Sunday, March 14, 2010

Rip van Winkle

Well, I've been catching up on all the velo developments of the past 6-8 months and one thing just knocked me out.

I signed up for an account on twospoke.com upon the recommendation of Scott Ryder, the esteemed Fuji scholar. While exploring that site, I saw the news about the new Electra Ticino road hubs. These are obviously heavily inspired by the Campagnolo C-Record sheriff's 5 star model. Note the sculpted axle spindle/grease port, one of the most elegant features of C-Record and Croce D'Aune hubs:


Well, well. For years, I've been whining to anyone who will listen that if someone would start making quality hi flange hubs, they would sell like hotcakes. So it would be remiss of me to be a passive bystander in this story.

Electra claims mine will be here in 7-10 days.

Yeah, I know all the stories about the originals failing, but there is a lot of backstory about how those were only designed for track use.

These will also be my first non-mtb cassette hubs. I've got mixed feelings about this, since I've got piles of freewheels. However, this gives me some opportunity to test the wide range double concept, dispensing with a triple crank.

They look gorgeous, and now as they are trickling out, first reports confirm that they live up to their pictures. Obviously, there hasn't been enough time to figure out their long term durability, so I guess I'll be a guinea pig.

But overall, hooray for these. No, double hooray. Things have been getting lots better the past few years for those who favor the form and function of an earlier era. Its now way past the days when your old bike would get the fisheye on the paths and in the bike shop. I am feeling a bit of loss though at our passion no longer being an obscure, reviled cult.

Developing...

No comments: