What do you think is the biggest gimmick in bike equipment?

Take a handlebar with normal bar plugs and drop it on the ground, listen to it ring and vibrate. Then replace the plugs with bzzzkills and do it again, no more vibration. So yes, they do reduce vibration, but not by an amount that is noticable when riding the bike.

 

is it just me, or wouldn't the sound also be killed somewhat by shoving a couple of rags in the ends of the bars?

 

as long as the rags were made of carbon fibre.

 

Tightly packed in, yes, it would get the same effect and keep it from vibrating.

 

Buzzkills are brass and rubber. Not carbon.

 

- could the proponents/opponents of these bar-plug things start a separate thread , perhaps ?

 

Well all the extra speed you get from having the buzzkills will be lost due to extra weight. Maybe carbon fibre ones would be better? Less damage to your handlebars when you drop them for sure. IMHO, given my lack of experience of course.

 

...and your mouth....woops...moth

 

You don't gain any extra speed from putting buzzkills in. The idea is that it reduces "road buzz" or vibration through the bar that gives some people numb hands or arms. It is a good idea in theory and in the test that shops use, but like I said in my previous post, it is probably a loss of vibration that most people will not notice.

 

Right. I just read that WalMart is going to start selling a carbon road bike. Made in Italy. Now, about the service....

 

I see this one in particular could use some handlebar adjustment:
http://walmart.scene7.com/walmart/flash_zoom.jsp?company=WalMart&sku=5585799&config=WalMart/zoom_config&default=0003867559728&title=700c%20Schwinn%20Varsity%20Carbon%20Fiber%20Road%20Bike

 

[saracasm/] Man I didn't know carbon could be welded! Walmart engineers are geniuses! [\end sarcasm]

 

Now that I look closer, I see what you mean.

 

But wouldn't that loss of vibration result in less fatigue which would result in more stamina which would result in stronger finishes to bike races?

 

carbon road bike, schrader valve tubes in the tires, crappy stem. There is so much wrong with that bike. We'll probably be seeing one at our repair shop pretty soon.

 

That was an Aluminium bike picture I posted, not the carbon bike. I only posted it because the handlebars were ridiculous.

 

But the seat stay clearly says "carbon fiber" and the entire bike is painted faux carbon.

 

The frame appears to be "carbon wrapped aluminum" according to the specifications.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5585799

The original name in road bikes, the Schwinn Varsity CF is back on the road, bike path or sidewalk. Schwinn's sleek, classic, handcrafted carbon fiber wrapped lightweight aluminum road frame is built up with STI 7-speed shifters and a 14-speed Shimano Sora drivetrain for a ride that's equally responsive on hills and flats. Alloy pedals with toe clips and straps round out the package.

700c Men's Schwinn Varsity CF Road Bike:

• Frame: Schwinn carbon fiber-wrapped aluminum road bike
• Fork: Schwinn aluminum road fork
• Shifters: Shimano 14-speed drive train with Shimano 7-speed Sora STI shifters
• Stem: Promax alloy ahead
• Handlebars: Schwinn Road Bend bar
• Crankset: Samox Road 42/52
• Front Derailleur: Top pull
• Rear Derailleur: Shimano 2200
• Brakes: Promax dual pivot caliper
• Wheels: SWFT Aero paired spoke Deep Dish alloy
• Tires: Kenda 700 x 26c
• Pedals: Road pedal with toe clip and strap
• Seat: Schwinn road saddle

 

For those of us who are ignorant about CF, why wrap an aluminum frame with CF? Also, whoever wrote the specs needs to look at the photo of the bike again. The Front Derailleur is a bottom pull, not a top pull.

 

Marketing and aesthetics.