Bicycles

[Ozi]

I have seen over the years that it is not only woodworkers that get caught up with the sales pitches and end up spending a fortune on what is or could essentially be classed as a simple requirement. The bicycle, a frame with two wheels and a saddle yet the get rich brigade have managed to turn the industry into an overpriced rip off. It seems these days rather than put the effort into personel fitness and technique they are looking at technology for a solution. Both my parents in the fifties were in cycle clubs and did a lot of miles on very basic bikes where they used a fixed wheel with no gears and both have done Lands end to John O'groats several times and on nothing fancy, one was a handbuilt Rory O Brien and the other a Dawes and both made in Britain.

Another question as E bikes are getting popular, how long before thet get classed as motor vehicles and need tax and insurance?

Interesting question when does an e bike become an e scooter. Our local police are clamping down on illegal e scooters at present which seen to have taken over from monkey bikes. I can see why but it's the behavior of the riders not the machines that are the problem.

You people are making me want to get back on a bike, I haven't ridden regularly for 30 years, if I strain my grinning muscles it will be all your fault!

 

[Jacob]

Hi have you tried a rolls or turbo saddle. Those are my go to saddles for comfort.

I also have a spa leather saddle like a Brookes which is good for long days.

Cheers James

I had a Brooks Professional for years and thought it was brilliant but when I did Lejog my bum started hurting halfway and never stopped. Swapped it for the original "Rolls" which came with my Galaxy and it's no problem at all. Also seems to last forever - it's had 16 years of hard use.
Sold the Brooks on Ebay for same price I paid - they hold their price!

 

[Jameshow]

I foolishly left my bike in the bike store in glen Coe. There was a massive old boiler in the room. My leather saddle dried out 100%
It wouldn't break in over the day.

My solution was to use the jiffy bag I had my camera protected in as a another layer of padding.

I soaked the saddle overnight with a damp cloth and it recovered for the next day.

Cheers James

 

[Spectric]

They were the days, real leather saddles that needed dubbing, probably plastic now or going by the clothes they wear now it could be fake fur.

 

[glenfield2]

Still experimenting to find a saddle more suited to my much older, and clearly less resilient, backside.

The Selle SMP Welle suits me reasonably ok (despite the somewhat alarming shape).
As to speed, I’ve just accepted I’m old and slow but I seem to have decent stamina so I enjoy the longer rides on quiet roads with guilt-free coffee and cake breaks.

 

[tinfoil]

40+ year-old Condor Heritage which, like Trigger's broom, has had the equivalent of seven new heads and five new handles. Current incarnation has a 2 x 12 Campag Chorus groupset (minus the brakes). Wife has a 30 year-old mixte Evans (from before they became corporate). She has been commuting, rain or shine, across London for over 30 years. Our summer holidays have always been selecting an area, usually in France, then eating and drinking our way through the landscape with our bikes. As a 74 year-old retiree, I now go out three times a week on a little nine-mile route that takes in a number of short but steep 'hills' here in SE London in an attempt to stave off the depredations of age. We also have a shared Moulton SST 11 which neither of us prefer over our regular bikes. However I found it invaluable after slipping on a bit of wet road two years ago and snapping the top of my femur. For some months I was unable to cock my leg (if you'll pardon the expression) but could just about step over the Moulton's space-frame elegance. I also have a precious 1960's 'curly' Hetchins which I restored using correct era components. This rarely gets ridden on the road (I'm afraid to damage it) but I have put a training tyre and wheel on it and it's mounted it on a Wahoo Kickr.

 

[Jacob]

40+ year-old Condor Heritage which, like Trigger's broom, has had the equivalent of seven new heads and five new handles. Current incarnation has a 2 x 12 Campag Chorus groupset (minus the brakes). Wife has a 30 year-old mixte Evans (from before they became corporate). She has been commuting, rain or shine, across London for over 30 years. Our summer holidays have always been selecting an area, usually in France, then eating and drinking our way through the landscape with our bikes. As a 74 year-old retiree, I now go out three times a week on a little nine-mile route that takes in a number of short but steep 'hills' here in SE London in an attempt to stave off the depredations of age. We also have a shared Moulton SST 11 which neither of us prefer over our regular bikes. However I found it invaluable after slipping on a bit of wet road two years ago and snapping the top of my femur. For some months I was unable to cock my leg (if you'll pardon the expression) but could just about step over the Moulton's space-frame elegance. I also have a precious 1960's 'curly' Hetchins which I restored using correct era components. This rarely gets ridden on the road (I'm afraid to damage it) but I have put a training tyre and wheel on it and it's mounted it on a Wahoo Kickr.

I've got the leg-over problem as well. Have to lay the bike down and step over it to get on or off. Did wonder about a Mixte but I'm down for hip joint op soon so will wait.
Nice to hear that there's a lot of young old people still at it, speaking as a 76 year old.
I kept fitter by doing C25K, which I was surprised to find possible at all, in view of arthritic twinges.
Strava is an incentive - it gives you marks if you manage to do something a few seconds faster than last time. I'm on the free version but it keeps trying to wheedle cash out of me!
<iframe height='405' width='590' frameborder='0' allowtransparency='true' scrolling='no' src='Bike 4 Round the pond | Strava'></iframe>

 

[ian33a]

Big bike and car fan:

Trek Domane SLR7 summer road bike,
Cannondale Synapse 105 winter road bike,
Whyte T130RS and 901 (heavily customised) off road bikes
Wahoo Bike Turbo trainer

I try to cycle between 100 and 150 miles per week all year around.

Cars: (save that for another thread)

 

[Seaside Donkey]

1985 custom built Bob Jackson - my first proper racing bike. It has BJ Golden Jubilee livery and 1985 was also Reynolds Golden Jubilee year so it has their commemorative decals too. Kitted out with Campag SR and Cinelli bars. It's only allowed out on dry sunny days now.

Bianchi Pista (c1990) - fixed wheel ride for the flatlands.

Ridley Triton. Took over as my racing bike when the BJ got a bit tired. Still got it but rarely ridden these days.

Kinesis Racelight T2. Bought as a winter training bike a long time ago. Like grandad's broom it's had three new shanks and four new heads. Ridden C2C across South America in 2011 and still used frequently.

Orbit Velocity tandem.

Lad has left a Cube mountain bike in the shed but I'm not tempted.

 

[francovendee]

I have one bike, a 20+ year old Raleigh MTB converted to a touring bike that has covered 70000 miles.
Since I've retired I try to cycle every day and in normal years I do about 6000 miles.
Not bad for an under £300 bike.
I'm sure I've spent the same amount replacing tyres, chains etc.
For me cycling is a great way to unwind and enjoy the countryside.

 

[MarkAW]

I too love cycling. I have 3 bikes. 1 full suspension mountain, 1 rigid mountain, 1 cyclo-cross I use for commuting.

I much prefer being away from cars. I've had plenty of close calls in just a few thousand miles of riding. Lots of idiots in (or not in) control of 2+ tons of speeding metal. The scariest of which was an oncoming car on the wrong side of the road around a blind corner!

It's getting a bit tricky, have a single garage storing 3 bike plus workbench, TS and various other machines. I'm going to have to move soon for a bigger garage!

Also recently bought a kiddie trailer for my 1 year old to join me for some of the gentler off road adventures. Looking forward to that!

 

[TRITON]

Lots of Roadies resenting themselves, maybe the relationship is one of precision

Anyone tried a cargo bike ?.

I was thinking of one as a non driver and as a way of being more independent on buying timber or consumables but I tried the Packster 40 only found the sizing not to be that great, with toes impacting the the frame at the front for the pack.
They are gigantic, even the packster which I think is one of the shorter models. I'm too much the urban cyclist, know all the back routes type of rider, A-B straight, but these cargo bikes feel too long for me, maybe limiting me to onto the road, following the set routes and ....ahem... the law.

Damn handy looking though.

I thought the Packster was long, then found the Larry v's harry website

 

[Seaside Donkey]

Anyone tried a cargo bike ?.

Not a cargo bike but I've got a trailer which we used for our old dog when he couldn't keep up any more. I've used it for camping and bothy trips but never for shopping/woodworking stuff.

 

[TRITON]

What model ?

 

[Noel]

Lots of Roadies resenting themselves, maybe the relationship is one of precision

Anyone tried a cargo bike ?.

I was thinking of one as a non driver and as a way of being more independent on buying timber or consumables but I tried the Packster 40 only found the sizing not to be that great, with toes impacting the the frame at the front for the pack.
They are gigantic, even the packster which I think is one of the shorter models. I'm too much the urban cyclist, know all the back routes type of rider, A-B straight, but these cargo bikes feel too long for me, maybe limiting me to onto the road, following the set routes and ....ahem... the law.

Damn handy looking though.

I thought the Packster was long, then found the Larry v's harry website

Isn't there a Youtuber WW who does all his collecting by bike and trailer? Can't recall who.

 

[D_W]

I thought I posted something bike related - eons ago, I rode a specialized M2 comp somewhere around 60-120 miles a week. Then I moved away from easy riding area and got fat (still fat - 205 pounds at 5'9" - not sure how many stones that is, but if you have special BMI charts there, I'm sure that they would go something like "gravel", "boulder", "off road quarry load", "entire quarry" - the conversion in the states is bottom of the obese range, or "dumper load").

Strange thing is, even now having not ridden much in the last decade and a half, when I do get on a bike, there is still some memory there in the legs and my fitter wife cannot keep up. Plus, I got a grandpa bike to ride around with the kids (an atir chrome plated thing, upright with leather wrapped handles) and I found a set of clipless pedals to go with it. If there was a good commute option here (I'm 8 miles from work, but it's half interstate), I'd ride it to work.

I hate every type of exercise other than woodworking/timber handling and biking. Both (all three?) are glorious. despise running - might as well let someone hit you under the chin with a rubber hammer over and over.

 

[AlanY]

My bike is a Yamaha xjr1300. I do have a pushbike, too, but I think that has been commandeered by one of the grandkids. Probably won't be long before the little brutes are after the Yammy, too.

 

[Seaside Donkey]

What model ?

Don't know. Can't find any branding on it at all. It's over 20 years old and is very basic being a plastic crate that push fits into a tubular steel chassis with ~10" wheels. There's a plastic ball and socket joint on the end of the pulling yoke that clamps to the seat post.

Sounds rubbish but it's been really useful and has lasted well despite the hammerings it's had.

 

[Donald Sinclair]

Slow speed bicycle.

Five years ago I had an operation on my foot, to fuse three joints and stabilise them with a metal plate. The result is a foot that is pain-free so long as it is used lightly (5000 steps per day or less).

However my wife and the dogs enjoy rather longer walks. The solution is a slow speed bicycle that I can balance on at walking pace, stop abruptly when a dog finds something interesting, and resume cycling having changed to a lower gear when stationary.

My number 2 son sourced a 1930’s Humber ladies’ cycle with double bladed front fork, and front axle mounted well ahead of the steering tube, to give slow speed stability.

Modifications include : a tall handlebar stem to provide a sit-up-and beg posture; cable brakes instead of rod brakes, a modern Sturmey Archer three speed hub with extra-large cog wheel and a small chain ring to produce very low gearing.

It lives in my car behind the front seats.

 

[TRITON]

Don't know. Can't find any branding on it at all. It's over 20 years old and is very basic being a plastic crate that push fits into a tubular steel chassis with ~10" wheels. There's a plastic ball and socket joint on the end of the pulling yoke that clamps to the seat post.

Sounds rubbish but it's been really useful and has lasted well despite the hammerings it's had.

2001 doesnt feel old to me , heck most of my bike kit is from about that time lol, and it doesn't sound rubbish at all,sounds very handy. Though steel chassis doesn't sound lightweight.

Certainly something I've thought about over the years, even designing one of my own, in a sketching sort of war, but never came to fruition..
Thanks for the note, trailers do seem handy, hadn't thought of them for a bit, and could prove an idea if I can finalize on which type of Ebike I'd like to own, the one above, or maybe be pragmatic and opt for something that can pull trailers, less full on enduro bike

I see pricing has gone up though. Still the 'cheap' ones but the likes of topeak and even Bob Yak(the original bike trailer) are pretty expensive these days, up to 400 quid.

Cheers