Jobst stories

[carlucci1106]

Originally Posted by Eli Bingham

My guess is that if he was around today, doing the same thing, he'd most likely be riding a full suspension e-mtb (and complaining on the Internet about that, too).

excerpt from: https://yarchive.net/bike/bicycle_industry.html

Along with these brake changes came the short reach caliper that has
so little tire clearance that one cannot reasonably ride on dirt roads
without the wheel becoming clogged. Along with this, frame clearance
was reduced to the same kind of spacing so that a wheel with a slight
wobble will chafe a tire to failure.


> Isn't it really the case and lots of convenient maintainable
> hardware is still available and, in addition, quite a bit of new,
> certainly less easily maintained, is also now available?

The maintainable and interchangeable is fading fast.
Jobst Brandt <jbrandt@hpl.hp.com>

This seems plausible given all the rim/disc discussion, and complexities we frequently discuss on here. It could be pulled right out of many threads in the last year. Here we are continuing to venerate the standard reach caliper as still a viable option for dirt roads (me included).

I believe he would say that the industry 'creates its own problems' just like he did in that era. The maintainable, durable, and less glitzy working-horse products are eschewed for the fads. Disc brakes solved the problems carbon clinchers created, but then was lauded for "fixing" the tire clearance problem, propagated by short-reach calipers. The bottom bracket revolution, the thru axle variations thread (lack of interchangeability). The complicated, and potentially dangerous routing of brake hoses through holes in carbon parts that are structurally critical- handlebars, steerer tubes, and chainstays to name a few.

He'd be riding a medium reach bike like a Breadwinner Continental, Hampsten SB, or a DKirk MRB. Beauty, and complexity only where it breeds a performance edge.

Love "The Bicycle Wheel" by Jobst. Great book.

[oldpotatoe]

BITDays of rec.bicycles.tech..I yaked with Jobst and once asked him about inside vs outside pulling spokes for a generic wheel build.

Well, lets just say, the exchange wasn't 'pleasant.

Yes, along with Sheldon, certainly ones of a kind. Jobst's book was my first wheel building purchase, right after going to bike wrenching school. Guy who taught me, Mike Howard, recommended it. It did more to reinforce what I had learned more than anything.

[jbay]

Originally Posted by David Benson

The frame in the photos is by Peter Johnson

Agreed. The giveaway, from a distance, is that it is wearing a threadless Ritchey stem, which Jobst adopted relatively late on and definitely post-Ritchey frame.

You can see more details on his Peter Johnson frame here:

https://www.bikecult.com/works/archi...hnsonJB04.html

[jbay]

Originally Posted by clyde the point

Worth noting in the Rad article that he never broke his Ritchey bike.

The Radavist article is a little misleading. While he didn't break the Ritchey frame, as in crack it, he did bend it in crashes on a few occasions, which required repairs. Ray Hosler's page mentions two incidents involving that frame:

https://rayhosler.wordpress.com/2020...brandts-bikes/

and I think there could have been a third.

[Edit: The third incident is mentioned is mentioned in the comments on that page.]

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by jbay

Agreed. The giveaway, from a distance, is that it is wearing a threadless Ritchey stem, which Jobst adopted relatively late on and definitely post-Ritchey frame.

You can see more details on his Peter Johnson frame here:

https://www.bikecult.com/works/archi...hnsonJB04.html

I'm curious how the stem gives way to the frame being made by Peter Johnson?

Thanks

[jbay]

Originally Posted by charliedid

I'm curious how the stem gives way to the frame being made by Peter Johnson?

I believe his Ritchey frame usage ended in the late '80s (per Ray Hosler's page). The earliest he could have switched to a Ritchey threadless stem was mid to late '90s, while I know he was riding a Peter Johnson with a quill stem in the early '90s.

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by jbay

I believe his Ritchey frame usage ended in the late '80s (per Ray Hosler's page). The earliest he could have switched to a Ritchey threadless stem was mid to late '90s, while I know he was riding a Peter Johnson with a quill stem in the early '90s.

Now I get it, thanks.