Did someone go nuts with a milling machine?
02-01-24, 12:58 PM
#1
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Did someone go nuts with a milling machine?
This popped up at the co-op.
I couldn’t tell if this were stock or someone bought a new machine and was having fun
I couldn’t tell if this were stock or someone bought a new machine and was having fun
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02-01-24, 01:21 PM
#2
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nope, these stems came milled and drilled like this from the factory:
examples:
https://velobase.com/ViewComponent.a...=102&AbsPos=78
https://www.velosaloon.com/products/...from-the-1970s
examples:
https://velobase.com/ViewComponent.a...=102&AbsPos=78
https://www.velosaloon.com/products/...from-the-1970s
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02-01-24, 02:38 PM
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Ha, I would've guessed done by an amateur hobbyist, because of the rough machining.
FYI you can save more weight, and/or with less chance of dying, by drilling the extension from the front, stopping short of coming out the back. Making the extension more like a tubular stem. That metal down the middle does almost nothing strength-wise, so it's "free" lightening as long as it's done precisely on-center, not drifting toward one side.
You can tell that's been done because it leaves a hole in the front of the H-bar clamp, but otherwise it's 'stealth'. Which of course would defeat the purpose; this SR is milled that way for the look, not the actual lightness! But me, If I were going for a look, I'd strive for less-glaring machining marks, ugh. Still, a pretty cool part if only for historical interest.
FYI you can save more weight, and/or with less chance of dying, by drilling the extension from the front, stopping short of coming out the back. Making the extension more like a tubular stem. That metal down the middle does almost nothing strength-wise, so it's "free" lightening as long as it's done precisely on-center, not drifting toward one side.
You can tell that's been done because it leaves a hole in the front of the H-bar clamp, but otherwise it's 'stealth'. Which of course would defeat the purpose; this SR is milled that way for the look, not the actual lightness! But me, If I were going for a look, I'd strive for less-glaring machining marks, ugh. Still, a pretty cool part if only for historical interest.
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02-01-24, 03:25 PM
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The examples Catnap linked to were not done as poorly. Perhaps the stem the OP has was done by an amateur trying to emulate those. I wouldn’t think a production item would have been allowed to leave the shop looking like that.
Last edited by Chuck M; 02-01-24 at 03:30 PM.
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02-01-24, 03:40 PM
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nope, these stems came milled and drilled like this from the factory:
examples:
https://www.velosaloon.com/products/...from-the-1970s
examples:
https://www.velosaloon.com/products/...from-the-1970s
Small crack on clamping area, might still be usable but will still be sold as defective! /
HaHaHa.. Nothing like floating bars at 25+mph to liven up your ride.
John
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02-01-24, 05:22 PM
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02-01-24, 05:40 PM
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After looking at Catnap's examples (velocity-base, Etc) and google images, I think someone was having fun trying to emulate the original.
I say this because the concave cut-away goes all the way back on this one, but not on the factory ones.
Robert
I say this because the concave cut-away goes all the way back on this one, but not on the factory ones.
Robert
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02-01-24, 06:26 PM
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^ that was supposed to be all caps- autocorrect got me.
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Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
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02-01-24, 06:38 PM
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Does anyone remember this gem?
"This crankset is not for the older man who is trying to recreate something ORIGINAL that he always wanted and say "i finally got it after 4 decades!". this is for the person who is actually riding and getting a good deal on a very good crankset."DONT BE AFRAID TO STEP OUT OF THE BOX!" If you fall down and break your hip it just means your rode to the very end of your life! That is called passion!! and you have Obama care! THE WEIGHT IS VERY CLOSE TO SUPER RECORD 11. I KNOW MANY BABY BOOMERS MAY NOT HAVE NOT HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO OWN SUPER RECORD 11. BUT THE WEIGHT IS VERY CLOSE. AT ONLY 10% OF THE COST! THIS IS A DEAL! YOUR WHITE HAIRED WIFE WON'T GET ON YOU FOR SPENDING TOO MUCH! EVERYONE IS HAPPY! ask her for permission to bid. it's only starting at $49 and no reserve!"
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Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
Commence to jigglin’ huh?!?!
"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
02-01-24, 07:40 PM
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I work in a Fuji shop when Superbe made its first appearance in the Fuji Pro, 1977. A year before it was available anywhere else. The stems, cranks, brakes etc. looked like the Nitto, Sugino and DiaCompe versions on the Pros the year before only a whole lot nicer. Like those companies got on board with SunTour to form the gruppo with a common focus.
I drooled over those parts I saw every day. But the year before equivalents on my Pro served me very well. And in later years I started seeing those non-SunTour companies issuing high end parts with their names on them and looking like they had benefited from Superbe genes.
02-01-24, 10:03 PM
#13
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Serious question (and off-topic). Something I have wondered for 45 years. Was that stem (and the other non-derailleur Superbe parts) made by SunTour or other makers and labeled Superbe?
I work in a Fuji shop when Superbe made its first appearance in the Fuji Pro, 1977. A year before it was available anywhere else. The stems, cranks, brakes etc. looked like the Nitto, Sugino and DiaCompe versions on the Pros the year before only a whole lot nicer. Like those companies got on board with SunTour to form the gruppo with a common focus.
I drooled over those parts I saw every day. But the year before equivalents on my Pro served me very well. And in later years I started seeing those non-SunTour companies issuing high end parts with their names on them and looking like they had benefited from Superbe genes.
I work in a Fuji shop when Superbe made its first appearance in the Fuji Pro, 1977. A year before it was available anywhere else. The stems, cranks, brakes etc. looked like the Nitto, Sugino and DiaCompe versions on the Pros the year before only a whole lot nicer. Like those companies got on board with SunTour to form the gruppo with a common focus.
I drooled over those parts I saw every day. But the year before equivalents on my Pro served me very well. And in later years I started seeing those non-SunTour companies issuing high end parts with their names on them and looking like they had benefited from Superbe genes.
All of these manufacturers also had their own component businesses, selling their respective brands. The lines get blurry sometimes with Suntour’s component designs, so for example you have items like the Sugino GLP crankset which is identical to the Suntour Cyclone. There’s other examples, too, but like you said, (most of the time) those other Japanese manufacturers got on board with Suntour’s vision of a cohesive, elevated group.
Suntour made hubs and derailleurs for Sugino. The first year Sugino launched the Sugino 75 product line, there was a full Sugino 75 road group. Suntour made the derailleurs, Dia Compe made the brakes, etc.
it was a smart tactic for the smaller manufacturers to join together to compete with Shimano.
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02-01-24, 10:41 PM
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SR (Sakae Ringyo) was part of the "parent group" connected with Shimano so would not have made products for the competition (Maeda), AFAIK
Here's a nice graphic that juvela provided (in another thread) that touts the Brands that were parts of the Shimano "Trading Group" in 1973
Sun Tour (Maeda) had a similar Trading group with their own family of brands Dia Compe being one...
Here's a nice graphic that juvela provided (in another thread) that touts the Brands that were parts of the Shimano "Trading Group" in 1973
Sun Tour (Maeda) had a similar Trading group with their own family of brands Dia Compe being one...
Last edited by unworthy1; 02-01-24 at 10:50 PM.
02-01-24, 11:01 PM
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Time for this again?
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02-02-24, 08:06 AM
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02-02-24, 08:40 AM
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02-02-24, 04:28 PM
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unworthy1 As other folks have shown, SR did make stems for Suntour. Some Superbe stems were made by Kusuki (the early models) and then the later models were made by SR.
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02-02-24, 04:58 PM
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I'm 6'3" tall. I weigh 255 lbs. As a general proposition, I don't do "weight-weenie" stuff. More specifically, I don't do drilled out stuff. I sure as hell don't do milled-and-drilled stems. I also still have all my own original-issue teeth.
I can't prove it, but no one will convince me that these facts are not related.
I can't prove it, but no one will convince me that these facts are not related.
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02-02-24, 06:53 PM
#22
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I'm 6'3" tall. I weigh 255 lbs. As a general proposition, I don't do "weight-weenie" stuff. More specifically, I don't do drilled out stuff. I sure as hell don't do milled-and-drilled stems. I also still have all my own original-issue teeth.
I can't prove it, but no one will convince me that these facts are not related.
I can't prove it, but no one will convince me that these facts are not related.
If someone wants to ride drillium vintage parts for fashion reasons, more power to them. But in the year 2024 no one is making the argument that drilled out quill stems, seatposts, etc. have any practical improvement over regular parts.
Last edited by Catnap; 02-02-24 at 06:56 PM.
02-02-24, 11:39 PM
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unworthy1 As other folks have shown, SR did make stems for Suntour. Some Superbe stems were made by Kusuki (the early models) and then the later models were made by SR.
02-03-24, 09:48 AM
#24
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SR ended up buying out Suntour (or was it a merger?) so it makes sense that the two companies would have had prior dealings
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