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Author Topic: Bickering about bicycles, now with occasional tips about motorised vehicles  (Read 242160 times)

Carl-E

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I've only ever seen the 3-speed gear hubs here in the US.  But to be honest, I don't hang out in bike shops. 

My folks had a tandem from the late 60's with a two-speed hub that shifted by reversing the pedals.  It's still in their garage...
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bhtooefr

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And most bike shops don't carry anything with IGH in the US.

3-speeds are old-school, and are still popular, but now, 8-speeds are very common (both Shimano and Sturmey-Archer), and an 11-speed Shimano and a 14-speed Rohloff are available as higher-end options.
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jwhouk

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We have plenty of Treks around here (given that Trek is made in Wisconsin, of course). A bit pricey for my likes, though.
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I'm seriously interested in the CVT transmission that's available.  Mind you, it and most of the other options cost twice what I paid for my bike...
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General consensus is that it's horrendously inefficient, but some riders like the smoothness enough to look past that, and it is apparently tolerant of very high torque. (Meaning, people who have issues that require them to ride extremely slowly can gear it ridiculously far down - much further than any conventional IGH can hold up to, and deep into the shortest MTB derailleur gearing available - and it holds up.)
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Skewbrow

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It is generally easier on my knees, if I user a tad lower gear and maintain a higher cadence. Is that ratio adjustable in a CVT?

Mind you, the point Akima mentioned about being able to shift gears (on a hub gear system) while standing in traffic lights IS something I miss. Let's see. Currently I have 3 chain rings and a cogset of 6 (from year -89, when that was considered cool). On the largest chain ring I only use the three smallest cogs, same on the smallest. I guess I have combined the middle chain ring with all six cogs, but the extremal ones are rare. Still 3+4+3=10 combos. Should I try to cut that down to 8, or should I wait for the prices of 10-12 speed hub gears to come down before buying a new bike? Hmm.

Just last week I gave up the struggle (after experiencing a bearing jam with a brand new rear axle+bearings) and let a mechanic take a look. The verdict was that the rear hub was so worn out that it could no longer properly support the bearings. So I invested 55 euros on a new rear wheel, and have been enjoying the ride since. I guess that means I'm hoping to get a couple more years from this bike.
« Last Edit: 23 Aug 2013, 05:36 by Skewbrow »
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Akima

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Currently I have 3 chain rings and a cogset of 6 (from year -89, when that was considered cool). On the largest chain ring I only use the three smallest cogs
That is because you have a clue. It is a very bad idea to ride large-chainring-large-rear-cog, or small-chainring-small-rear-cog. It's inefficient and hard on your equipment. One of the reasons I think hub gears are better for utility cyclists is because their operation is simpler; just one control to shift up and down, and no need to worry about juggling chainring and cluster shifts to get the ratio you want.
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pwhodges

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It is a very bad idea to ride large-chainring-large-rear-cog, or small-chainring-small-rear-cog. It's inefficient and hard on your equipment.

Apparently it actually has very little effect on efficiency; it does on chain wear, though.
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bhtooefr

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And then on many recumbents, it doesn't even have an effect on chain wear, because the chains are so long that the flex in the chain for large-large or small-small is less than the flex on the "normal" gears on an upright bike.

(Of course, some recumbent riders get stupid with the gearing setups. A common one is to have a front derailleur (with two or three chainrings), a rear derailleur (with a 7-speed cassette), and a SRAM Dual Drive (which is a 3-speed IGH designed to take a 7-speed cassette).)
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ankhtahr

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So I don't have much luck in bicycle related things currently. On the way to university I crossed a street at the wrong place, and hit the curb too hard. My rear wheel now definitely needs to be changed. One edge of the rim is dented about 0.7 mm to the outside. That's far enough to scratch on the brake pads.

Damn. I don't really have the money to buy a new wheel, and I can't really afford not having my bike either, as the tram is very inconvenient currently due to construction on multiple parts of the road. I'd have to change between bus and tram three times, which would double the time I need to get to university. And classes begin at 08:00 tomorrow. Yay.
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pwhodges

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I once made a wheel like that usable again by hammering it using a club hammer with the other side of the rim resting on a large piece of wood to prevent further damage.
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The Seldom Killer

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Should be alright to slacken off the rear brake 0.7mm. Yes it'll be a longer pull to engage and yes it'll mean some clippy braking but nothing that can't be lived with for a bit.

Earlier this year the salt and rain managed to get my rear brake on my road bike to seize up a bit so it wouldn't return to open after braking. I happily went about 4 months being too lazy to bother sorting it out so just mostly ran on the front brake for a while, rear brake for emergencies only. Not the best thing to be doing in a hilly areal like this but doable.

If there's any second hand or helpful bike shops/ cycling groups in the area they might be able to put you on to a cheap/loaner rear wheel while you're saving up.

On a vaguely related note, I went out for a ride around the Cheshire Plains on the fixed wheel at the weekend before last and got the bike absolutely filthy. On the Sunday I skived off cleaning duties to go and do some pedalcar testing around the newly built Sport York cycle track (awesome). When I got home my wife had kindly cleaned my bike. Absolutely chuffed until I took it out on Tuesday evening and didn't discover that she hadn't done the front brake up until I started rolling down a hill. Led to a nice panic moment where my right foot popped out of the cleats leaving me accelerating down a hill, one footed, fixed wheel on the verge of crying because I was convinced of my own certain death.

Fortunately I didn't die, which was nice.
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ankhtahr

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Damn. Did I write 0.7mm? I meant to write 0.7cm. It's a pretty big dent. I'm afraid that when I try to bend it back the aluminium will break.

I had to unhinge the rear brake so the bike could roll again. And yes, I admit, I rode to university with only my front brake.
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jwhouk

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A little over a quarter-inch shouldn't be that difficult to pound back to level, using the method Paul suggested.
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The Seldom Killer

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As long as you don't rip along you should be fine with just a front brake. Mind you, this does generally tend to mean you aren't road legal.

0.7cm bend, I'd either follow the pwhodges method or line some broad pliers/grips in cloth and manually bend it back in. Aluminium is a brittle metal so don't go crazy on it, it needs a firm, smooth bending action and avoid any twisting. If the rim deflects in a bit you'll be OK.

I realise that this is a bit horse, stable door but if you bent the rim by hitting kerb then that usually suggests the tyre wasn't at a high enough pressure. Obviously it depends on what bike/tyres you're running on but 60psi+ tends to keep that from happening. And always unweight if you have to bump up something, or through a pothole.
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ankhtahr

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Yep, the tyre pressure is too low. I know about that, and I had the adaptor for filling them up at the nearest gas station in my pocket, but I didn't manage to do it until then. I never said it wasn't my fault.

I have to fill my tyres to a really high pressure. I'm having Schwalbe Marathon Plus, and the suggested maximum pressure is 6 bar/87psi, the suggested minimum pressure is 3.5 bar/50psi. I'm currently at about 3.7 bar, but I like to keep them at high pressure to minimise friction and to avoid shit like this.
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Barmymoo

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My bike probably needs its tires pumping. It certainly needs cleaning (I am reluctant to do this because it will take approximately 0.212 seconds cycling to uni next week before it's covered in mud again, but that is not really a good reason) and I realised that one of the brakes is no longer working at all and I'm not sure why. I think the seat needs to be raised and I don't know how to do that, and it needs better lights.

Basically what I am saying is that I need to go to my local bike shop and beg them to fix everything and also teach me basic bike maintenance.
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Akima

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Yep, the tyre pressure is too low. I know about that, and I had the adaptor for filling them up at the nearest gas station in my pocket, but I didn't manage to do it until then. I never said it wasn't my fault.
Pumping up bicycle tyres (or rather inner-tubes) at air-lines designed for cars is a bad idea. The gauges are inaccurate, especially at the high pressures (relative to typical car tyres) used for bikes, and many have mechanisms that deliver air in "bursts" which are fine for high-volume/low-pressure car tyres, but can blow the tyre off the rim on high-pressure/low-volume bicycle tyres. The worst pumps in this regard are the ones where you set the target pressure on the pump, and the pump decides when it has reached it. With Schwalbe Marathons (I ride those too!), if you are pumping them to their minimum pressure, you will probably get away with using a car air-line, but what you really want is a floor-pump. I recommend the Topeak "Joe Blow" range; I bought the cheapest that had a built-in pressure gauge years ago and it is still going strong. You will want to carry a pump on the road as well, and if your budget will not stretch to two pumps (or you have nowhere secure to store a floor-pump), I suggest the Topeak Morph range. No, I don't own shares in Topeak :wink:, but their pumps are good, and I own two.

It certainly needs cleaning (I am reluctant to do this because it will take approximately 0.212 seconds cycling to uni next week before it's covered in mud again
As I recall, your bike is something like this:

You have mudguards (USA:fenders), so you are off to a good start. The problem is that the mudguards are way too short. They always are because bike manufacturers are obsessed with people breaking them on kerbs. Unfortunately, that means that the front one does nothing to protect your bottom bracket, sprockets, mech, chain etc. or even your feet. The rear mudguard is less critical, since it is long enough already to protect your rack, saddle etc., and extending it, while not a bad idea, mainly protects riders behind you.

The answer to your problem is mudflaps (insert inevitable "I herd U leik Mudflaps" joke here :roll:). You need to remove the silly little plastic "tail" from your mudguards (usually you just have to drill out the rivets that hold it), then cut a long flap from rubber matting, and "sew" to the rivet-holes with nylon cable-ties (the cyclist's friend). The flap should be cut long enough to nearly touch the road. No, mudflaps do not add style to your bike, but they are the answer to mud on the drive-train and your feet.
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Barmymoo

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Thank you! That would help a lot - I always arrive at uni looking like I just lost a mud-wrestling competition. I have seen people cycling around without any mudguards at all and it staggers me. They usually have mud all up the back of their coat.
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pwhodges

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I take my mudguards off in dry weather (the cycle racks at work a fuller then, and people don't take care), but wouldn't cycle in the wet without them.

Apropos of nothing in particular, I was thinking as I cycled to work today that I'm quite attached to my old bike; but then I thought:

Main frame - original
forks - replaced
handlebars - replaced
handlebar stem - replaced
both wheels - replaced
rear gear block - replaced
chain-set and pedals - replaced
front dérailleur - original
control for same - original
bottom bracket - replaced (to align new chain-set with rear)
rear dérailleur - replaced
control for same - replaced (operated in opposite direction)
saddle - replaced
seat post - original
V-brakes - original
(brake levers included with gear controls, so one old, one new)
tyres and tubes - replaced (of course)
cables and brake blocks - replaced (of course)

Well, I guess the frame size and alignment does define the feel of the bike (along with the handlebar stem), but even so...!
« Last Edit: 31 Oct 2013, 04:00 by pwhodges »
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The Seldom Killer

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Well, I guess the frame size and alignment does define the feel of the bike (along with the handlebar stem), but even so...!

Wheels will have some effect on the feel of the bike but most factory wheels will feel pretty much the same if you're buying the same type of wheel for the bike. From what I remember of your bike, you're unlikely to be rocking any deep V or 16 spoke, straight-laced wheels any time soon.

Over the course of the summer there have been many long, tedious discussions at the local polo court over the minutia of frame geometry and it's impact on handling and playability. It could be described as a quite interesting subject, but usually in the same way that a geneticist might describe inherited bovine gene variation in Lancastrian livestock as quite interesting. Unless you have any intentions above riding your bike around and enjoying yourself, it's a rabbit hole subject best avoided.
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bhtooefr

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Mind you, different frame geometries actually matter for riding your bike around and enjoying yourself, too.

It's just that most people that care about the minutia of frame geometry are not riding in that style.

(Look at the frame geometry of, say, a Dutch bike.)

Anyway, barmymoo, I'd recommend reading up on Sheldon Brown's website, as well as taking classes on bicycle maintenance. You should be able to do the following maintenance on your own, as a minimum, really:

  • Inflating tires
  • Changing a flat tube (patching can be a pain, I'll admit, I don't patch in the field)
  • Tightening loose fasteners

Raising the seat post in theory is easy, you just loosen the seatpost binder bolt, raise it, make sure everything's lined up, and retighten it, but sometimes the seatpost can freeze in the frame, and that's where things can get... tricky.
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Carl-E

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Ankhtar, I know I'm late, but may I recommend (instead of a hammer or pliers) a c-clamp to take the dent down?  It applies pressure evenly to both sides of the rim at once, and can be tightened slowly and gently, avoiding the potential splitting of the rim. 



You'll always have a ripple there, but it will at least hold the tire better and allow you to brake again. 
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pwhodges

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Bicycles get a mention, but this is mainly about innovative and effective road design for shared space at a town-centre junction; recommended:

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The Seldom Killer

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I've been going to Poynton regularly over the past few years for Audax rides that start and finish there and from my own perspective reckon it's a very good development. Admittedly I only visit on the weekends but I can see how the design functions in weekday and rush hour traffic. I'm aware that there are criticisms of the development, including from people on the cyclist/pedestrian safety front but I don't think that any of them would suggest that it's worse than it was before. My only criticism as a cyclist is that the brick work is of the type that tends to be a bit slippy when it rains. Mind you, that really only encourages cyclists to slow down and in terms of safety and humanising the environment it's probably a good thing.

Something that I find very interesting is that they stated the cost of the development as £4 million. For a piece of works on effectively a small satellite town to a secondary city, that sounds like a lot of money. However, in the film they discussed the observable decline in collisions and injuries since the completion of the works. From memory, the cost to the economy of a death on the road is around £1.1M and a serious injury is around £200k. In those terms I can't see how that piece of work won't effectively pay for itself with in the space of a couple of years.

I hope that this design principle will be brought to other areas as a matter of course.
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The Seldom Killer

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In other news, I now have one of these.

It's a little unstable, a bit hard to get used to and slightly scary. It is also a lot of fun.

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calenlass

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Hey, this thread! 2.5 years later and all the shit on the first page still drives me nuts on a daily basis. I have since learned that Georgia is the most expensive place in the country to own a car, on account of higher insurance fees and taxes and whatnot. Atlanta sprawls more than 30 miles across, and because it has always been so suburban-centric, businesses are incredibly spread out and the commute is necessary for a whole lot of people. Supposedly we are starting a new trend for pedestrian-friendly, walk-up type developments, but I'm not holding my breath. Hooray, this bullshit!

I have a bike. It is a good lookin' cruiser, but now I live 20 miles away from everyone I know on the other side of the city, so I don't get to ride it anymore.



(This is not my bike, but it is the same model and color, so)
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Carl-E

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It's a little unstable, a bit hard to get used to and slightly scary. It is also a lot of fun.

I heard an interview with a guy who makes recumbent bikes the other day.  He was saying that, with a normal bike, you balance and steer it with your hips - not an option on a recumbent.  You need to use your shoulders and upper body more to keep it balanced, and for cornering, and it's very counter-intuitive for "normal" bike riders. 

But knowing that might make it a little more manageable for you! 


I want one someday, I think.  At least, my knees will. 
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AH. THAT explains it.

The first time I took my Giant Revive out for a test-ride at the bike shop, I lost my balance and nearly flipped it over. Now I know why (and why I have to leave a hand on the handlebars at all times).
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Akima

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TSK's 'bent is very cool (review here). I would not like to manoeuvre it round a lot of the stupidly-tight hairpins on cycle-paths in Sydney though.

As for knees, I'm not sure how far a 'bent bicycle would help. One of the advantages claimed for 'bent trikes is that you can install gearing as low as you like, and never face the risk of falling, no matter how slowly you crawl up hills, but that might not apply to a two-wheeler. The keys to protecting your knees while cycling are 1) Get a bike that fits you. 2) Set it up properly. 3) Select gearing that lets you spin (turn the pedals quickly) up the steepest hills you encounter. A knee-endangering problem I see frequently is cyclists setting their saddles too low, and a 'bent might help with that, because seat-height and pedal-reach are not tied together as they are in a conventional bike design.

(click to show/hide)
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bhtooefr

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*Racing cyclists (especially criterium racers) like high bottom-brackets because they can continue pedalling through tighter corners without a pedal striking the ground. Mountain-bikers like high bottom-brackets to give them better ground-clearance over logs, rocks etc. Bicycle manufacturers like to use the same frames in bikes sold for multiple purposes because it reduces their costs.

Although, with drum and disc brakes, one way to lower the bottom bracket on an existing frame design easily is to use smaller wheels. (Rim brakes make that harder to pull off.)
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Bike season would appear to be done.  Back to trainer season.

Overall I'm really happy with how much I rode this year.  Lots of bike commuting, and I'm already missing it pretty badly.
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The Seldom Killer

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Bike season is never over.

Ever
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ev4n

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People do ride bikes year around here.  But you need to understand - it's dangerous.  There may be snow, ice and slush on the roads almost every day from now until mid-March.

Like I said, trainer season.
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bhtooefr

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Where I am, weather is pretty variable in winter.

So one day can be a blizzard, two days later it's like spring.

And, they actually do clear snow from the bike trails here, so there's that too.

Also, there are ways to set bikes up for winter specifically. Studded tires are a thing, after all.
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Barmymoo

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I don't know about bikes but I know that studded tires for cars are illegal in the UK.
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Akima

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Go to: http://www.icebike.com

I ride year-round, but of course the climate here is much less severe than in many places. The heat in summer is more of a challenge than the cold in winter, and that mostly just comes down to drinking enough fluid.
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pwhodges

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I know that studded tires for cars are illegal in the UK.

Not quite; it's illegal to use them in conditions such that they could cause damage to the road - i.e. without a layer of ice or snow.  Since our ice and snow comes and goes so fast that changing wheels is not practical, this amounts to much the same thing.
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"Being human, having your health; that's what's important."  (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?"  (from: The Eccentric Family )

bhtooefr

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Also, I've seen where zip ties have been used to get a similar effect to studs without the whole metal studs thing.

Obviously doesn't work with rim brakes.
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Barmymoo

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I am considering my options for when the bad worse weather arrives and have concluded that walking is probably the most reliable one. That or just sleeping in the university library.
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There's this really handy "other thing" I'm going to write as a footnote to my abstract that I can probably explore these issues in. I think I'll call it my "dissertation."

Carl-E

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I've been known to spend the night in my office when there was a bad storm. 


Back when I had an office.  Now I work from home mostly, so I sleep a lot sitting at the kitchen table instead of at my desk anyway... :roll:
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When people try to speak a gut reaction, they end up talking out their ass.

The Seldom Killer

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TSK's 'bent is very cool (review here). I would not like to manoeuvre it round a lot of the stupidly-tight hairpins on cycle-paths in Sydney though.

As for knees, I'm not sure how far a 'bent bicycle would help. One of the advantages claimed for 'bent trikes is that you can install gearing as low as you like, and never face the risk of falling, no matter how slowly you crawl up hills, but that might not apply to a two-wheeler.

Slight misposting on my part as I actually have the Fujin Sport. The only real difference is that is comes with front suspension as well. I'm kind of tempted to take that out though so that I can shed a bit of weight and do some HPV races next year. That won't make much difference to the manouverability and it definitely isn't designed for tight cornering. I've already had to bail out of trying to cruise through a couple of cycle gates. Moving onto this kind of bike introduces you to the concepts of boom swing and heel overlap. Another mod that I'm considering is to change out the hamster bars for something a bit broader to make the steering a little less twitchy.

Going uphill on this means you have to deal with stalling speed. Go to slow and you'll stall and tip over. As you approach that point you have to be ready to unclip, lock the brakes and stand up in one fluid movement to avoid ditching onto the floor. Not to bad at that fortunately.

I took it up to the Audax UK AGM in York the other weekend and then rode back under a full moon. The ride back was lovely although I realise how dangerous the temptation is to just roll along staring at the moon. Might molish a headpad as well for optimum high speed grinning slackery.

I was planning on riding audaxes on it pretty soon but I still need to sort out the gear shifting, it's being a bit awkward. Instead I'm going to take the fixed wheel out this weekend for a trip from Stockport to Holyhead and back. The route takes me through Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogochuchaf, which makes me quite happy.
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pwhodges

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I had friends who lived in LlanfairPG, so I know it a bit; we had a cat that came from there, too.  But then my (first) wife had an affair with the husband.
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"Being human, having your health; that's what's important."  (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?"  (from: The Eccentric Family )

The Seldom Killer

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Noted, I shall resist any urges to be a homewrecker when I'm passing through. This presumes I safely evade the temptresses of Prestatyn.

Progress will be tweeted @cyclingtiger probably with photos (Welsh reception permitting) possibly with good photos.
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Barmymoo

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I now have the train stations of the Holyhead line ringing through my mind.
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There's this really handy "other thing" I'm going to write as a footnote to my abstract that I can probably explore these issues in. I think I'll call it my "dissertation."

GarandMarine

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So I'm venturing into this thread with hopes to receive some of the occasional tips for motorised vehicles as I am... forcibly back on the market shall we say.

Here's the vehicles I'm looking at so far by catagory:

Top vehicle so far:
http://delaware.craigslist.org/cto/4294604066.html

Do want:
http://delaware.craigslist.org/cto/4298988841.html
http://delaware.craigslist.org/cto/4266210059.html

Less Desireable:
http://delaware.craigslist.org/cto/4295352328.html
http://delaware.craigslist.org/cto/4287964592.html
http://delaware.craigslist.org/cto/4292485337.html

Huh:
http://delaware.craigslist.org/cto/4298790447.html

Something HAS to be wrong with it I'm not seeing:
http://delaware.craigslist.org/cto/4298709624.html


Thoughts?
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I built the walls that make my life a prison, I built them all and cannot be forgiven... ...Sold my soul to carry your vendetta, So let me go before you can regret it, You've made your choice and now it's come to this, But that's price you pay when you're a monster with no name.

bhtooefr

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You couldn't pay me to own that Cadillac.

Also, the Accord will be a scammer. The car doesn't exist, and there will be requests to wire the seller money before you can look at the car.
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Carl-E

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Yeah, it's been pulled. 

I've driven an X-terra, don't like 'em - boxy, and they feel like they're going to tip in a strong wind. 

Good luck! 
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When people try to speak a gut reaction, they end up talking out their ass.

GarandMarine

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Most people are favoring the X-terra at present, and honestly so am I. It's a big larger then my usual vehicle >.>;
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I built the walls that make my life a prison, I built them all and cannot be forgiven... ...Sold my soul to carry your vendetta, So let me go before you can regret it, You've made your choice and now it's come to this, But that's price you pay when you're a monster with no name.

The Seldom Killer

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Spoilered for ranting.

(click to show/hide)

/rant
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