If you’ve happened to stumble across my occasional column entitled “Palmer’s Peeves,” where I complain about all sorts of things bike and non-bike related, then you may be aware that there’s almost nothing that I’m not extremely particular and opinionated about. One such thing is mismatched drivetrains. I cannot stand it when I see an otherwise full Shimano bike, for instance, spec’d with someone else’s cranks. If you’ve watched a bunch of our Bible of Bike Tests Roundtable videos over the years, there’s a good chance you’ve seen me ranting about this on camera.
“But Palmer,” you say, “Shimano doesn’t make carbon cranks. So-and-so’s cranks are way lighter.”
True, but are they better? The answer is a resounding no.
Another mismatch that makes my blood boil is when bikes with Shimano drivetrains get spec’d with non-Shimano cables and housing. You know how much R&D Shimano does on this one thing? A lot. As a Shimano engineer, it must be infuriating to see such blatant disregard for the careful design that goes into making the entire drivetrain operate flawlessly. I think about that every time I see a Jagwire logo staring at me from across the shop.
And this, folks, is why I’m the bike industry’s biggest hypocrite.
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From Bike Mag
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