About the comment at the end:
As it stands, this traditional, but fairly new (2008) machine now
has classic mudguards appropriate to its era. Bluemel's, right for a
veteran cycle, would be all wrong here: an anachronistic
affectation, and a misuse of a scarce, irreplaceable part.
How, I wonder, is recreating the look of a 40 year old Bluemels fender
by dremeling now "appropriate"? 2008 was only yesterday. Wouldn't a
plain out of the package no cutting or dremeling at all Longboard or SKS
silver be exactly "appropriate," since that's what was available in 2008?
And I completely agree with your comments re: sanctimoniousness.
Smarminess, too.
On 11/14/2013 11:31 AM, Anton Tutter wrote:
Has anyone seen this?
http://v-ccnewengland.blogspot.com/2011/03/sks-longboard-fenders-improved.html
The author explicitly expresses his distaste of these fenders and of
the Rivendell aesthetic, and preaches sanctimoniously about French
"re-enactors" and "anachronistic affectations" yet it was a Riv
product he chose as the basis for "re-enacting" a set of Bluemels.
And his 2008 steed is sporting decades old MAFAC Racers, Weinmann
non-aero levers and a VO "constructeur" bottle cage copied from an old
French design. Not anachronistic in the least.
/SKS calls them beige, but they are cream-colored. Their design
partner for this product is Rivendell Bicycle Works. As one would
expect from such provenance, there are aesthetic problems, but these
can be overcome with a bit of careful Dremeling, a penknife, and
fine-grade sandpaper. In short order these fenders can be made to
match the classic shape of the standard SKS P45, a profile that
functions beautifully and soothes eyes accustomed to the aesthetic
ideals of classic British and Italian bicycles. /
/As they come, the Longboard fenders are excessively long. This hardly
would be noticeable amongst the clutter of racks, baskets, twine,
tweed, and sloping (or extra) frame tubes on Rivendells. Indeed
excessively long fenders actually are prized by French bike
re-enactors (not that most would go anywhere near plastic fenders).
However if rough stuff riding is on the agenda, the long trailing end
of the front fender will act as a scoop for brush and leaves.
/
Technically, with respect to the rotation of the wheel, which is
pertinent to the author's point, it's the leading edge, not trailing
edge./
You who ride trails; who do not need to show you spent the maximum
possible amount of money for fenders; and who have figured out there
are better ways of engaging French culture - for instance reading
Flaubert - than trying to make a thirty-year-old UJB look something
like like a sixty-year-old Herse... prepare to cut. /
Because Rivendell owners never touch trails. I don't know about you,
but I've seen plenty of Bluemels shatter into bits on hard trials. My
alloy fenders have held up great!
/First pry the SKS bling-let from the front fender, and the mudflap
from the rear. This corrects SKS's unfortunate fascination with black
plastic.
/
/Bluemel's, right for a veteran cycle, would be all wrong here: an
anachronistic affectation, and a misuse of a scarce, irreplaceable part./
I get the anachronistic bit, but scarce and irreplaceable? Hardly. I
pick up used and NOS sets of Bluemels all the time for less than a set
of Longboards.
It's no wonder he disallows commenting on his blog.
Anton, shamelessly and affectatiously re-enacting and anachronising
since 2005, Tutter
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