graveyard of bad ideas
02-20-14, 05:22 AM
#26
Powerful-Ugly Creature
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As I got older, I really started to question the "science" behind that....
02-20-14, 07:11 AM
#27
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Easy racers handlebars for their LWB's. The wrist angles were designed to fit their fairings and are so wrong for riders. Once you change the bars to fit you, it's a really nice bike. bk
02-20-14, 08:45 AM
#29
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The ever increasing number of sprockets on the cassettes.
And the fact that for money reasons recumbent bikes were outlawed by the UCI. It stopped bike development for 50 years.
And the fact that for money reasons recumbent bikes were outlawed by the UCI. It stopped bike development for 50 years.
02-20-14, 10:08 AM
#31
Hogosha Sekai
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02-20-14, 11:00 AM
#33
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02-20-14, 11:14 AM
#34
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Two hornless bicycle seats for my wife and me. Felt like I was going to pitch forward over the handle bars. The marketers suggested lowering the seat which made peddling difficult. They now reside in my "Bin of Broken Dreams and Bike Parts."
02-20-14, 11:42 AM
#35
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the latest attempted scammer was calling them "Z-torque" or some such ... tried to get money on kickstarter. Glad it failed.
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Bikes: Old steel race bikes, old Cannondale race bikes, less old Cannondale race bike, crappy old mtn bike.
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Bikes: Old steel race bikes, old Cannondale race bikes, less old Cannondale race bike, crappy old mtn bike.
FYI: https://www.bikeforums.net/forum-sugg...ad-please.html
02-20-14, 03:18 PM
#36
The Improbable Bulk
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My home brewed worst idea was to modify the brakes on a 3 speed so that both caliper brakes were on the rear, one controlled by each lever.
I did it so that I could still brake in wet weather with the steel rims. While it could brake as well in wet as dry weather, the trade off was that it didn't stop very well in either case. It seemed like a good idea because us uninformed kids rarely touched a front brake anyway because we were afraid of doing an endo... of course now I realize that such an event was unlikely with the quality of calipers we had anyway.
On the positive side, I could skid with the best of the coaster brake crowd.
I did it so that I could still brake in wet weather with the steel rims. While it could brake as well in wet as dry weather, the trade off was that it didn't stop very well in either case. It seemed like a good idea because us uninformed kids rarely touched a front brake anyway because we were afraid of doing an endo... of course now I realize that such an event was unlikely with the quality of calipers we had anyway.
On the positive side, I could skid with the best of the coaster brake crowd.
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Slow Ride Cyclists of NEPA
People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Slow Ride Cyclists of NEPA
People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
02-20-14, 04:27 PM
#38
Hogosha Sekai
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02-20-14, 04:38 PM
#39
Senior Member
02-20-14, 04:43 PM
#40
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
The Copenhagen wheel seems to have some potential... a self contained plug and play assist is a good idea.
02-20-14, 05:26 PM
#41
apocryphal sobriquet
Yeah, I think we'll have to wait and see with the Copenhagen wheel. I was pretty against the whole idea at first but having given it more thought I can see its merits, and at this point I'm interested if it will become vaopurware or a practical piece of gear.
02-20-14, 07:25 PM
#42
Senior Member
The Trek R200 was actually not a bad recumbent, just a little overpriced. I watched the evolution of it prior to production. It was designed by committee, and the thinking went something like:
1. We (TREK) are known (at the time) for aluminum bikes. That's our strength, so the bike we make will be Al.
2. Aluminum rides harshly.
3. Recumbent riders want comfort.
4. The only way to get comfort is dual suspension. (See the blind spot here?)
5. Them newfangled compact frames aren't taking off so we'd better make the top tube level.
6. Need gimmick, otherwise it's just another RANS V-Rex. Ahh! Mid-drive!
7. Too expensive! Lose the front shock. (The back one is for comfort, the front one is just for control.)
8. Still too tall. Use 20" wheels
In spite of the corporate group-think, and much to the chagrin of the powers-that-be inside TREK, the model sold out its first production run, then its second. There were some teething pains, especially with the mid-drive; but they were pretty much sorted out for the second year's production. The second year's production was selling well, but then the one supporter inside of TREK suddenly and unexpectedly died. TREK IMMEDIATELY dropped the model from its catalog. In a back-door deal, Dave Doty of Valley Bikes (Indianapolis area) made a deal to buy all of TREK's remaining stock, still in crates, which he drop-shipped to customers for $650 each. There was an R-200 in the showroom of every TREK dealer in the country, as per their standard dealership contract; and the deal effectively made everyone's stock worthless. I'm pretty sure they lost some dealers over that.
One of the guys in my club had one. [edit: he had the second one ever produced.] It wasn't fast, but it rode nicely and had a great gear range. The biggest problem with it was that it wasn't particularly sporty, but it was priced as if it were.
The Cannondale and the Giant were, IMHO, bordering on 'stinky' and even higher-priced than the TREK.
Burley bents weren't a failure. They were quite popular. In fact, the designs are still in production as Edge Recumbents.
Last edited by BlazingPedals; 02-20-14 at 07:32 PM.
02-20-14, 07:30 PM
#43
Senior Member
Hornless saddles - check
auto-shifting - check
Electronics that put an image on the pavement are trying to join the list.
auto-shifting - check
Electronics that put an image on the pavement are trying to join the list.
02-20-14, 07:46 PM
#44
Senior Member
Why did the Giant EZB fail? Just really expensive? The rear wheel sounds like a NIGHTMARE to change if flatted, but what do I know?
M.
M.
02-20-14, 07:57 PM
#45
Insane Bicycle Mechanic
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Comcast nuked my web page. It will return soon..
Jeff Wills
Comcast nuked my web page. It will return soon..
02-20-14, 08:06 PM
#46
Hogosha Sekai
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02-20-14, 08:31 PM
#47
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My home brewed worst idea was to modify the brakes on a 3 speed so that both caliper brakes were on the rear, one controlled by each lever.
I did it so that I could still brake in wet weather with the steel rims. While it could brake as well in wet as dry weather, the trade off was that it didn't stop very well in either case. It seemed like a good idea because us uninformed kids rarely touched a front brake anyway because we were afraid of doing an endo... of course now I realize that such an event was unlikely with the quality of calipers we had anyway.
On the positive side, I could skid with the best of the coaster brake crowd.
I did it so that I could still brake in wet weather with the steel rims. While it could brake as well in wet as dry weather, the trade off was that it didn't stop very well in either case. It seemed like a good idea because us uninformed kids rarely touched a front brake anyway because we were afraid of doing an endo... of course now I realize that such an event was unlikely with the quality of calipers we had anyway.
On the positive side, I could skid with the best of the coaster brake crowd.
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My greatest fear is all of my kids standing around my coffin and talking about "how sensible" dad was.
My greatest fear is all of my kids standing around my coffin and talking about "how sensible" dad was.
02-20-14, 10:08 PM
#48
Senior Member
02-20-14, 10:22 PM
#49
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
02-20-14, 10:52 PM
#50
working on my sandal tan
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