Friday News And Views

My old co-worker, Carl Buchanan with a "bike shop horror" from '06.

Mechanics Petition For Banning "Unfixable Bikes":

 
Recently a petition has been going around for the "banning of the manufacture of 'unfixable bicycles'."

Typically the bane of average shop mechanics, these "mart-bikes" almost always are made for floor appeal first and foremost, with the slight possibility of actually riding them way down the list of priorities. 

The petition states that such "bicycle-shaped objects" are really disheartening for children and lower income adults who typically rely on these bikes for mobility. The petition states that these bikes result in repair bills that eclipse the value of the bike and cause undue stress and harm. Following is a bullet point list of 'demands'. 

"We call on you to:
- Set a minimum durability standard for bicycles to last at least 500 riding hours before breaking down,
- Design bikes to be serviceable and hold adjustment, with replaceable and upgradable components, and
- Stop creating and selling bikes that are made to fall apart."

Comments: While I can sympathize with the plight of the mechanic, I think this petition is misdirected. Part of the onus here is on the consumer. If people understood what constitutes a "real bicycle" versus what you get at a big box store, it might make a difference in a few cases. But also- and this is probably the real issue, we can lay a LOT of the blame here on the bicycle industry at the higher levels. These are not necessarily the brands you see on 'mart bikes', but on the bike shop quality bikes. They have consistently and constantly driven technology, materials, and therefore costs, through to such a point that now an "entry level" bike-shop bike costs North of $600.00! 

I once had a great conversation on this subject with the legendary Gary Fisher. He had a great idea, which was to make the same parts over and over for years. Parts which were once 'top-shelf'- he proposed 8 speed XTR as an example- and with the same parts never changing, costs could come way down. Mate those to a simple frame, and boom! Inexpensive, high-quality bicycles for the masses. 

But when you change parts, colors, frame designs, and all that year-to-year, costs are harder to contain. And obviously inflation and all of that comes into play. However; when I see what smaller companies like State Bicycles can sell a bike for, I cannot help but imagine where prices could go if standardization of parts and pieces were maximized for the inexpensive bikes to meet entry level cyclist's needs.  

Hammerhead Purchased By SRAM:

Wednesday news broke that Hammerhead, the cycling computer company which makes the Karoo 2 computer, was acquired by SRAM and added to their portfolio of companies which includes Rock Shox, Zipp, TIME, and Quark, according to an article in "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News". 

Details of the acquisition were not released and SRAM claims all operations at Hammerhead will continue on as before. 

Comments: Obviously there is a plan here and I don't think it will take a genius to see where SRAM is going with Hammerhead's technology. SRAM's new move into an all-integrated system for MTB and road with its AXS wireless groups and further integration with Rock Shox products means that a centralized control unit would be a boon to those existing systems. 

I expect that SRAM will leverage Hammerhead's tech and release their own, proprietary AXS computer head utilizing the same radio frequency established for the SRAM wireless technologies already in place.  A touch screen control unit that would be easily configurable, upgradeable, and one that has a user-friendly, "smart phone-like" interface makes sense for SRAM. 

My question is how does this affect the future for Hammerhead Karoo users in the future?  Will SRAM demands on resources from Hammerhead cause the company to lose focus on their original business? Does that mean that my Hammerhead Karoo 2 becomes a paperweight sooner than it might have anyway? Time will tell, but whenever a take-over like this happens and the press release says "things will continue on as before with the company we bought" I am VERY skeptical.

"Vaccine Pass" Required For Tour Participants?

Recently in the news a new law passed in France may have an impact on professional races held in France including the Tour de France this coming July. 

Apparently any professional will be compelled to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to participate in any sports in France from this point forward. This would also include cycling, despite it being an out of doors activity, mainly due to hotel/motel considerations for team members and staff. Travel considerations would also be subject to the laws if the teams used public airlines, trains, or buses. Additionally, any person going to France to spectate will also have to prove proof of vaccination to enter motels, hotels, restaurants, and bars and to use public transportation. 

While most teams are reporting high percentages of their rosters as being vaccinated, some are not, which may dictate that certain team members not participate in the Tour or other French races. Furthermore, the new French law also stipulates that a booster vaccine shot must be proven to have been taken by any athlete who has been vaccinated for four months or longer.

Similar restrictions exist in Italy, and in some Middle Eastern countries.  The UCI has not formulated its 2022 vaccine protocols yet and said that for the time being teams should respect each nation's laws. 

Comments: Once again, the pandemic strikes. However; some experts are saying we are entering the 'endemic phase' of this viral wave and that the case numbers will show that by the end of this year. Meanwhile other nations are taking a bit of a conservative approach as the Omicron variant rages across the world. In the USA? Events are taking registrants as if nothing is going on. It's a very odd situation. 

I'm not saying we are (the USA) wrong or right, but you'd think that some mention of protocols for the health and safety of riders would still be alluded to, if in fact anything is going to be done at all. We'll see..... It is interesting to note that the industry get together called "CABDA", to be held in Chicago next month, has been cancelled. Meanwhile, the Iowa Bicycle Expo, to be held in Des Moines, Iowa, is full throttle, and will be held this month. Confused? 

Yeah......

The Enduo Track chain ring and chain. (Image courtesy of New Motion Labs)

Enduo Evolve Chain Reminds Of Skip-Tooth Chains Of Past:

Recently a new chain and chain ring design caught my eye as it reminded me of something which looked similar used pre-WWII on many single speed bicycles. The "Enduo Evolve" chain is a bit different take on how a chain works. the company which makes this new chain is called New Motion Labs and they claim a significant energy savings over conventional chains. 

Essentially what a 'normal chain' does when it interfaces with a sprocket is that the chain slides in the 'valley' between the teeth of a sprocket, which causes friction. Furthermore; the roller on one side bears most of the load for energy transfer, and that gets concentrated at the point where the chain pin is inserted into the outer chain plate. All of this wastes energy, according to New Motion Labs. 

They solve the problem by utilizing a 'skip tooth' design and interfacing two links of chain in a 'valley' which then spreads the load against the sprocket teeth and eliminates the sliding of rollers against chain rings. Therefore; it is claimed; the Enduo Evolve chain saves watts.  

Comments: Looking through the New Motion Labs site, their claims make sense. However; it is obvious that this is a single ring/cog drive train set up only. The Enduo Evolve chain is not designed for side loading/shifting and is obviously far too wide anyway. But perhaps for track racing and BMX? It could be pretty good there. I'd give it a whirl on a single speed gravel bike. But I think where this is really meant to go is in the electrified bike, motorcycle, and manufacturing directions. 

Okay, that's a wrap on this week! Stay warm and get outside if you can this weekend!