J
Jeremy Parker
Guest
I've long thought about getting a riding-along-the-prom
grade tandem for such things as chauffeuring politicians and
bureaucrats around the bike facilities being done to^H^H for
us. So I sent off for the Tandem offer in the Times.
The bike arrived Wed 19th. It was supposed to go back, to be
exchanged for another one, Fri 21st, but owing to some
failure in communication will now not be picked up until
this Wed., 24th.
The problem is that the bracket for the front disc brake is
mislocated. Someone has obviously tried to bodge things to
fit by adding a bunch of washers under the lower mounting
bolt to cant the calipers forward to be roughly at the disc.
Unfortunately the bracket is too far inboard, so the disc
can only go inside the calipers thanks to one of the brake
pads mysteriously having gone missing. There isn't any
braking action at all.
I will see how a second bike is. Who knows, it may be just a
one-off problem.
Assuming the second bike doesn't have a problem, it might
actually be worth it. Goodness knows what the frame is made
of - the bike weighs about 46 lb. I would guess it's welded,
including that bracket, but who knows. The frame looks
reasonably true, although I haven't given it a detailed
check. The bike is made in Viet Nam. Things must have
changed since those old Peugots hauling ammo down the Ho Chi
Minh Trail
The only parts I recegnise are the rims - Weinmann, and the
rear derailleur Shimano SIS Megarange. It isn't a megarange
block. The largest cog is 28 teeth and the smallest, of 7,
is about 14 or 13. Seat posts, stems and handlebars are
steel, pedal cranks Al, 170 mm.
Two questions:
1. I seem to recall that mail-order bikes must come pre-
adjusted. Is that right? Anway, somebody certainly
operned up the box, and somebody certainly did things
to the front brake, and then, unless there was some
terrible mistake, somebody presumably decided that this
bike was fit for sale. The back brake and gears are
well adjusted.
2. How much standardisation is there among disc brakes? Is
there just one kind of mounting bracket, good for any
kind of brakes, or man? I seem to be beyond the Sheldon
Brown horizon here.
Watch for further bulletins
Jeremy Parker
grade tandem for such things as chauffeuring politicians and
bureaucrats around the bike facilities being done to^H^H for
us. So I sent off for the Tandem offer in the Times.
The bike arrived Wed 19th. It was supposed to go back, to be
exchanged for another one, Fri 21st, but owing to some
failure in communication will now not be picked up until
this Wed., 24th.
The problem is that the bracket for the front disc brake is
mislocated. Someone has obviously tried to bodge things to
fit by adding a bunch of washers under the lower mounting
bolt to cant the calipers forward to be roughly at the disc.
Unfortunately the bracket is too far inboard, so the disc
can only go inside the calipers thanks to one of the brake
pads mysteriously having gone missing. There isn't any
braking action at all.
I will see how a second bike is. Who knows, it may be just a
one-off problem.
Assuming the second bike doesn't have a problem, it might
actually be worth it. Goodness knows what the frame is made
of - the bike weighs about 46 lb. I would guess it's welded,
including that bracket, but who knows. The frame looks
reasonably true, although I haven't given it a detailed
check. The bike is made in Viet Nam. Things must have
changed since those old Peugots hauling ammo down the Ho Chi
Minh Trail
The only parts I recegnise are the rims - Weinmann, and the
rear derailleur Shimano SIS Megarange. It isn't a megarange
block. The largest cog is 28 teeth and the smallest, of 7,
is about 14 or 13. Seat posts, stems and handlebars are
steel, pedal cranks Al, 170 mm.
Two questions:
1. I seem to recall that mail-order bikes must come pre-
adjusted. Is that right? Anway, somebody certainly
operned up the box, and somebody certainly did things
to the front brake, and then, unless there was some
terrible mistake, somebody presumably decided that this
bike was fit for sale. The back brake and gears are
well adjusted.
2. How much standardisation is there among disc brakes? Is
there just one kind of mounting bracket, good for any
kind of brakes, or man? I seem to be beyond the Sheldon
Brown horizon here.
Watch for further bulletins
Jeremy Parker