Originally Posted by
HillRider
Yes, as you and ThermionicScott both mentioned, I'm well aware of those patents. However, the cog and chain designs were radically different from anything at the time and, more important, from anything that has been made since. It was an interesting concept but didn't portend the current cog increases.
I don't completely agree. The industry has always been in a cog count contest. The 14 cog patent happened in the middle of the many year span from the common 5 cogs (of when I started) to the now common 11 cogs. I saw it as a statement of Shimano's engineering abilities, saying that Shimano was ready and able to design far more cogs into a system then any other manufacture (SunTour and Campy being the two other players) was able to. Shimano's business model has never been about staying put. The 14 cog patent is one more example of their resolve to be considered
#1 , I feel they understood the consumer, and how to "work" the consumer, better then other manufactures did. One example is how they have paced the "advances" over the years and across the grades they produce. So while the unique aspects of the 14 cog patent isn't in use today does nothing to take away from the goal of more cogs then the other guy has when one is "on the line and ready to go". Andy