steelbikeguy

I'm not sure there is a specific definition. My impression is that it refers to the front derailleurs that are actuated by levers attached directly to the derailleur.
An example is found on this 1954 Tebag....



There are other derailleurs that have a different mechanism that requires rotating a shaft... but both require the user to reach down there and move the lever while pedaling.
It's easier than messing around with the Campagnolo Cambio Corsa, but certainly not as easy as downtube shifters.

Steve in Peoria

squirtdad

I have always called the brake levers popular in the 70s with the levers you can reach from the bar suicide levers

canklecat

As that essay speculates, over time hyperbole was taken as fact and repeated, often applied incorrectly to the wrong components.

Recently I'm seeing younger riders refer to ordinary downtube shifters as "suicide shifters." They heard or read the term somewhere and assumed it referred to any shifting mechanism that involves taking a hand off the handlebar and/or brake/hood.

rjhammett

Stronglight 93 crank arms. I just threw them out. The non drive side had multiple hairline cracks and the drive side had a single crack. It would have been the death of certain body parts had I been pedaling while out of my saddle and they broke. I did save the chainrings though.

bikingshearer 

Unfortunately, Jerry did not fully appreciate that "living on reds, Vitamin C and cocaine" was a cautionary tale, not a life-style recommendation.

A report that may be apocryphal but is utterly believable: He was once found in a car near the Panhandle in SF in a diabetic coma; it turned out that he had been living the previous few weeks on speedballs and Haagen-Dazs. Given his (confirmed) consumption habits, the remarkable thing is not that he died so young, but rather that he lived so long.

Robvolz 

I’ve never understood why they are referred to as “Turkey Levers??”

these were a compromise with the CSPC.
grrrr

bikingshearer 

In my neck of the woods, they were "turkey wings," "turkey" being a general term of derision for something/someone deemed to be dumb.

A quick interwebs check confirmed what I thought - Schwinn had them on Varsinentals and Super Sports not later than 1970 and the CPSC did not come into existence until 1972. I've even seen "turkey wings" on at least one early 1970s Paramount (yes, as OEM). These are all verifiable, take-it-to-the bank facts.

Now onto guesswork. It is possible that Schwinn felt the winds of what would become CPSC foolishness, but my guess is that Schwinn started using dual-position brake levers as part of the effort to get people who were not comfortable with the idea of drop bars to try the "lightweight" ten-speeds. "See, you can brake from up top, just like you do on a regular bike." Again, that part is a guess, but I can sure see a bunch of middle-America Schwinn dealers using that as a pitch line. And don't forget the Euro types had been using guidonet (sp?) brake levers for some time. They never caught on here, but the Schwinn folks were in tough with what was going on across the pond- hence the use of Huret Alvit derailluers and Weinmann brakes well into the 70s. Perhaps the guidonets were the inspiration for the dual-position (un)safety levers. I leave it to someone who actually knows about this stuff to confirm, correct or point and laugh at this.

chain_whipped

Heed caution with the vintage Cinelli SL saddle with forged aluminum wishbone rail. The oval shape rails are not a good fit to the conventional seat post cradle clamp. They require a proper depth and width channel in the clamp. Campagnolo offered a specific clamp. Others, as well. If not, they can and will mar leading to some fractured.

Regardless are rare but not really that light in weight. Its been some time though recall comparing to a Brooks Swift with titanium rail, they were near identical in weight.

Nemosengineer 

I have to disagree with you.

20160302_184351 by nemosengineer, on Flickr

20160302_184622 by nemosengineer, on Flickr

20160614_185711 by nemosengineer, on Flickr

Titanium Brooks B15, Campagnolo Nuovo Superleggero seatpost weighs 304gr. saddle weighs 345gr.

Untitled by nemosengineer, on Flickr



: Mike

daviddavieboy

Spinergy Rev-x wheels surely have a reputation. Not necessarily vintage but they are considered a classic now.

1989Pre 

The Spinergy wheels reminded me of a steel, 3-arm, 46T, single crank that I bought for cheap about five years ago. While it said Universel (French spelling), it did not indicate that it was a genuine Duprat, so no aspersion on them. I was riding moderately at about 19-20 mph, and one third of the chainring folded in a dramatic fashion. I could not pedal. This was among the first-few rides I had done with it. I have not had this happen to any other crank, but I shy away from 3-arm that are not supported by a second chain-ring.

chain_whipped

Nice one and looks brand new. Anyways, I should've been more specific. The same saddle though with the difference having a leather covering, such as the one I had weighed around 355gm..

seedsbelize2

I used them heavily on the one bike I owned that had them. A very early 70s Free Spirit. I was not a "cyclist" in those days; I used a bike to get around Sacramento.

chain_whipped

You'll be riding your current 'classic and oldie' for many more years, but this is what today's modern high end road bikes are becoming in only a few short years.

Add the massive recall of Dura Ace and Ultegra Hollowtech cranksets.

Down goes the GiAnT
https://www.mensjournal.com/pursuits...ng-riders-back

Chombi1 

CLB duraluminum brake cable casings......
You will lose at least 50% braking power if you use these.
The casings just compresses too much.
​​Figures that you can still find these on sale at eBay as people must have stayed away from it when it was sold by CLB in the 80's.

schwinnderella

The death stare I get from my wife when I bring home another bicycle.

seagrade 

If you own a Kogswell frame with a 1” steel fork there’s an active thread on the Paceline forum well worth reading. It could save your life. Really.

Mods - I scanned FAQ and couldn’t see anything about references to other forums. Normally I wouldn’t but this is a special case.

oneclick 

Cinelli XA (and likely a few others, Cinelli not alone, who stupidly also put an insert in the same place); failure mode should be obvious, and sufficiently dangerous to qualify:

oneclick 

This one is 195g - and it's padded:





Aluminium rails are a bit bigger than steel ones - 8mm dia.

chain_whipped

oneclick 

Where were the cracks (so we know where to check)?

rjhammett

On both crank arms the cracks were on the end where they bolt to the bottom bracket. Cracked from the front side to the back side of the crank.

NVFlinch 

Cheap Chinese carbon forks. They tell me I survived !