Threaded versus threadless headset

In article ,
"Fabrizio Mazzoleni" wrote:

Kevan Smith wrote in message ...

Spokes? You only need three -- Hed 3's are suitable for all serious cycling.


I find tri-spokes to be too clunky looking.

Some of my peers were looking ok at this year's
TdF running deep section carbs with straight-pull
flat section spokes, like on the Cosmic Carbone
SSC.

Have you checked out the white PBO fiber spokes
on the Spinergy Tilium Carbons? They are running
16 on the front which is better than having 18 of those
lame oval spokes on the Zipp 404s.

Remember you are what you ride,
don't be a FRED.

http://www.topolinotech.com/Technical.htm

I've been holding onto the knowledge of the existence of this wheel for
a while. Maybe too many spokes for Fabrizio, but hey: carbon-kevlar
composite through-spokes, carbon-fibre/plastic ("thermoplastic," ooh!)
hub, and...near the hub, are those spokes tied and soldered? Close
enough!

It's like they made the opposite of a Jobst Brandt good wheel. I think
you'll find the rim features machining and hard anodizing, too.

Oh, the pièce de résistance? this item from the FAQ:

If a spoke ever does somehow fail, half of the spokes and one side of
the hub are removed and replaced as one modular piece. Although not as
inexpensive as a traditional steel spoke, the process is relatively
straightforward (no special tools) and these "halves" are provided at a
very reasonable cost.

http://www.topolinotech.com/faq.html

OTOH, they claim a 1390g wheelset weight and the spoke count is actually
24/30, which is almost large by modern standards.

--
Ryan Cousineau, http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine
President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 19:57:18 +0000, jobst.brand wrote:

Topolino?

http://www.topolinotech.com/Technical.htm

Is this a sham or what!

You wish. If it is, the website is a pretty elaborate hoax. But,
somehow, I think they are serious.

Here's some of the testimonial: "I now have about 600 miles on the
wheels, mostly on dirt (there isn't much tarmac here) and I haven't had
to pick up a spoke wrench yet."

Imagine, 600 whole miles without having to true the wheels. If that isn't
an endorsement....

If you break a spoke -- of course this can't happen, but -- they replace
the whole side of the wheel that spoke was on.

Can't find any information about the price, though. That probably _isn't_
Mickey Mouse.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Let's not escape into mathematics. Let's stay with reality. --
_`\(,_ | Michael Crichton
(_)/ (_) |

Ryan Cousineau wrote:
: Perhaps they are only light and fast like a little mouse, but durable
: like a, er, Fiat.

probably more like a fiat all-around. those large black probable velocity
attenuators near what would otherwise be the nipples just can't be aero.
at least fiats were cheap.

http://www.tongfamily.com/guide_to_biking/000906.html
http://www.bicycleretailer.com/bicyc...ent_id=1945577

apparently they were founded in a barn which just might explain the name.
my car spent a year in storage in a minnesota barn. ask me how i know about
barns and mice. i wonder how you say large rat in italian.

buy 'em online.

http://www.racycles.com/eq/catalog/topolino_2022347.htm
--
david reuteler

David Reuteler writes:

buy 'em online.

http://www.racycles.com/eq/catalog/topolino_2022347.htm

Whoa! I hadn't seen this page before (and why would I want to) but
this shows that these guys are hucksters. The picture shows a spoke
cross section with the words: "CARBON FIBER for STIFFNESS" and "KEVLAR
for TOUGHNESS". The elastic modulus of the two materials is grossly
different and much like hard anodizing an aluminum rim to give it more
strength. The stiffer material takes all the load before the other
one contributes anything to the action. That's why the anodizing
cracks on rims as the aluminum begins to stretch and bear load. The
Kevlar in these spokes supports no load unless the carbon fails.

By the way, where's the Mickey Mouse logo on their web page?

Jobst Brandt

Palo Alto CA

In article ,
says...
David Reuteler writes:

buy 'em online.

http://www.racycles.com/eq/catalog/topolino_2022347.htm

Whoa! I hadn't seen this page before (and why would I want to) but
this shows that these guys are hucksters. The picture shows a spoke
cross section with the words: "CARBON FIBER for STIFFNESS" and "KEVLAR
for TOUGHNESS". The elastic modulus of the two materials is grossly
different and much like hard anodizing an aluminum rim to give it more
strength. The stiffer material takes all the load before the other
one contributes anything to the action. That's why the anodizing
cracks on rims as the aluminum begins to stretch and bear load. The
Kevlar in these spokes supports no load unless the carbon fails.

As they said, the kevlar is probably to make the spoke "tougher", which
in their dictionary probably means "more resistant to abuse", not
stronger. Carbon fibers are quite brittle, while kevlar is much more
flexible, so the kevlar is likely there to protect the carbon, not to
provide tensile strength.


--

"Where was the ka-boom? There was supposed to be an Earth-shattering ka-
boom!"
- Marvin The Martian