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Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Clangers


Okay, you have a Cambio Corsa to shift your rear gears, what do you use on the front? Either you have a single ring or a lever front changer, which I understand was called a "clanger". Having never operated this device, it would appear the rider would have to release the Cambio Corsa lever to slacken the chain, reach down and shift the clanger and then retighten the rear. With modern shifting we react, with the old shifters the rider had to plan, to anticipate. The Simplex clanger had a longer arm and would seem to be a better option. Masini, our intrepid and loyal Italian, wouldn't consider anything French, and instead will scour the earth looking for a Campagnolo Sport. (Someday I'll do a posting on Masini's long, illustrious Italian heritage.)



5 comments:

Silk Hope said...

Gunnar:

Can't wait for this summer. I want you on you tube shifting this thing. Please have the Paramedics in tow.

As for the comment on new brifters; when come to "reacting" un... no way. I am old so I still have to plan and anticipate shifting or some youg buck would hand my head to me. this comes under the credits of "wiley, Crafty, and Experienced.

Cheers,

JG

Masini said...

Gunnar... just a couple of corrections, all in good fun of course. 1. Masini without the n (and it's a nickname, hence...) 2. I'm of Norwegian descent! I just happen to speak the beautiful language! uff-da indeed!

I'll keep you posted on the hunt for the clanger! In the meantime, I've added 1410 to my list of site links. Keep up the good writing.

Gunnar Berg said...

Sorry about the "n". I guess at some level I knew that. And I damned well knew you weren't Italian. I was all ready to invent a whole bicycling racing persona for you, complete with obscure palmarès and a load of DNFs. Norwegian? I would have thought Mason was Iowegian.

Masini said...

Norwegian, and Russian. OK that still doesn't explain it. Please, by all means, continue with my 'palmares'. Just be sure you include my one official win!

Masini said...

So I now have it from an expert... the clangers basically didn't work very well at all. At fault are two things - the 17 teeth on this dropout (versus 19 for later Paris-Roubaix models) don't allow the wheel to travel far enough. On top of that, evidently to shift the clanger took a light touch on the pedals. If you put too much pressure down while pedaling forward, the wheel could pop right out of the hangers!

I'm passing, looking for either smaller chainring or bigger cogs (think I'll check my Italian military box that was gifted to me - check my Twitter).