GCN video of interest!?mmmm
 

They should have come here before
https://youtu.be/hFT5IOtJWq0

Whichever GCN bright bulb came up with the idea of welding disk brake mounts on a conventional fork should go back to clown college. Disk brakes require a fork specifically designed to take the associated stresses. Otherwise, you turn the fork into a ticking time bomb:

https://www.rodbikes.com/articles/gr.../bentfork1.gif

I enjoy watching GCN but whenever they try to do anything with a vintage bike they miss the mark.

Better title explainer-

Can basic engineering principles be ignored when modifying a frame to go with modern brake systems?

whoever did the mod should be forced to go to engineering school.

there are plenty of steel forks with disc mounts-
most often they have an extended plate that spans from the dropout to 3-5cm Above the top disc mount point. Not all attached continuously but definitely increases the mount span.

Oh, for truck’s sake! This dipwit could have made a very serviceable bike out of this one for a fraction of the effort. “But I’ve got to have disc brakes to be safe!” Horse apples, as my mother would have said. A set of dual pivot side pulls would have vastly improved the braking without all the questionable engineering. Hell, new brake pads would have improved the braking significantly. Were the wheels steel? Even if they weren’t, new wheels probably would have improved the ride.

And, frankly, a whole lot of people have ridden centuries on bikes exactly like that one or even worse. Kids!:50:

Did you watch?
 

The only thing that matters is that someone watched, and skipped an ad or two.

I don't usually watch GCN because they're so noddy. But this has to be the peak of muppetry.

At least it wasn't a particularly nice old bike that they were ruining!


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Good Lord. I believe this dude is what is known in the Queen's English as a pillock. What happened to Jon?

Yeah, GCN's Jon had an appreciation for retro and was open to learning new stuff about old tech when it turned out he was wrong in a video.

GCN has rarely done a proper comparison in their many retro vs contemporary videos. But at least those are harmless, entertaining and may pique the curiosity of younger viewers to give retro a try.

But modding an old fork this way is a big yikes.

And I hope they don't convince Manon to try this bike. Bad enough they haven't given her a fair shake in those recent super aero recumbent bike "tests." They should be doing time trials over 30-60 minutes, not sprints. And put some decent tires on that recumbent. Last time I checked the closeups, that super aero recumbent was hobbled with rigid, heavy Continental Sport Contact or similar tires best suited to puncture resistant touring and commuter rides. Meanwhile Simon is riding a tarted up full zoot aero TT bike with the best tires, over relatively short distance/duration rides.

I thought the left fork blade was just beefed with a thicker gauge.

10/10 for a heretical build IMO, as I have put two different kinds of electronic shifting on a '74 Paramount (with great success!). I don't like the "OMG I need disc brakes to have the ultimate braking" thinking as it is 99% unnecessary. "I can't believe [the fun, beautiful, and quirky] Manon rode 100 miles on this!"" History is apparently completely lost on this guy. I mean, TdF from the '70s and earlier??? Tall gearing and everything. But hey, this is 'normie' fodder, and that I guess serves a purpose. I also dislike the term "retro bike" as it just doesn't sound right or complimentary. Classic or vintage, yes, but not retro. I agree with others here that an updated rim brake groupset (and wheels!) would have more than sufficed. Center pull calipers as "cantilevers"...well, I suppose I could show him a picture of my '85 Trek 620???

@canklecat I agree that GCN has failed to do a proper modern vs. vintage, at least in a mostly apples-to-apples comparison. Their first one with Matt and Si (Matt on the Battaglin) was really fun, but that's "vintage" GCN, back when I started watching it. Good times. :)

For those wondering, Jon (great guy) moved to a behind-the-scenes role with the GCN App development/implementation. He was always a guy for the vintage and modernized vintage rides like I and so many of us do.

I think that was about the time I moved to a not bothering to watch GCN role. Probably well-timed. Yes Jon was good.

My question is why? guess the GCN crew are running out of ideas for content. If I really want the technology of a new bike, I'll buy a new bike.
I do like when a manufacturer produces a new bike with new new components but makes every thing still look retro but this doesn't make sense to me.

Every GCN vintage bike test: boy this bike I did nothing to maintain mechanically other than a surficial tidy up sure is a pig to ride! And yes, this one had me cringing. Why mod such a crap bike to begin with. Were those steel bars?

Not to mention current disk brake bikes typically have through axles, so the brake doesn't wrest the wheel out of the drop-outs.

Once again, we did it first -and better :thumb:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...i-s-ergos.html

I SO wanted to like this video since the above thread is one of my favorite on these forums. But as soon as they decided to add disc brakes to make it "safer", I lost a lot of respect for GCN. The troubles with adding disc tabs to the fork are illustrated above, but the stays are just as bad. It was hard to see, but there were no reinforcing or bracing on the stays. Just a brake mount welded on.

There are tons of better examples of this done right in their own "bike vault".

Arguably, this picture belongs in the "Folding Bikes" forum.

They brazed on thru-axle dropouts. Or rather his framebuilder "mate" did who "just happened to live round the corner". There was some earlier footage of the GCN guy apparently attacking the seatstays with what looked like a stick welder but I think it was all just for show.

Maybe they actually did replace the fork and glossed over that part. Let's hope so if they now send the rather gormless girl off on a 100 mile ride on the thing to see how awful it is (apart from the wonderful modern components of course).

I too, am curious about the fork.

A thick welding bead run up the backside of the fork leg from the dropout to several inches above the upper caliper post mount would do a lot & be subtle when doing so. It also wouldn't be a big deal to get a prefab mount from Paragon or Framebuilder Supply then fashion a reaction arm out of ¼ inch plate steel to spread the load half way up & then limit it to a 160mm rotor or whatever to keep the brake torque at a sensible level.

Something similar to this:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...7fde5875_o.jpgDisc tab with reaction arm by Richard Mozzarella, on Flickr

The video really offers no clear shot of the front brake tab & in fact I'd venture a guess all the camera angles are suspiciously chosen to obscure the front brake work all together.

You can do a lot with old steel. I have an all Ultegra 6800, modern 1&⅛ straight steerer carbon fork with extended rear dropouts & relocated stay braces & canti brakes on a '74 Schwinn Varsity. A lathe, a welder, some time with a brazing torch...It's just time, really.
https://live.staticflickr.com/7843/3...94b8d971_o.jpg20190105_133655 by Richard Mozzarella, on Flickr

I can see the drive train upgrade but the whole disc brake upgrade. Is way above a “Normal” cyclist ability. An really is not needed.

I've enjoyed a lot of GCN videos, but people are quick to forget that its primary purpose is a content mill designed to sell power meters to divorce guys. Basically every "retro" product comparison they do is just marketing material designed to show the 'superiority' of modern components. "If you buy this, you'll be faster!"

Not related to the topic of the video above, I do enjoy watching their videos for entertainment value at least. The weekly GCN show is light hearted and funny to watch and I like the dynamics between Si and Dan as they recall their glory days as pro racers. I also like the challenge rides they do, or some of the experiments like the Velo recumbent ride that Manon was in. It gives me something to watch when I Zwift but don't really feel like joining a group ride or race.

"...gormless girl..." ? Isn't that a little harsh?

Yes. Especially as she is one of the best presenters. I saw an episode in which she painted a frame which was actually pretty good. So I apologize for calling her gormless.

Didn't they put on a whole extended dropout that includes the brake tabs? This is a safe way to do it. The dropout curiously looked like one from Paragon Machine Works so it may be that his "mate around the corner" was actually in the US. Here in the UK we get most of those things from Ceeway and I'm not sure they carry that kind.

The whole thing was about as genuine as a £2 note.

If it was actually an interesting bike show they would make some kind of a jig to test where the fork will fail (not send their best presenter off on a 100 mile ride to see if she dies).

The dropouts are these possibly:

https://www.paragonmachineworks.com/...low-mount.html


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5753eb511e.png

Here's a frame from the video.