Monday, June 8, 2009

SRAM Torpedo?

What do you all think of SRAM's Torpedo SS/fixed hub? This is like a flip flop hub, except there's not flipping or flopping. To convert from singlespeed to fixed mode, you give seven full twists of a screw on the hub.

Brad @ Urban Velo has a unit on test, but I'm curious if anybody else has given this hub a try. Is it easier to turn a screw around seven times? Flopping a wheel around hasn't ever seemed like too big a deal to me.

9 comments:

  1. I will be curious to read what Brad thinks. I am not sure if it is easier or not, but it is nice that you do not need to touch the chain as you do when flipping the wheel around. Personally, I hardly ever use the free side of my flip flop wheel.

    By the way, does that website give anyone else a headache?

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  2. I agree. Flopping a wheel hasn't been a big deal to me either but it puts some people off now that they have to deal with greasy chain, stiff chain links, wrenching this blot and that bolt until you waste an hour of your time just flipping the wheel. I dont know how the 'screw' works but what happens if the screw gets damaged?

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  3. i'm waiting for the 3 speed fixed hub from sram...


    sounds interesting - would have to see it in use - i pulled the free side off my fixed gear as i never used it and it seized up this winter.

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  4. @James: I nominate that site as a webpagesthatsuck.com.

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  5. That website is a little difficult, but far be it from me to criticize poor website design.

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  6. Poor website design is not the same as a web page that sucks. The graphics are annoying, not helpful. The navigation is not intuitive. The splash page launches a new window for no reason. The bouncing cube has no relation to the product and serves as a barrier to getting the information you just clicked on. Truly sucktacular.

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  7. I have to say I got a headache looking at the link you refered to. I wonder if this junk is all SRAM could come up after Lance Armstrong's million dollar investment.

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  8. all i know is - I just got a new chain. Shop was out of DA-9 Speed chains, so I just picked up a SRAM chain. That chain RULES.

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  9. Annoying site, not sure about the Torpedo. I could see it being handy in some instances but I'm not really much of a fixie guy anyway so I'm not the target demographic.

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