Originally Posted by
Chuckk
I remember reading that Shimano finally admitted that BioPace was tested for efficiency at 40 rpm.
Not even this old masher hits that.
The big rings didn't bother me as much as many others, but the small triple ring made my Cannondale tourer feel like mush on a hill.
What it did do for Shimano is triple the going price for a chain ring to "represent the cost of the special new equipment needed to produce that shape". Funny, the price of rings didn't go back down after Shimano abandoned it.
This sounds like a case of the original fact being progressively exagerated each time it is retold. The original 38T and 48T chainrings were designed for 55-100rpm, while the 28T granny was intended for a maximum 80 rpm.