Remembering the straight block

[wallymann]

Originally Posted by gbcoupe

13-18, true straight block.

yep, that's what i rocked on my race wheelset in college....err...13-19 actually...suntour winner-pro 7spd freewheel.

[fiamme red]

Originally Posted by wallymann

yep, that's what i rocked on my race wheelset in college....err...13-19 actually...suntour winner-pro 7spd freewheel.

I still have a Colnago with a 13-19 7-speed straight block, 53/42 up front. For fast pacelines on flat to gently rolling terrain, it's great.

[oliver1850]

I've had this sitting on the shelf for years. These days the only practical pairing for it for my use would be a MTB compact triple. I should probably put it on my full Mavic equipped 1992 R1000 instead of the Nancy 12-21 that the bike came with. The bike is racy even if I am not.

[carpediemracing]

The key was if you could replace a spoke without removing the freewheel. A large flange hub with a straight block, very possible, and super macho.

I rebuilt a track hub the other week (during pandemic) and didn't bother removing the 15T cog, as it was smaller than the spoke hole diameter. The decision not to remove the cog reminded me of the straight blocks.

Campy had an aluminum cassette for a while, all single cogs plus spacers. My teammate bought two or three of them, to mix and match cogs, but learned very quickly that they'd wear out within literally a few rides. We got maybe some extra cogs (I don't remember) and when he moved he gave them all to me. I have them somewhere. 8s, the first Ergo set up.

Thierry Claverolat rode with a 47T inner ring? I don't remember, but it was huge. He was in that same aforementioned 1989 Worlds with Sean Kelly et al, he was one of the last survivors of the original break (I can't remember if Konychev was a break guy or a bridge guy), turning a huge gear on the climbs. In homage and hero worship we all rode larger inner rings for a while, justifying it as "I can go into the small ring in crits". I rode a 54/45 for a few years, with a 12-21 and later 11-21. I learned real quick that I get shelled on hills no matter what so I didn't even pretend to go up them.

[ridethecliche]

When men were men and knees were superfluous.

Y'all must be making your orthopods realllll happy!

[steelbikerider]

One season, I set up my bike with true half step gearing - 13-18 on the rear and a 53/51 on the front for a few fast and flat crits. The 51/15 was halfway between a 53/15 and 53/16.

[rccardr]

Have a couple of bikes with a straight block in the middle: 15-16-17-18-19.
With a 12 on the bottom for downhills and a 23-28 on the top for climbing. On nine speed cassettes I'll toss a 20 or 21 in there.

Really like the 1-tooth differences for flats and rollers, keeps the momentum up in that 18-22 mph range.