Re: The bicycle thread

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So...back in July I ordered an e-Bike from Bikes Direct (knees can't handle the hills here). They said it would be shipped between 5 and 25 Sept and they'd email me...so yesterday, hearing nothing from them I wrote, basically "WTF is going on here ?"

Here's what they sent back to me:
Our CEO has contacted our broker and is doing everything he can to get the late containers delivered to our warehouse in TX ASAP. As soon as we can get an actual ETA from them, we will be sure to let all customers know. We apologize for the last minute delay and appreciate your patience.
grrrrr....
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: The bicycle thread

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Bucolic wrote: Sun Sep 27, 2020 6:19 am Well, that sucks.
Yeah, they advertised it as a pre-purchase to be shipped between 5 Sep and 25 Sep, with no info to purchasers that they were having troubles getting the bikes. On Friday, they obviously had NO intention of informing me of the problem until I eMailed them. I had good luck with them when I bought my mountain bike 2 years ago, but with my knees and age I'm hoping an eBike will extend my rides significantly.

I HAD hoped it would come earlier in the window while the weather was still nice, but now it looks like that's not going to happen. I just hope when it does arrive it's not missing anything. Usually, when there's a rush on builds, stuff gets left off.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: The bicycle thread

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The eBike finally arrived today, almost a month after I hoped to get it, and about a week after they said would be the outside window. It was a bit of a bitch to set up. Some stuff was easy--mounting the front brake disk and installing the skewer, mounting the handle bars, seat, and pedals...all routine.
But being an eBike there were two things that were problems:
First, there were two connectors, one from the frame and one from the selector switch on the left handlebars and NONE of the documentation gave a clue where they went. It seemed they should attach somehow to the central display, but where? I saw two plastic pins in the display mount and took a chance and pulled them out. Yup, they were the connection points! But there were 3 (only 2 pins) and no indicator which went where. I had to go to Shimano's web site where, luckily, they had dealer's manuals as well as owner's manuals and I was able to figure it out!

Next the battery would not click into place--it is suppose to lock in so it cannot be easily stolen. Took a while to figure out how to move the cable and electrical lines out of the way. Hope I've got THAT solved!

Then it was pump up the tires and go riding....and that was when I went WOW!!!! You still have to work, still have to pedal, still have to shift gears (it is an 11 speed--all in the rear freewheel--but the 3 levels of assist make a huge difference, and I look forward to riding all over town because at 65, the hills are really hard on me and I have to be really up for it. I'm looking forward to far longer rides--hopefully, starting tomorrow!.
eBike.jpg
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: The bicycle thread

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RotaryMags wrote: Fri Oct 09, 2020 5:43 pmWell...??
Yeah! Today I did about 7 miles most of it hill climbing. We've got an old 1950's Nike control base here that's the highest point in the county and I pedaled up it, not easily, but as easy as hiking up it! (if you read Harlen Coben he writes about it). There were about 15 of them in NJ and our base controlled missiles that were located in the next town on....Nike Drive! It's got 10 speeds, no front derailleur, but 3 levels of assistance (plus none). Essentially, it's no different shifting than any other bike--seeking the right combo for what you face.

I hope to eventually be riding at least 20 miles each time. We have a friend in Austria who takes her eBike on 30, 40, 50 km rides on that country's crazy mountains all the time.

I love this thing!
Last edited by YankeeTarheel on Mon Apr 19, 2021 7:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: The bicycle thread

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Good to hear! I really need to check out some of those old Nike sites.
A buddy has a Bafang e-bike that he regularly takes on 40+ mile hinting trips. Gun rack mounted on it and everything...
"I hope ever to see America among the foremost nations in examples of justice and liberality" - George Washington

Re: The bicycle thread

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RotaryMags wrote: Sun Oct 25, 2020 7:52 pm Good to hear! I really need to check out some of those old Nike sites.
A buddy has a Bafang e-bike that he regularly takes on 40+ mile hinting trips. Gun rack mounted on it and everything...
You can google them. I think there are 15 in NJ. Now I'm trying to figure out biking clothing for the cooler weather. I was out today for a little ride at 50° and my legs got a little cold, as did my hands. I was wearing an ear strap --my ears are easily my most uncomfortable part when riding in the cold.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: The bicycle thread

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My wife is better about riding in the cold than I am and her number one issue is her ears.
She uses Cat-Ears Polartec Fleece Cycling Covers. Like $18 on Amazon.

For my hands I have Korean War-era finger-mittens ;)
"I hope ever to see America among the foremost nations in examples of justice and liberality" - George Washington

Re: The bicycle thread

585
Just ordered wind-proof pants, jacket and gloves. I use an ear strap because wind in my ears is the worst part of cold-weather riding. Freezing hands is second (Trust me on this--I used to commute all winter on a motorcycle, 30+ miles each way--electric gloves and grip heaters made it tolerable.)
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: The bicycle thread

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YankeeTarheel wrote: Mon Oct 26, 2020 10:18 am Just ordered wind-proof pants, jacket and gloves. I use an ear strap because wind in my ears is the worst part of cold-weather riding. Freezing hands is second (Trust me on this--I used to commute all winter on a motorcycle, 30+ miles each way--electric gloves and grip heaters made it tolerable.)
The first pair of wind-proofs were too small. The new ones are better. The jacket is not nearly as windproof as advertised. My think Mountain Hard Gear wind/water-proof is far better, but doesn't come down far enough in the back. Gloves are great. I found an AMAZING alpaca wool cap in San Francisco. I try to do 10 miles, minimum. Today was about 45° so fleece underwear the pants and jacket and I was fine. Did plenty of hill climbs including the old Nike radar station and got in 10 1/2 miles. I'm hoping we have some more nice weather. Cold, rainy, and, of course, snow, means no riding at all.

I LOVE this eBike! I did take a messy fall over a week ago. I was riding the powerline easement in the Jeep tracks and tried to cross a small stream and went down. I didn't get hurt but I did get my feet in ice-cold water above my ankles and was slipping and got mud just about everywhere..including the bike. I sloshed out onto higher ground and, luckily, the electrics were undamaged and road home. When I got in (happily unhurt but with cold, wet feet) my wife commented that I reeked like dead fish! Yeah, I did! Ugh! No shower ever felt so good! Still cleaning mud off the bike. I LOVE that the battery is hidden in the down-tube, not a big lump! I ordered it from BikesDirect.com in July and it was supposed to arrive at the beginning of September. It came at the beginning of October. I've ridden it any chance I get. I can now conquer hills I couldn't before. With my bad knees and cobalt-titanium hips it helps, a lot. I still have to work--it "flattens" the hills, just enough! But I can climb hills that would kill me before, or I'd even have to stop or, worse, walk (which I hate!!!!)

I'm planning on converting the Concord I found on the street last year to an eBike using Swytch conversion kit. The Motobecane is an MTB--hard tail, RockShox front fork. The Concord is a classic 70's early 80's 10 speed. with classic curved-horn handlebars. As I look at lower cost front-wheel hub-drives and matching batteries, the Swytch is simpler and competitive. They say they can build it with a 70's 27" x 1.25 rim. Using a do-it-yourself kit I'll have to buy a new wheel figure out spoke length and buy them too, then build the wheel myself (I don't mind that part).
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: The bicycle thread

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YankeeTarheel wrote: Fri Dec 06, 2019 10:11 pm
ConcordBikeFrame.jpg
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ConcordWheels.jpg

I can't believe they just threw these bikes out! Both need brake pads, but I've yet to assess whether the chains, sprockets, and cables are OK. The Trek's tires look good, but the Concord's look played. I'll also have to true the wheels, I expect. I expect the main investment in these two bicycles will be "sweat equity" but I may want to convert the Concord to 15 or even 18 or 21 speeds.
Remember how I found this?

Well, yesterday, my son and I finished it. He wanted to try a street bike, being that his bike is a nice Cannondale mountain bike we grabbed on an unadvertised amazing bargain at REI. Despite this old Concord being a 10 speed, and the Cannondale having 27 speeds, he LOVED riding the Concord! I thought about making changes but other than replacing damaged wheels, worn out brake pads, and cables, the only change we made were new, lighter pedals.

Along the way I had to clean and repack the bottom bracket and both wheel hubs. Didn't have to rebuild the steering head. Both derailleurs came off and were soaked in cleaning solution. As I told my son, the 3 biggest pains in the butt on repairing bicycles are:
1) Truing wheels (including re-spoking )
2) Aligning and adjusting caliper brakes.
3) Adjusting/Tuning the derailleurs.
We had to do all three...
ConcordDone.jpg
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: The bicycle thread

588
I've been participating on this board for a month, and hadn't looked at this thread.

I used to be a bike shop service manager, so, yeah, I know a little bit about bicycles. I've owned a couple or three or six or...

I'm very much an education guy, too, so I've been a cycling instructor, certified in two different programs. I earned my League (of American Bicyclists) Cycling Instructor number in 2007, taught using their program for a few years, was VP/Education with the local club for a few years until club politics turned me off. By that time, I was seeing good stuff about the CyclingSavvy program, and my wife and I earned CyclingSavvy Instructor status.

So, yeah, since pictures are favored around here...

I'm sort-of known locally for favoring recumbent bikes. I've had the purple one since it was new in 1996. I found the black one in 2010, and it's my wife's favorite bike:
Image
My fastest bike has been my Bacchetta Strada. A friend had a Bacchetta Corsa, and we rode together a fair bit. We were riding the RAIN (Ride Across Indiana) event:
Image
During a local "Bike fashion" ride, I was on my '73 Raleigh Superbe 3-speed, and my wife was on her Globe Live3 Mixte. And, yes, I rode wearing a kilt, without anyone seeing whether I was wearing undergarments:
Image
Eventually I'll figure out this signature thing and decide what I want to put here.

Re: The bicycle thread

589
I've been participating on this board for a month, and hadn't looked at this thread.

I used to be a bike shop service manager, so, yeah, I know a little bit about bicycles. I've owned a couple or three or six or...

I'm very much an education guy, too, so I've been a cycling instructor, certified in two different programs. I earned my League (of American Bicyclists) Cycling Instructor number in 2007, taught using their program for a few years, was VP/Education with the local club for a few years until club politics turned me off. By that time, I was seeing good stuff about the CyclingSavvy program https://cyclingsavvy.org/, and my wife and I earned CyclingSavvy Instructor status.

So, yeah, since pictures are favored around here...

I'm sort-of known locally for favoring recumbent bikes. I've had the purple one since it was new in 1996. I found the black one in 2010, and it's my wife's favorite bike:
Image


My fastest bike has been my Bacchetta Strada, that I built from a frame kit, after having a guy here in town do some custom paint for me. I had to pedal like heck to keep up with my own bike:
Image


During a local "Bike fashion" ride, I was on my '73 Raleigh Superbe 3-speed, and my wife was on her Globe Live3 Mixte. And, yes, I rode wearing a kilt, without anyone seeing whether I was wearing undergarments:
Image


I take a dim view of most bike lanes. They tend to do one thing quite well, and that is to make cyclists using the bike lanes and motorists using the general travel lanes irrelevant to each other until the moment of impact, usually in an intersection made more complicated than necessary by the bike lane:

Image
Eventually I'll figure out this signature thing and decide what I want to put here.

Re: The bicycle thread

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Hasaf wrote: Mon Apr 19, 2021 5:40 pm A picture of my recumbent:
Image
Very cool! But I must admit it looks as difficult to mount and get going as on a unicycle (something I learned to ride at age 15--still have it, down in my basement.)
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: The bicycle thread

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YankeeTarheel wrote: Mon Apr 19, 2021 3:15 pm If you got the black recumbent in 2010, why is the photo dated 2007?
Never rode a recumbent. How heavy are they?
That camera had a bad habit of disconnecting its battery and losing its time/date stamp, and I never got around to blanking that out of that picture.

The purple bike is about thirty pounds without the fenders, rack, and packs.

A lot of people ask about the weight and then ask about hill-climbing. I climb about as well on that bike (it's a Ryan Vanguard, if you want more details on the bike) as I do on a conventional bike.

I climb better on the Strada than I do on the Vanguard, because the geometry and aerodynamics are better-suited for performance.

The Vanguard was the second recumbent bike I owned. It is an easy bike to ride, and the most comfortable bike I've ever ridden.
Eventually I'll figure out this signature thing and decide what I want to put here.

Re: The bicycle thread

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YankeeTarheel wrote: Mon Apr 19, 2021 5:46 pm

Very cool! But I must admit it looks as difficult to mount and get going as on a unicycle (something I learned to ride at age 15--still have it, down in my basement.)
It really is easier than a unicycle (I've tried one...). The key to it is starting as we teach in CyclingSavvy and the League workshops--put your power foot at just a bit beyond the peak of the power stroke, then push hard in a fairly low gear to get to your minimum comfortable speed as quickly as you can. At first, your minimum comfortable speed might be five miles an hour. With familiarity, that can come down to two miles an hour.

I've taught many people to ride recumbent bikes, and the easiest bike was the old bikeE CT from about twenty years ago, but the Bacchetta bikes are not hard to get used to quickly. Several "roadies" have transitioned to the "high-racer" type bikes easily.
Eventually I'll figure out this signature thing and decide what I want to put here.

Re: The bicycle thread

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I was primary a triathlete from 2014 - 2019 - lots and lots of miles. But I had 2 concussions in 2019 and got a little spooked about road biking. If I ride now I stay on the local trails - or ride very early.

My tri bike is a purpose built Quintana Roo, Kilo actually not that expensive as I bought it in 2014 and slowly upgraded all the components to SRAM Rival. I Haven’t rode it since 2019. The pic was from 2017 when I was at my peak - I ended up winning a sprint distance Tri (750m swim/20K bike/5K run) that year. Now, I just run on weekday mornings for general fitness. I will ride some local trails when it is warm enough to ride at 6:30 am around here ...
Image
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This Fuji Transonic is my road bike - the bike I ride through out the year with an Ultegra group set. It is what I ride 70% of the time when I am not training for a triathlon - now 100% of the time since I am in “retirement” from triathlon. COVID was a great excuse to quit.

I also have a nice, 1970s steel Motobecane French Road bike ... I don’t ride it too often Becuase it’s a 58cm & I ride a 61cm. I bought it in Tucson on a work trip when I didn’t know that much about bikes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Re: The bicycle thread

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BearPaws wrote: Mon Apr 19, 2021 6:02 pm
YankeeTarheel wrote: Mon Apr 19, 2021 5:46 pm

Very cool! But I must admit it looks as difficult to mount and get going as on a unicycle (something I learned to ride at age 15--still have it, down in my basement.)
It really is easier than a unicycle (I've tried one...). The key to it is starting as we teach in CyclingSavvy and the League workshops--put your power foot at just a bit beyond the peak of the power stroke, then push hard in a fairly low gear to get to your minimum comfortable speed as quickly as you can. At first, your minimum comfortable speed might be five miles an hour. With familiarity, that can come down to two miles an hour.

I've taught many people to ride recumbent bikes, and the easiest bike was the old bikeE CT from about twenty years ago, but the Bacchetta bikes are not hard to get used to quickly. Several "roadies" have transitioned to the "high-racer" type bikes easily.
Funny about the camera! :lol:

30# is just about what an early 1970's 10 speed weighed. Hill climbing on a standard bike you can stand and use your body weight. Does the position give you equivalent leverage? What about e-Bike versions?

Mounting a unicycle without something to hang on to is definitely very tough. But, like riding a bicycle, you never forget.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

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