Haven't actually purchased it yet, but speaking of bike tubes etc.: Tonight I happened to take a close look at my little CO2 cartridge valve thing that's been banging around in my bag with the spare tube etc. for a few years now. Haven't had to use it on the trail, although I did spend a cartridge doing a dry run in the garage when I first got it, just to see how it works.
Anyway, looking into the part that threads onto the Schrader valve on the tube, I noticed the tiny little pin that's supposed to actuate the valve was gone! Checked the bike bag but of course it's not there, nor would I trust it to stay put if I tried to stick it back into the fitting. Time for a new one.
Kind of a weird failure, seems to me. I'm just glad I noticed it before I needed it out in the sticks somewhere.
Anyway, looking into the part that threads onto the Schrader valve on the tube, I noticed the tiny little pin that's supposed to actuate the valve was gone! Checked the bike bag but of course it's not there, nor would I trust it to stay put if I tried to stick it back into the fitting. Time for a new one.
Kind of a weird failure, seems to me. I'm just glad I noticed it before I needed it out in the sticks somewhere.
Got a couple of nice looking phones (HTC, Alcatel) working as wifi only devices, which I picked up Sunday at a yard sale for $1. Unsure if exploiting OS features via methods found on-line counts as repair; assume their fate as otherwise unworkable units would've been the garbage can...
The one you bought might have been presta valve only. I don’t think any I’ve ever bought HAD a pin for a “regular” valve stem.
Not really surprising... You aren't what I would expect to be an aggressive cyclist. My fathers bike looks like new, too.
When I was younger, I'd pull skid turns to get around corners faster. One time I went down a hill on an old BMX with a coaster brake, locked up the wheel going about 40 km/h, and popped the thing!
The problem with old tires is they tend to dry out and crack but if they look fine, they usually are 🙂
Never had that problem but the latest thinking in tire science is supple, low loss tube/tires at low inflation pressures. Yesterday I pushed the limits of local roads again running 55 psi front, 65 psi rear. Square edge potholes are a nearly guaranteed snake bite flat.
I find hard tires prevent rim damage... And lower rolling resistance 🙂 I can fly with 110 PSI.
My new bike tires are only rated for 65 though so 75 is where they are now. Definitely need more effort to get where you go.
My new bike tires are only rated for 65 though so 75 is where they are now. Definitely need more effort to get where you go.
My Murray tires are rated for 60 PSI, however I inflate them to 40 since i prefer a 'softer ride'.
And no, I was never an 'extremist' biker.
More of a relaxing sight-seeing type.
Besides, since 2015 when I modded my bike, its got a 4-stroke 49 CC gasoline engine fitted, I enjoy not having to pedal by choice.
I can reach 30+ MPH on level ground if I choose, and it saves my 69 year old knees from dealing with hills.
Nice. I wanted to do that here (80cc) but the legal crap you must go through (you have to legally register it as a moped, and insure it but since it's homemade no one wants to touch it) but didn't.
And looking at the cost of an e-bike I can get a real motorcycle for the same money! No brainer!
And looking at the cost of an e-bike I can get a real motorcycle for the same money! No brainer!
Only if you're riding on glass. Look into it. It's fascinating. The rethink is based on a full power loss audit starting from the simple premise that the rider provides 100% of the available system power. Anything not directly contributing to forward motion reduces speed. Losses tabulated included air resistance, tire contact patch, tube flex losses, fork and frame flex, vertical rider motion and even military research into losses from internal body parts vibrating against each other. Current thinking is a low loss tire/tube combo that deflects to ameliorate all the remaining losses is most efficient.
All my road tires are good for 120 psi; GP 5000 and Rene Herse Cayuse Pass. I don't miss that vibramatic ride. I also get far fewer flats until pushing low inflation into the pinch flat danger zone.
If I told you I feel like I'm coasting faster on fine gravel than concrete, you'd probably think I was nuts. It's true though.
Also, I should mention I ride rigid. Suspension changes the outcome I believe, but I've never found a bike suspension that was stiff enough to warrant it's weight penalty. I have built in suspension (knees and elbows) -- I RIDE my bike 🙂
Higher pressure == smaller contact patch == less friction. Right? The only place I want low pressure is when riding on ice 😀
Example. Avenue Road south of St. Clair. It's a hill.
With 20 psi, the bike will cruise but slow a bit.
With 60 psi, the bike will slowly increase speed.
With 110 psi, I need to ride brakes.
I pedal as hard as I can at the top of that hill, then tuck to hopefully hit a green light 🙂 Speedo has read almost 70 km/h there.
Also, I should mention I ride rigid. Suspension changes the outcome I believe, but I've never found a bike suspension that was stiff enough to warrant it's weight penalty. I have built in suspension (knees and elbows) -- I RIDE my bike 🙂
Higher pressure == smaller contact patch == less friction. Right? The only place I want low pressure is when riding on ice 😀
Example. Avenue Road south of St. Clair. It's a hill.
With 20 psi, the bike will cruise but slow a bit.
With 60 psi, the bike will slowly increase speed.
With 110 psi, I need to ride brakes.
I pedal as hard as I can at the top of that hill, then tuck to hopefully hit a green light 🙂 Speedo has read almost 70 km/h there.
Three road fixies, one road Ti and a gravel bike for fishing at Tommy Thompson here.🙂 In terms of miles I wore out a chain and set of rings on the Ti in 15 months. Happy about the miles, not so happy about the cost. The St. Clair hill extends to Woodbine and Pape. Pape is a blast to climb. If you're looking for a paved no-traffic option, the hill behind Sunnybrook Hospital may be the best in the area.
Low inflation does require specific tires and either low loss tubes or tubeless. The experience initially feels completely 'wrong' until you realize you're not as beat up after rides. It probably can be a compromise on smooth roads. With the Tycho road surfaces east of the DVP for me it's the only way to go.
Low inflation does require specific tires and either low loss tubes or tubeless. The experience initially feels completely 'wrong' until you realize you're not as beat up after rides. It probably can be a compromise on smooth roads. With the Tycho road surfaces east of the DVP for me it's the only way to go.
PRR -
Dennis Moore wants those lupines! If you're scratching your head, think Monty Python...
Dennis Moore wants those lupines! If you're scratching your head, think Monty Python...
And that's why I chose a 4 stroke 49CC engine - no worries about having to register it, etc.
That 49CC limit considers my bike as a "power assisted" vehicle.
And not bad at all having a range of 70+ miles from a 2.5L tank of gas.
I pondered the E bike kit, but seeing the costs of the batteries, and them exploding while charging - forget it!
Gasoline is much safer.
In Hyderabad city, India, some place described as dealer / service station / charging facility caught fire, while bikes were being recharged.
There was a hotel upstairs, 8 killed due to smoke inhalation and suffocation.
All because of less than proper charge control.
Take care.
There was a hotel upstairs, 8 killed due to smoke inhalation and suffocation.
All because of less than proper charge control.
Take care.
You're a braver man than I. Although I did hit this many MPH on a '74 Schwinn Varsity the other night: 😛
(Actually I hit 37+ a coupla nights later, but forgot to take a pic!)
I have a hill here that I love to hate. Or hate to love. One of those, not sure. Anyway, it's like my check-engine light; it takes everything I got to get up the damn thing. Tells me exactly how I'm doing on any given day. But coming down is always fuuuunn!! When I hit the 90° turn at the bottom, I can smell my brake shoes.
I haven't tried the low-pressure thing. It seems so counterintuitive; like you, it seems like I can feel it rolling easier after just a 5 psi top-off, and I'm only at 85 max (got rid of the old steel rims years ago, heh). I guess I can grok that it's not all about that, but...I dunno. The stiff ride on this old gas-pipe bike is really all I've ever known, and getting off the saddle for the rough spots is just part of it - I don't even think about it. Old dog, new tricks, etc. Guess I'll have to try it sometime, see what the fuss is about.
Oh, and something a little more on-topic - I "fixed" my espresso machine the other night:
Awhile back I upgraded from the built-in grinder in the Breville Barista Pro, to a Eureka Specialita. Later I discovered that the Breville grinder, while not the best for espresso, could still do a nice job with the Aeropress at its coarsest settings. But as my espresso has improved over the past few months, I've been less interested in "regular" Aeropress coffee.
Recently I realized I've been missing my cold-brew recipe, so decided to make a batch. This calls for a pound of coarse-ground coffee. I used to use the big Bunn mill grinder at the grocery store for this, but man those things can get pretty gross, especially with all the weird peppermint-pumpkin spice-hazlenut-chocolate-chip-crap flavored stuff that goes through them.
So I ground a pound of beans through the little Breville grinder. It took some time, since it can only run for 30 seconds at the max timer setting; but it got the job done in about 5 or 6 passes without any complaints. The only trouble was, the grind was way too fine even at max coarse settings. Not the fault of the grinder of course; it's designed for espresso, not Jim's Iced Cowboy Coffee. So even with a shorter steep time, the cold-brew was noticeably over-extracted and somewhat bitter. (Still drank it though, heh.)
For the next batch, I got an idea. I have an spare upper burr for this grinder, left over from earlier experiments. (I thought I'd damaged it, but it's actually OK.) Using coarse sandpaper, I planed off about 1/2 mm or so from the top surface of the plastic adjustment ring, allowing it to thread a bit further up into the carrier ring, thus increasing the gap between the burrs. Wasn't sure how much material to remove here, so I just eyeballed it. After a couple of additional tweaks, I installed it in the grinder and put another pound through. This time it was a nice coarse grind; and after the normal overnight steep, the coffee is smooth and sweeet.
Anyway - I was a bit pissed at myself for having bought this machine, paying extra for the built-in grinder that I ended up not even using. Makes me feel better to be working the whole thing again.
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Awhile back I upgraded from the built-in grinder in the Breville Barista Pro, to a Eureka Specialita. Later I discovered that the Breville grinder, while not the best for espresso, could still do a nice job with the Aeropress at its coarsest settings. But as my espresso has improved over the past few months, I've been less interested in "regular" Aeropress coffee.
Recently I realized I've been missing my cold-brew recipe, so decided to make a batch. This calls for a pound of coarse-ground coffee. I used to use the big Bunn mill grinder at the grocery store for this, but man those things can get pretty gross, especially with all the weird peppermint-pumpkin spice-hazlenut-chocolate-chip-crap flavored stuff that goes through them.
So I ground a pound of beans through the little Breville grinder. It took some time, since it can only run for 30 seconds at the max timer setting; but it got the job done in about 5 or 6 passes without any complaints. The only trouble was, the grind was way too fine even at max coarse settings. Not the fault of the grinder of course; it's designed for espresso, not Jim's Iced Cowboy Coffee. So even with a shorter steep time, the cold-brew was noticeably over-extracted and somewhat bitter. (Still drank it though, heh.)
For the next batch, I got an idea. I have an spare upper burr for this grinder, left over from earlier experiments. (I thought I'd damaged it, but it's actually OK.) Using coarse sandpaper, I planed off about 1/2 mm or so from the top surface of the plastic adjustment ring, allowing it to thread a bit further up into the carrier ring, thus increasing the gap between the burrs. Wasn't sure how much material to remove here, so I just eyeballed it. After a couple of additional tweaks, I installed it in the grinder and put another pound through. This time it was a nice coarse grind; and after the normal overnight steep, the coffee is smooth and sweeet.
Anyway - I was a bit pissed at myself for having bought this machine, paying extra for the built-in grinder that I ended up not even using. Makes me feel better to be working the whole thing again.
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Regarding bicycles and speed....and safety measures.
It's a bicycle, not a motorcycle.
It wasn't designed for running at speeds approaching automobile levels, nor do its brakes stop it like a car/motorcycle, and if a wrong move or mechanical issue arises, propelling yourself at 30+ MPH will surely be dangerous.
Of course, one could dress with the protection for such issues, helmet, boots, etc.
But how many bikers dress appropriately for a typical ride on a bike?
Even though my motorized bike can reach speeds of 30+, I'm not about to play with danger.
I'm not about to test fate and brag about it.
You might actually be surprised how well typical cycling attire does protecting you from road rash in a run of the mill 25-30 mph crash on a road bike. I come home with more skin than one would expect.
But i certainly wouldn’t want a blowout at 70 mph going down Vanderpool hill with that chip-and-seal pavement. Leather wouldn’t even help much then. With a good set of aero wheels those speeds are quite possible - but can be hell in a cross wind, and there is a sharp-ish 90 degree bend half way down. Anyone who rides down near Leakey would know it well - bicycle or motorcycle. Lots of both down there in the fall.
But i certainly wouldn’t want a blowout at 70 mph going down Vanderpool hill with that chip-and-seal pavement. Leather wouldn’t even help much then. With a good set of aero wheels those speeds are quite possible - but can be hell in a cross wind, and there is a sharp-ish 90 degree bend half way down. Anyone who rides down near Leakey would know it well - bicycle or motorcycle. Lots of both down there in the fall.