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Albinator posted:I feel like bike lights on the MUP have also got unreasonably bright and poorly aimed in the last couple of years. Maybe it's just my eyes getting older, but those low-mounted ones seem brighter than stadium floodlights. Nah it's real. Modern bright LEDs are great but need proper beam shaping with sharp edges and also be properly aligned. This means precision optics which costs money while the LEDs themselves are effectively free. When light shopping I just look for StVZO approved ones because ze Germans know what's up in this regard at least. Some riders are inconsiderate assholes though, just like some drivers are. I meed one daily on the MUP with a blinky light that's super annoying and kinda dangerous in some light conditions. https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/buyers-guides/stvzo-bike-lights/ bicievino posted:Be careful, you have used up all your good karma. I fear you might be correct. Invalido fucked around with this message at 08:07 on Feb 18, 2023 |
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Feb 18, 2023 08:02
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raggedphoto posted:Do auto high-beams work on cars traveling at slower speeds, I thought there was a limiter on when they would come on? I've been blinded several times in the past couple weeks by cars turning on their high-beams when I am clearly in front of them only to have them turn them off when I have to shield my loving face. It's been happening when I am walking my dog at night too, the same stupid Mach-E flies down my street with it's brights on to the point where it feels almost intentional that he's trying to blind everyone. Mach-e defaults to auto-lights ON (and that includes auto-high beams). Welcome to car-dependent hell, again. I'd just carry a gently caress-you bright flashlight. Invalido posted:Raining hard today, rain pants have developed a leak in the crotch again. Such is life, time for new rain pants. (Yes I know some of you hardasses say "just get wet" but it was +2c and 18km home. Imma keep replacing rain pants periodically and wear my rubber boots and be as warm dry and happy as possible) Albinator posted:I feel like bike lights on the MUP have also got unreasonably bright and poorly aimed in the last couple of years. Maybe it's just my eyes getting older, but those low-mounted ones seem brighter than stadium floodlights. evil_bunnY fucked around with this message at 12:10 on Feb 18, 2023 |
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Feb 18, 2023 12:06
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I might have asked this before but does anyone have experience with folding bikes that have regular size tires? I know we have a couple Brompton enthusiasts, but I really disliked the loose feeling on the handling (is that the wheel size or something else?) when I tried it out for a few minute ride and I've read that smaller diameter wheels don't provide as much cushion for rougher surfaces. I do have a rock hard taint at this point so that's less of a concern. Additionally, I'm looking for something that gives you a more forward leaning posture, which, from memory, didn't seem to be the case for Bromptons. Now that COVID isn't as much of a concern, I'm back to visiting family overseas from time to time and then work travel in developing countries where the road infrastructure isn't great. My colleagues in Cameroon think this is an insanely dangerous idea given the traffic in the city, but walking can only get you so far and taking a taxi everywhere is boring and doesn't get you any exercise. I don't really see a bike box and a non-folding bike as an option for most of my trips, though I do have access to those through my mother's cycling club.
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Feb 18, 2023 12:30
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Mauser posted:I might have asked this before but does anyone have experience with folding bikes that have regular size tires? 20 years ago, I worked at a shop that sold Montagues, and they were alright. They might not meet your definition of "folding" since they're more of an easily packed 622 mm bike.
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Feb 18, 2023 12:47
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Groda posted:20 years ago, I worked at a shop that sold Montagues, and they were alright. They might not meet your definition of "folding" since they're more of an easily packed 622 mm bike. That was actually the main one I was thinking about from looking around online and price range is good for something that won't be devastating if it's damaged or stolen. The folding part looks like it's manageable in a couple minutes which is fine. Could you describe what you thought was holding them back from being better than alright?
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Feb 18, 2023 16:04
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Mauser posted:I might have asked this before but does anyone have experience with folding bikes that have regular size tires? I know we have a couple Brompton enthusiasts, but I really disliked the loose feeling on the handling (is that the wheel size or something else?) when I tried it out for a few minute ride and I've read that smaller diameter wheels don't provide as much cushion for rougher surfaces. I do have a rock hard taint at this point so that's less of a concern. Additionally, I'm looking for something that gives you a more forward leaning posture, which, from memory, didn't seem to be the case for Bromptons.
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Feb 18, 2023 17:41
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raggedphoto posted:It can be hard to tell sometimes but what I experiencing is the headlights going from normal to blinding while I am in front of them going the opposite direction. Apparently this is a unique problem i experience… Are the cars hitting bumps? Even a small bump or the rebound after a dip will change the angle of the car and its lights. If the main beam is on the edge of hitting your eyes already that small change will put it right in your face. I live in a really hilly area so this happens constantly to me.
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Feb 18, 2023 19:31
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oXDemosthenesXo posted:Are the cars hitting bumps? Even a small bump or the rebound after a dip will change the angle of the car and its lights. If the main beam is on the edge of hitting your eyes already that small change will put it right in your face. I live in a really hilly area so this happens constantly to me. Yeah this. Even modern cars that have self leveling LEDs can’t react fast enough to dips and bumps and cresting hills, so we all get our retinas blasted all the time it suuuucks.
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Feb 18, 2023 19:54
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You have Brompton 16" wheels folding bikes and a few in the same category (also 16" but shorter wheel base). And then you get a bunch 14" only sold in China, people usually convert them with ebike kits. And then you get some 18" performance models from Birdy. They are full suspension bikes. Dahon being the go to folding bike company, makes competing models in every category.
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Feb 18, 2023 20:03
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Yeah I yearn for the days of more diffuse patterns. The sharp edges of modern headlights are so much worse for accommodation - if you get even a little into the lit zone your retinas are fried for a scary (if objectively brief) amount of time. They are definitely a better experience as a solo driver, but I'd get rid of mine in a heartbeat if it meant no one else had them. Of course I'd also love to get rid of cars, but that's a different conversation.
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Feb 18, 2023 20:04
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Dahon/Tern both make a bunch of 20" wheel bikes, they were on my radar before I ended up going with the Brompton. Probably not as twitchy. In terms of riding position, Bromptons do have three different handlebar positions you can buy, so you can get more bent-over if you want. The one I got for my partner actually puts me in a more aggressive position than my hybrid's riser bars did (though it's very upright for her). FWIW with the Brompton I've found that big bumps actually feel about the same between it and my 700C hybrid - I think maybe this is a factor of the Brompton steel frame versus my hybrid's aluminum - but when you went over something with constant ridges (like cobblestone) it was much more annoying on the Brompton.
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Feb 18, 2023 20:09
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Mauser posted:but I really disliked the loose feeling on the handling (is that the wheel size or something else?) quote:I've read that smaller diameter wheels don't provide as much cushion for rougher surfaces. Tire volume helps, and the Bromptons have some, but they also spec pretty tough tires. quote:I'm looking for something that gives you a more forward leaning posture, which, from memory, didn't seem to be the case for Bromptons. I'd look at Bike Fridays (small wheels but better handling) and maybe the Tern Node, which has 24" wheels, but still folds up to something passable.
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Feb 18, 2023 20:43
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Oh thanks a lot. The bike Friday option looks like it fits a lot of what I'd prefer: steel and road handlebars. And that's good to hear that the wheel size is less important for the handling. There's a dealer about 45 mins from my house so I'll go give it a test ride when I get back from this trip. Currently using exercise bike at a hotel gym and just reached down to my crotch and it feels like I've been put under local anesthetic for my genitals. The saddle is squishier and fatter than anything I've ever seen.
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Feb 18, 2023 21:08
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Mauser posted:That was actually the main one I was thinking about from looking around online and price range is good for something that won't be devastating if it's damaged or stolen. The folding part looks like it's manageable in a couple minutes which is fine. Could you describe what you thought was holding them back from being better than alright? Back then (when I still lived in the US) it was because they were pretty run of the mill 80's hybrid bikes that didn't pack up small enough to be of any additional utility in my life. Now that I'm used to the bikes they have here in Sweden, I'd be more frustrated with the limited fenders and rack. However, the weight limit is higher than most folding bikes. If I didn't need the extra weight capacity, I'd personally go for a Dahon with 20" tires, since there's a lot of very wide sizes available (which helps with the bumpiness) in 20", and it's a tire size that you can find anywhere.
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Feb 19, 2023 05:02
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There's this corner on my commute home that I like to go round as fast as possible. It's not on the road, there's great visibility and typically I'm the only one on the path at the time I come home, which to me is like a green light to be a reckless dickhead. Well, after months of taking this corner at insane speed and feeling like a badass my luck finally ran out. I plunged down into the corner as usual but my tyres were having none of it and I washed out hard, smearing bits of knee, elbow and forearm onto the concrete. Also cracked my front brake lever (only cheap though so not a big deal). As always, worst part was lowering myself into the tub and my wife laughing at all my silly pained noises, and (rightfully) tutting at me for being a dumbass.
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Feb 21, 2023 11:30
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Lean angle is a harsh mistress. The more you add the better you feel up until you start to feel bad very suddenly.
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Feb 21, 2023 13:52
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I saw some video that was explaining how you should try to keep your weight more upright when going around sharp turns rather than leaning over with the bike to avoid losing grip and sliding. I have no idea if it helps in anyway because I don't really push turns hard enough to ever find out. I'm sure someone can tell me if this is bullshit
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Feb 21, 2023 15:35
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Yeah, mtb technique is to lean the bike, not yourself
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Feb 21, 2023 16:37
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You have to lean any bicycle or motorcycle for it to turn at anything over slow walking pace. More lean means more turning at a given speed. Sometimes you want to shift your body off the centerline of your vehicle either away from the direction of the turn or into it depending on what you're trying to accomplish. Your tire profile (or sometimes the geometry of your vehicle like footpegs on a motorcycle or pedals on a fixie) will have a hard limit for when you can't lean more without bad things happening. Hanging off the inside of the bike in a turn is a way to shift the weight of bike+rider combined in the desired direction for turning more without adding more lean which is useful if you're at or near the hard limit. Shifting towards the outside is also useful but more for slower speeds when you want more angle than the speed requires or for example when you want your tires to roll in a particular place without necessarily changing your trajectory that way for real.
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Feb 21, 2023 16:48
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I'm always terrified of taking corners faster than like 20kmph. just wanna get from point a to b safely
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Feb 21, 2023 17:31
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I've been taking motorcycle lessons, and learning to lean with the bike isn't easy after all these winters of cycling on graveled roads and bike paths.
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Feb 21, 2023 18:02
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Part of the trail my friend and I were riding through in Virginia had some construction on it and a temporary detour path was made using sand. Even slowing way the hell down and trying to prepare for that entry onto the sand and then a turn did zero and I went down immediately
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Feb 21, 2023 18:13
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Groda posted:I've been taking motorcycle lessons, and learning to lean with the bike isn't easy after all these winters of cycling on graveled roads and bike paths. Good luck with that! Join us in the Cycle Asylum subforum for motorcycle chat. Like many SA subforums it's much better than most of the rest of the internet. The newbie thread is a good place to start posting. https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3810736 While the US licensing process mentioned in the OP is very different from the Swedish one I'm familiar with, the realities of motorcycle riding is universal.
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Feb 21, 2023 18:43
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Mauser posted:Part of the trail my friend and I were riding through in Virginia had some construction on it and a temporary detour path was made using sand. Even slowing way the hell down and trying to prepare for that entry onto the sand and then a turn did zero and I went down immediately Some well meaning but less than thoughtful person sanded a paved bike path I used to use when we got some rare snow one winter. They took special care to hit the tight downhill S corner that can only be taken at 5-10mph in the dry. The sand didn't help at all with the snow and ice, then stuck around for months since bike tires don't disperse it well. That tight corner was a death trap until it finally cleared out.
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Feb 21, 2023 20:27
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Groda posted:I've been taking motorcycle lessons, and learning to lean with the bike isn't easy after all these winters of cycling on graveled roads and bike paths.
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Feb 23, 2023 19:19
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 Cargobike rebuild is coming along and I did some final assembly this evening. Box is now very red (I hate painting soo much, I think there's nine coats of smelly paint on that thing or something)  The new center stand took some fabrication and also painting but it seems to have come out well function-wise. It works very light and smooth compared to the old rusty one and shouldn't get fouled by snow like before. I used pieces of hockey puck for soft-ish bump stops at either end of its travel and there's a pair of over-center springs to hold it in place. Now it's just a bunch of wiring that I've drafted brother dearest to perform, also I want to balance test the bike to find the optimal battery position athwartships and then epoxy in some stops for that. Side loads isn't a big deal but I can be perfectly balanced when empty so why not. Anyway the ultimate end of this project is very much in sight, finally. I've been without this bike for two months now which has sucked in all sorts of ways and I want it back in my life badly. Oh yeah now there's provisions for a 12v circuit on the bike too which opens up some possibilities. I'm thinking two-tone car horn for honking at car drivers. It's important to speak to people in a language they understand.
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Feb 25, 2023 22:45
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is it feasible to convert a singlespeed/fixed gear to Shimano Alfine? is it feasible to convert to Alfine Di2? various sites seem to say "yes", but my research (not to mention what's actually available) seem to say "probably not"
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Feb 26, 2023 05:23
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Ok Comboomer posted:is it feasible to convert a singlespeed/fixed gear to Shimano Alfine? As always the answer is maybe, and how much work do you want to do. The first thing to check is the O.L.D. (Over Locknut Distance), which is the distance between the inside of the dropouts where the axle bolts in. Many singlespeeds have narrower hubs and therefore smaller O.L.D. The Alfine Di2 appears to have an O.L.D. of 135mm which one of the wider standards used on street bikes. If you have an aluminum or carbon frame and the O.L.D.'s don't match, then its basically impossible to use the wrong sized hub. Both of those materials are very likely to snap if you try to bend them more than a tiny amount. If it's a steel frame and the O.L.D. is within about 5mm, you can often just shove the hub in and let the frame bend slightly. I've done with with an old 10 speed that I wanted to put a 2x7 drivetrain on. Can you post a picture of the bike you want to use? edit - found this nice set of pictures describing the OLD: https://www.halowheels.com/frame-spacing-hub-o-l-d-information/
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Feb 26, 2023 05:34
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oXDemosthenesXo posted:As always the answer is maybe, and how much work do you want to do. It's 120mm, which would be way too small....but it's steel and could arguably probably be modified without much difficulty, which is why I'm having doubts in both directions. I wouldn't want to permanently gently caress up a frame for something that either wouldn't work or wouldn't be safe if it did. trilobite terror fucked around with this message at 06:05 on Feb 26, 2023 |
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Feb 26, 2023 05:49
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Ok Comboomer posted:It's 120mm, which would be way too small....but it's steel and could arguably probably be modified without much difficulty, which is why I'm having doubts in both directions. 120->135 is alot and there's a good chance you'll have to permanently bend the frame to get the bigger hub in there. If it's not a special frame or something I'd just go find a new one, 135mm OLD bikes aren't hard to find these days.
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Feb 26, 2023 05:59
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oXDemosthenesXo posted:120->135 is alot and there's a good chance you'll have to permanently bend the frame to get the bigger hub in there. well yeah, I assumed it'd be a permanent conversion. It's not a particularly valuable frame seems like there's a bunch of people "cold-setting" steel frames like this- including some 120-135 jumps- mostly retro builds. Biggest danger seems to be getting the frame out of alignment, which can happen if one isn't careful about the chainstays potentially being different due to chainwheel clearance
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Feb 26, 2023 06:08
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120->135 is quite a bit. I've done a lot of 126mm to 130mm and even that you should really have a set of alignment tools. You can easily build one for left-right alignment, but aligning the faces of the (in this case) track ends takes a set of actual tools. It might work, but 7.5mm each side might be more than your frame's welds will manage, especially if it's kinda lovely. Overall: I'd put it at even odds you end up spending more trying to bodge this project than it would take to just buy what you want, net of some cash selling the bike you no longer want.
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Feb 26, 2023 07:06
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You mention Alfine, but if cheap is a goal the shimano nexus 8 speed hub can be had for about 100 bucks and you can often find cheap wheel sets with it already incorporated.
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Feb 26, 2023 07:43
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Ok Comboomer posted:is it feasible to convert a singlespeed/fixed gear to Shimano Alfine? It’s one of those a cases where the money you “save” by using any part of your existing bike is about negative $1000, if it’s possible. If you want alfine hub gears go buy a bike with it.
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Feb 26, 2023 08:51
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Ok Comboomer posted:is it feasible to convert a singlespeed/fixed gear to Shimano Alfine? Fixed speed / single speed are almost universally poo poo commuter bikes, so no.
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Feb 26, 2023 10:10
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Ok Comboomer posted:well yeah, I assumed it'd be a permanent conversion. It's not a particularly valuable frame "cold setting" is just bikespeak for bending it far enough that the deformation is permanent. Asymmetrically bending the chain/seatstays is what they mean by out of alignment. I'd be more worried about messing up the handling more than clipping the chainwheel unless you're running giant gearing. Not saying you can't do this successfully, but it seems risky. If you really don't care about the frame and don't mind chucking it if it goes wrong, go for it. wooger posted:It’s one of those a cases where the money you “save” by using any part of your existing bike is about negative $1000, if it’s possible. But also this. If you want to do this for the fun of the build I get it. I regularly do weird bike builds just to see if I can do it. But if all you want is a practical commuter then this isn't the best path to get there.
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Feb 26, 2023 18:41
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I want to replace the wheels on my wife's bike because they are: bright red, weigh 1000lbs each, and can't take a larger than 28mm tires w/o causing tube punctures. Is there a go-to value set of 700c disc brake wheels that will take a 35-37mm tire?
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Feb 26, 2023 19:58
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ThirstyBuck posted:I want to replace the wheels on my wife's bike because they are: bright red, weigh 1000lbs each, and can't take a larger than 28mm tires w/o causing tube punctures. Can you elaborate on why it can't take a larger than 28mm tire? I've run 35mm tires on 15mm internal width rims without issue. Maybe there's a cheaper fix. That said, heavy wheels do indeed suck the fun out. Hunt is a reliable option for value-priced wheels with wider internal widths.
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Feb 26, 2023 21:56
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ThirstyBuck posted:I want to replace the wheels on my wife's bike because they are: bright red, weigh 1000lbs each, and can't take a larger than 28mm tires w/o causing tube punctures. For my old commuter I just went to the bike shop and had them order me the cheapest wheel available when my buddy crashed it and broke a bunch of spokes. This was rim break wheel though and ended up being like $40 USD. For my current commuter they got me some new 27" aluminum (replacing heavy steel rims) that were $50 and $60 front and back. Anyway I'd say just go to your local place if you're looking for off the shelf
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Feb 26, 2023 22:04
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bicievino posted:Can you elaborate on why it can't take a larger than 28mm tire? I've run 35mm tires on 15mm internal width rims without issue. Maybe there's a cheaper fix. The factory spec on them states that they will take up to a 35mm which I put on but they have a deep V design and when I managed to get the new 35mm tires that I bought onto them the immediately punctured the tubes. I tried multiple times and then I went back to the 28s and have not had a problem since. They are also heavy AF.
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Feb 27, 2023 01:14
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