Back when I was racing, I, like many of my peers in the peloton (and other cyclists who had racing fantasies) judged bikes and components mainly on one trait: stiffness.
This was especially true of frames and, specifically, the rear triangle. Any flexing, we thought, wasted our energies and robbed us of precious seconds.
Of course, a bike that rides like a jackhammer can subvert one's ambitions just as much as a "wet noodle". After all, if you're getting bounced around, all of that vibration can wear on you, no matter how tightly-put together you are.
I was thinking about that when I came across a bike none of us would have gotten anywhere near:
A completely-bendable frame. It makes me think of a joke I heard about an all-rubber suspension bridge. If nothing else, the bike solves the problem of how to lock up both wheels when you're parked in a high-theft area.
The frame flops loose with the flick of a lever. I wonder whether there's any way to accidentally jar the lever while riding. I take that back: If I were riding the bike, I don't think I'd want to find out!
This was especially true of frames and, specifically, the rear triangle. Any flexing, we thought, wasted our energies and robbed us of precious seconds.
Of course, a bike that rides like a jackhammer can subvert one's ambitions just as much as a "wet noodle". After all, if you're getting bounced around, all of that vibration can wear on you, no matter how tightly-put together you are.
I was thinking about that when I came across a bike none of us would have gotten anywhere near:
A completely-bendable frame. It makes me think of a joke I heard about an all-rubber suspension bridge. If nothing else, the bike solves the problem of how to lock up both wheels when you're parked in a high-theft area.
The frame flops loose with the flick of a lever. I wonder whether there's any way to accidentally jar the lever while riding. I take that back: If I were riding the bike, I don't think I'd want to find out!
