tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.comments2023-07-04T04:18:43.711-07:00A Practical CyclistRobert Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02881066383294557792noreply@blogger.comBlogger168125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-17800967450037479162016-04-30T08:07:39.854-07:002016-04-30T08:07:39.854-07:00Brian, to answer your questions:
1. How many times...Brian, to answer your questions:<br />1. How many times, etc: You can wax the chain until it "stretches" too much. Any bike shop can sell you a tool (gauge) that will measure chain wear. Chains can last 2000-4000 miles in my experience.<br />2. Yes<br />3. Haven't had to yet. Just re-heat and re-use. Top up with additional wax when it doesn't cover the chain.<br /><br />You raise an interesting point, though. Over time, the wax volume will become dirtier and dirtier. It's worth thinking about some kind of implement, like a fine tea-strainer, that I could dip into the hot wax and remove enough dirt to keep thing reasonable. May be time to do some searching on Amazon.Robert Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02881066383294557792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-43518190180578684322016-04-30T00:21:12.275-07:002016-04-30T00:21:12.275-07:00Great idea for commuting in the rain! I wonder how...Great idea for commuting in the rain! I wonder how much the chain life can be extended by. How many times can you treat the chain with the wax? Does the dirt settle to the bottom of the molten wax? How do you dispose of the used wax? You don't want to burn it indoors because it may have teflon.Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13224120804084532902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-81258238965698409522013-08-15T02:56:12.035-07:002013-08-15T02:56:12.035-07:00I think if more people knew a little about aerodyn...I think if more people knew a little about aerodynamics and what happens when you wrap a bicycle or motorcycle in a enclosed aerodynamic streamlined body things would start to change.A streamlined bike ,was pedaled to 82 mph,when you wrap a standard motorcycle in a streamlined body it doubles the fuel range.A enclosed motorcycle or a narrow 3 or 4 wheeled tilter are the holy grail of fun commuting, around town shopping or that long awaited cross country tour.Comfort,safety,ultra high mileage or range in the case of a electric version.I'm hoping more and more people see the incredible advantages in streamlining.I like fast vehicles,but it sure would be nice to have someone sit behind you in your streamlined vehicle telling you how comfortable and how well it handles and stops,and you say ,and it gets 300 mpg USA tool.We could cut fuel consumption in half and make electrics a viable choice,just with streamlining.godscountryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00472363924837089539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-25427881660762769982013-02-09T13:37:22.160-08:002013-02-09T13:37:22.160-08:00Be sure to spell St. John's last name correctl...Be sure to spell St. John's last name correctly.Bob Cooperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09555812362760607126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-4881590417457574692012-06-21T11:46:15.215-07:002012-06-21T11:46:15.215-07:00I'm a first time rider and I like what I'm...I'm a first time rider and I like what I'm reading. But I disagree with you on the bike rack thing. I believe the practical rider can, with a good bike and rack, turn any trip into a bicycling adventure. But I do see your point. And I do like that you are monitoring the comments you receive. Other blogs, for the overall good of cycling, need to do the same.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-24521803725625576512012-03-19T04:00:43.818-07:002012-03-19T04:00:43.818-07:00I like the coffee mug-rack, thats good impression ...I like the coffee mug-rack, thats good impression for the form follow meaning, and great idea for cultivating the spot, thanks :)jatmiko yo jatkomikhttp://www.jatmiko-jatkomik.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-45465576622954806482012-02-29T23:31:31.082-08:002012-02-29T23:31:31.082-08:00'Nice to find you again, RFA.
Luigi'Nice to find you again, RFA.<br /><br />LuigiLuigi Bartolomeohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12638302429511550331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-11680096274100048132012-02-29T23:30:49.232-08:002012-02-29T23:30:49.232-08:00'Nice to find you again, RFA.
Luigi'Nice to find you again, RFA.<br /><br />LuigiLuigi Bartolomeohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12638302429511550331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-55636371688111539632012-01-27T02:42:00.827-08:002012-01-27T02:42:00.827-08:00The BikeTree is one such item, a fantastic example...The BikeTree is one such item, a fantastic example of a solution hunting for a problem. I really apreciate your work.Bike Lockshttp://www.riderwear.net/38-securitynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-883781324083008162011-10-27T03:02:49.276-07:002011-10-27T03:02:49.276-07:00Nice guide lines .. its should be followed, who lo...Nice guide lines .. its should be followed, who love to cyclingKosher meat onlinehttp://www.yardenoutlet.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-85970210930265477732011-09-28T20:27:34.897-07:002011-09-28T20:27:34.897-07:00I think you'd be hard pressed to come up with ...I think you'd be hard pressed to come up with an event as successful and inspiring without leaving out or even alienating a large part of the cycling community and cycling design community. <br /><br />I have been frustrated by the manifest as well, and am in full support of it. It is the best event of it's kind and it succeeded, if nothing else, in motivating a bunch of hard-working designers and builders to put themselves out there with some new machine (and the machines were awesome) and subject themselves to the whims of the judges and the stress of the course.<br /><br />We understand that the "results" of the competition are subjective.<br /><br />There is always room for improvement, of course, but yes, maybe you are a curmudgeon.joshuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01268438004794101704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-37803610045380292742011-09-14T07:14:08.442-07:002011-09-14T07:14:08.442-07:00Robert,
As someone who frequently hauls a traile...Robert, <br /><br />As someone who frequently hauls a trailer, I can attest that speed does not matter. I often operate at single-digit speeds. <br /><br />Mighk didn't say anything about diminished performance. He used to do club rides. Now he's hauling compost and ladders and such on a long-tail utility bike. His point was that letting go of the notion that one has to ride fast to ride on the road resulted in a higher quality experience. <br /><br />I used to believe I had to ride at top speed and that one had to be athletic and militant, too. Years ago, when someone told me speed didn't matter, I didn't believe it. But I went out and experimented and I experienced the same thing Mighk described. It was very liberating! <br /><br />Our many students who ride townies and other casual bicycles also have no problem driving their bikes on the road at low speeds. The perpetuation of the speed/athleticism myth has become an unwarranted barrier to practical cycling for a lot of people. It's as pernicious as fearmongering.<br /><br />I also recommend using the full lane as trikebum suggests. Riding the line between lanes is a bad idea. It leaves you nowhere to go and causes more confusion and disruption than controlling the outside thru lane.Kerihttp://www.cyclingsavvy.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-90300200934511864972011-09-14T05:36:23.012-07:002011-09-14T05:36:23.012-07:00Mighk, There are a lot of cyclists out there for w...Mighk, There are a lot of cyclists out there for whom "12-15 mph" is close to the limits of their athletic ability. Your description of it as apparently diminished performance is telling, I think. I believe the ability to accelerate, ride with traffic, and be a competent vehicular cyclist does require athletic ability. Not at a professional or even a club level, but at the upper reaches for much of the population.Robert Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02881066383294557792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-53903011939572224372011-09-13T14:12:30.582-07:002011-09-13T14:12:30.582-07:00Robert:
As both a cyclist with 40+ years of exper...Robert:<br /><br />As both a cyclist with 40+ years of experience and a cycling instructor with about 15 years experience, I have to disagree with your contention that vehicular cycling requires athleticism and/or militancy.<br /><br />I used to be a fast rider. These days I'm usually riding in the 12 - 15 mph range and I've found that my problems in traffic have _decreased_, not increased. My "militancy" has also decreased. I'm now far more relaxed on the roads than I was 10 years ago.<br /><br />Operating under the assumption that you _belong_ on the roads and that you are entitled to full use of a lane does not have to result in a militant attitude. It can just as easily be supported by a matter-of-fact attitude.Mighkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00360234564323741495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-69657307248114146992011-09-13T14:11:38.143-07:002011-09-13T14:11:38.143-07:00Robert:
As both a cyclist with 40+ years of exper...Robert:<br /><br />As both a cyclist with 40+ years of experience and a cycling instructor with about 15 years experience, I have to disagree with your contention that vehicular cycling requires athleticism and/or militancy.<br /><br />I used to be a fast rider. These days I'm usually riding in the 12 - 15 mph range and I've found that my problems in traffic have _decreased_, not increased. My "militancy" has also decreased. I'm now far more relaxed on the roads than I was 10 years ago.<br /><br />Operating under the assumption that you _belong_ on the roads and that you are entitled to full use of a lane does not have to result in a militant attitude. It can just as easily be supported by a matter-of-fact attitude.Mighkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00360234564323741495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-69314246759882728122011-08-01T06:52:34.152-07:002011-08-01T06:52:34.152-07:00If it was an Apple Bike they'd have non-standa...If it was an Apple Bike they'd have non-standard pedals, tube sizes, and wheels, and they'd figure out a way to lock you into their Bike ecosystem and prevent you from ever buying anything else...<br /><br />No really - they wouldAndreas Haukåshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09386035097407162808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-86554311866861220372011-07-06T12:09:22.521-07:002011-07-06T12:09:22.521-07:001) Driven the speed limit a lot, local and highway...1) Driven the speed limit a lot, local and highway... never a problem<br />2) Was on Cape Cod last week, they stop out of turn *all the time*. <br />3) I can't go a day without seeing someone talking illegally on a hand held phone ( or obviously using on in their lap ).<br />4) No and never.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07719707203372377982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-627434351211726852011-07-04T09:40:46.237-07:002011-07-04T09:40:46.237-07:00One of the problems is that cyclists generally don...One of the problems is that cyclists generally don't obey the law themselves. Yes, a bit sweeping but while most of my observations are US/NE, traveling around shows that the same is true all over the country.<br /><br />It's ironic that most group rides these days require you to wear a helmet while the riders often curse you if you actually stop (not rolling stop) at a stop sign. Failure to obey traffic signals is probably the worst. But failure to get in single file ranks pretty high as well.<br /><br />We will never get motorists to respect our rights to the road until we stop throwing our own disregard in their faces. Heck I'd settle not be buzzed most days.Spokeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01634249104084545065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-29209044773449581372011-06-17T02:42:50.199-07:002011-06-17T02:42:50.199-07:00If you are looking for comfort in any weather, con...If you are looking for comfort in any weather, consider a hull material nylon jacket. Most motorcycle jackets provide a waterproof material and waterproof zippers to prevent leakage of water inside the garment. If you are likely to wear the jacket in cold conditions, some jackets come with a removable thermal lining. This makes the jacket for use in hot and cold.mens jeanshttp://www.riderwear.net/23-fabricsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-45405297225613771362011-05-14T05:51:03.613-07:002011-05-14T05:51:03.613-07:00Great blog, but this latest post interests me so m...Great blog, but this latest post interests me so much that I wrote a book about it a decade ago. You already support the link in your sidebar, Bike & Chain. Thanks.<br /><br />http://bike-n-chain.blogspot.com/<br /><br />I believe you're still struggling with the ethics. They are hard to define, but there's a good reason. Modern industrial society bent on materialistic gain has advanced in just about every way but ethics. Predatory practices for profit don't care who dies in the process; collateral damage. Every year 0.1% of the World's population dies directly because of oil use (cancer, cardiovascular disease, and one and a half million fatal collisions). But people won't budge one inch to alleviate obesity, pollution or traffic snarl. The Pope had to issue a bull to advise motorists to take care of vulnerable users of roads, including bicyclists. "Get out of my way!"<br /><br />All onus for road safety is on operating motorists and traffic planners, not cyclists and pedestrians. Only drivers are licensed. You can't expect children and pets to know rules. An automobile (not bicycle) runs by itself and supposedly saves labor. It's easy to go slowly and stop for everyone in a courteous manner, but power under the hood corrupts. <br /><br />Every bicyclist knows that if they don't take extraordinary care among motorists they will pay the ultimate price. But they aren't going to inflict harm on others, for the most part. Traffic laws, therefore, shouldn't apply, more guidelines; besides, if they can't take away the license you don't need to bike, why pay a ticket? The reverse is true of most motorists, many of whom shouldn't even have licenses. Traffic laws were adopted to regulate them alone after people died from their incompetence and motor lust. Remove the bad actors for the mix, and everyone would benefit. <br /><br />LabannAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-2430444647708170132011-05-04T06:14:17.372-07:002011-05-04T06:14:17.372-07:00These lights are really good. they provide the rid...These lights are really good. they provide the rider with a clear visibility during the dark conditions. Such lights are good because they are a forms of reflectors and or a reusable source of light. moreover the flashing and other specifications gives a unique touch. i like ur blogBicycle Lighthttp://www.eclipseledcompany.com/bicycle_lights.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-84039382418548800682011-03-24T21:44:53.988-07:002011-03-24T21:44:53.988-07:00Although headgear is not 100% foolproof, Manufactu...Although headgear is not 100% foolproof, Manufacturer's claim their headgear reduces the probability of a concussion by 50%. Some protection is better than none.ajlounyinjurylawhttp://www.ajlounyinjurylaw.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-74891437894408052882011-03-18T02:10:03.804-07:002011-03-18T02:10:03.804-07:00your blog post is really unique to others.your blog post is really unique to others.motorcycle clothinghttp://www.bikestop.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-52969508978811786702011-03-04T01:26:50.834-08:002011-03-04T01:26:50.834-08:00Hi, This is Louis Saekow. I came across this blog,...Hi, This is Louis Saekow. I came across this blog, and I read what mondaytuesday said about Sprocket Man. Touched me greatly. Sprocket Man changed my life. I'm not really a bicycle enthusiast, but I was slated to go to med school after graduating from Stanford University, and the joy I had drawing Sprocket Man (for pay, no less!) was so great, I became a pretty successful graphic designer instead. Never regretted the path less taken.Louis Saekowhttp://lsaekow@yahoo.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614319136975491150.post-38899853357685445212010-10-28T00:53:51.420-07:002010-10-28T00:53:51.420-07:00Great to know these informations! Thanks for shari...Great to know these informations! Thanks for sharing this post. Very informative!hectorhttp://www.rentbikeamsterdam.nlnoreply@blogger.com