Conference noted::bicycle

Oh but they're real light weight!

    
    To 0:
    
         A double OUCH !!!!!! , I'm glad that I didn't buy one of those.

   >>> Oh but they're real light weight!
    
       Yeah, a Control Tech weighs about half of...itself...once it breaks in
       half... ;^)  (Not a laughing matter but I couldn't resist!)
    
       Triple Ouch,  
       Charlie

    First Syncros, now Control Tech.  Seems like lightweight aluminum stems
    aren't cutting it (or they're using the market as a test lab)
    
    BTW, this'll also include the Dean Aluminum stem, which is just a
    Control Tech with Dean decals (not to be confused with their $250
    Ti model).

>       Yeah, a Control Tech weighs about half of...itself...once it breaks in
>       half... ;^)  (Not a laughing matter but I couldn't resist!)

Oh, but you are tres amusant.

Last winter I bought a new stem. I was considering the control tech among others
but I chose Salsa (steel) opting for strength and relatively low cost. I'm glad
I did.

I am finding more and more that alot of this after market stuff just doesn't
hold up. Here's another story. I had a bike shop build me a rear wheel with a
Zipp hub earlier this summer. (This is one of those hubs with the carbon fiber
shaft and aluminum flanges.) After about 60 miles it starts making this weird
creaking noise. I brought it back to the shop where they couldn't figure out
what was wrong. They ended up sending the thing back to Zipp and getting a new
one and rebuilding the wheel. I took the new wheel with the new hub out on the
road and within 10 miles it started making the same creaking noise. At this
point I took it back and had them build one with a dura-ace hub instead. These
Zipp hubs *didn't even work out of the box*!

karol

    Probably a good place to mention that Specialized recalled the Future
    Shock on my '92 Stumpjumper a couple of months ago.  It's an OEM
    version of a Rock Shock product; not sure if they got recalled as
    well.  It was one of those measure-something-and-if-it's-ok then
    there's no replacement needed.  kb

    Okay, here's mine... Last year I had SRP Ti (of course) axles put
    in. Early this spring, while on a ride felt a roughness to the ride.
    I got off spun the rear wheel and sure enough, it was an ugly feel.
    
    There was minor play in the wheel so I figured, awww, just an
    adjustment. Didn't work so I brought it down to the shop. The
    cone and race was shot. The flange on the axle was worn. These
    are Campy Records hubs mind you. I've never had any problems (not
    even noticeable wear) with these. 
    
    The diagnosis was that Ti is soft... The machine hardened cone seemed
    to have worn the axle... I went back to the Campy axle and had to
    replace the cone and race and breaings,,,

    Another good one I've heard stories about is those saddles with
    carbon fiber rails.

    I stay away from that ultralight tweak stuff.  Doesn't do much good
    if you have to bail out of an important ride because of a failure.

    - Jim

>    I stay away from that ultralight tweak stuff.  Doesn't do much good
>    if you have to bail out of an important ride because of a failure.

Since we're on this topic...

I went on the Breaking Away Bike Tour to the Dolomites this summer. The night
before we did the Stelvio pass one of the other rider's tricked out bottom
bracket broke. He had to spend most of the morning the next day fixing it.
Because of this he was one of the unfortunate late starters that got rained on
*all* the way up the Stelvio rather than just half of the way. And he was lucky
he found a bike shop that could help him at all.

    There was a techno-dweeb [who also owned a bike shop] on
    Boston-Montr�al-Boston a few years ago who had done many
    such things to his bike.  Nine speed cassette, Ti this
    and that and then kept needing the mechanic to adjust things.
    The last straw was that he needed the mech to tighten his
    crnak arms which had Ti bolts.  Not knowing any better the mech
    did as requested.  The bolts broke on the climb to Chichester
    sparing the rider from further misery.
    
    Heck I used to drill holes in my tubes to save weight.
    
    [till I tired of fixing flats :-)]
    
    ed

    Re .8;
    
         Do you get the shaft if one of those carbon fibered rail saddles
    fail on you?    :-)
    
    

    
    re:.5  >>>Oh, but you are tres amusant.
    
    Thank you for the compliment...
    
    /Charlie

    over here Control Tech gives visions of the greasy mechanic who checks
    out 5 year old cars to certify they are roadworthy - I wouldn't trust
    one of them making stuff for my bike.
    
    

    I called Control Tech. to find out more.  (Seeing as I recently bought a 
    Control Tech. stoker stem for my tandem)
    
    I spoke with Tom Baker.  He said the recall was on "ALL" road bike stems.
    
    He told my to pass along that if anyone had questions call him, at
    1-800-304-5824.
    
    		-Tim

    What was his answer on the stoker stem?  What are you going to 
    replace it with? This is what we are using.
    
    
    Do they return money or give you something else?
    
    Steve

    I took mine out to Gus'.  John tossed it into a box and indicated
    that he had one more to retrieve.  He lent me a different stem
    till he could find out what Control Tech wanted to do to resolve the
    issue.
    
    ed

    Just called, Tandem stoker stems are ok.
    
    steve