal.

We also seem to have discovered the worst aero bar and cow horns ever invented. It looks like someone welded them in their garage.

w2nhag.jpg
 
cyclestationgiuseppe

cyclestationgiuseppe

Apr 19, 2009
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bc_hills said:
+1 on that.

Look and Time make some nice looking carbon frames that seem to merge modern design with classic lines (although compact geometry is the norm). I'd guess that a custom builder could take care of whatever design concerns a person had, if that person had the money.

Are any manufacturers not making compact geometry frames?
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Look and Time were always quite stunning machines.....
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/photos/look-unveils-flagship-695/128303

What happened here? This thing (especially that cockpit) is hideous!
 
BroDeal

BroDeal

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cyclestationgiuseppe said:
Look and Time were always quite stunning machines.....
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/photos/look-unveils-flagship-695/128303

What happened here? This thing (especially that cockpit) is hideous!
Click to expand...

This would be a dealbreaker for me: "Like the 596 time trial bike the 695 features a hugely oversized bottom bracket, dubbed BB65, which can only be used with the Zed2 integrated crankset." This move towards proprietary or near proprietary parts blows.
 
Inner Peace

Inner Peace

Jan 30, 2010
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That Spec Roubaix bike is truly horrible to look at

I absolutely cannot stand sloping top tubes, and will only buy a horizontal top tube on a bike nowadays

The current Pro-version bikes that I find decent looking are QST's Eddy Merckx, SKy/Caisse Pinarello's (althought the forks and stays are a bit whacky), Leaky's Cannondales, and I don't mind the Bbox's Colnagos...

Giant, Specialised, Trek look particularly unnerving with their sloping top tubes (although, Trek seem to only have adopted this the last couple of years. I actually think their bikes from the Postal years were a good looking frame shape)

I am surprised that companies are moving to these shapes. Anyone know why?

I'd rather design my own custom steel/titanium bike with a horizontal top tube thanks...
 
flyor64

flyor64

Mar 18, 2009
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RedheadDane said:
Come one, guys... who cares what a bike looks like? It's a bike race not a fashion show... as long as it works...
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ergmonkey said:
Clearly, you have never seen a rear-faring recumbent.
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I just wanted to quote this cuz it was an excellent response painiting quite the vivid picture even before Krebs dug up that gawd-awful pic :D

And to mention that I saw my first ever recumbent (and rider) in Norway last week...and I don't want to generalize or offend but damn if he didn't look just like every other recumbent rider I have ever seen in the states...:D

Beard, SPD sandals, highly visible reflective accessories all included
 
Notso Swift

Notso Swift

Mar 13, 2009
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richwagmn said:
So compact frames are all the rage today. This is because... they're stiffer? Fewer sizes so lower costs? Or...
Click to expand...

Yes on both counts, but the BIG one is only having 5 sizes and using components to get the fit right (though most volume bikeshops never do...) Cost of manufacturing is key, this is also why we have a lot of "developments"
Why do we never have quill stems anymore, forget the rubbish about front end stiffness, it is cheaper to make

The other thing, when the measure stiffness they typically measure BB, Headset and top of seat tube.... well I am not sure about you but I think that is pretty worthless, of more value to me would be to the handle bars, pedals and saddle, after all they are my contact points. Yes there are variables in the components, but it is more legitimate to a rider.
 
Notso Swift

Notso Swift

Mar 13, 2009
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BroDeal said:
This would be a dealbreaker for me: "Like the 596 time trial bike the 695 features a hugely oversized bottom bracket, dubbed BB65, which can only be used with the Zed2 integrated crankset." This move towards proprietary or near proprietary parts blows.
Click to expand...

I agree with that

Funny thing is in the photos (and they are crap - obviously stock shots provided by the PR department) you don't see any of this and the bike looks almost svelte compared to some of the other things out there, esp the LiquiGas Cannondales
 
RedheadDane

RedheadDane

May 5, 2010
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BroDeal said:
What we have learned here is that experimental time trial bikes are often fugly with a capital F. Not many of the ideas survived. A lot of the bikes are currently illegal.

We also seem to have discovered the worst aero bar and cow horns ever invented. It looks like someone welded them in their garage.

w2nhag.jpg
Click to expand...

W...WHAT?? How are you supposed to hold? It looks kinda... confusing... to me...

And... about those recumbents... isn't it kinda hard keeping the balance while holding still? Doesn't look like it does corners very well either...
 
Offtheback

Offtheback

Mar 6, 2009
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-myra- said:
Bikes have been getting progressively uglier since about 1993.

That one is hideous.
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I think the rot started in the early 60s, with the orange plastic saddle (forget the name, but they quickly became very popular. Up to then Brooks ruled. There was an equally hideous olive green version too).
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
-myra- said:
Bikes have been getting progressively uglier since about 1993.
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Didn't you mean "1893"? Message here would seem to be that just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so is ugly. Style and design change and evolve through time. New materials enable new designs. IMO the last thing anyone wants is for the designers to stop designing. Bring it on, I say!

I just wish Raymond Loewy had dsesigned bikes

33bfwjq.jpg
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
krebs303 said:
would it look like this?
ehi1om222223.jpg
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... maybe..... if he had had Photoshop, AND never learned how to use it

probably more like this

2lxtkzt.jpg
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
krebs303 said:
any one know about this bike? Ok I know it's a TT bike but it's that front wheel and how low the handlebars are. did anyone actually race this?

1e1ikw.jpg
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I think those are engineering issues rather than design, knowatImean?
 
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