Bio-Pace and the Trash Can...
#1
Thread Starter
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From: Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada - burrrrr!
Bikes: 1958 Rabeneick 120D, 1968 Legnano Gran Premio, 196? Torpado Professional, 2000 Marinoni Piuma
Bio-Pace and the Trash Can...
For quite some time now I have been discarding Bio-Pace anything, thinking it to have little or no value. Am I wrong? Do people actually want these cranks and rings?
Personally, I do not like them but that is just me.
Personally, I do not like them but that is just me.
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"98% of the bikes I buy are projects".
"98% of the bikes I buy are projects".
#2
There does seem to be a market for them - no idea if it's just the "period-correct/authentic" thing, or if some folks actually like them. And if you come up with a set of 110/74 (26/36/46 or 28/38/48) or 130 (39/52) bcd rings, toss 'em my way - I'd like to give 'em a try on my 'bent.
SP
Bend, OR
SP
Bend, OR
#3
Curmudgeon in Training
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,956
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From: Rural Retreat, VA
Bikes: 1974 Gazelle Champion Mondial, 2010 Cannondale Trail SL, 1988 Peugeot Nice, 1992ish Stumpjumper Comp,1990's Schwinn Moab
There is a market for them. I tried to find a 39t ring for my double to no avail. Right now I'm running a 39t round ring with a 52t Biopace ring.
#6
multimodal commuter
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: NJ, NYC, LI
Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...
I like them. In general I take a dim view of all those crazy Shimano innovations, but biopace is a good one. Sheldon Brown said you could even use biopace rings with an IGH or single speed, but I did not find that to be the case. So I don't use them much, since I don't like derailleurs much. If anyone has a really big 110 BCD ring, like 62T or something, please let me know... that's what I need for my recumbent.
#7
I have sold a couple of sets of rings on CL for about $25 a set. Sold both sets locally (Chicagoland) but had an inquiry from the great Northwestern region.
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Be where your feet are.......Lisa Bluder
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#8
PanGalacticGargleBlaster
Joined: Apr 2009
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From: Smugglers Notch, Vermont
Bikes: Upright and Recumbent....too many to list, mostly Vintage.
I liked em just fine on my Miyata 1000....I didn't find it to be a really noticable difference from round rings though.
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#9
Get off my lawn!


Joined: Nov 2010
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From: The Garden State
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I like them on my MTB
#10
+1... The cranks are standard cranks, the only differences are the chain rings. If you are throwing out the cranks you are throwing out cranks that can be used with round rings as easily as biopace...
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- Ralph Waldo Emerson
#12
Thread Starter
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From: Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada - burrrrr!
Bikes: 1958 Rabeneick 120D, 1968 Legnano Gran Premio, 196? Torpado Professional, 2000 Marinoni Piuma
Am I coorect in understanding that you are discarding rings and whole cranksets?
I don't like them either - but you aren't tossing the cranks - just the rings, right?
__________________
"98% of the bikes I buy are projects".
"98% of the bikes I buy are projects".
#13
face palm!
The cranks are the same as any other, the rings are biopace ad can b easily replaced. Biopace make great parts for flip bikes.
I'll toss biopac on them and sell them while keeping the round rings for myself, or a single speed or 1x8 build etc.
The cranks are the same as any other, the rings are biopace ad can b easily replaced. Biopace make great parts for flip bikes.
I'll toss biopac on them and sell them while keeping the round rings for myself, or a single speed or 1x8 build etc.
#15
Thread Starter
Senior Member


Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 12,565
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From: Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada - burrrrr!
Bikes: 1958 Rabeneick 120D, 1968 Legnano Gran Premio, 196? Torpado Professional, 2000 Marinoni Piuma
Personally, I cannot see much difference in feel when I have used Bio-pace but I have not used them much. I developed a serious dislike for oval rings after my experience with my Motobecane Mirage, fitted with this...

I'd like to see anybody spin that crank at 80rpm:-(
I'd like to see anybody spin that crank at 80rpm:-(
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"98% of the bikes I buy are projects".
"98% of the bikes I buy are projects".
#16
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#19
Muscle bike design spec
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From: Sterling VA
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After reading your great web site I'd never expect you to throw out perfectly good gear. I rode a flip bike that had them for a while and I think I could get to like them. They are certainly worth using in trade, easy Ebay income, or for flip bikes.
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#20
Sec..er..thirded? I'm gathering parts for a mutant hybrid build, and I'm thinking of using a Biopace ring on the front just because I've always wanted to try one. Mostly what I've heard is they're easier on the knees.
#21
Death fork? Naaaah!!

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From: The other Maine, north of RT 2
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#22
Senior Member

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From: Liberty, Missouri
Bikes: 1966 Paramount | 1971 Raleigh International | ca. 1970 Bernard Carre | 1989 Waterford Paramount | 2012 Boulder Brevet | 2019 Specialized Diverge
I'm running a BioPace triple on the Shogun I traded my Voyageur to SouthPawBoston for. Don't know if it was original to the Voyageur or not, but that's what was on it when I acquired it and I used it for the Shogun build. Heck, I'd never heard of BioPace before and thought I had a mucked up set of rings at the time! After asking around a bit, it became very clear that BioPace is a particularly polarizing topic: you either love 'em or hate 'em. I was warned that they would screw up my knees, and I was also told that they were the best possible set of rings for your knees. Whatever! At any rate, I figured I could yank 'em and replace 'em if I hated 'em, right? I just finished a 600+ mile tour on the Shogun and I've also put in an additional 1500 miles or so of long rides this spring, including eight or nine metric centuries or so. And here's the thing: I don't really notice any difference except in the granny gear (which has an odd-to-me cadence.) My knees are just fine, the rings look nice and function well. I'd keep them or sell them or use them: don't toss them, though.
#23
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From: South Jersey
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I like them and have been using them on every bike I have owned for the last 18 years, they help my knees & I don't know if I could ride round rings anymore.
Glenn
Glenn







