Tange switchblades
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there are prestige model too, they have prestige written on them.
Which is nice...
Which is nice...
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from a ahem BMX site, but someone who tested them BitD I guess
Appendix A: The Missing Link
Photo coming later this week - JB
Given enough money, how many of the traditional unicrown fork problems - lack of turn stiffness, lack of adjustability, dropout lever stress - could you solve? In 1991, Tange attempted to solve them all with the SwitchBlades, a set of adjustable, crowned, chromoly forks. The SwitchBlades were intended to sell for $199 in an era where most forks sold for $39.99 and no fork sold for over seventy dollars - heck, most top-quality race frames sold for $139 to $159. Imagine a $699 fork today - that's the kind of impact that $199 retail price had back in 1991.
Those with the requisite two bills would have received a lot for their money. Tange used their "Prestige" tubing - several grades above what most race frames used back then and roughly equivalent to the heat-treated tubing Standard charges too much for now - for the steerer and legs. The legs were straight and thick, ending in a custom high-strength dropout. In a word... magnificent. The steerer was a forged piece with the fork rake designed-in, making it possible to use those beautiful straight fork legs. Effective rake and height were adjustable thanks to the four Allen bolts that clamped the whole assembly together. It was eventually planned to offer different legs - special lightweight Cr-Mo and possibly aluminum items as well - as well as replacement Prestige legs for riders crazy enough to break them.. Thus, the "Switchblade" name.
I received the pair shown above from Tange for testing purposes. I gave them a five-star review in Bicycles Today, which they richly deserved, but Tange got cold feet and never tried to sell them in volume. I have never seen another pair. The forks' only real fault, as might be ascertained from the impatient hammer marks on the right leg, was their tendency to slip their legs a bit under heavy impact. How heavy? I was doing full-speed fifteen-stair dropoffs on them at the time, landing on concrete.
I used the SwitchBlades for five long years, until I stopped riding Superclass and began to focus on cruiser racing. They were still radical forks in 1997 and I think a similar fork would be well-received today. Some people just plain prefer the "hi-tech" look of crowned forks, and these would be a safe and strong way to have that look. Hey! Want to make a small fortune in BMX? Start with a large one, haha - but making more forks like these would be a stylish way to do it!
http://www.bmxbasics.org/new/bmx1103.html
Appendix A: The Missing Link
Photo coming later this week - JB
Given enough money, how many of the traditional unicrown fork problems - lack of turn stiffness, lack of adjustability, dropout lever stress - could you solve? In 1991, Tange attempted to solve them all with the SwitchBlades, a set of adjustable, crowned, chromoly forks. The SwitchBlades were intended to sell for $199 in an era where most forks sold for $39.99 and no fork sold for over seventy dollars - heck, most top-quality race frames sold for $139 to $159. Imagine a $699 fork today - that's the kind of impact that $199 retail price had back in 1991.
Those with the requisite two bills would have received a lot for their money. Tange used their "Prestige" tubing - several grades above what most race frames used back then and roughly equivalent to the heat-treated tubing Standard charges too much for now - for the steerer and legs. The legs were straight and thick, ending in a custom high-strength dropout. In a word... magnificent. The steerer was a forged piece with the fork rake designed-in, making it possible to use those beautiful straight fork legs. Effective rake and height were adjustable thanks to the four Allen bolts that clamped the whole assembly together. It was eventually planned to offer different legs - special lightweight Cr-Mo and possibly aluminum items as well - as well as replacement Prestige legs for riders crazy enough to break them.. Thus, the "Switchblade" name.
I received the pair shown above from Tange for testing purposes. I gave them a five-star review in Bicycles Today, which they richly deserved, but Tange got cold feet and never tried to sell them in volume. I have never seen another pair. The forks' only real fault, as might be ascertained from the impatient hammer marks on the right leg, was their tendency to slip their legs a bit under heavy impact. How heavy? I was doing full-speed fifteen-stair dropoffs on them at the time, landing on concrete.
I used the SwitchBlades for five long years, until I stopped riding Superclass and began to focus on cruiser racing. They were still radical forks in 1997 and I think a similar fork would be well-received today. Some people just plain prefer the "hi-tech" look of crowned forks, and these would be a safe and strong way to have that look. Hey! Want to make a small fortune in BMX? Start with a large one, haha - but making more forks like these would be a stylish way to do it!
http://www.bmxbasics.org/new/bmx1103.html
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ferrus":11n0ugsj said:
find the patent and you'll find what they licensed, maybe straight legs where part of the license... of course it would be a requirement of the design of the crown so possibly also part of the license. Designs don't need to be identical afaik.
...or aka I have no idea, I just repeated what the brochure said
EDIT found the, what I assume, is the patent... well there are only two by Keith ... which begs the question did PACE also license it and everyone else that had all three parts 'loose', or was it not relevant in the UK ?
The design is for a twin bolt fixing and quad, includes legs and steerer in the design...
Title: Mechanically joined steering assembly
Patent ID: US5060961
Issue Date: October 29, 1991
Abstract:
A mechanically joined steering assembly for supporting the wheel of a wheeled vehicle for steering movement relative to the frame of the vehicle. The steering assembly includes a crown attached by mechanical fasteners to blades and to a central steering portion joining the assembly to the frame of the vehicle. The parts joined are the blades (16), steerer (14), crown (12), and reinforcements (24). Mechanical fasteners serviceable with common tools provide a reinforced steering assembly of greater strength than welded or brazed constructions. This assembly allows the use of metallic, advanced composite, or thermoplastic components. Adjustments of axle location and steering geometry are made by sliding blades (16) up or down in crown (12). Blades (16), steerer (14), and crown (12) retain the original cold drawn strength of the metal used by mechanically joining without brazing or welding.
mvd1974
Retro Guru
...as far as I know... Yes, they were all Prestige.
I owned a Tangé Prestige Switchblade once. There was no 'link' to Bontrager back than... Mine had a different crown whitch made even more heavy. I believe mine was produced in 1989. In the pic you see what I mean.
I owned a Tangé Prestige Switchblade once. There was no 'link' to Bontrager back than... Mine had a different crown whitch made even more heavy. I believe mine was produced in 1989. In the pic you see what I mean.
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and that style crown and fork setup is what is outlined in the patent and also as used on the RS1, so if anything that is the Keith Bontrager design and the one in the picture I posted is a modified design.mvd1974":3nq35mrg said:
From mombat April 1989 ad.
unfortunately no better picture to read the words
mvd1974
Retro Guru
FluffyChicken":31kt3y4q said:
Ah.. didn't know that. I knew Bontrager made or designed some, but I thought that Tange made their own with the heavy crown. I thought Bontrager made/designed the lighter ones.. and than collaborated with Tangé to have 'm made later on...
thanks for the info
