Modern Road Bike Innovations and Future Trends
01-16-25 | 09:07 AM
#151
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 2,368
Likes: 2,483
From: Upstate SC
I was involved as an engineer during the Michelin vs Bridgestone F1 tyre war in the mid 2000s. We would rock up to every test with around 50 sets of wheels and test dozens of tyre compounds and constructions. Lap times sometimes came down in 2 or 3 second chunks. Literally nothing else mattered at the trackside if you were on the wrong tires.
01-16-25 | 11:34 AM
#152
Senior Member
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 11,620
Likes: 7,017
It was a complicated issue and ended up in a political and legal stalemate. I think it was only Toyota that had the actual tyre failures and Michelin was not allowed to change the tire construction.
01-16-25 | 09:59 PM
#153
Gruppetto Bob
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 11,576
Likes: 11,781
From: Seattle-ish
Bikes: Orbea Orca, Bianchi Infinito & Campione de Mundo
Sacrilegious heathen! How could you drive such an abomination? (The Macan has paddle shifters, which I use in manual mode and the 71 has a 3.0 with the traditional dog-leg 5 speed). So get yourself to church and say 10 Hail Marys.
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01-17-25 | 02:40 AM
#155
Highly Enriched Driftium
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 6,879
Likes: 2,241
928s were few with manuals in the USA, vast majority automatics. The manual 5 was on the GT pattern (1st down and left), with narrow gates laterally and a long throw fore/aft, so it took some getting used to. However if it was stuck, like driving across the alps from Switzerland into Italy, and you had to rock it, R up and left and 1st down and left, allowed fast switches between the two.
01-17-25 | 05:05 AM
#156
Senior Member
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 11,620
Likes: 7,017
In my defence I long since sold that car, but still own a 1982 912 3.0 SC with manual 5-speed. But to be honest it’s not a great gearbox (last iteration of the 915).
01-17-25 | 11:08 AM
#157
Gruppetto Bob
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 11,576
Likes: 11,781
From: Seattle-ish
Bikes: Orbea Orca, Bianchi Infinito & Campione de Mundo
I added Seine Systems (but Wevo is well liked too) gated shifters to three cars and oh what a difference.
__________________
“A watt saved is a watt earned” 🚴🏻♂️
Not a CAT
“A watt saved is a watt earned” 🚴🏻♂️
01-17-25 | 11:14 AM
#158
Gruppetto Bob
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 11,576
Likes: 11,781
From: Seattle-ish
Bikes: Orbea Orca, Bianchi Infinito & Campione de Mundo
Anyone that buys a Miata with an automatic has never driven a Miata with a manual. One of the great-shifting sticks, from day one in the series.
928s were few with manuals in the USA, vast majority automatics. The manual 5 was on the GT pattern (1st down and left), with narrow gates laterally and a long throw fore/aft, so it took some getting used to. However if it was stuck, like driving across the alps from Switzerland into Italy, and you had to rock it, R up and left and 1st down and left, allowed fast switches between the two.
928s were few with manuals in the USA, vast majority automatics. The manual 5 was on the GT pattern (1st down and left), with narrow gates laterally and a long throw fore/aft, so it took some getting used to. However if it was stuck, like driving across the alps from Switzerland into Italy, and you had to rock it, R up and left and 1st down and left, allowed fast switches between the two.
Interesting that the manual 928s also had the dog-leg (1st down and to left and R above that) as the 914s. I heard that for racing purposes, the dog-leg version made for a quicker gear changes because one would seldom use first again, once out of the gate. Makes sense to me.
__________________
“A watt saved is a watt earned” 🚴🏻♂️
Not a CAT
“A watt saved is a watt earned” 🚴🏻♂️
