AOH :: BIKES-4.FAQ
Bicycles FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) 4/5
|
Archive-name: bicycles-faq/part4
[Note: The complete FAQ is available via anonymous ftp from
draco.acs.uci.edu (128.200.34.12), in pub/rec.bicycles.]
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STI/Ergo Summary (Ron Larson lars@craycos.com)
This is the second posting of the summary of STI/Ergo experience. The
summary was modified to include more on STI durability and also the
range of shifting avaliable from each system. As before, I am open to
any comments or inputs.
lars
THE CASE FOR COMBINED SHIFTERS AND BRAKES.
Shifters that are easily accessible from either the brakehoods or the
"drop" position are an advantage when sprinting or climbing because the
rider is not forced to commit to a single gear or loose power / cadence
by sitting down to reach the downtube shifters. They also make it much
easier to respond to an unexpected attack.
At first the tendency is to shift more than is necessary. This tendency
levels out with experience. There is also an early tendency to do most
shifting from the bakehoods and the actuators seem to be difficult to
reach from the drop position. This discomfort goes away after a few
hundred miles of use (hey, how many times have I reached for the
downtube on my MTB or thumbshifters on my road bike???). All
experienced riders expressed pleasure with the ability to shift while
the hands were in any position, at a moments notice.
The disadvantages are extra weight, added weight on the handlebars
(feels strange at first) and expense. Lack of a friction mode was
listed as a disadvantage by a rider who had tried out STI on someone
elses bike but does not have Ergo or STI. It was not noted as a problem
by riders with extended Ergo / STI experience. A comparison of the
weight of Record/Ergo components and the weight of the Record
components they would replace reveals that the total weight difference
is in the 2 to 4 ounce range (quite a spread - I came up with 2 oz from
various catalogs, Colorado Cyclist operator quoted 4 oz of the top of
his head). The weight difference for STI seems to be in the same
range. The change probably seems to be more because weight is shifted
from the downtube to the handlebars.
There was some concern from riders who had not used either system
regarding the placement of the actuating buttons and levers for Ergo
and STI and their affect on hand positions. Riders with experience have
not had a problem with the placement of the actuators although one
rider stated that the STI brakehoods are more comfortable.
ADVANTAGES OF EACH SYSTEM.
The Sachs/Ergo system was mentioned as a separate system. In fact
(according to publications) it is manufactured By Campagnolo for Sachs
and is identical to the Campagnolo system with the exception of spacing
of the cogs on the freewheel/cassette. With the Ergo system, all
cables can be routed under the handlebar tape while the STI system does
not route the derailleur cables under the tape. Those that voiced a
preference liked the clean look of the Ergo system.
Both Ergo and STI seem to be fairly durable when crashed. Experience
of riders who have crashed with either system is that the housings may
be scratch and ground down but the system still works. The internal
mechanismsof both systems are well protected in a crash.
Both Ergo and STI allow a downshift of about 3 cogs at a time. This
capability is very handy for shifting to lower gears in a corner to be
ready to attack as you come out of the corner or when caught by
surprise at a stop light. Ergo also allows a full upshift from the
largest to the smallest cog in a single motion while STI requires an
upshift of one cog at a time.
Riders voiced their satisfaction with both systems. While some would
push one system over the other, these opinions were equally split.
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Roller Head Bearings (Jobst Brandt jobst_brandt@hplabs.hp.com)
Roller head bearings provide an advantage that is not directly
connected with rollers. Their main advantage is that they have two
bearings in one and this is important because there are two functions
this bearing must accomplish. The problem of the head bearing is not
obvious to most users or to the manufacturers or they would do
something about the miserable state of affairs.
The head bearing serves as a hinge about which the front wheel
assembly rotates, but it also absorbs another motion and this is the
problem. As the bicycle rolls over roughness, the fork absorbs shock
partly by flex in the steer tube, and this flexing makes the fork
crown rotate fore and aft. The motion can be seen by sighting over
the handle bars to the front hub while riding and is more pronounced
for the taller heavier riders who also experience most of the head
bearing failures.
The angles through which the fork crown swivels are extremely small in
contrast to the motion at the hub because the distance between the hub
and the fork crown is large. This motion is not in itself damaging to
the bearing because it is only a small misalignment that such bearings
absorb easily. The damage is caused by the lack of substantial
steering rotation while the bearing is fretting in place. Fretting
breaks down the lubricant film on which the balls normally roll and
without which they will weld to the races and tear out tiny particles.
Fretting that causes lubrication failure occurs most often during fast
straight-ahead road riding where few steering motions occur to
replenish lubricant. Typically, coasting down long fast descents
rather than rough, jarring trail riding causes dimples in the head
bearings. The removal of small particles from the races give the
milky texture to the dimples that are often attributed to brinelling.
They are not embossed into the races but are eroded by fretting and
welding. Once initiated the dimples grow because the balls prefer to
return to the depressions. As the process progresses the bearing
becomes loose and if adjusted, is tight when not steering straight
ahead, thereby giving the indexed response.
A solution is to separate steering from suspension motion. This can
be done by using a rolling bearing for low friction steering and a
large plain bearing for the fore and aft tilt of the fork crown. This
is where the needle bearing comes into play. Conical steel cups that
approximate a spherical bearing ride in a plain aluminum body to
support the fork crown tilt. The pressure of a large area plain
bearing is low enough for good lubrication even with fretting while
steel rollers that approximate a tapered roller bearing give low
friction steering. The rollers run on the backs of the steel cups
that are the plain bearing. The curvature of a true spherical cup
would be so small as to be invisible, as would the precise taper of a
needle for such a design. The approximations are appropriate.
The entire bearing is relatively inexpensive, having no precision
races, special hard alloys, or complicated formed steel cages. Needle
bearings are as inexpensive as balls and a plastic cage holds them in
true radial alignment. The steel cups are actually bellville shaped
hardened washers and the housings are turned aluminum parts. It would
be wasteful to combine a ball assembly with the spherical alignment
cups because these cups lend themselves to supporting rollers without
modification. Balls, in contrast, need curved races. I expect other
major manufacturers to take up this design soon.
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Tubular Tire Repair (Jobst Brandt jobst_brandt@hplabs.hp.com)
If you want to repair tubular tires you will, above all, need liquid
latex emulsion. It can be gotten from carpet laying people but they
only have it in bulk. You must take a container and beg for a
serving. If you are repairing them you probably ride tubulars, and
therefore, will have dead ones lying around. The best tubulars
generally furnish the best repair material.
For boot material, pull the tread off a silk sprint tire, unstitch it
by the pull-string method if it's a single thread lockstitch, or use a
dull awl to pull out one of the threads, a stitch at a time. This
goes pretty fast if you practice. The second thread pulls out like
zip thereafter. Single thread stitch unzips in the direction that the
angled pointed stitch loops indicate. Now you have a long ribbon of
A1 boot material. Cut off a two inch long piece and trim it to a
width that just fits inside the tire casing to be booted from inside
edge (of the folded part) to the other edge.
The boot must be trimmed to a fine feathered edge so that the tube is
not exposed to a step at the boot's edge,otherwise this will cause pin
holes in a thin latex tube. Apply latex to the cleaner side of the
boot and the area inside the tire. Insert the boot and press it in
place, preferably in the natural curve of the tire. This makes the
the boot the principal structural support when the tire is again
inflated. If the casing is flat when the boot is glued, it will
stretch the casing more than the boot upon inflation.
After the boot dries, and this goes rapidly, sew the tire up using a
strong thread (your choice) using the single thread hand stitch. The
old stitch holes must be lined up exactly. Start by putting a slip
knot through the first pair of holes jump ahead two hole pairs (skip
one) stitch through, go back one, jump two, go back one, etc. Lose
the end of the thread by doubling back under the last stitches and
loping a couple of them. Apply latex to the tire and base tape, put
the tape back in place and inflate the tire moderately on a rim.
Never cut the base tape because it cannot be butt joined. Always pull
it to one side or separate it where it is overlapped. Don't cut the
tire seam, pull out the stitches. This clears the stitch holes and
prevents nicks in the casing. When working on the stem, only unstitch
on one side of the stem, preferably the side where machine finished.
To replace a tube open the tire at the stem (one side of) cut the old
tube, attach a strong cord and pull it in as you pull out the tube.
Reverse the order to install the new tube that you got from a dead
tire. Use latex to glue down loose threads on a sidewall cut.
To patch a latex tube make patches from an old latex tube that are
fully rounded and just large enough to cover the hole + 1/4 inch. Use
Pastali rim glue wiped onto the patch as thin as you can wipe with
your finger. Place patch on the tube immediately and press flat.
Join a newly installed tube by overlapping the joint about 1/2 inch.
Use a toothpick or similar object to wipe Pastali into the joint. Do
not try to pre-glue the joint. The glue will only curl the latex tube
into a mercilessly sticky mess.
Now that you know everything there is to know about this, get some
practice. It works, I did it for years.
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Cassette or Freewheel Hubs (Jobst Brandt jobst_brandt@hplabs.hp.com)
All cassette hubs are not nearly alike. That is apparent from the
outside by their appearance and by the sprockets that fit on them.
More important to their longevity is how their insides are designed.
Among the mainline brands, some are a response not only to the choice
and interchangeability of sprockets but to the problem of broken rear
axles and right rear dropouts. These failures are caused by bending
loads at the middle of the rear axle that arise from bearing support
that is not at the ends of the axle. The following diagrams attempt
to categorize the freewheel and hub combination, and two cassette
designs with respect to these loads.
|
H H | |
H H Io-- |
/-------------------\ -o\
O O------
===X==================wX========= Axle has weak spot at "w"
O O------ (Freewheel & hub)
\-------------------/ -o/
H H Io-- |
H H | |
|
|
H H | |
H H | | |
/------------------\ /----\
O O O----O
===X==================XwX====X=== Axle has weak spot at "w"
O O O----O (Hugi and Campagnolo)
\------------------/ \----/
H H | | |
H H | |
|
|
H H | |
H H | | |
/------------------\/o---o\
O \-----O
===X=========================X=== Axle is loaded only at ends
O /-----O (Shimano and SunTour)
\------------------/\o---o/
H H | | |
H H | |
|
For clarity only three sprocket gear clusters are shown.
Strong cyclists put the greatest load on the axle by the pull of the
chain because there is a 2:1 or greater lever ratio from pedal to
chainwheel. The freewheel in the first diagram has the greatest
overhung load when in the rightmost sprocket. The second design has
the greatest bending moment on the axle when in the leftmost sprocket
and the third design is independent (in the first order) of chain
position. This third design carries its loads on bearings at the ends
of the axle for minimum axle stress while the other two put a large
bending moment on the middle of the axle.
Common freewheel hubs have not only the highest bending stress but the
smallest axle at 10mm diameter with threads that help initiate
cracking. The second design type generally uses a larger diameter
axle to avoid failure. However, these axles still have significant
flex that can adversely affect the dropout.
There are other important considerations in selecting a hub.
Among these are:
1. Durability of the escapement and its angular backlash (t/rev).
2. Flange spacing, offset, and diameter.
3. Type of bearings (cone / cartridge) and environmental immunity.
4. Ease of sprocket replacement and cost.
Currently the best solution for sprocket retention is a splined body
that allows individual sprockets to be slipped on and be secured by an
independent retainer. Screwing sprockets onto the body is
indefensible, considering the difficulty of removal. The same goes
for freewheels. No longer needing to unscrew tight freewheels is
another advantage for cassette hubs.
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"Sealed" Bearings (Jobst Brandt jobst_brandt@hplabs.hp.com)
> Has anyone had any major problems with the Shimono XT "sealed" Bottom
> bracket besides me?
This subject comes up often and has been beat around a bit. There is a
basic misconception about seals. The seals commonly sold in the bicycle
business are not capable of sealing out water because they were never
designed for that purpose. These seals are designed to prevent air from
being drawn through the bearing when used in, typically, electric motors
where the motor rotation pumps air that would centrifugally be drawn
through the bearing. If this were permitted, the lubricant would act as
fly paper and capture all the dust that passes, rendering the lubricant
uselessly contaminated.
Seal practice requires a seal to leak if it is to work. The seepage
lubricates the interface between shaft and seal and without this small
amount of weeping, the seal lip would burn and develop a gap. In the
presence of water on the outside, the weeping oil emulsifies and
circulates back under the lip to introduce moisture into the bearing.
This is usually not fatal because it is only a small amount, but the
displaced grease on the lip dries out and leaves the lip unlubricated.
The next time water contacts the interface, it wicks into the gap by
capillary action and begins to fill the bearing. This is an expected
result for seal manufacturers who live by the rule that no two fluids
can be effectively separated by a single seal lip. Two oils, for
instance, must have separate seals with a ventilated air gap between
them. If a seal is to work with only one lip the contained fluid must
be at a higher pressure so that the flow is biased to prevent
circulation.
None of the effective methods are used in the so called 'sealed'
bearings that Phil Wood introduced into bicycling years ago. His
components failed at least as often as non sealed units and probably
more often because they make field repair difficult. These are not
liquid seals but merely air dams.
jobst_brandt@hplabs.hp.com
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Installing Cranks (Jobst Brandt jobst_brandt@hplabs.hp.com)
> My cranks get loose, quite quickly too; over about 10 miles or so
> from being solid to flopping about in the breeze. Any suggestions?
Your cranks are ruined! Once ridden in the "floppy" mode, the square
taper in the crank can no longer be secured on the spindle. Get some
new cranks and properly tighten them after lubricating the tapers.
Proper tightness can be guaranteed only by torque wrench or a skilled
mechanic. The second of these is less expensive and you might be able
to get a demonstration of what is tight enough.
The admonition to not lubricate the tapers of the crank spindle seems
to find life only in bicycle cranks among all the machines I have ever
seen. I have never heard a mechanical or metallurgical explanation
for this "dry assembly" instruction. If it is metal to metal galling
to which the adherents of this method aspire, they should prescribe a
suitable degreaser to assure that it will occur. Manual contact
(finger prints) alone, generally imparts enough grease to constitute
lubrication while specifically applying a lubricant guarantees that a
known kind and quantity of, rather than accidental grease is present.
Regardless, whether grease or no grease is used, in use, the spindle
and crank will make metal to metal contact and cause fretting
corrosion for all but the lightest riders. The purpose of the
lubricant is to give a predictable press fit for a known torque. If
the spindle is completely dry this cannot be said and for other
conditions, some galling may occur on installation. Lubrication is
only used to guarantee a proper press without galling because it is
displaced in use. That taper faces show erosion and rouge after
substantial use proves that the lubricant was displaced.
Only the press fit, not friction, transmits loads from crank to
spindle. As any bicycle mechanic can tell you, crank bolts are often
'nearly loose' after use and the left one more so than the right.
This occurs because the left end of the spindle experiences torque and
bending simultaneously while the right end gets them one at a time.
The right pedal does not put any significant torque into the spindle.
Either way, the looseness occurs because loads make the crank squirm
on the spindle and the only direction it can move is up the taper.
The retaining bolt blocks the other direction.
"Dust caps" aren't just dust caps but retention for loose bolts. It
is not that the bolt unscrews but that the crank moves up the taper.
However, once the screw is unloaded it can subsequently unscrew and
fall out if there is no cap.
The NO GREASE admonition is an old wive's tale that must have
propagated up from some bike shop. It makes no sense whatsoever. I
have yet to see a logical explanation other than so and so said so. I
believe that some bike shops are concerned that they might strip out
retaining bolts as was the problem with low quality Campagnolo cranks.
In that effort they advised to re-tighten the screws after every ride
for a week. This spells disaster because for strong and heavy riders
this can split the crank right down the middle.
Because cranks squirm farther up the taper when stressed highly, the
unwitting mechanic believes the screw got loose, rather than that the
crank got on tighter. By pursuing the crank with its every move up
the spindle, an extremely high press fit results. I have seen cranks
that were split by this procedure. This may be is where the NO GREASE
fable was born.
Jobst Brandt <jbrandt@hplabs.hp.com>
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Stress Relieving Spokes (Jobst Brandt jobst_brandt@hplabs.hp.com)
> I wonder if "stress-relieving" is entirely correct? I see it as a
> yielding/hardening process, in which the yield load is increased by
> embedding the spoke elbow in the hub, bending the elbow to a different
> angle, etc. When unloaded from a high load, this area of the spoke
> should be more or less elastic.
> So I think the term should be "overloading" or "hardening" -- any
> thoughts??
Yes. I am certain that the concept of stress relieving is obscure to many
if not most people because after seeming to understand it, comments like
this one surface.
A spoke is cold formed from wire that is (at least DT) as hard and
work hardened as it will get. The process after tensioning a wheel
does not further harden the spokes. The wire is straightened by
running it through staggered rollers in X and Y directions. The
rollers have, like a degausser, ever diminishing excursions. This
gets rid of the natural curl left from being shipped in a coil. If
the wire was not curled before winding it would be a dangerous weapon
on the spool because if the end got loose, all hell would break loose,
making a huge birds nest.
Anyway, the straightening process leaves the spoke with internal
stresses that are well balanced and relatively low. I haven't given
this a lot of thought but it seems that if there were a large number
of rollers, the stress might approach zero. After this process, the
spoke gets its head forged on is cut to length, threaded and, and
lastly its head is crudely but accurately knocked to one side to
produce the elbow.
The threads, head, and elbow, contain metal that went beyond yield as
well as metal that did not. The metal in these zones is stressed one
part against another, one wanting to return to the condition before or
during forming, and the other to the formed shape. On lacing the
spokes into a wheel, the elbow is additionally bent (brought to yield)
and upon tensioning this stress remains at or reaches the yield point
it if it wasn't already there. The threads, that have locked in
stresses (all stresses are ultimately tension and compression) is
selectively stressed at the contact points with the nipple thread and
in tension in the core that already was in tension because thread
rolling stretches this portion of the spoke slightly.
The result is that a freshly built wheel has spokes locations where
stress is guaranteed to be at the yield point. If used this way, the
cyclic load with each wheel revolution will cause spokes to fail in
fatigue at these high stress points. The load on the wheel only
unloads spokes but because the spoke is operating up to the yield
point, it cannot withstand many stress cycles. The greater the load
(unloading) the sooner it will fail because when operating close to
the yield stress a metal cannot survive. Only the lightest riders who
ride smooth roads might not experience failures.
The purpose of stress relieving is to relax these high stress points
in the spokes. The purpose is not to bed the spokes into the hub.
Bedding in has usually already occurred sufficiently for practical
purposes during tensioning. By stretching each spoke with a strong
grasp, its tension can be temporarily increased by 50 to 100%.
Because a spoke operates at about 1/3 its yield stress, this operation
has little to no effect on the spoke as a whole. Stress relieving
affects only the microscopic zones of the spoke that are at high
stress (near or at the yield stress). By stretching these zones and
relaxing the load afterward, the margin to yield is as much as the
overload or more.
A whimpy grasp of the spokes during stress relieving is close to
worthless and dropping the wheel, bending it in a partially opened
drawer, pressing on the rim with the hub on the floor and the like is
as close to useless as you can get. The only method that I have seen,
but do not recommend, is walking on the wheel while wearing tennis
shoes and carefully stepping on each pair of crossed spokes. The problem
with this is that it bends the rim and it is difficult to be sure each
spoke gets a good stretch.
IT IS STRESS RELIEVING! At least that's what I am referring to by the
term.
Jobst Brandt <jbrandt@hplabs.hp.com>
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Misc
===========================================================================
Books and Magazines
Magazines/Newsletters
---------
Bicycling Magazine, and Bicycling Magazine+Mountain Bike insert
33 E Minor St
Emmaus, PA 18098
(215) 967-5171
Bicycle Guide
711 Boylston Street
Boston MA 02116
617-236-1885
Mountain Biking
7950 Deering Avenue
Canoga Park CA 91304
818-887-0550
Mountain Bike Action
Hi-Torque Publications, Inc.
10600 Sepulveda Boulevard
Mission Hills, CA 91345
818-365-6831
Velo News
P.O. Box 53397
Boulder, CO 80323-3397
Cycling Science
P.O. Box 1510
Mount Shasta, California 96067
(916) 938-4411
Human Power (The Journal of the IHPVA*)
(* IHPVA == International Human Powered Vehicle Association)
IHPVA
PO 51255
Indianapolis, IN 46251-0255
(317) 876-9478
OnTour: The Newsletter for Bicycle Tourists
OnTour Publications
2113 Arborview
Ann Arbor, MI 48103.
Sample issues are only $1, a six-issue subscription only $6
R.B.C.A./The Recumbent Cyclist
17650-B6-140th Ave. SE, Suite 341
Renton, WA 98058 USA
The Recumbent Bicycle Club of America
427 Amherst St Suite 305
Nashua NH 03063 USA
Tandem Club of America
Malcolm Boyd & Judy Allison
19 Lakeside Drive NW
Medford Lakes, NJ 08550
Dues are currently $10/year
Dirt Rag
5742 Third St.
Verona, PA
(412) 795 - 7495
FAX (412) 795 - 7439
CROSSWORDS -- The Hybrid/Cross Bike Enthusiast's Newsletter
CROSSWORDS
P.O. Box 3207
Walnut Creek, CA 94598
Published Quarterly; Single Issue: $2.50, Two Issues: $4.00
(Make checks payable to 'Mark Chandler')
Mail 'chandler@wc.novell.com' or 'Crosswords' (AOL) for more info
Books
-----
Bicycling Magazine's Complete Guide to Bicycle Maintenance and Repair
Rodale Press
ISBN 0-87857-895-1
Effective Cycling by John Forester
MIT Press
ISBN 0-262-56026-7
The Bicycle Wheel by Jobst Brandt
Avocet
ISBN 0-9607236-2-5
Bicycle Maintenance Manual by Eugene A. Sloan
(a Fireside book, pub. Simon & Schuster, Inc.)
ISBN 0-671-42806-3
Anybody's Bike Book by Tom Cuthbertson
Bicycles and Tricycles - A Treatise on their Design.
By Archibald Sharp
MIT Press
(reportedly written around 1899 or so, with lots of interesting
information)
Bicycle Road Racing by Edward Borysewicz
The Woman Cycist by Elaine Mariolle
Contemporary Books
Touring on Two Wheels by Dennis Coello
Lyons and Berrfard, New York
The Bicyclist's Sourcebook by Michael Leccese and Arlene Plevin
Subtitled: "The Ultimate Directory of Cycling Information"
Woodbine House, Inc. $16.95
ISBN 0-933149-41-7
Colorado Cycling Guide by Jean and Hartley Alley
Pruett Publishing Company
Boulder, Colorado
The Canadian Rockies Bicycling Guide by Gail Helgason and John Dodd
Lone Pine Publishing,Edmonton, Alberta
A Women's Guide to Cycling by Susan Weaver
Favorite Pedal Tours of Northern California by Naomi Bloom
Fine Edge Productions, Route 2, Box 303, Bishop, CA 93514
Mountain Biking Near Boston: A Guide to the Best 25 Places to Ride
by Stuart A. Johnstone, Active Publications (1991), ISBN 0-9627990-4-1
Mountain Bike: a manual of beginning to advanced technique
by William Nealy, Menasha Ridge Press, 1992, ISBN 0-89732-114-6
Greater Washington (DC) Area Bicycle Atlas
American Youth Travel Shops, 1108 K St, NW Wash, DC 20005 (202)783-4943
$12.95
Bicycle Parking by Ellen Fletcher
Ellen Fletcher, 777-108 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303-4826
Cost: $5.95, plus 43 cents tax, plus $3 postage/handling
Richards' Ultimate Bicycle Book
Richard Ballantine, Richard Grant (Dorling Kindersley, London, 1992)
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Mail Order Addresses
Here's the addresses/phone numbers of some popular cycling mail order
outfits (you can get directory assistance for 800 numbers at
1-800-555-1212 if you don't see the mail order outfit you're looking for
here):
Bicycle Posters and Prints
P.O. Box 7164
Hicksville, NY 11802-7164
Sells bicycle posters and other stuff.
Branford Bike
orders: 1-800-272-6367
info: 203-488-0482
fax: 203-483-0703
Colorado Cyclist
orders: 1-800-688-8600
info: 719 591-4040
fax: 719 591-4041
3970 Bijou Street
Colorado Springs, CO 80909-9946
Cyclo-Pedia
(800) 678-1021
P.O. Box 884
Adrian MI 49221
Catalog $1 as of 4/91.
Excel Sports International
orders: 1-800-627-6664
info: 303-444-6737
fax: 303-444-7043
3275 Prairie Ave. #1
Boulder, CO 80301
Loose Screws
(503) 488-4800
(503) 488-0080 FAX
12225 HWY 66
Ashland OR 97520
Nashbar
orders: 1-800-627-4227 (1-800-NASHBAR)
216-782-2244 Local and APO/FPO orders
info: 216-788-6464 Tech. Support
fax: 800-456-1223
4111 Simon Road
Youngstown, OH 44512-1343
Performance Bike Shop
orders: 1-800-727-2453 (1-800-PBS-BIKE)
919-933-9113 Foreign orders
info: 800-727-2433 Customer Support
fax:
One Performance Way
P.O. Box 2741
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Schwab Cycles
orders: 1-800-343-5347
info: 303-238-0243
fax: 303-233-5273
1565 Pierce St.
Lakewood, CO 80214
Triathlete Zombies
(800-999-2215)
The Womyn's Wheel, Inc.
(Specializes in clothing and equipment for women)
800-795-7433
508-240-2437
P.O. Box 2820
Orleans MA 02653
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Road Gradient Units (Jeff Berton jeff344@voodoo.lerc.nasa.gov)
The grade of an incline is its vertical rise, in feet, per every 100 horizontal
feet traversed. (I say "feet" for clarity; one could use any consistent
length measure.) Or, if you will accept my picture below,
*
d |
a |
o | y
R Theta |
*___)______________|
x
then
Grade = y/x (Multiply by 100 to express as a percentage.)
and
Theta = arctan(y/x)
So a grade of 100% is a 45 degree angle. A cliff has an infinite grade.
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Helmets
The wearing of helmets is another highly emotional issue that has been
debated many times on rec.bicycles. On one side, you have the cyclists
who feel that they can do without - the helmet is too hot, uncomfortable,
or they feel they just don't need it. On the other side, you have
the cyclists who wouldn't be caught riding without a helmet - they like
their head (and brains) they way they are.
Statistics show that three-fourths of the more than 1000 bicycling
deaths each year are caused by head injuries. Of those killed, half
are school age children. According to one study, a helmet can reduce
the risk of head injury by 85%.
Consumer Reports did a review of bicycle helmets in the May 1990 issue.
While their report is not what one would see in a cycling magazine,
it does contain some useful and valuable information. Their tests
showed that no-shell helmets work just as well as hard-shell helmets,
and in fact, the top 9 helmets in their ratings are no-shell models.
There is some controversy about whether no-shell helmets "grab" the
pavement instead of sliding on impact. If the helmet grabbed, it
might lead to more serious neck or spinal injury. This topic has
been hotly debated in rec.bicycles, and some studies are in progress
to see if this is true.
There are two standards systems for helmets - ANSI (American National
Standards Institute) and Snell (the Snell Memorial Foundation). The
Snell tests are more demanding than ANSI, and a Snell-certified helmet
will have a green Snell sticker inside. Some helmets claim they
pass Snell, but unless there's a sticker in the helmet, you can't
be sure. Snell also tests samples of certified helmets to make sure
they still meet the standards.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Terminology (David Keppel pardo@cs.washington.edu)
(Charles Tryon bilbo@bisco.kodak.com)
Ashtabula Crank
A one-piece crank -- the crank arm starts on one side of the
bike, bends to go through the bottom bracket, and bends
again on the other side to go down to the other pedal.
Typically heavy, cheap, and robust. See ``cottered crank''
and ``cotterless crank''. Ashtabula is the name of the
original manufacturer, I think.
Biopace Chainring
Chainrings that are more oval rather than round. The idea was
to redistribute the forces of pedaling to different points as your
feet go around, due to the fact that there are "dead spots" in the
stroke. The concensus is pretty much that they work ok for
novices, but get in the way for more experienced riders.
Cassette Freewheel
A cassette freewheel is used with a freehub. The part of
a normal freewheel that contains the pawls that transfer
chain motion to the wheel (or allows the wheel to spin
while the chain doesn't move) is part of the wheel hub.
The cassette is the cogs, usually held together with small
screws.
Cleat
A cleat attaches to the bottom of a cycling shoe. Older style
cleats have a slot that fits over the back of the pedal,
and in conjunction with toe clips and straps, hold your foot
on the pedal. New "clipless" pedals have a specially designed
cleat that locks into the pedal, sometimes with some ability
to move side-to-side so as not to stress knees.
Cottered Crank
A three-piece crank with two arms and an axle. The arms
each have a hole that fits over the end of the axle and a
second hole that runs tangential to the first. The crank
axle has a tangential notch at each end. A *cotter* is a
tapered and rounded bar of metal that is inserted in the
tangential hole in the crank arm and presses against the
tangential notch in the crank axle. The cotter is held in
place by a nut screwed on at the thin end of the cotter.
Ideally, the cotter is removed with a special tool. Often,
however, it is removed by banging on it with a hammer. If
you do the latter (gads!) be sure (a) to unscrew the nut
until the end of the cotter is nearly flush, but leave it on
so that it will straighten the threads when you unscrew it
farther and (b) brace the other side of the crank with
something very solid (the weight of the bike should be
resting on that `something') so that the force of the
banging is not transmitted through the bottom bracket
bearings.
Cotterless Crank
A three-piece crank with two arms and an axle. Currently
(1991) the most common kind of crank. The crank axle has
tapered square ends, the crank arms have mating tapered
square ends. The crank arm is pressed on and the taper
ensures a snug fit. The crank arm is drawn on and held in
place with either nuts (low cost, ``nutted'' cotterless
cranks) or with bolts. A special tool is required to remove
a cotterless crank.
Crank Axle
The axle about which the crank arms and pedals revolve. May
be integrated with the cranks (Ashtabula) or a separate
piece (cottered and cotterless).
Fender
Also called a ``mudguard''. Looked down upon by tweak
cyclists, but used widely in the Pacific Northwest and many
non-US parts of the world. Helps keep the rider cleaner and
drier. Compare to ``rooster tail''.
Frame Table
A big strong table that Will Not Flex and which has anchors
at critical places -- dropouts, bottom bracket, seat, head.
It also has places to attach accurate measuring instruments
like dial gauges, scratch needles, etc. The frame is clamped
to the table and out-of-line parts are yielded into alignment.
High-Wheeler
A bicycle with one large wheel and one small wheel. The
commonest are large front/small rear. A small number are
small front/large rear. See ``ordinary'' or
``penny-farthing'' and contrast to ``safety''.
Hyperglide Freewheel
Freewheel cogs with small "ramps" cut into the sides of the cogs
which tend to pull the chain more quickly to the next larger cog
when shifting.
Ordinary
See ``penny-farthing''.
Penny-Farthing
An old-fashioned ``high wheeler'' bicycle with a large
(60", 150cm) front wheel and a much smaller rear wheel, the
rider sits astride the front wheel and the pedals are
connected directly to the front wheel like on many
children's tricycles. Also called ``ordinary'', and
distinguished from either a small front/large rear high
wheeler or a ``safety'' bicycle.
Rooster Tail
A spray of water flung off the back wheel as the bicycle
rolls through water. Particularly pronounced on bikes
without fenders. See also ``fender''.
Safety
Named after the ``Rover Safety'' bicycle, the contemporary
layout of equal-sized wheels with rear chain drive. Compare
to ``ordinary''.
Spindle
See ``crank axle''.
Three-Piece Crank
A cottered or cotterless crank; compare to Ashtabula.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avoiding Dogs (Arnie Berger arnie@hp-lsd.COL.HP.COM)
There are varying degrees of defense against dogs.
1- Shout "NO!" as loud and authoritatively as you can. That works more
than half the time against most dogs that consider chasing you just
good sport.
2- Get away from their territory as fast as you can.
3- A water bottle squirt sometimes startles them.
4- If you're willing to sacifice your pump, whump'em on the head when they
come in range.
If they're waiting for you in the road and all you can see are teeth
then you in a heap o' trouble. In those situations, I've turned around,
slowly, not staring at the dog, and rode away. When I have been in a stand
off situation, I keep the bike between me and the dog.
"Halt" works pretty well, and I've used it at times. It's range is about 8
feet.
I bought a "DAZER", from Heathkit. Its a small ultrasonic sound generator
that you point at the dog. My wife and I were tandeming on a back road and
used it on a mildly aggressive German Shephard. It seemed to cause the
dog to back off.
By far, without a doubt, hands down winner, is a squirt bottle full of
reagent grade ammonia, fresh out of the jug. The kind that fumes when
you remove the cap. When I lived in Illinois I had a big, mean dog that
put its cross-hairs on my leg whenever I went by. After talking to the
owner (redneck), I bought a handebar mount for a water bottle and loaded
it with a lab squirt bottle of the above mentioned fluid. Just as the
dog came alongside, I squirted him on his nose, eyes and mouth. The dog
stopped dead in his tracks and started to roll around in the street.
Although I continued to see that dog on my way to and from work, he
never bothered me again.
Finally, you can usually intimidate the most aggressive dog if there are
more than one of you. Stopping, getting off your bikes and moving towards
it will often cause it to back off. ( But not always ). My bottom line
is to alway ride routes that I'm not familiar with, with someone else.
As last resort, a nice compact, snubbed nose .25 caliber pistol will fit
comfortably in your jersey pocket. :-)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shaving Your Legs
How to do it (Garth Somerville somerville@bae.ncsu.edu)
Many riders shave their legs and have no problems other than
a nick or two once in a while. Maybe a duller blade would help.
But some people (like me) need to be more careful to avoid
rashes, infections (which can be serious), or just itchy legs that
drive you to madness. For those people, here is my
leg shaving procedure:
Each time you shave your legs...
1) Wash your legs with soap and water, and a wash cloth. This
removes dirt, oil, and dead skin cells.
2) Use a good blade and a good razor. I prefer a blade that has
a lubricating strip (e.g. Atra blades). It is my personal
experience that a used blade is better than a new one. I
discard the blade when the lubricating strip is used up.
3) USE SHAVING CREAM. I prefer the gell type, and the kinds with
aloe in them seem to be the best. Shaving cream gives you a
better shave with fewer cuts, and goes a long way towards
preventing infection.
4) Use *COLD* water. Do not use hot water, do not use warm water,
use the coldest water you can stand. Run the cold water over your
legs before you start, and rinse the blade often in cold water.
5) Be careful, and take your time. Behind the knees, and around the
achilles tendon are places to be extra careful.
6) When finished, use a moisturizing lotion on your legs.
Why shave legs (Jobst Brandt jobst_brandt@hplabs.hp.com)
Oh wow, after the initial responses to this subject I thought we could
skip the posturing. The reason for shaving legs is the same for
women, weight lifters, body builders and others who have parts of
their bodies that they choose to display. It is not true that General
Schwarzkopf had all the troops shave their legs and arms before going
into combat to prevent infectious hair from killing injured soldiers,
and I am sure it will never happen.
Not only the shaving but the rub-downs with all sorts of oils at the
bike track are for the same reason bodybuilders oil up. It reflects
well from the muscle defo. Of course there are others who claim you
can't get a massage without shaving. There is no medical proof that
hair presents any hazard when crashing on a road with dirt that gets
into a wound. It must all be thoroughly cleaned if it goes beyond
superficial road rash.
From my experience with cyclists from east block countries before
Glasnost, none of them shaved because it was not in their charter to
look beautiful but rather to win medals.
I think shaved legs look good and I don't mind saying so. I just find
it silly that those who shave need to put it forth as a preparation
for crashing. Is it necessary to find a reason other than vanity? If
you believe these stories then you might consider the whole pile of
lore in bicycling that also has no foundation in fact but is often
retold. But then some bicyclists and followers of other pursuits,
want to believe in the mysteries that are handed down by the elders
and must be taken on faith. It forms proof of initiation for some.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact Lenses and Cycling (Robert A. Novy ra_novy@drl.mobil.com)
I received on the order of 50 replies to my general query about contact lenses
and bicycling. Thank you! To summarize, I have been wearing glasses for
nearly all of my 28 years, and taking up bicycling has at last made me weary of
them.
I visited an optometrist last week, and he confirmed what I had lightly feared:
I am farsighted with some astigmatism, so gas-permeable hard lenses are the
ticket. He has had about a 25% success rate with soft lenses in cases such as
mine. I am now acclimating my eyes to the lenses, adding one hour of wear per
day. In case these don't work out, I'll try two options. First, bicycle
without prescription lenses (my sight is nearly 20-20 without any). Second,
get a pair of prescription sport glasses.
I had a particular request for a summary, and this is likely a topic of great
interest, so here goes. Please recognize the pruning that I must do to draw
generalizations from many opinions. Some minority views might be overlooked.
There is one nearly unanimous point: contact lenses are much more convenient
than eyeglasses. I had to add the word "nearly" because I just saw one voice
of dissent. Sandy A. (sandya@hpfcmdd.fc.hp.com) has found that prescription
glasses are better suited to mountain biking on dusty trails.
You can call me Doctor, but I have no medical degree. This is only friendly
advice from a relatively ignorant user of the Internet. See the first point
below!
IN GENERAL
+ Get a reputable optometrist or ophthalmologist. Your eyes are precious.
[Paul Taira (pault@hpspd.spd.hp.com) even has an iterative check-and-balance
setup between his ophthalmologist and a contact lens professional.]
+ Wear sunglasses, preferably wrap-arounds, to keep debris out of eyes, to
keep them from tearing or drying out, and to shield them from ultraviolet rays,
which might or might NOT be on the rise.
+ Contacts are not more hazardous than glasses in accidents.
+ Contacts improve peripheral and low-light vision.
+ Extended-wear soft lenses are usually the best. Next come regular soft
lenses and then gas-permeable hard lenses. Of course, there are dissenting
opinions here. I'm glad to see that some people report success with gas perms.
+ One's prescription can limit the types of lenses available. And soft lenses
for correcting astigmatisms seem pesky, for they tend to rotate and thus
defocus the image. This is true even for the new type that are weighted to
help prevent this. Seems that near-sighted people have the most choices.
+ If one type or brand of lens gives discomfort, try another. Don't suffer
with it, and don't give up on contact lenses altogether.
BEWARE
+ Some lenses will tend to blow off the eye. Soft lenses are apparently the
least susceptible to this problem.
PARTICULAR SUGGESTIONS
+ Consider disposable lenses. They may well be worth it.
+ Carry a tiny bottle of eye/lens reconditioner and a pair of eyeglasses just
in case.
A POSSIBLE AUTHORITY
From David Elfstrom (david.elfstrom@canrem.com):
Hamano and Ruben, _Contact Lenses_, Prentice-Hall Canada, 1985, ISBN
0-13-169970-9.
I haven't laid hands on it, but it sounds relevant.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
How to deal with your clothes
When you commute by bike to work, you'd probably like to have clean
clothes that don't look like they've been at the bottom of your closet
for a couple of years. Here are some suggestions for achieving this
goal:
Take a week's worth of clothes to work ahead of time and leave them
there. You'll probably have to do this in a (gasp!) car. This
means that you'll need room in your office for the clothes.
Carefully pack your clothes in a backpack/pannier and tak them to
work each day. It has been suggested that rolling your clothes
rather than folding them, with the least-likely to wrinkle on the
inside. This method may not work too well for the suit-and-tie
crowd, but then I wouldn't know about that. :-)
I use the second method, and I leave a pair of tennis shoes at work so
I don't have to carry them in. This leaves room in my backpack for
a sweatshirt in case it's a cool day.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pete's Winter Cycling Tips (Pete Hickey pete@panda1.uottowa.ca)
I am a commuter who cycles year round. I have been doing it
for about twelve years. Winters here in Ottawa are
relatively cold and snowy. Ottawa is the second coldest
capital in the world. The following comments are the
results my experiences. I am not recommending them, only
telling you what works for me. You may find it useful, or
you may find the stupid things that I do are humorous.
PRELUDE
Me:
I am not a real cyclist. I just ride a bicycle. I have
done a century, but that was still commuting. There was a
networking conference 110 miles away, so I took my bicycle.
There and back. (does that make two centuries?) I usually
do not ride a bicycle just for a ride. Lots of things I say
may make real cyclists pull out their hair. I have three
kids, and cannot *afford* to be a bike weenie.
People often ask me why I do it.... I don't know. I might
say that it saves me money, but no. Gasoline produces more
energy per dollar than food. (OK, I suppose if I would eat
only beans, rice and pasta with nothing on them.... I like
more variety) Do I do it for the environment? Nah! I never
take issues with anything. I don't ride for health,
although as I get older, I appreciate the benefits. I guess
I must do it because I like it.
Definitions
Since words like "very", "not too", etc. are very
subjective, I will use the following definitions:
Cold : greater than 15 degrees F
Very cold : 0 through 15 Degrees F
Extreme cold : -15 through 0 degrees F
Insane cold: below -15 degrees F
Basic philosophy
I have two:
1) If its good, don't ruin it, if its junk you
needn't worry.
2) I use a brute force algorithm of cycling: Peddle
long enough, and you'll get there.
Bicycle riding in snow and ice is a problem of friction:
Too much of the rolling type, and not enough of the sideways
type.
Road conditions:
More will be covered below, but now let it suffice to say
that a lot of salt is used on the roads here. Water
splashed up tastes as salty as a cup of Lipton Chicken soup
to which an additional spool of salt has been added. Salt
eats metal. Bicycles dissolve.
EQUIPMENT:
Bicycle:
Although I have a better bicycle which I ride in nice
weather, I buy my commuting bikes at garage sales for about
$25.00. They're disposable. Once they start dissolving, I
remove any salvageable parts, then throw the rest away.
Right now, I'm riding a '10-speed' bike. I used to ride
mountain bikes, but I'm back to the '10-speed'. Here's why.
Mountain bikes cost $50.00 at the garage sales. They're
more in demand around here. Since I've ridden both, I'll
comment on each one.
The Mountain bikes do have better handling, but they're a
tougher to ride through deep snow. The 10-speed cuts
through the deep snow better. I can ride in deeper snow
with it, and when the snow gets too deep to ride, its easier
to carry.
Fenders on the bike? Sounds like it might be a good idea,
and someday I'll try it out. I think, however, that
snow/ice will build up between the fender and the tire
causing it to be real tough to pedal. I have a rack on the
back with a piece of plywood to prevent too much junk being
thrown on my back.
I would *like* to be able to maintain the bike, but its
tough to work outside in the winter. My wife (maybe I
should write to Dear Abbey about this) will not let me bring
my slop covered bicycle through the house to get it in the
basement. About once a month We have a warm enough day that
I am able to go out with a bucket of water, wash all of the
gunk off of the bike, let it dry and then bring it in.
I tear the thing down, clean it and put it together with
lots of grease. I use some kind of grease made for farm
equipment that is supposed to be more resistant to the
elements. When I put it together, I grease the threads,
then cover the nuts, screws, whatever with a layer of
grease. This prevents them from rusting solidly in place
making it impossible to remove. Protection against
corrosion is the primary purpose of the grease. Lubrication
is secondary. remember to put a drop of oil on the threads
of each spoke, otherwise, the spokes rust solidly, and its
impossible to do any truing
Outside, I keep a plastic ketchup squirter, which I fill with
automotive oil (lately its been 90 weight standard
transmission oil). Every two or three days, I use it to re-
oil my chain and derailleur, and brakes. It drips all over
the snow beneath me when I do it, and gets onto my
'cuffs'(or whatever you call the bottom of those pants.
See, I told you I don't cycle for the environment. I
probably end up dumping an ounce of heavy oil into the snow
run-off each year.
Clothing
Starting at the bottom, on my feet I wear Sorell Caribou
boots. These are huge ugly things, but they keep my feet
warm. I have found that in extreme to insane cold, my toes
get cold otherwise. These boots do not make it easy to ride,
but they do keep me warm (see rule 2, brute force). They do
not fit into any toe-clips that I have seen. I used to wear
lighter things for less cold weather, but I found judging
the weather to be a pain. If its not too cold, I ride with
them half unlaced. The colder it gets, the more I lace
them, and finally, I'll tie them.
Fortunately, wet days are not too cold, and cold days are
not wet. When its dry, I wear a pair of cycling shorts, and
one or two (depending on temp and wind) cotton sweat pants
covering that. I know about lycra and polypro (and use them
for skiing), but these things are destroyed by road-dirt,
slush and mud.(see rule 1 above). I save my good clothes
for x-country skiing.
An important clothing item in extreme to insane cold, is a
third sock. You put it in your pants. No, not to increase
the bulge to impress the girls, but for insulation.
Although several months after it happens it may be funny,
when it does happens, frostbite on the penis is not funny.
I speak from experience! Twice, no less! I have no idea
of what to recommend to women in this section.
Next in line, I wear a polypro shirt, covered by a wool
sweater, covered by a 'ski-jacket' (a real ugly one with a
stripe up the back. The ski jacket protects the rest of my
clothes, and I can regulate my temperature with the zipper
in front.
I usually take a scarf with me. For years I have had a fear
that the scarf would get caught in the spokes, and I'd be
strangled in the middle of the street, but it has not yet
happened. When the temp is extreme or colder, I like
keeping my neck warm. I have one small problem. Sometimes
the moisture in my breath will cause the scarf to freeze to
my beard.
On my hands, I wear wool mittens when its not too cold, and
when it gets really cold, I wear my cross-country skiing
gloves (swix) with wool mittens covering them. Hands sweat
in certain areas (at least mine do), and I like watching the
frost form on the outside of the mittens. By looking at the
frost, I can tell which muscles are working. I am amused by
things like this.
On my head, I wear a toque (Ski-hat?) covered by a bicycle
helmet. I don't wear one of those full face masks because I
haven't yet been able to find one that fits well with eye
glasses. In extreme to insane cold, my forehead will often
get quite cold, and I have to keep pulling my hat down. The
bottoms of my ears sometimes stick out from my hat, and
they're always getting frostbitten. This year, I'm thinking
of trying my son's Lifa/polypro balaclava. Its thin enough
so that it won't bother me, and I only need a bit more
protection from frostbite.
I carry my clothes for the day in a knapsack. Everything that
goes in the knapsack goes into a plastic bag. Check the plastic
bag often for leaks. A small hole near the top may let in water
which won't be able to get out. The net result is that things
get more wet than would otherwise be expected. The zippers will
eventually corrode. Even the plastic ones become useless after
a few years.
RIDING:
In the winter, the road is narrower. There are snow banks
on either side. Cars do not expect to see bicycles. There
are less hours of daylight, and the its harder to maintain
control of the bicycle. Be careful.
I don't worry about what legal rights I have on the road, I
simply worry about my life. I'd rather crash into a snow
bank for sure rather than take a chance of crashing into a
car. I haven't yet had a winter accident in 12 years. I've
intentionally driven into many snow banks.
Sometimes, during a storm, I get into places where I just
can't ride. It is sometimes necessary to carry the bicycle
across open fields. When this happens, I appreciate my
boots.
It takes a lot more energy to pedal. Grease gets thick, and
parts (the bicycle's and mine) don't seem to move as easily.
My traveling time increases about 30% in nice weather, and
can even double during a raging storm.
The wind seems to be always worse in winter. It's not
uncommon to have to pedal to go down hills.
Be careful on slushy days. Imagine an 8 inch snowfall
followed by rain. This produces heavy slush. If a car
rides quickly through deep slush, it may send a wave of the
slush at you. This stuff is heavy. When it hits you, it
really throws you off balance. Its roughly like getting a
10 lbs sack of rotten potatoes thrown at your back. This
stuff could even knock over a pedestrian.
Freezing rain is the worst. Oddly enough, I find it easier
to ride across a parking lot covered with wet smooth ice
than it is to walk across it. The only problem is that
sometimes the bicycle simply slides sideways out from under
you. I practice unicycle riding, and that may help my
balance. (Maybe not, but its fun anyway)
Beware of bridges that have metal grating. This stuff gets
real slippery when snow covered. One time, I slid, hit an
expansion joint, went over the handle bars, over the railing
of the bridge. I don't know how, but one arm reached out
and grabbed the railing. Kind of like being MacGyver.
Stopping.
There are several ways of stopping. The first one is to use
the brakes. This does not always work. Breaks can ice up,
a bit of water gets between the cable and its sheathing when
the warm afternoon sun shines on the bike. It freezes solid
after. Or the salt causes brake cables to break, etc. I
have had brakes work on one corner, but stop working by the
time I get to the next. I have several other means of
stopping.
The casual method. For a stop when you have plenty of time.
Rest the ball of your foot on top of the front derailleur,
and *gradually* work your heel between the tire and the
frame. By varying the pressure, you can control your speed.
Be sure that you don't let your foot get wedged in there!
Faster method. Get your pedals in the 6-12 O'clock
position. Stand up. The 6 O'clock foot remains on the
pedal, while you place the other foot on the ground in front
of the pedal. By varying your balance, you can apply more
or less pressure to your foot. The pedal, wedged against
the back of your calf, forces your foot down more, providing
more friction.
Really fast! Start with the fast method, but then dismount
while sliding the bicycle in front of you. You will end up
sliding on your two feet, holding onto the bike in front for
balance. If it gets *really* critical, throw the bike ahead
of you, and sit down and roll. Do not do this on dry
pavement, your feet need to be able to slide.
In some conditions, running into a snow bank on the side
will stop you quickly, easily, and safely. If you're going
too fast, you might want to dive off of the bicycle over the
side. Only do this when the snow bank is soft. Make sure
that there isn't a car hidden under that soft snow. Don't
jump into fire hydrants either.
ETC.
Freezing locks. I recommend carrying a BIC lighter. Very
often the lock will get wet, and freeze solid. Usually the
heat from my hands applied for a minute or so (a real minute
or so, not what seems like a minute) will melt it, but
sometimes it just needs more than that.
Eating Popsicles
Something I like doing in the winter is to buy a Popsicle
before I leave, and put it in my pocket. It won't melt! I
take it out and start eating it just as I arrive at the
University. Its fun to watch peoples' expressions when they
see me, riding in the snow, eating a Popsicle.
You have to be careful with Popsicles in the winter. I once
had a horrible experience. You know how when you are a kid,
your parents told you never to put your tongue onto a metal
pole? In very cold weather, a Popsicle acts the same way.
If you are not careful, your upper lip, lower lip, and
tongue become cemented to the Popsicle. Although this
sounds funny when I write about it, it was definitely not
funny when it happened.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nancy's Cold/Wet Cycling Tips (Nancy Piltch piltch@ariel.lerc.nasa.gov)
Here are some clothing suggestions, mix and match as you wish:
Rain gear : I forked out the dollars for gore-tex when I did a week tour
... and I'm real glad I did. The stuff works reasonably as claimed,
waterproof, and relatively breathable. (When the humidity is high, no
fabric will work completely at letting sweat evaporate.) Unfortunately,
typical prices are high. There are cheaper rainsuits, which I haven't tried.
For short rides, or when the temperature is over about 50F, I don't
usually wear the rain pants, as wet legs don't particularly bother me.
Waterproof shoe covers. When the weather gets icky, I give up on
the cleats (I'm not riding for performance then, anyway) and put
the old-style pedals back on. This is basically because of the
shoe covers I have that work better with touring shoes. The ones
I have are made by Burley, and are available from Bikecentennial,
though I got them at a local shop. They are just the cover, no
insulation. I continue to use them in winter since they are windproof,
and get the insulation I need from warm socks. These aren't neoprene,
but rather some high-tech waterproof fabric.
Gaiters that hikers and cross-country skiers wear can help keep road
spray off your legs and feet.
Toe clip covers. I got them from Nashbar; they are insulated and fit
over the toe clips ... another reason for going back to those pedals.
They help quite a bit when the temperature goes into the 30's and below;
they are too warm above that.
For temperatures in the 40's I usually find that a polypropylene shirt,
lightweight sweater (mine is polypro) and wind shell work well; I use
the gore-tex jacket, since I have it, but any light weight jacket
is OK. I have a lightweight pair of nylon-lycra tights, suitable in
the 50's, and maybe the 40's; a heavier pair of polypro tights, for
40's, and a real warm pair of heavy, fleece-lined tights for colder
weather. (I have been comfortable in them down to about 15-deg, which
is about the minimum I will ride in.) My tights are several years
old, and I think there are lots more variations on warm tights out now.
I use thin polypro glove liners with my cycling gloves when it is a little
cool; lightweight gloves for a little bit cooler; gore-tex and thinsulate
gloves for cold weather (with the glove liners in the really cold weather.)
It is really my fingers that limit my cold weather riding, as anything
any thicker than that limits my ability to work brake levers.
(Note: this may change this year as I've just bought a mountain bike;
the brake levers are much more accessible than on my road bike. It may
be possible to ride with warm over-mitts over a wool or similar glove.)
When it gets down to the 20's, or if it's windy at warmer (!) temperatures,
I'll add the gore-tex pants from my rain suit, mostly as wind protection,
rather than rain protection. Cheaper wind pants are available (either
at bike shops or at sporting goods stores) that will work just as well
for that use.
Warm socks. There are lots of choices; I use 1 pair of wool/polypropylene
hiking socks (fairly thick). Then with the rain covers on my shoes to
keep out wind, and (if necessary) the toe clip covers, I'm warm enough.
There are also thin sock liners, like my glove liners, but I haven't
needed them; there are also neoprene socks, which I've never tried,
and neoprene shoe covers, which I've also never tried, and wool socks,
and ski socks ...
I have a polypropylene balaclava which fits comfortably under my helmet;
good to most of the temperatures I'm willing to ride in; a little too
warm for temperatures above freezing, unless it's also windy. I also have
an ear-warmer band, good for 40's and useful with the balaclava for
miserable weather. I also have a neoprene face mask; dorky looking, but
it works. It is definitely too hot until the temperature (or wind) gets
severe. I sometimes add ski goggles for the worst conditions, but they
limit peripheral vision, so I only use them if I'm desperate.
For temperatures in the 30's, and maybe 20's, I wear a polarfleece
pullover thing under the outer shell. Combining that with or without
polypro (lightweight) sweater or serious duty wool sweater gives a
lot of options. Sometimes I add a down vest -- I prefer it *outside*
my shell (contrary to usual wisdom) because I usually find it too
warm once I start moving and want to unzip it, leaving the wind
shell closed for wind protection. I only use the down vest when it's
below about 15 F.
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