Top swing derailleurs do not belong on hybrid/city bikes (Yarr!)

I *finally* got around to having a good look to see if I could mod a
standard plate* black Greenfield stand to work with the Dew's front
mech. The fender hadn't been too huge of a pain--but did require
drilling and modding to back it off so it barely hits the mech. The
stand didn't look to have a chance of fitting so I threw it in the
****it buckit till today.

I'd contemplated sawing the top plate so the front mech cable could
pass through, but that would take too long with my old hacksaw, so I
eyeballed the position of the cable and just drilled a teeny hole (my
supply of really sharp bits for metal limited my selection)--and got
it spot on. Looks very slick--well, if you're a bike dork I guess.

Hey manufacturers, if you're reading this--one shouldn't have to do
any "mods" to mount fenders, racks, or kickstand on your supposed
"utility" models! That's bad design on your part.

All said and done, the Dew, with a $100 worth of add-ons, and a near
tear apart and rebuild, is a fearless and fun do-everything bike.
Shifts, stops, and plain rides like a much more expensive bike (go,
low-end Shimano, go!) For the non-hobbyist, a Marin or Jamis is
probably gonna be a better spec mass market schlepper.

Ahh, kickstand! It's already made my life better. The local wine/
liquor store and quickie mart as much as invite you to bring your bike
inside, as they don't want theft to taint them, but there's always the
problem of where to lean. No more! I feel like a burned a brassiere or
somthin'.

*I do realize that Greenfield has a top plate for this purpose, but
with shipping it'd be ten dollars! That's beer bucks wasted!

Quoth landotter:

Hey manufacturers, if you're reading this--one shouldn't have to do
any "mods" to mount fenders, racks, or kickstand on your supposed
"utility" models! That's bad design on your part.

Yep. It's this silly fad for short chainstays.

It's a widely held superstition that short chainstays will make a bike
somehow faster and/or more maneuverable.

Sheldon "Long Wheelbase" Brown
+----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
| I am come-in a very moralizing strain, to observe that our
|
| pleasures in this world are always to be paid for, and that we
|
| often purchase them at a great disadvantage, giving ready-monied
|
| actual happiness for a draft on the future, that may not be honored.
|
| -- Jane Austen
|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

On Dec 10, 8:21 pm, Sheldon Brown wrote:
Quoth landotter:

Hey manufacturers, if you're reading this--one shouldn't have to do
any "mods" to mount fenders, racks, or kickstand on your supposed
"utility" models! That's bad design on your part.

Yep. It's this silly fad for short chainstays.

It's a widely held superstition that short chainstays will make a bike
somehow faster and/or more maneuverable.

Sheldon "Long Wheelbase" Brown

My esteemed Sheldon,

I agree with you about the chainstay absurdity, but my particular
problem was actually caused by clearance problems due to the top swing
front mech, The clearances are otherwise not obnoxious on a Kona Dew.

Quoth landotter:
Hey manufacturers, if you're reading this--one shouldn't have to do
any "mods" to mount fenders, racks, or kickstand on your supposed
"utility" models! That's bad design on your part.

Sheldon Brown wrote:
Yep. It's this silly fad for short chainstays.
It's a widely held superstition that short chainstays will make a bike
somehow faster and/or more maneuverable.
Sheldon "Long Wheelbase" Brown

landotter wrote:
My esteemed Sheldon,
I agree with you about the chainstay absurdity, but my particular
problem was actually caused by clearance problems due to the top swing
front mech, The clearances are otherwise not obnoxious on a Kona Dew.

Greenfield has a nice rear-mount model for bikes with crowded behind-BB
space. They not only obviate that and similar problems, they are more
stable and great for heavily-laden bikes and tandems.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Dec 11, 1:13 am, A Muzi wrote:
Quoth landotter:
Hey manufacturers, if you're reading this--one shouldn't have to do
any "mods" to mount fenders, racks, or kickstand on your supposed
"utility" models! That's bad design on your part.
Sheldon Brown wrote:
Yep. It's this silly fad for short chainstays.
It's a widely held superstition that short chainstays will make a bike
somehow faster and/or more maneuverable.
Sheldon "Long Wheelbase" Brown
landotter wrote:
My esteemed Sheldon,
I agree with you about the chainstay absurdity, but my particular
problem was actually caused by clearance problems due to the top swing
front mech, The clearances are otherwise not obnoxious on a Kona Dew.

Greenfield has a nice rear-mount model for bikes with crowded behind-BB
space. They not only obviate that and similar problems, they are more
stable and great for heavily-laden bikes and tandems.

Thirty years of muscle memory prohibits their use--plus, they're
flippin UGLY. Maybe what you need for a cop bike, tandem, etc--but my
beef is with manufacturers that put out self-labeled utility bikes
where mounting standard bits is a PITA.