Anybody have one?
Browning Transmission
wookie
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I remember reading about these back in the day, but never had one? Is yours just to look at, or do you ride with it; and how does it compare to modern "ramp & pin" shifting?
I don't have one. I saw them in the 80s. I remember the Brownings worked better than the Suntour version. They had a hinged section of the front chain rings that pivoted when shifting. I figured someone might have one here
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1,988 Posts
I sold this complete set this summer.
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I would say that it definitely works, not considering reliability issues in adverse conditions. The one design flaw I found is that it is a little too easy to bump the swinging chainring section with the heel of your shoe and initiate a manual shift.
I would say that it definitely works, not considering reliability issues in adverse conditions. The one design flaw I found is that it is a little too easy to bump the swinging chainring section with the heel of your shoe and initiate a manual shift.
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2,887 Posts
I had one. I never experienced my shoe hitting the swinging chainring section which seems unlikely because that section is behind the crank but I have big feet. The only thing I can say is don't use a cheap battery. Cheap batteries would only shift a few times. Duracel batteries would last for a month of commuting at least. I never used mine for heavy off road use though. Just light fire road on my commute to work.
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I remember seeing one of those on the wall at Roy's BITD.
Like most,I was of the mindset that "Light is Right" and that thing, while cool, was heavy and of questionable reliability.
Never saw one in use on the trails or in any race and don't know what happened to the one on at the LBS. Seems like it worked reasonably well under the right circumstances.
Like most,I was of the mindset that "Light is Right" and that thing, while cool, was heavy and of questionable reliability.
Never saw one in use on the trails or in any race and don't know what happened to the one on at the LBS. Seems like it worked reasonably well under the right circumstances.
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I tested them for Mountain and City Biking magazine back in the day, and since they were relatively local (Bainbridge Island), they came up with new versions and we checked them out. I never had one to call my own, but they are very cool, and I really liked the Browning family. I wish I had one now! A transmission, I mean, not a Browning family- I wouldn't have room for all of them.
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I had the pleasure of working with the Browning's, Peter Grisley and Bill and Robert Green on the early prototypes and production models prior to Suntour acquiring the rights. I also raced Iditabike '86 with a Browning on my Fat Chance mtb. It worked flawlessly through 200+ miles of snow, ice, water etc. Few people realize how much of today's front chainring ramps, cassette cog ramps, chains and index shifting took inspiration from the ideas of Bruce and his sons. A brilliant family!
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Do you have any pictures?
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Nothing but memories!
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2,430 Posts
Dare I ask what you got for this?
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Would that have been the days when Dave House was in charge? Good times, great rides and what a fun and creative period for the bike industry, no?
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You dared!
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A lot.
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wow... I've never seen that before. Pretty cool.
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Have you looked at road bikes lately?
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Well, it's a great sport. Enjoy!
Electronic shifting has been showcased by the two big manufacturers of bike parts for quite a while now. You can read all about the whos, whys, and wheres on the internet.
Shimano showcases the Ultegra Di2 electronic bike gears, we go for a ride -- Engadget
Campagnolo
Richard Cunningham wrote an article here: What is the Future of Electronic Shifting? | Active.com
I know of a forum regular who is setting up his new bike with a system so maybe he'll chime in.
It's kind of like disc brakes for road bikes: it's coming and people are willing to buy it.
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