I (heart) old designs

With bicycle engineering having largely reached a point of maturity,
original and/or decorative designs are become rare. Everything has
become increasingly purposeful and efficient. The differences between
brands are subtle. When the big brands try to recapture it (most of
those unrideable choppers or the crappy looking Raleigh Chopper remake)
it comes off as kind of pathetic.
Yeah, steel became aluminum or titanium became carbon, URT became 4 bar
or singlepivot, disc brakes are in, shock valving has developed. But I
find it hard to care about any of that stuff. I enjoy admiring older,
quirky designs that, even if they failed, are interesting conceptually.
Or maybe they're just different for difference's sake and fun to look
at. Whatever.

This comes off a "Hirondelle Retro Direct":
http://www.m-gineering.nl/retro1.jpg

I mean, go to www.bikecult.com and look at their bicycle, chainring,
seat, and fittings archive. God bless them and their obsessive
personalities. Checked out the "Stronglight Spoked Armature" chainring.
Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

/s

wrote in message oups.com...

This comes off a "Hirondelle Retro Direct":
http://www.m-gineering.nl/retro1.jpg

Oh my!

If I interpret it correctly, a two-speed front end, with a seriously complex chain tensioning
system. Is that a shifter control rod below the downtube? Move shifter & backpedal?

I guess I (heart) old designs too--I'd love to try it out, although I appreciate the modern
shifting on my bikes.

I enjoy admiring older,
quirky designs that, even if they failed, are interesting conceptually.
Or maybe they're just different for difference's sake and fun to look
at. Whatever.

I must admit I am the opposite on most things, though I can be swayed by a
late '70s Corvette Being an engineer I see beauty in engineering design,
i see functionality as perfection. Bring on the perfect solutions to MTB,
and lets hope i have them (Or better still invent them lol)

J