Road Test/Bike Review (1978) ZEBRAKENKO Record Tour and Country Road
09-24-19, 09:07 AM
#1
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Road Test/Bike Review (1978) ZEBRAKENKO Record Tour and Country Road
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09-27-19, 12:48 PM
#2
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Once upon a time, Bicycling Magazine had some good reviewers.
I remember that article, and I did buy, and still have, a Record Tour. It was my first quality bike with cro-mo double-butted steel tubing and forged drop outs. I used it for fully loaded touring and later as an around town bike, then I sort of neglected it for a few years I've ridden it with the original 27" wheels, then 700c wheels, and recently I put it back on the road with 650B wheels.
I wonder if the frame wasn't originally designed for either 650A or B wheels, because the chainstays are indented so that 650Bx42mm tires and fenders fit easily: much better than the 27" wheels supplied. I measured the fork offset at 58mm which is gives a trail in the low forties.
I remember that article, and I did buy, and still have, a Record Tour. It was my first quality bike with cro-mo double-butted steel tubing and forged drop outs. I used it for fully loaded touring and later as an around town bike, then I sort of neglected it for a few years I've ridden it with the original 27" wheels, then 700c wheels, and recently I put it back on the road with 650B wheels.
I wonder if the frame wasn't originally designed for either 650A or B wheels, because the chainstays are indented so that 650Bx42mm tires and fenders fit easily: much better than the 27" wheels supplied. I measured the fork offset at 58mm which is gives a trail in the low forties.
09-27-19, 01:20 PM
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Once upon a time, Bicycling Magazine had some good reviewers.
I remember that article, and I did buy, and still have, a Record Tour. It was my first quality bike with cro-mo double-butted steel tubing and forged drop outs. I used it for fully loaded touring and later as an around town bike, then I sort of neglected it for a few years I've ridden it with the original 27" wheels, then 700c wheels, and recently I put it back on the road with 650B wheels.
I wonder if the frame wasn't originally designed for either 650A or B wheels, because the chainstays are indented so that 650Bx42mm tires and fenders fit easily: much better than the 27" wheels supplied. I measured the fork offset at 58mm which is gives a trail in the low forties.
I remember that article, and I did buy, and still have, a Record Tour. It was my first quality bike with cro-mo double-butted steel tubing and forged drop outs. I used it for fully loaded touring and later as an around town bike, then I sort of neglected it for a few years I've ridden it with the original 27" wheels, then 700c wheels, and recently I put it back on the road with 650B wheels.
I wonder if the frame wasn't originally designed for either 650A or B wheels, because the chainstays are indented so that 650Bx42mm tires and fenders fit easily: much better than the 27" wheels supplied. I measured the fork offset at 58mm which is gives a trail in the low forties.
09-29-19, 03:35 PM
#4
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I wouldn't say the bottom bracket is 'sky high': the drop is 70mm on my bike. That's okay for a with 650bx42mm tires.
An interesting thing about the article is that the reviewer refers to the 34 tooth inner ring as a granny gear. Back then there weren't many good Japanese triple cranksets available. The best were the French TA Cyclotourist or Stronglight 49s with TA rings, but there weren't many bikes that came with them in my area. A few years later Sugino and Sakae produced cranks which had 74mm bcd holes so you could get a real granny gear.
An interesting thing about the article is that the reviewer refers to the 34 tooth inner ring as a granny gear. Back then there weren't many good Japanese triple cranksets available. The best were the French TA Cyclotourist or Stronglight 49s with TA rings, but there weren't many bikes that came with them in my area. A few years later Sugino and Sakae produced cranks which had 74mm bcd holes so you could get a real granny gear.
