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To Do:
Shift the gears so that the chain is on the smallest cog in the front, and
on the largest cog in the back.
Mark the top of the rear tire with the chalk, or with a
piece of tape.
Note the position of the pedals. Have someone hold the
bike upright as you turn the pedals one full revolution, so that the pedals
return to their original position.
How many times did the rear tire revolve? Write down the
number of revolutions. (Note: you may have to have a friend control the
rear tire with his hand, so that the tire does not spin freely past the
point that the pedals pushed it to.)
Now try the largest gear in front combined with the smallest
gear in the rear. How many times does the rear wheel revolve for one turn
of the pedals?
Which of these combinations would be better for climbing
a hill? Which would be better for a sprint on a flat road? (You can test
your guesses later by riding the bike!)
Experiment with the intermediate gear ranges. Make a chart
of the number of rear wheel revolutions each combination of gears produces
for one pedal revolution. Why do you think bikes have evolved to have more
and more gears?
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The Campagnolo Story
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One of the first and most renowned bicycle parts makers was the Campagnolo
family. Tullio Campagnolo (1902-1983) founded the Campagnolo Company, which
has made quality parts for over 50 years. Tullio is credited with perfecting
the modern parallelogram derailleur, and inventing the quick-release mechanism
for wheels. Legend has it that Campagnolo, a pro racer, was leading a race
through Italy's snowy Dolomite Mountains when he punctured a tire on a descent.
Fumbling with frozen fingers trying to loosen the heavy wing nuts on his
wheel, he was passed by a score of riders. Infuriated by this experience,
he designed a hollow-axle quick-release mechanism which is used on almost
every bike today.
The quality of Campagnolo component sets, or "grouppos," has
become legendary, along with their cost. Though some questioned whether
the sets were worth the price, afficionados would use nothing else. Cost-conscious
alternatives were often referred to as "Cramp-and-go-slow" as
opposed to the dependable, smooth-shifting Campagnolo. And though the component
market has been dominated in the past decade by the giant Japanese company
Shimano, "Campy" still finds its niche at the high end of the
performance scale.
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