Oppositelock
    • Register
    • Login
    • Search
    • Categories
    • Recent
    • Tags
    • Users
    • User Guide
    • Key Stuff
      • Best Of OPPO
      • Overland
      • Planelopnik
      • LaLD
      • Swappo
      • Shoppo
      • OPPO Discord
      • Kinja Archive
      • TOS
    • Support OPPO
      • Merch Store
      • UPPU Stickers
      • Paypal Donate

    TIL

    Oppositelock
    6
    12
    93
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • ST80MND
      ST80MND last edited by

      Back in the 90's, there was a company called Mountain Cycles, who made a bike called the San Andreas. It was a radical departure for the time, and adorned the covers of magazines and walls of bedrooms.
      562c4fe1-98f3-4810-af87-36e3dc2f3e1d-image.png
      I just learned they are still around, at least as recently as 2012.
      60d99850-ab66-4268-9ca7-14d04193571b-image.png
      This pleases me. Its like learning that an old superhero you thought was dead is still kicking ass.
      Yum Yum.

      89' E30, 82' E21, Thrustmaster t300rs. Slow in, fast out.

      BicycleBuck 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
      • I
        ibRAD last edited by

        Hydraulic discs in '92? wow.

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • BicycleBuck
          BicycleBuck @ST80MND last edited by

          @st80mnd I remember those! The high chain stays and pivot were to combat suspension compression while pedaling and had the added bonus of limiting chain slap.

          The really amazing piece was the upside-down fork. I don't know how well they performed and I wonder if they had seal problems. It's seems that getting enough gaskets to get a good seal would result in a lot of stiction.

          Never discount the possibility that you might live through it.

          BaconSandwich 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • ranwhenparked
            ranwhenparked last edited by

            However, Chicago Bicycle Company is still dead

            2022 Ioniq SE
            1964 Corvair Monza

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • BaconSandwich
              BaconSandwich @BicycleBuck last edited by

              @bicyclebuck said in TIL:

              The really amazing piece was the upside-down fork

              Maybe a dumb question, but what's the advantage/disadvantage of an upside down fork?

              Smallbear BicycleBuck 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • Smallbear
                Smallbear @BaconSandwich last edited by

                @baconsandwich Unsprung weight, apparently. At least so I was informed by a significantly more bike-geeky friend when I asked the same question.

                Four out of five dentists surveyed recommended playing hockey.

                BaconSandwich 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                • BaconSandwich
                  BaconSandwich @Smallbear last edited by

                  @smallbear Ah. That does make sense.

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                  • BicycleBuck
                    BicycleBuck @BaconSandwich last edited by

                    @baconsandwich It's claimed that an inverted fork is lighter, stronger, and has better damping. I can see where those things might be true for a motorcycle where there is more weight being thrown around, but I suspect there are diminishing returns as the system weight drops.

                    The big disadvantages are stiction, higher chance of leaks (since the oil sits on the seals all the time), and placing the sliding tubes closer to the ground where they are more likely to get damaged.

                    Never discount the possibility that you might live through it.

                    BaconSandwich 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • BaconSandwich
                      BaconSandwich @BicycleBuck last edited by

                      @bicyclebuck I do wonder - if someone were to administer a double-blind test, how many cyclists would actually be able to tell the difference.

                      BicycleBuck 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • BicycleBuck
                        BicycleBuck @BaconSandwich last edited by

                        @baconsandwich said in TIL:

                        @bicyclebuck I do wonder - if someone were to administer a double-blind test, how many cyclists would actually be able to tell the difference.

                        That's an EXCELLENT question. The same is true for frames. Eliminate the visuals and sounds and I think that most cyclists couldn't tell the difference between a carbon, aluminum, and steel frame if they were all built to the same geometry. That test would be difficult to design since aluminum tubing has to have a greater cross-section to achieve the same strength as steel. Maybe if we took three frames by the same builder and encased them in a plastic shell to hide the frame material.

                        Never discount the possibility that you might live through it.

                        BaconSandwich 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                        • BaconSandwich
                          BaconSandwich @BicycleBuck last edited by

                          @bicyclebuck That sounds like the basis for a great article for some cycling magazine.

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                          • BaconSandwich
                            BaconSandwich last edited by

                            The funny thing is that we could say the same thing about a lot of car stuff. How many drivers can tell the difference between a few HP or a few PSI in tire pressures? Professionals - maybe. But I bet I wouldn't be able to tell half the differences in some of the car mods that people do. I think a lot of it is "if it makes me feel like a better driver, I'll be a better driver".

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • Moved from Oppositelock by  jminer jminer 
                            • Moved from Archive by  jminer jminer 
                            • Moved from Oppositelock by  CarsOfFortLangley CarsOfFortLangley 
                            • Moved from Archive by  jminer jminer 
                            • First post
                              Last post

                            61
                            Online

                            1.6k
                            Users

                            67.3k
                            Topics

                            950.8k
                            Posts