I never realized how much of a disorganized cluster-f*** the whole industry is until I decided to do as much of my own maintenance as possible, which meant buying tools. I'm sure this is not really startling news to most, but it amazes me how the whole industry can simply not communicate or standardize.

One word: Shimano.

Raleigh established many of the 'standards' we see today.
(that's why I enjoy working on them so much)
Schwinn tried to establish their own set of sizes and standards but failed miserably.
As components are re-engineered for weight and material the sizes will vary to match the properties of those materials.

Enjoy

Good point, the more I read Sheldon Brown's site, the more I realize.