The Bicycle Thread - November 2022

November 2, 2022 | The Bicycle Thread

[Berlin_Freeper]

Sweet. I like the name Rockrider. Plus it goes to 6’5”.

[Red Badger]

Around here, most SK8ers are stoned.................

[Fai Mao]

Just to put it out there. I hope this is appropriate. If not have the mods delete it.

I have a Soma San Marcos (Not the one with twin top tubes)
52 CM Frame
Tange #1 tubing and beautiful lug work.
Painted a light powder blue.

Campy Centaur triple crank
Campagnolo Veloce Long cage RD
Shimano Deore FD
12-32 10 speed cassette
KMC 10 speed chain
Campagnolo Vento Cyclocross wheels (180 pound weight limit)
Campagnolo Veloce FLAT-BAR shifters
Campagnolo Record THREADED headset
Tectro Brake Calipers
Nitto Tecnomic stem and flat bars
Generic alloy seatpost

28mm tires but the bike will take (I think) up to 32mm wide

Weight about 22-25 pounds depending on saddle, pedals and other accouterments.

When I moved from Guam to Houston the bike shop packed the bike into a box small enough to pass for checked luggage and the crank was removed. I do not have a 14mm Allen-key to reinstall the crank so the crank is not installed.

The Campagnolo Flat bar shifters needed a special front derailleur. I literally searched the world and could find one. Amazingly the Shimano Deore Triple worked great.

The shifters have a little different action than SRAM or Shimano shifters but are not hard to learn.

Soma shipped the bike with a fork that should have been on a smaller frame. Because I was on Guam warranty issues were problematic and I kept the fork. So the front brake is a standard reach and the rear a long reach. This changed the trail a little and makes the bike very fast-handling, almost squirrely, compared to other Grant Petersen designed bikes. It isn’t bad or dangerous, just not the normal laid-way-back Grant Petersen feel.

This thing is a flat-bar rocket.

It has never been crashed.
Very low hours usage
The frame is straight
It needs a new front derailleur cable.
A really nice retro looking bike suitable for fast club rides or light light touring

I really need to sell this bike. If you are a Freeper near Houston and would like it. Send me a private mail. Make me an offer. We’ll talk about it.

[dennisw]

Skateboarders Vaping at my local concrete park built for them..... I assumed it was nicotine. But maybe it was THC I talked with one and he was gonzo

[Red Badger]

Our local skate park is built next to an assisted living facility........................

[moovova]

"Our local skate park is built next to an assisted living facility........................"

I bet the old folks are fanatics in a wheelchair.

[Red Badger]

In 50 years the sk8 park will be where they ‘wander off’ to...............

[DainBramage]

If you are on face book there is a group called PB&J (pedals bikes and junk)
You can sell it on there most likely, lots of mechanics and builders.

[real saxophonist]

I just bought this at Target. Less than half price, there's supposed to be a pumpkin on the back that lights up. The legs pedal and the wheels spin. Kinda cool.

[daniel1212]

Sweet. I like the name Rockrider. Plus it goes to 6’5”

Yes, I actually print out lists of good bike sales for kids around here as I do free (labor) basic bike repair on the city sidewalk, but do not include those with names like "Dread." Meanwhile, here is another good buy of a cheap bike, a Kent Bicycles 26-inch Men's KZR Front Suspension Mountain Bike, Gray-black 64 reviews $119.00

And where else can you get 4 tubes for about 3.50 ea.? Bike Shop Bicycle Inner Tube, Schrader Valve, 26" x 1.75-2.25", Value Pack $12.96

Thanks God.

[wintertime]

This summer I bought a Catrike Trail tricycle. I **love** my trike. I am out on it almost every day.

[wintertime]

Please add me to your ping list.

[Paal Gulli]

I bought a set of "tubeless-ready" road wheels (700c), not because I wanted to try tubeless on the road (still think it's not ready for prime time) but because I had heard good things about the manufacturer. They turned out to be Da Schiz, not necessarily because of the maker but because of the inner width of the rims.

This particular company sells a sort of 'hybrid' "tubeless-ready" rim that also is backwards-compatible to tube-type tires (because it has hooks, which tube tires need but tubeless do not), provided the tires are at least of a minimum width. The ones I bought have an internal width of 20mm, which the manufacturer claims is narrow enough to seat tube-type tires of at least 25mm.

That's what I bought, and they were right. My 25mm Contis fit great. But the best part is what the (internally) wider rim does to tire pressures and performance.

Because the "tubeless-ready" rim positions the beads of the tire further apart, there's a larger cavity for the tube to expand into when inflated. The larger air space means I don't need as much tire pressure to ward off pinch flats. The shape of the air cavity is a little complex so I got lazy and calculated it as just the volume of a cylinder, ignoring the square-ish section where the tire meets the rim. I figure that's close enough for gummint work.

My old rims are 14mm wide, inside-to-inside, and mounted and inflated on them, my 25mm Conti tires measure 24mm wide. The same tires on the new tubeless-ready wheels measure 27mm wide. And a cylinder 27mm in diameter has an internal volume that's 21% larger than a 24mm cylinder. Which means the volume of air I need to prevent snake-bites comes at a lower tire pressure.

I used to run 100 psi rear and 90 psi front. Now I run 80 and 70, so the ride is a little cushier.

Plus, because the tire is wider and the pressure is lower, the contact patch is a little larger. So it feels a little more sure-footed in the bends.

And because the tire is wider, the angle caused by the flat spot at the contact patch is a little less extreme, so it lowers rolling resistance a touch.

And last but not least, because of the wider rim, after changing a flat I can re-mount the tire without the use of a tool, so there's no chance of causing a pinch-flat fighting the tube back on. Which is a BIG plus for me because I only carry one spare tube when I road ride, and no patch kit.

And I hadn't counted on any of these bennies when I bought the new wheels. I just thought they were ... new. I didn't realize they were better, too.

So if you're still riding the road on tubes, when you get ready for new hoops, I highly recommend you look into "tubeless-ready" that also are compatible with tube-type tires. Because dey da BOMB!

[Berlin_Freeper]

Welcome to The Bicycle Thread PING List! 🚴‍♂️👍

[Berlin_Freeper]

I found a place...I showed my wife this picture and said I found a place.
She told me that is the amusement park we used to go to at busy Alexanderplatz. They had to move.
I said now they are in the Middle of Nowhere. Which is good for people in the Middle of Nowhere
The place was depressing (industrial with crisscross of trains and highways) but great for riding a bicycle.
We plan to go there soon.

[Berlin_Freeper]

I might point out that I rode 26.9 miles in 3 hours and 40 minutes. But that time is not very accurate and speed was never really my main thing. Sometimes I actually ride in a slow circle looking at things. But sometimes speed is great. I just think I should make clear my ride is not about speed because for many bicyclists it is.

[Berlin_Freeper]

7 Essential Gravel Riding Skills & Tips

[Berlin_Freeper]

Sometimes I actually use my saddlebags. But mostly I have them on as an air-brake to make it more difficult to peddle. More difficult to peddle means better exercise.

[Berlin_Freeper]

That Harley-Davidson is awesome.
Sunrise was awesome.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Stay Fit & Fast As You Get Older - Lessons From A Master