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From: broome@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU (Jonathan C. Broome)
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: Re: Dirty Water Bottles, etc.
Message-ID: <10963@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Tue, 12-Nov-85 22:01:05 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.10963
Posted: Tue Nov 12 22:01:05 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 14-Nov-85 01:11:23 EST
References: <228@druhi.UUCP>
Reply-To: broome@ucbvax.UUCP (Jonathan C. Broome)
Followup-To: junk
Organization: University of California at Berkeley
Lines: 35
Summary: use of alloy components ...

In article <228@druhi.UUCP> bhilden@druhi.UUCP (HildenbrandBE) writes:
> [on alloy vs. steel bottle cages]
>                I have heard and seen several incidents where
>cyclists reached for their water bottle and got a little more
>than they expected(i.e. the old bottle and cage combo).  Also,
>the alloy cages do mark up your water bottle, steel doesn't.

>I'm talking about stuff like alloy crank arm bolts(come on now!!!),
>alloy toe clips(you have got to be kidding),  seats with alloy rails
>(frontal lobotamy cases only), alloy headsets and, water bottle cages,etc.

Unlike your steel TA cage, an alloy bottle cage will never rust. I dunno
about you, but back when I tend to get everything wet when I'm on a hard ride,
and I'd really rather not have the steel cage rust on me. I use one of the
Blackburn Designs one-piece (welded) alloy cages, not one of those cheap 
alloy-and-plastic ones, and I doubt it'll ever break. It does mark up the 
bottle though. Oh well.

As for alloy other components, I agree that alloy clips and crankarm bolts
have got to be among the dumbest things made.  I used to work at a pro shop
that sold these things (along with the more traditional stuff), and never had 
anything but trouble with the alloy parts. I knew one rider who got into a 
major spill just because his Cinelli clips snapped during a race. Of course,
he also managed to snap a Campy Record crankarm once, but that's another story 
(anyone for old Nervar steel crankarms? :-)  And have you ever tried to get 
a broken alloy crankarm bolt out from a steel spindle?  Not fun.  Me, I like 
my (steel) Campy headset and Christophe (steel) toeclips. Nice and reliable.


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Jonathan C. Broome       University of California, Berkeley

          UUCP    ...!ucbvax!broome
          ARPA    broome@ucbvax.berkeley.edu 
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