View Full Version : oval chainrings
Whatever happened to them? Were they ever a good idea or just another crazy gimmick? Who used one? I had completely forgotten they ever existed until something I read the other day reminded me of them.
What other cycling innovations have been lost in the mists of time?
>Whatever happened to them?
Answering my own question: having just done a quick Google I discover that Bobby Julich used an oval chainring in a TT in Canada last year. Are they still in widespread use then?
davek wrote:
> Whatever happened to them? Were they ever a good idea or
> just another crazy gimmick? Who used one? I had completely
> forgotten they ever existed until something I read the
> other day reminded me of them.
Shimano BioPace was the most famous example. I think they
died out because the majority of users hated them. Felt
horrible to me.
> What other cycling innovations have been lost in the mists
> of time?
Quadrauple chainset
Recumbents :-)
~PB
On Wed, 31 Mar 2004 15:58:52 +0100, in
<c4embh$2isrn7$1@ID-144931.news.uni-berlin.de>, "Pete Biggs"
<pclemantine{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> wrote:
>davek wrote:
>> Whatever happened to them? Were they ever a good idea or
>> just another crazy gimmick? Who used one? I had
>> completely forgotten they ever existed until something I
>> read the other day reminded me of them.
>
>Shimano BioPace was the most famous example. I think they
>died out because the majority of users hated them. Felt
>horrible to me.
I seem to recall seeing something on Tomorrows World that
was a round chainring that was extendable to become oval.
Am I imagining things?
--
usenet01@artybee.net Personal Site: www.artybee.net (same
crap, different layout) Sutton Brass :
www.suttonbrass.org.uk
Pete Biggs wrote:
> Shimano BioPace was the most famous example. I think they
> died out because the majority of users hated them. Felt
> horrible to me.
My sister in law had an MTB with one on. To be quite honest
I couldn't tell any difference, so I suspect they died from
apathy at increased cost as much as anything else...
> Recumbents :-)
Not so much "lost in the mists of cycling time" as
"obscured by a rather overbearing smoke machine operated by
the UCI" :-(
Other "you don't see those so much" would include handlebar
stem suspension. I was going to say Raleigh Choppers, but
I'm just about to be upstaged there...
Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext.
33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177
Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net p.j.clinch@dundee.ac.uk
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
Peter Clinch <p.j.clinch@dundee.ac.uk> writes:
>Pete Biggs wrote:
>> Shimano BioPace was the most famous example. I think they
>> died out because the majority of users hated them. Felt
>> horrible to me.
>My sister in law had an MTB with one on. To be quite honest
>I couldn't tell any difference, so I suspect they died from
>apathy at increased cost as much as anything else...
Your girlfriend still has an old tourer with one (or two
actually) ;) Was a special offer at the time when I was
putting my first bike together from various odds and ends. I
don't think I did notice much difference either, though I
have been very happy with that bike.
Roos
davek <usenet-forum@cyclingforums.com>typed
> >Whatever happened to them?
> Answering my own question: having just done a quick
> Google I discover that Bobby Julich used an oval
> chainring in a TT in Canada last year. Are they still in
> widespread use then?
I think Shimano reinvented the wheel when they introduced
'constant radius' chainrings.
I don't really think Biopace made any difference to the
way I rode.
--
Helen D. Vecht: helenvecht@zetnet.co.uk Edgware.
Richard Bates wrote:
> I seem to recall seeing something on Tomorrows World that
> was a round chainring that was extendable to become oval.
>
> Am I imagining things?
No, there's one pictured in the third edition of
"Bicycling Science"
--
Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================
Jon Senior wrote:
> Shimano branded gearing. I never realised Shimano (Or
> anyone for that matter) had tried quadruple.
AFAIK they didn't. It could be done with TA Cyclotouriste
and Stronglight 49D chainsets, by using longer bolts, but
that limited you to a 26T smallest ring.
At least two manufacturers - Qud and (IIRC) Avid - made
adapters for 74/110 mm chainsets, which allowed the use of a
freewheel sprocket as the fourth ring, and could thus have a
17T smallest ring. I know someone with a 17/34 bottom gear
on his Peer Gynt...
--
Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================
s/Qud/Quad, obv.
--
Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================
In message <2004033115340085140@zetnet.co.uk>, Helen Deborah
Vecht <helenvecht@zetnet.co.uk> writes
>davek <usenet-forum@cyclingforums.com>typed
>
>
>> >Whatever happened to them?
>
>> Answering my own question: having just done a quick
>> Google I discover that Bobby Julich used an oval
>> chainring in a TT in Canada last year. Are they still in
>> widespread use then?
>
>I think Shimano reinvented the wheel when they introduced
>'constant radius' chainrings.
>
:-)
Chris Bell still seems to make his oval Eggrings (jolly nice
chainrings, even if you just get round ones)
<http://www.argonet.co.uk/highpath/cycle_/eggs.htm> (http://www.argonet.co.uk/highpath/cycle_/eggs.htm)
<X-Trace: 1080676336 mercury.nildram.net 65061 81.6.216.181
>I don't really think Biopace made any difference to the
>way I rode.
>
Thing about Biopace was that they got it the 'wrong' way
round, as compared to the general theory on oval chainrings
- the idea being that they are arranged such that you get a
lower gear effectively when pedalling through the 'deadspot'
at the top and bottom of the pedal circle.
See:
<http://www.argonet.co.uk/highpath/cycle_/ovals.htm#how> (http://www.argonet.co.uk/highpath/cycle_/ovals.htm#how)
--
Chris French, Leeds
On Wed, 31 Mar 2004 13:42:07 GMT, davek
<usenet-forum@cyclingforums.com> wrote:
>Whatever happened to them? Were they ever a good idea or
>just another crazy gimmick? Who used one? I had completely
>forgotten they ever existed until something I read the
>other day reminded me of them.
>
>What other cycling innovations have been lost in the
>mists of time?
L-shaped cranks?
Regards! Stephen
Dave Larrington wrote:
> Richard Bates wrote:
>
>> I seem to recall seeing something on Tomorrows World that
>> was a round chainring that was extendable to become oval.
>>
>> Am I imagining things?
>
> No, there's one pictured in the third edition of
> "Bicycling Science"
>
I think I remember that episode of tomorrow's world - very
much a child of the 80's. But I thought it was some kind of
continuously variable gear.
AC
anonymous coward wrote:
> Dave Larrington wrote:
>
>> Richard Bates wrote:
>>
>>> I seem to recall seeing something on Tomorrows World
>>> that was a round chainring that was extendable to
>>> become oval.
>>>
>>> Am I imagining things?
>>
>> No, there's one pictured in the third edition of
>> "Bicycling Science"
>>
> I think I remember that episode of tomorrow's world - very
> much a child of the 80's. But I thought it was some kind
> of continuously variable gear.
Yep, that's the one. IIRC it was invented by Frank Whitt (co-
author of earlier editions of "Bicycling Science"), and
expanded along one axis to increase its circumference,
thereby providing a larger chainring. The Deal Drive of the
early/mid-Eighties did something similar, but expanded the
like a camera shutter so as not to leave the rider with an
outrageously oval chainring in top gear.
Neither achieved production, though I think the Deal Drive
came close - I remember John Kingsbury had a commuter HPV on
the drawing board ready to use it as soon as it was
available.
--
Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================
> >What other cycling innovations have been lost in the
> >mists of time?
Plastic headsets.
John B
Dave Larrington wrote:
> anonymous coward wrote:
>> Dave Larrington wrote:
>>
>>> Richard Bates wrote:
>>>
>>>> I seem to recall seeing something on Tomorrows World
>>>> that was a round chainring that was extendable to
>>>> become oval.
>>>>
>>>> Am I imagining things?
>>>
>>> No, there's one pictured in the third edition of
>>> "Bicycling Science"
>>>
>> I think I remember that episode of tomorrow's world -
>> very much a child of the 80's. But I thought it was some
>> kind of continuously variable gear.
>
> Yep, that's the one. IIRC it was invented by Frank Whitt
> (co-author of earlier editions of "Bicycling Science"),
> and expanded along one axis to increase its circumference,
> thereby providing a larger chainring. The Deal Drive of
> the early/mid-Eighties did something similar, but expanded
> the like a camera shutter so as not to leave the rider
> with an outrageously oval chainring in top gear.
Hmmnn... Google finds nothing, for once - on the deal drive,
and almost gets a whack on Frank Whitt and chainwheels.
Presumably it had to move in little steps, or else you'd get
some slack chain between the chainwheels?
> Neither achieved production, though I think the Deal Drive
> came close - I remember John Kingsbury had a commuter HPV
> on the drawing board ready to use it as soon as it was
> available.
On Wed, 31 Mar 2004 13:42:07 GMT, in
<PUzac.91207$ff.1384@fe05.usenetserver.com>, davek
<usenet-forum@cyclingforums.com> wrote:
>What other cycling innovations have been lost in the
>mists of time?
I think with the recent boom in white LEDs it would be
quite an appropriate time to place flashing green LEDs in
this category.
--
usenet01@artybee.net Personal Site: www.artybee.net (same
crap, different layout) Sutton Brass :
www.suttonbrass.org.uk
davek wrote:
> What other cycling innovations have been lost in the mists
> of time?
What about Shimano's Front Freewheel System (aptly
titled FFS!)?
This put the freewheel in the BB for the advantage that the
chain never stops moving, hence you can change your
derailleur gears when not pedalling.
JohnB <nospam@here.com>typed
> > >What other cycling innovations have been lost in the
> > >mists of time?
> Plastic headsets.
> John B
Plastic bicycles! (The Itera)
--
Helen D. Vecht: helenvecht@zetnet.co.uk Edgware.
> >What other cycling innovations have been lost in the
> >mists of time?
Touring bicycles?
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