Last modified: September 18, 1995 ------------------------------ Subject: 1 Introduction Answers to Rec.Bicycles' Frequently Asked Questions and Interesting Information The following monthly posting contains the answers to frequently asked questions posed to rec.bicycles and interesting information that cyclists might find useful. Some of the answers are from postings to rec.bicycles, and and some are condensed from postings. Answers include the name and email address of the author. If no author is listed, I'm the guilty party. If you're the author and I've misspelled your name or have the wrong email address, let me know and I'll fix it. ****NOTE****: I am not the moderator or "person in charge" of the rec.bicycles newsgroups. I also have no way to help you with problems reading the newsgroups unless you are at UCI; you'll need to talk to your system or news admin for help. If you have something you feel should be included in the FAQ, please write it up and send it to me at the address below. Note: I don't read each and every posting to rec.bicycles.*, so suggesting that something be included in the FAQ may not be seen. If you want something included, summarize the discussion and send me the summary. This FAQ is posted to rec.bicycles.misc, news.answers, and rec.answers around the 15th of the month. It is also available via anonymous ftp from: Check the "Archives" section for information on how to obtain the FAQ via email. Mike Iglesias iglesias@draco.acs.uci.edu ------------------------------ Subject: 2 Index (! means updated since last FAQ. + means new section.) 1 Introduction 2 Index 3 Administrivia 3.1 Abbreviations 3.2 Gopher and World Wide Web access 3.3 Archives 3.4 Posting Guidelines 3.5 Electronic Mailing lists 4 Rides 4.1 Maps 4.2 Touring supplies 4.3 Taking a bike on Amtrak 4.4 Warm Showers List 5 Racing 5.1 Tour de France Jerseys ! 5.2 Major Tour Winners 1947-1990 5.3 Rating the Tour de France Climbs 6 Social 6.1 Bicycling in America 6.2 League of American Bicyclists 6.3 Rules for trail riding 6.4 Commuting - Is it possible for me to commute by bike? 6.5 Commuting - How do I choose a route? 6.6 Commuting - Do I really need to look that goofy? 6.7 Commuting - Do cyclists breathe more pollution than motorists? 7 Marketplace 7.1 Marketplace hints/guidelines 7.2 Bike Trailers 7.3 One Less Car T-Shirts 7.4 Panniers and Racks 7.5 Clothing materials 7.6 Seats 7.7 Women's Saddles 7.8 Women's Bikes 7.9 Bike Rentals 7.10 Bike Lockers 7.11 Bike computer features 7.12 Recumbent Bike Info 7.13 Buying a Bike 7.14 Kids Bike Clothes 8 Tech 8.1 Technical Support Numbers 8.2 Ball Bearing Grades 8.3 SIS Cable Info 8.4 Milk Jug Mud Flaps 8.5 Lubricating Chains 8.6 Wear and Gear Slippage 8.7 Adjusting Chain Length 8.8 Hyperglide chains 8.9 Bottom Bracket Info 8.10 Crank noises 8.11 Cracking/Breaking Cranks 8.12 Biopace chainrings 8.13 Snakebite flats 8.14 Blown Tubes 8.15 Mounting Tires 8.16 More Flats on Rear Tires 8.17 What holds the rim off the ground? 8.18 Anodized vs. Non-anodized Rims 8.19 Reusing Spokes 8.20 Clinchers vs. Tubulars 8.21 Presta Valve Nuts 8.22 Ideal Tire Sizes ! 8.23 Indexed Steering 8.24 Center Pivot vs. Dual Pivot Brakes 8.25 Seat adjustments 8.26 Cleat adjustments 8.27 SIS Adjustment Procedure 8.28 Where to buy tools 8.29 Workstands 8.30 Workstands 2 8.31 Frame Stiffness 8.32 Frame materials 8.33 Bike pulls to one side 8.34 Frame repair 8.35 Frame Fatigue 8.36 Weight = Speed? 8.37 Adjusting SPD Cleats 8.38 Rim Tape Summary 8.39 STI/Ergo Summary 8.40 Roller Head Bearings 8.41 Tubular Tire Repair 8.42 Cassette or Freewheel Hubs 8.43 Cassette or Freewheel Hubs take 2 8.44 "Sealed" Bearings 8.45 Installing Cranks 8.46 Stress Relieving Spokes 8.47 Traffic detector loops 8.48 Gluing Sew-up Tires 8.49 Common Torque Values 8.50 Measuring the circumference of wheels 8.51 Tubular Fables 8.52 Folding a Tubular Tire 8.53 Frames "going soft" 8.54 Inspecting your bike for potential failures 9 Misc 9.1 Books and Magazines 9.2 Mail Order Addresses 9.3 Road Gradient Units 9.4 Helmets 9.5 Terminology 9.6 Avoiding Dogs 9.7 Shaving Your Legs 9.8 Contact Lenses and Cycling 9.9 How to deal with your clothes 9.10 Pete's Winter Cycling Tips 9.11 Nancy's Cold/Wet Cycling Tips 9.12 Studded Tires 9.13 Cycling Myths 9.14 Descending I 9.15 Descending II 9.16 Trackstands 9.17 Front Brake Usage 9.18 Slope Wind, the Invisible Enemy 9.19 Reflective Tape 9.20 Nutrition 9.21 Nuclear Free Energy Bar Recipe 9.22 Powerbars Recipe 9.23 Calories burned by cycling 9.24 Road Rash Cures 9.25 Knee problems 9.26 Cycling Psychology 9.27 Mirrors 9.28 Another Powerbar recipe 9.29 Lower back pain 9.30 Saddle sores 10 Off-Road 10.1 Suspension Stems ------------------------------ Subject: 3 Administrivia ------------------------------ Subject: 3.1 Abbreviations Some common abbreviations used here and in rec.bicycles.*: FAQ Frequenly Asked Question. What you are reading now is a file containing answers to some FAQs. IMHO In my humble opinion. TIOOYK There Is Only One You Know. Refers to the Tour de France. See the glossary in the ftp archives for more bicycle-related terms. ------------------------------ Subject: 3.2 Gopher and World Wide Web access I've made the rec.bicycles ftp archives available via gopher and the Web, and have split the FAQ up into individual files for easier access via gopher. The FAQ is available from Ohio State as listed below via the Web. To connect to the gopher server, use the hostname draco.acs.uci.edu and port 1071. Please don't ask me how to use gopher or how to configure your gopher client; I don't know how to use all the available gopher clients, nor do I have access to them. Please talk to your local gopher gurus. You can also access the FAQ and archives via the Web using these URLs: Thanks to the folks at Ohio State for their USENET FAQ Web service! Again, please ask your local gurus for information on how to use Web clients. ------------------------------ Subject: 3.3 Archives I've made available via anonymous ftp a copy of the current FAQ and a few other items on draco.acs.uci.edu (128.200.34.12). This is the workstation on my desk, so I'd appreciate it if people would restrict their use to 7pm-7am Pacific time. The files are in pub/rec.bicycles. For those without Internet access, you can use the ftpmail server at gatekeeper.dec.com to get copies of items in the archives. I really don't have time to email copies of files to people who can't get at them easily. To use the ftpmail server, send an email message containing the line help in the body of the message to ftpmail@gatekeeper.dec.com. You'll get a help file back with more information on how to use the ftpmail server. Here is an example of what to put in the body of a message to to get the README file: connect draco.acs.uci.edu chdir pub/rec.bicycles get README README for Rec.Bicycles Anonymous FTP area arnie.light Arnie Berger's (arnie.berger@amd.com) "Ultimate bike light" bike_gear.sea.hqx Lawrence Hare's (ldh@duck.svl.cdc.com) copy of a Hypercard stack to calculate gearing. Lawrence says there is a newer version on major bbs systems. bike.lockers David H. Wolfskill's (david@dhw68k.cts.com) summary of bike locker vendors. bike.painting Sam Henry's (shenry@rice.edu) collection of articles on how to paint a bike. bike_power.* Ken Roberts program to calculate power output and power consumption. See bike_power.doc for more info. updated by Mark Grennan (markg@okcforum.oknorm.edu) biking_log.* Phil Etheridge's (phil@massey.ac.nz) hypercard stack riding diary. It keeps track of dates, distance, time, average speed, etc., and keeps running weekly, monthly, and yearly totals. See biking_log.read_me for more information. CA-veh-code A directory containing the California vehicle code sections that pertain to bicycles and gopher bookmarks. See the README in that directory for more information. camera.tour Vivian Aldridge's (viviana@tamri.com) collection of articles on cameras to take on a bike tour. competitive.nutrition Roger Marquis' (marquis@well.uucp) article from the Feb 91 Velo News on nutrition and cycling. computer.calibrate computer.install Sheldon Brown's (CaptBike@aol.com) universal bike computer calibration chart and installation suggestions. cyclesense Larry Watanabe's (watanabe@asimov.cs.uiuc.edu) copy of the "Cycle Sense for Motorists" ready to run thru LaTeX. faq.* The current Frequently Asked Questions posting first.century Pamela Blalock's (pamela@keps.com) tips on training for your first century ride. frame.build Terry Zmrhal's (terryz@microsoft.com) writeup of a frame building class he took. gear.c Larry Watanabe's (watanabe@asimov.cs.uiuc.edu) program to print gear inch tables. glossary Alan Bloom's (alanb@sr.hp.com) glossary of bicycle terms. lab.info Erin O'Brien's (bikeleague@aol.com) article on the League of American Bicyclists. lights Tom Reingold's (tr@samadams.princeton.edu) collection of articles on bike lights. lights2 More articles from rec.bicycles.* on lights. mtb.buy Joakim Karlsson's (aviator@mv.mv.com) article on buying an entry-level MTB. pam.bmb* Pamela Blalock's (pamela@keps.com) report on her Boston-Montreal-Boston rides. pam.pactour* Pamela Blalock's (pamela@keps.com) writeup of her PAC tours across the country. pbp.info Pamela Blalock's (pamela@keps.com) information on her Paris-Brest-Paris ride. pictures Bicycling gif pictures. prof.sched Roland Stahl's (stahl@ipi.uni-hannover.de) list of scheduled professional races in many countries. pwm.regulator Willie Hunt's (willie@cs.indiana.edu) design notes on a pulse width modulated voltage regulator. Originally designed for caving, this design is adaptable to bike lighting. The author has parts available in kit form. ride.index Chris Hull's/Bill Bushnell's (bushnell@lmsc.lockheed.com) explanation of a way to "index" rides and compare the difficulty of different rides. ridelg22.* Found on AOL by Gary Thurman (thurmag@csos.orst.edu), a ride diary program. The .exe file a self-extracting archive for PCs. spike.bike Bob Fishell's (spike@cbnewsd.att.com) Spike Bike series. They are numbered in the order that Bob posted them to rec.bicycles. All the Spike Bike stories are "Copyright 1989 by Robert Fishell, all rights reserved." spokelen11.bas Roger Marquis' (marquis@well.uucp) spoke length calculator, written in Microsoft Quickbasic. spokelen.c Andy Tucker's (tucker@Neon.Stanford.EDU) port of Roger Marquis' spokelen11.bas to C. spokelen.hqx Eric Topp's topp@roses.stanford.edu's Hypercard stack that computes spoke lengths. studded.tires (Name removed by request) compilation of messages on studded tires, including how to make your own. tandem.boxes Arnie Berger's (arnie@col.hp.com) notes on how he built a box to transport his tandem to Europe and back. It's taken from a longer travelogue on his trip - if you want more information, contact him at the above address. tech.supp.phone Joshua Putnam's (josh@Happy-Man.com) list of technical support numbers for various manufacturers. This list used to be in the FAQ but now is too long to include there. trailers A summary posting of messages about bike trailers. Good stuff if you're thinking of buying a trailer. wheels.*.hqx R. Scott Truesdell's (truesdel@ics.uci.edu) Hypercard stack to calculate spoke lengths. See wheels.readme for more info. wintertips Pete Hickey's (pete@panda1.uottawa.ca) notes about how to cycle in the winter. wintertips.pam Pamela Blalock's (pamela@keps.com) winter cycling tips. Files available via anonymous ftp from ugle.unit.no (129.241.1.97) in the directory local/biking. This directory is maintained by Joern Dahl-Stamnes (dahls@fysel.unit.no). Last updated: July 3rd, 1994. File What READ.ME Information about the other files in the directory. bm106a.zip The latest version of Bike Manager. Bike Manager is a shareware program that help you keep a log of your training activities. It can report summary reports, weekly reports, monthly reports and yearly reports. Features to analyze your activities against your goals. And more... brake.doc About how to make your own brake booster. gtos91.doc A story from The Great Trial of Strength 1991. gtos92.doc Same, but for the 1992 trial. gtos93.doc For the 1993 trial. toj93.doc The Tour of Jotunheimen 1993 report. faq.* Answers to Rec.Bicycles' Frequently Asked Questions and Interesting Information (ASCII text format). velo.txt Description about Velocipede (TM) for Windows. velo*.zip Velocipede (TM) for Windows. Velocipede is a window based training log program based on the ideas in Bike Manager. Compared to Bike Manager, Velocipede offers a better user interface, graphic presentation and more. For more details, see file velo.txt. Velocipede is a shareware program. ------------------------------ Subject: 3.4 Posting Guidelines The rec.bicycles subgroups are described below - please try to post your article to the appropriate group. The newsgroups were designed to minimize cross posting, so please take the time to think about the most appropriate newsgroup and post your article there. Most postings to rec.bicycles should not be cross-posted to groups outside of rec.*. rec.bicycles: DO NOT USE THIS NEWSGROUP - it should have been dropped from news servers, having been replaced by rec.bicycles.misc. rec.bicycles.marketplace: Bicycles, components, ancillary equipment and services wanted or for sale, reviews of such things, places to buy them, and evaluations of these sources. Not for discussion of general engineering, maintenance, or repair -- see rec.bicycles.tech. rec.bicycles.tech: Techniques of engineering, construction, maintenance and repair of bicycles and ancillary equipment. Not for products or services offered or wanted -- see rec.bicycles.marketplace. rec.bicycles.rides: Discussions of tours and training or commuting routes. Not for disussion of general riding techniques -- see rec.bicycles.misc. rec.bicycles.soc: Social issues, cycling transportation advocacy, laws, conduct of riders and drivers; road hazards such as potholes, dogs, and sociopaths. rec.bicycles.racing: Race results, racing techniques, rules, and organizations. Not racing equipment -- see rec.bicycles.marketplace or rec.bicycles.tech. rec.bicycles.misc: General riding techniques, rider physiology, injuries and treatment, diets, and other cycling topics. rec.bicycles.off-road: Discussion of riding on unimproved roads, gravel, dirt, grass, sand, single track or 4x4 roads. Also discussion of environmental issues, trail issues, backcountry travel, how to handle conditions (technically and evo-sensitively), off-road magazines and other media. ------------------------------ Subject: 3.5 Electronic Mailing lists tandem@hobbes.ucsd.edu A mailing list for tandem bicycle enthusiasts. Suitable topics include questions and answers related to tandem componentry, riding technique, brands and equipment selection, prices, clubs, rides and other activities, cooperating on a section on tandems for the rec.bicycles.* FAQ, etc. For more information send mail to "listserv@hobbes.ucsd.edu" with the body of the message having the line "info tandem", or point your WWW client at , or finger tandem@hobbes.ucsd.edu. BOB is the Bridgestone Owner's Bunch, and this is the internet edition of it. This is a mailing list, not a newsletter, and has no connection with the real Bridgestone-sponsored BOB except in name and in spirit. Get more information by sending mail to bob-request@cs.washington.edu. HPV list The HPV list is for the discussion of issues related to the design, construction, and operation of human powered vehicles and closely related kin. (Hybrid human/electric, for example.) For further information, send a mail message containing the following single line in the message, to listserv@sonoma.edu: info hpv BICYCLE on LISTPROC@LISTPROC.NET The BICYCLE list was formed to provide a forum for cyclists to discuss all topics related to bicycles, mtn. biking, and cycling in general. This is NOT the place to discuss issues related to motorcycling. To subscribe to BICYCLE send the following command to LISTPROC@LISTPROC.NET in the BODY of e-mail: SUBSCRIBE BICYCLE real name For example: SUBSCRIBE BICYCLE John Doe Owner: Chris Tanski ctanski@quest.arc.nasa.gov BikeMidwest A new regional internet discussion group has been started to discuss bicycle advocacy issues in the midwest area. BikeMidwest was started to connect cyclists in L.A.W. Regions 6, 7, 8 and 9. That is, the states of Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri. Of course, people from outside this area are welcome to join. Subscriptions to the list are handled by a computer program called Majordomo. To subscribe, send a message with the following command in the body of the message to Majordomo@fuji.physics.indiana.edu: subscribe BikeMidwest Bicycle BBS BicycleBBS offers free access to cyclists. The # is 619-720-1830. The BBS is run by Neil Goren, Neil@BicycleBBS.Org. BicycleBBS also has a mailing list. Anyone can join by sending e-mail to: ARMBRC-request@BicycleBBS.Org and put "JOIN" in the text body anywhere. ------------------------------ Subject: 4 Rides ------------------------------ Subject: 4.1 Maps From: Jim Carson Updated-From: Joel Spolsky Adventure Cycling Association maps are not free, but you can get them without joining. To order stuff with Mastercard or Visa, you can call +1 (406) 721-1776 (24 hr). Maps are currently (Feb 1995) $8.95 each to "non-members," $5.95 each to "members." There are also small discounts for sets of maps and members in the continental US don't have to pay for surface shipping and handling. Scale of the maps is generally 1" = 4mi/6.4km. Certain areas are more detailed when necessary. I like the maps because they have lots of interesting features labeled (campgrounds, grocery stores, major changes in elevation, historical info about the region,...), they're printed on a water-resistant paper, and they fit nicely into a handlebar bag map case. As of Feb '95, there are three transcontinental (W-E) routes an east coast (N-S) route, a west coast route (N-S), and a middle route and numerous routes among the various parks in the western U.S. and Canada. Membership is $25 individual; $35 family; $19 for students/seniors. Lifetime is $475; $650 for couples. Members get copies of Adventure Cycling Association's magazine, Adventure Cyclist, published 9 times annually, a list of tours run by Adventure Cycling Association, and the annual _The Cyclists' Yellow Pages_. _The Cyclists' Yellow Pages_ provides *LOTS* of interesting information on touring and points of contact for more information about cycling and touring all over the world. (For example, they have an arrangement with The Netherlands Service Center for Tourism whereby you can purchase full-color, 21" x 38", 1:100k scale, Dutch-language maps.) Adventure Cycling Association's address and phone: Adventure Cycling Association (406) 721-1776, fax (406) 721-8754 PO Box 8308 Missoula, MT 59807-8308 ------------------------------ Subject: 4.2 Touring supplies From: Scott "gaspo" Gasparian Recently, I asked the group: what do you bring with you on medium trips? (medium being more than one nite, and less than a week). I received some excellent replies, a few great stories, and lots of things that I never would have thought of. (at least not until I needed that spare spoke that is). Ok, for all of you who don't know what to bring with you on that next medium trip... FOOD: Here, just whatever you normally consume. If you plan on staying in a hotel/B&B, then obviously 1 day's worth is enough. Standard things like power-bars and drink mixes should do the trick. Since I'm not going to BFE, I have no idea what to pack for a real "camp-out" type tour. This subject is enough for a discussion in itself, but I just eat what I want. CLOTHING: Almost everybody suggested something different, rangin from hi- tech bodysuits to cutoffs and T-shirts. However, everybody agreed on the indispensibleness (tm) of rain gear. Specifically, light waterproof pants and jacket are not only good for staying dry, but have a very high warmth/weight ratio. A spare change of skivies, and a pair of dry socks were also highly recomended. A pair of jeans or a "smushable outfit" can come in handy, but I usually smell so bad after a day of riding that anybody who is talking to me doesn't care what I wear. If it might be non-warm, a watch-cap or other non-helmet type hat can help. FIRST-AID: Outside of the standard band-aids/antiseptic-goop bit, sunscreen and bug-away topped the lists. Asprin or Ibuprofen and rolaids were mentioned, but I guess thats a personal thing, just like... TOILETRIES: I stick with: soap, toothbrush/paste, deodorant. That covers all I need, but everybody has different needs, and I'm not even gonna touch the "personal hygeine" stuff. A razor is handy too, it can help keep that road-rash dressing from ripping all your remaining hair out. MISC: I'll put the tent/pit stuff into this category. Robyn Stewart gave an excellent testamony to the uses of rope and tarps. A piece of rope stretched between two trees can keep the food above the critter-level, and can also provide a rudimentary tent with the aid of an old shower-curtain. Again, there is a whole area of discussion here on the pits and mattresses, but if it keeps you warm and dry, it works. TOOLS: Basically, this could be split into two different classes, with things like tire-kit being in the "fix it yourself" category, and other stuff like a chain remover tool is in the "how far will I be from civilization" range. This was what I really wanted to know about when I posted my request, so a little more info than the first groups. Most of this depends upon how much work _YOU_ do to your velo. If replacing spokes is trivial to you, then you already know what tools to bring. Also, wrenches and screwdrivers are very velo dependent: handy sizes for a MTB might be useless for a nice racer, and vice-versa. Tools that tune more than repair are also an individual call. I always carry a hex-wrench that fits my brake-shoe adjustment bolt, but never the larger one that actually removes the entire caliper. pump pressure gauge flat kit wrenches (sizes and type for your velo) hex(allen)-wrenches (sizes and type for your velo) chain tool chain links tire levers (plastic) spoke wrench safety wire duct tape zip ties SPARES: Again, these fall into "distance from civilization" categories. For example, that nut that connects your front mudguard to the forks is essential, but could be fixed with the safety wire until you find a velo-shop/store that might have a replacement. Then again, one little nut is easy on space/weight, and it may be hard to get a replacement if your velos measurements are non-standard. If you have a hard-time finding a replacement for that random part at your local store, bring one with you. inner tubes tire-boots brake shoes light bulbs spokes (labeled if different, tied to the frame) nuts and bolts for rack/fenders/etc. tire (if you're _really_ out there) toe-clip strap shoe-laces cable (especially if yours are longer than normal). cable housing (for the shimano special shifter ones) NIFTY IDEAS: Here are some of the better inside tips that I found both humorous and usefull.... mjohnsto@shearson.com (Mike Johnston) A sock (to keep tools inside and for keeping grease off my hands during rear wheel flats) s_kbca@dante.lbl.gov (Steve Kromer) The most important article to take along on a long ride seems to be faith. chris@wg.estec.esa.nl (chris rouch) 15cm of old tyre Robyn Stewart Enough money to get Greyhound home if something goes terribly wrong. sarahm@Cadence.COM bungie cords - you never know when you might want to get that set of six beer mugs as a souvenir and transport it on the back of your bike. cathyf@is.rice.edu (Catherine Anne Foulston) ZAP Sport Towel. I think it is really useful because you can get it wet and it still dries you. ------------------------------ Subject: 4.3 Taking a bike on Amtrak From: Carlos Martin The following article relates my own experience in taking a bike as luggage on the Amtrak in the summer of 1992. It is intended to offer advice to those who might choose to do the same, and is not intended to reflect the views or policies of Amtrak. For reference, I traveled from Trenton to Pittsburgh at the start of a tour. Traveling with a bike on Amtrak can be problem-free if you take a few precautions. Amtrak handles bikes at stations that check in baggage. (Smaller stations and some trains don't check baggage at all.) There is a $5 baggage fee for bikes, and it includes a box. Call the station several days before your trip and notify them that you will need a bicycle box. The box they provided was big enough to accomodate my relatively long-framed touring bike (Specialized Expedition) without taking off either wheel, and with room to spare lengthwise. You will, however, have to remove the pedals (even clipless ones) and turn the handlebars to fit the bike in the box. Plan on putting only the bike in the box - no helmet or panniers. (You may want to check with Amtrak on this point - they may not cover damages to the bike if you packed other stuff in the box.) Before leaving home for the station, loosen your pedals and stem enough to make sure you won't need heavy-duty tools at the station. Plan to arrive at the station one and a half hours before departure time - Amtrak wants all checked baggage at least a half hour before departure (they may tell you one hour). Don't forget to keep your tools handy. At the station, go to the baggage room, get your box and some tape from the attendant, remove the pedals, and loosen the stem bolt and the bolt that holds the handlebars in the stem. Hold the front wheel between your feet as you turn the handlebars parallel to the top tube. Roll the bike into the box and seal the ends. If everything goes smoothly, you can do the above packing in ten minutes. Now go have lunch before you get on the train unless you want to take your chances with train food. BTW, the trains are very roomy and comfortable, particularly if you are accustomed to traveling in airline cattle coaches. I would travel by Amtrak again in a similar situation. (The usual disclaimer applies: I have no connection to Amtrak, other than being a taxpaying subsidizer and occasional user of the rail system.) ------------------------------ Subject: 4.4 Warm Showers List From: Terry Zmrhal The Warm Showers List is a list of Internet Cyclists who have offered their hospitality towards touring cyclists. The extent of the hospitality depends on the host and may range from simply a spot to pitch a tent to meals, a warm (hot!) shower, and a bed. If you wish to obtain the list, please email me at terryz@microsoft.com. The actual Warm Showers list is not posted since it contains personal information (addresses, phone numbers, etc.). If you wish to be included on the Internet Warm Showers list, please answer the questions below my signature in return mail to me. I have also included in parenthesis a reason or two for the inclusion of each item based on my experiences two summers ago. Once I have received your information, I will add it to the list and then you will receive the complete list also. Thanks to All Terry Zmrhal terryz@microsoft.com 'The Horizon is but a line to be crossed, not a limit to be reached.' ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Name: (Who are you?) Email Address: (For pre-trip communication.) Non-Email Contact (Address, Phone, and/or Work Phone): (For communication once someone is traveling.) Nearest largest city (>50,000 people) (and state): (It's much easier to find a large city on a map than a small one, and some small ones aren=92t even on some maps!) Direction and Distance from above city: (Some cities are very large and getting through or around a city can be very difficult.) Will provide- Lawnspace (for tent or sleeping bag)? Floorspace (for sleeping bag)? Bed (Wow!)? (Cyclists' gotta sleep.) Food? (or distance to nearest grocery store or restaurant - if known) (Cyclists' gotta eat. You can provide as much, or as little, as you want.) Shower? (or distance to nearest motel - if known) (It can be a real boost to know shower is waiting at the end of the day?) Availability: (If only available some months, please indicate this, otherwise 'year- round'.) Cost to Cyclist, if any: (Do you wish any money for your hospitality? How much? (please, no more than $5-$10)) Preferred Notice: (Do you require advance notice? If so, how many days (weeks) notice?) Maximum Number of Cyclists: (You don't want a major tour coming through :-) Storage: (Is there a safe place to store bikes? If so, Storage for how many bikes?) Nearest Motel: (Distance, Cost - if known) (In case a host isn't home, for an emergency, etc.) Nearest Bike Shop: (Name, Phone, Distance, Reputation - if known) (In case bike repairs are needed - good to know where good shops are.) Any additional comments you would like each interested person to know before contacting you? ------------------------------ Subject: 5 Racing ------------------------------ Subject: 5.1 Tour de France Jerseys From: Chris Murphy Chauner and Halstead (1990) in "The Tour de France Complete Book of Cycling" explain: YELLOW Jersey -- Overall leader, first awarded during the 1919 race (TdF started in 1903); yellow to match the paper used to print L'Auto (Automobile Cyclisme), a French newspaper about bike racing. POLKADOT Jersey (White w/red dots) -- Best climber, determined by points scored by the first 3 to 15 riders finishing selected mountain stages (number of riders awarded points varies with the difficulty of the stage). First awarded 1933. GREEN Jersey -- Points jersey, usually won by sprinter-types, with points given to the first 25 riders to finish each stage. First awarded 1953. YELLOW Hats -- First place team, determined by combined elapsed times of the the team's top 3 riders. In the event of a rider leading the race and also deserving one of the other jerseys, the race leader wears yellow, and the 2nd place in the category wears the category jersey. ------------------------------ Subject: 5.2 Major Tour Winners 1947-1990 From: Tim Smith [Ed note: I'm hoping Tim won't be too upset if I add to the list he posted. I need some help filling in the last few years.] Winners of the Big Three National Tours -- Since 1947: Tour de France Giro d'Italia Vuelta d'Espana ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 1947 Jean Robic (F) Fausto Coppi (I) E. van Dyck (B) 1948 Gino Bartali (I) F. Magni (I) B. Ruiz (E) 1949 Fausto Coppi (I) F. Coppi (not held) 1950 Ferdi Kubler (CH) Hugo Koblet (CH) E. Rodriguez (E) 1951 Hugo Koblet (CH) F. Magni (nh) 1952 Fausto Coppi F. Coppi (nh) 1953 Louison Bobet (F) F. Coppi (nh) 1954 Louison Bobet C. Clerici (CH) (nh) 1955 Louison Bobet F. Magni J. Dotto (F) 1956 Roger Walkowiak (F) Charly Gaul (L) A. Conterno (I) 1957 Jacques Anquetil (F) Gastone Nencini (I) J. Lorono (E) 1958 Charly Gaul (L) E. Baldini (I) Jean Stablinski (F) 1959 Federico Bahamontes (E) Charly Gaul A. Suarez (E) 1960 Gastone Nencini (I) Jacques Anquetil (F) F. de Mulder (B) 1961 Jacques Anquetil A. Pambianco (I) A. Soler (E) 1962 Jacques Anquetil F. Balmamion (I) Rudy Altig (D) 1963 Jacques Anquetil F. Balmamion J. Anquetil (F) 1964 Jacques Anquetil Jacques Anquetil Raymond Poulidor (F) 1965 Felice Gimondi (I) V. Adorni (I) R. Wolfshohl (D) 1966 Lucien Aimar (F) Gianni Motta (I) F. Gabica (E) 1967 Roger Pingeon (F) Felice Gimondi (I) J. Janssen (NDL) 1968 Jan Janssen (NDL) Eddy Merckx (B) Felice Gimondi (I) 1969 Eddy Merckx (B) Felice Gimondi Roger Pingeon (F) 1970 Eddy Merckx Eddy Merckx Luis Ocana (E) 1971 Eddy Merckx Gosta Petersson (S) F. Bracke (B) 1972 Eddy Merckx Eddy Merckx J-M Fuente (E) 1973 Luis Ocana (E) Eddy Merckx Eddy Merckx (B) 1974 Eddy Merckx Eddy Merckx J-M Fuente 1975 Bernard Thevenet (F) F. Bertoglio (I) Tamames (E) 1976 Lucien van Impe (B) Felice Gimondi J. Pesarrodona (E) 1977 Bernard Thevenet Michel Pollentier (B) Freddy Maertens (B) 1978 Bernard Hinault (F) J. de Muynck (B) Bernard Hinault (F) 1979 Bernard Hinault Giuseppe Saronni (I) Joop Zoetemelk (NDL) 1980 Joop Zoetemelk (NDL) Bernard Hinault (F) F. Ruperez (E) 1981 Bernard Hinault Giovanni Battaglin (I) Giovanni Battaglin (I) 1982 Bernard Hinault Bernard Hinault Marino Lejarreta (E) 1983 Laurent Fignon (F) Giuseppe Saronni (I) Bernard Hinault (F) 1984 Laurent Fignon Francesco Moser (I) Eric Caritoux (F) 1985 Bernard Hinault Bernard Hinault Pedro Delgado (E) 1986 Greg Lemond (USA) Roberto Visentini (I) Alvaro Pino (E) 1987 Stephen Roche (EIR) Stephen Roche (EIR) Luis Herrera (Col.) 1988 Pedro Delgado (E) Andy Hampsten (USA) Sean Kelly (EIR) 1989 Greg Lemond (USA) Laurent Fignon (F) Pedro Delgado (E) 1990 Greg Lemond (USA) Guanni Bugno (I) Marco Giovanetti (I) 1991 Miguel Indurain (E) Franco Chioccioli (I) Melchior Mauri (E) 1992 Miguel Indurain (E) Miguel Indurain (E) Toni Rominger (CH) 1993 Miguel Indurain (E) Miguel Indurain (E) Toni Rominger (CH) 1994 Miguel Indurain (E) Eugeni Berzin (RUS) Toni Rominger(CH) 1995 Miguel Indurain (E) Toni Rominger (CH) The Tour started in 1903, and was not held 1915-1918 and 1940-1946. The Giro started in 1909, and was not held 1915-1918 and 1941-1945. Source: 1947-1982: "La Fabuleuse Histoire du Cyclisme" by Pierre Chany. 1982-1988: my fallible memory. Would someone complete 1983 and 1984, and correct any mistakes? Thanks. One interesting observation: almost all the winners of the Tour were big names in their time (yes, even Charly Gaul and Jean Robic.) There were no same-year winners of the Tour and the Giro before 1949. In fact, the first year a non-Italian won the Giro was 1950. ------------------------------ Subject: 5.3 Rating the Tour de France Climbs From: Bruce Hildenbrand One of the most frequently asked questions is how do the organizers determine the ratings for the climbs in the Tour de France(TIOOYK). The Tour organizers use two criteria 1) the length and steepness of the climb and 2) the position of the climb in the stage. It is important to note several things before this discussion begins. First, the organizers of the Tour have been very erratic in their classifications of climbs. The north side of the Col de la Madeleine has flip-flopped between a Category 1 to an Hors Category climb, even though it seems to be in the same position of a stage every year. Secondly, rating inflation, so rampant in other sports has raised its ugly head here. Climbs that used to be Category 2 are now Category 1, even though, like the Madeleine, they occupy the same position in a stage year after year. Let's talk about the ratings. I will give you my impressions on what I think the criteria are for rating the climbs based on having ridden over 75 of the rated climbs in the major European tours. Note that gradual climbs do not receive grades. It has been my observation that about a 4% grade is necessary for a climb to get rated. Also, a climb must gain at least 100m for it to be rated. Category 4 - the lowest category, climbs of 300-1000 feet(100-300m). Category 3 - climbs of 1000-2000 feet(300-600m). Category 2 - climbs of 2000-3500 ft.(600-1100m) Category 1 - climbs of 3500-5000ft(1100-1500m) Hors Category - the hardest, climbs of 5000ft+(1500m+) Steepness also plays a factor in the rating. Most of the big climbs in the Alps average 7-8% where the big climbs in the Pyrenees average 8-9%. Please remember that I am giving very, very rough guidelines and that there are exceptions to every rule. For example, L'Alpe D'Huez climbs 3700ft(1200m), but is an Hors Category climb. This is because it usually comes at the end of a very tough stage and the climb itself is unusually steep(~9%) by Alpine standards. More confusing is the Col de Borderes, a mere 1000ft(300m) climb outside of Arrens in the Pyrenees mountains. I have seen it rated anywhere from a Category 3 to a Category 1!!! This is most likely due again, to its placement on the stage. The Category 3 rating came when it was near the beginning of a stage where its Category 1 rating came when it was near the end. Flat or downhill sections can also affect a climb's rating. Such sections offer a rest to the weary and can reduce the difficulty of the climb considerably. This may be one of the reasons that the aforementioned Col de la Madeleine, which has a 1 mile downhill/ flat section at mid-height, flip-flops in its rating. I am often asked how climbs in the United States compare to those in Europe. Most of the US climbs are either short, but steep enough by European standards(6-8% grade) to fall into the Category 3 or possibly 2, or the climbs gain enough altitude, but are too long(they average <5%) so again they would fail to break the Category 1 barrier and end up most likely a Category 2 or 3. Fear not, there are exceptions. Most notable to Californains is the south side of Palomar Mountain which from Poma Valley climbs 4200' in 11 miles, a true category 1 ascent. A popular Northern California climb, Mount Hamilton, is similar to Palomar Mountain but, fails to be a Category 1 climb because of two offending downhill section on the ascent. For Coloradoans, you can thank the ski industry for creating long, but relatively gradual climbs that rarely exceed 5% for any substantial length(5+ miles). I never had to use anything bigger than a 42x23 on any climb in Colorado, regardless of altitude. Gear ratios of 39x24 or 26 are commonplace in the Alps and Pyrenees and give a very telling indication as to the difficulty of European climbs. One potential category 1 climb for Coloradoans may be the 4000 ft. climb in about 15 miles from Ouray to the top of Red Mountain Pass. Also, remember we are rating only paved(i.e. asphalt) roads. Dirt roads vary considerably in their layout, condition and maintenance because there really are no guidelines for their construction. This makes it difficult to compare these climbs and inappropriate to lump them with paved roads. One last note. I think it is inappropriate to compare the ascents of climbs by the European pros with the efforts of us mere mortals. I have said this time and time again and I will repeat it now. It is very, very hard for the average person to comprehend just how fast the pros climb the big passes. Pace makes all the difference. Riding a climb is very different than racing it. Bruce ------------------------------ Subject: 6 Social ------------------------------ Subject: 6.1 Bicycling in America From: Jobst Brandt (or How to survive on a bicycle) In America, bicycling appears to be an unacceptable activity for adults. It is viewed as a pastime reserved for children (people who are not old enough to drive cars). Adults who sense that they are violating this stricture, excuse their bicycling by representing it as the pursuit of physical fitness. They refer to their bicycling as training rides. Rarely do you hear a cyclist say "we were bicycling" but rather "we were on a training ride". Certainly most of these people never race although one might assume, by implication, that their other rides are races. Some also refer to themselves as serious cyclists, a term used to describe those who, typically, keep track of pedaling cadence and other bicycling statistics, thereby giving proof that they are not engaged in child's play. In contrast, Europeans seem able to accept bicycling as a proper activity for all ages. That is to say, motorists do not treat bicyclists with apartheid and bicyclists do not feel the need to justify their pursuit as anything other than bicycling, for whatever reason. In Europe cadence on speedometers is an un-marketable function for unexplained reasons, however, one could imagine that for the average cyclist it is a useless statistic, except for those on "training rides". With this perception of bicycling in America, non cyclists and some occasional cyclists are offended by others who bicycle on public roads in the presence of automobile traffic. "Get the f#%k off the road!" and similar epithets are heard from drivers, some of whose cars are equipped with bike racks. It is similar to gay bashing; by expressing public outrage they demonstrate abhorrence of unacceptable behavior. The same is true of bicyclists who deride others in public for not wearing a helmet. Aggressive self righteousness is probably a fitting description. Another motive behind such behavior may be a sense of dissatisfaction with ones life. Anyone who is perceived as having fun, or at least more fun than the subject, needs to be brought down a notch. Psychologists who have interviewed youths that go "wilding" have gotten responses to the effect that "my life is terrible and I can't stand people who are having fun". So these youths attack others and beat them bloody. In a manner that may not make sense to others, they bring their victims down a notch to achieve parity. There is little doubt that bicycling has its hazards. You can fall by running into a pothole or an obstacle, by riding into a grating, or falling on loose gravel or a slick manhole cover. There are enough hazards without the threat of being run down by a car. However, the whole sport loses its appeal when motorists, who believe that adult bicycling is offensive, actively engage in making it a deadly endeavor. The scenario: In a typical encounter a driver says to his passenger "You see that guy on the bicycle? That's a dangerous place to ride." while slicing within inches of the cyclist. The passenger is truly impressed with the danger of bicycling, especially in the presence of this driver. I don't understand how drivers justify such behavior but I think I know what is going on. Examples: o The buzz and swerve routine: A driver slices dangerously close even though there is no opposing traffic. Then he drifts to the edge of the pavement to make clear how far he went out of his way for the cyclist. The desired path was even nearer the road shoulder than at the passing point. The buzz and swerve is executed equally well consciously and subconsciously. o Center court, extra point: The car, on a visibly empty stretch of road, travels perfectly centered between the median and edge stripes, even when this requires passing within inches of a cyclist. It appears that the driver is awarding himself points for not flinching when passing cyclists and extra points for proximity. In the event of a collision it is, of course, the cyclist who swerved unexpectedly. The precision with which the driver executes this maneuver, in spite of the danger, makes the center court game conspicuous. People generally don't drive exactly centered in a lane, especially when there is an obstacle. o Honk and slice: The buzz and swerve or center court routine can be enhanced by honking a single one second blast. This is usually done at a far greater distance than a sincere warning toot; about 200 yards works best. This is a great crutch for the driver who subsequently collides with the cyclist. "But I warned him!" o The trajectory intercept: A car is traveling on a road that crosses the cyclists path at right angles. The car and bike are equally distant from the intersection but at different speeds. With skill, the driver of the car can slow down at a rate that lets him arrive at the intersection at precisely the same time as the cyclist. The bicyclist who has a stop sign may now come to a complete stop and wait for the driver who is only looking out for the cyclist's safety. If the cyclist doesn't stop, the driver honks and yells something about breaking the law. Extra points are gained by offering the right of way to the cyclist, in spite of moving traffic in the adjacent lanes. o The contrived hindrance: A driver refuses to pass a cyclist on a two lane road until the passenger asks how much longer they must follow this bicyclist, or until the following cars begin to honk. Then, regardless of visibility or oncoming traffic, an inopportune pass is executed after which each of following drivers makes it clear when passing that it was the cyclist who was responsible for the near collision. o The rear-ender: While riding down a mountain road, the cyclist catches up with a car that notices his rapid approach. If an oncoming car approaches the driver slows down, obviously for safety sake, and then suddenly slams on the brakes when there is no place for the cyclist to go. Bicycles cannot stop as fast as cars since cars can safely skid the front wheels but bicycles can't. This game is the more dangerous variation of speeding up every time the cyclist tries to pass but to drive as slowly as possible everywhere else. One explanation for these maneuvers is that the driver recalls that riding in the mountains was always too hard and riding down hill was scary. This cyclist can't do what I couldn't do and I'll show him a thing or two. Thus the driver proves to himself that not riding in the hills was for safety's sake, it had nothing to do with physical ability. It fits into the " I'll teach that smartass a lesson. There is little risk for the car because in a rear-end collision the vehicle behind is, with few exceptions, found at fault. So why does all this go on and on? It is not as though they are all hostile drivers; some are just frustrated drivers. They may still be getting even for some bicycle accident they had in their youth and don't want others to get off any easier. Some are angry at having to spend the time behind the wheel while other "irresponsible adults" are playing on their bicycles. I believe the meanest ones are insecure people who don't feel as though they are accomplishing what they expect of themselves and don't like to see others have it any better. Many drivers believe that the only part of the road to which a bicyclist is entitled is the road shoulder, unless it occurs to the driver to use that part too. A bike rack on a car may lead you to believe that the driver has a pro bicycle attitude. Some people use bike racks to transport family bicycles to a park where they can be ridden safely without venturing onto dangerous roads; roads that are meant for cars. Among these people are some of the strongest opponents of general bicycling. They take refuge in the belief that, if they should run you down while playing center court, it would prove that you should bicycle as they do, and not get in the way of cars. What to do? Don't fuel the flames. Don't return the rudeness that is dished out. Take legal action where appropriate (and possible). Don't posture in traffic drawing attention to some undefined superiority to people who sit in cars. Don't balance on your bike or ride in circles in front of cars waiting at a red light. Don't make moves in traffic that are either discourteous, or at best, awkward but legal. If you hear loud knobby tires coming, believe it! That guy in the extra tall pickup truck with the all terrain tires, dual roll bars and multiple searchlights is not a friend of yours coming close to say hello. Give him room. ------------------------------ Subject: 6.2 League of American Bicyclists From: Erin O'Brien The League of American Bicyclists, (founded as the League of American Wheelmen) has been working to improve the quality of bicycling in America almost as long as there have been bicycles. In the 1870s the forefathers of bicycling banded together to lobby the government for more paved roads and to put a stop to antagonistic acts from other road-users. United in 1880 as the League of American Bicyclists, their mission has carried on throughout the history of bicycling. Fashioned after "The Good Roads Movement" of the 1880's, our current agenda is embodied by the L.A.W. Safe Roads Movement, a comprehensive program that aims to reduce the number of injuries and deaths to cyclists. Highlights of this 10-pointaction plan include educating bicyclists and other road users about thei rights and responsibilities to safely share the road, and promoting the improvement of road design and maintenance to better accommodate bicycles. The League's Effective Cycling program is making great strides to advance this agenda. Taught by certified instructors, it is the only national bicycling education program that combines the technical training needed to safely negotiate any traffic situation, with the principles of safe, responsible riding. L.A.W. sponsors National Bike Month (May), which serves to promote the various aspects of bicycling. In 1992, L.A.W. founded The International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA) to address the growing need for information, assistance, and training to start-up bicycle-mounted police patrols. L.A.W. played an instrumental role in the passage of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Equity Act of 1991 (ISTEA), federal legislation allowing both for increased spending on bicycling improvements and for bicyclists to participate in local transportation planning. L.A.W. also publishes the bi-monthly Bicyclist Advocacy Bulletin, which provides the most comprehensive, bicycle advocacy and planning information and advice available in the nation. In between advocacy and education efforts, L.A.W. manages to find time to enjoy bicycling. L.A.W.'s national and regional rallies bring together members from all over the U.S.A. and Canada for great riding and entertainment, daily workshops include, advocacy, safety, club leadership, cycling techniques, and more. Pedal for Power, another division of L.A.W., hosts Across America and North-Southa rides that raise money for bicycling and various charities of the rider's choice. Eight issues per year of Bicycle USA magazine to keep members up to date on League activities. Regular features include effective cycling tips, Government Relations and Education columns, cycle news, and an event calendar. Special issues include an annual Almanac and Tourfinder. L.A.W. offers national touring services to members including Ride Information Contacts in every state. While touring, members can also stay in the homes of more than 600 fellow members, free of charge, through the Hospitality Homes network. League members can fly their bikes for free on TWA, America West, USAir, Continental, and Northwest airlines when they make their travel arrangements through the Sports National Reservation Center. L.A.W. is a 501c-3 non-profit organization with membership of more than 24,000 bicyclists and 500 affiliated clubs and coalitions nationwide. Individual membership costs $25/year or $30 for families. Advocacy membership, which includes the bi-monthly Bicyclist Advocacy Bulletin costs an additional $10/year. To join the League of American Bicyclists send your membership contribution to 190 W. Ostend St., Suite 120, Baltimore, MD 21230-3755, or call (410) 539-3399. For membership by phone call 1-800-288-BIKE. For a membership form to pay by credit card see the "How to Join League" file. ------------------------------ Subject: 6.3 Rules for trail riding From: Roland L. Behunin The Salt Lake Ranger District of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest has some guidelines for trail riding in their district. Here they are: 1. Yield the right of way to other non-motorized recreationists. People judge all cyclists by your actions. Move off the trail to allow horse to pass and stop to allow hikers adequate room to share the trail. 2. Slow down and use caution when approaching another and make your presence known well in advance. Simply yelling bicycle is not acceptable. 3. Maintain control of your speed at all times and approach turns anticipation of someone around the bend. Be able to stop safely within the distance you can see down the trail. 4. Stay on designated trails to avoid trampling native vegetation, and minimize potential erosion by not using wet or muddy trails or shortcutting switchbacks. Avoid wheel lockup. If a trail is steep enough to require locking wheels and skidding, dismount and walk your bike. Locking brakes contributes to needless trail damage. Do not ride cross-country. Water bars are placed across to direct water off the trail and prevent erosion. Ride directly over the top, or dismount and walk your bike. 5. Do not disturb wildlife or livestock. 6. Do not litter. Pack out what you pack in and carry out more than your share whenever possible. 7. Respect public and private property, including trail use signs, no trespassing signs, and leave gates as you found them. If your route crosses private property, it is your responsibility to obtain permission from the landowner. Bicycles are excluded from designated Wilderness Areas. 8. Always be self sufficient. Your destination and travel speed will be determined by your ability, your equipment, the terrain, and the present and potential weather conditions. 9. Do not travel solo in remote areas. Leave word of your destination and when you plan to return. 10. Observe the practice of minimum impact bicycling. "Take only pictures and leave only waffle prints." 11. Always wear a helmet. 12. If you abuse it-you lose it!. Since mountain bikers are newcomers to the forests, they must prove to be responsible trail users. From personal experience, you may also want to add the following information: 13. In National Parks and National Monuments bicycles are considered vehicles and restricted to roads. 14. On BLM land - ride only on roadways, trails, and slickrock. The desert crust (microbiotic crust) is fragile and takes up to 50 years to recover from footprints, waffle tracks, etc. 15. When camping out of improved campsites camp at least 500 feet off the road or trail. Try to leave no trace of your campsite. 16. Toilets in unimproved areas - move off trail, and dig a 1 foot deep pit, cover after use. ------------------------------ Subject: 6.4 Commuting - Is it possible for me to commute by bike? From: royce@ug.eds.com (Royce Myers) Not everyone can commute to work on a bicycle. Some people can't cycle to work in a reasonable time because of their fitness or because they live too far away. Other people need their cars for their jobs, or take children to school. Some employers frown on bicycle commuting, and don't provide any facilities. All these obstacles can be surmounted. If you want to commute by bike, you will find a way to do it. A few facilities at your workplace can make commuting easier. Minimally there should be racks in a well trafficked area. Some business will let you park them in your cube, and others might provide a closet or unused room to store them. My company provides enclosed lockers. If theft is a significant danger, consider buying a second, inexpensive bike to be used only for commuting. If your commute is short, and the dress code where you work is relaxed, you won't need to change or clean up after getting to work. The rest of us need to prepare for work. Every workplace has a bathroom where a sponge bath and change is possible. If you're lucky (like me) there's showers and lockers. If your ride makes you sweat a lot, and there is no way to take a shower at work, look around for a nearby gym. Sometimes you can arrange to change and shower there, then walk or ride slowly to work. If you want to get a workout, but there's nowhere to clean up at work, try getting your workout on the way home, making little or no effort on the way to work. If your ride is too long for a round trip, and there's no place to park, put your bike in your car and drive to work on Monday. Monday night, ride home. Tuesday morning ride to work and put your bike in the car. If you're tired Tuesday night, drive home. If there is a vanpool to work, get the vanpool driver to mount racks. Then you can take the vanpool in the morning and ride home in the afternoon. Some people reduce the length of their commute by driving to a "park and ride" area, then riding in from there. Another way to solve a long commute is to find out about bicycle accommodation on buses or other public transportation. Many people use a combination of bikes and buses, subways, or trains to make a long commute possible. Racks, bags and panniers: Some people drive in clothes once a week and buy lunch at work so they don't need to carry much on their bikes. Others need something to carry paperwork, lunch and clothes. A lot of commuters use knapsacks rather than putting racks on a bike, but this raises their center of gravity and increases wind resistance. Racks can be put on any bike, and they come in handy for running errands, touring and unsupported rides. If you're looking for a commuting bike, get one with rack eyelets on the frame for convenience. Another alternative are touring saddle bags, which are hard to find but are very handy on bikes without racks. Get your bike in shape. Replace tires which have cracked sidewalls, or worn casing. Carry a flat kit, a spare tube and enough tools to fix a flat. If you're not mechanically inclined, have a bike shop tune up your bike. Check every part of the drivetrain for lubrication and wear. Make sure your wheels are true, and that the hubs are lubricated and adjusted properly. Contributors: [I did not retain the mail address of contributors who posted to the group without a sig; also, I may have missed some posts that weren't emailed to me] drobinso@mendel.une.edu.au ilana@niwot.scd.ucar.EDU burrows@bcu.ubc.ca jlbell@presto.eecs.umich.edu jones@greg.cs.usu.edu banders@netcom.com curt@cynic.portal.ca doosh@netcom.com "td" "Robert" ae505@yfn.ysu.edu cs4601ah@coral.cs.unm.edu tbd@dfw.net timlee@netcom.com ------------------------------ Subject: 6.5 Commuting - How do I choose a route? From: royce@ug.eds.com (Royce Myers) According to the U.S. Uniform Vehicle Code, drivers of bicycles have the same rights, and the same responsibilities, as drivers of other vehicles. This means that commuters may use any road, street or highway they want, and that they must obey traffic laws. Some states vary from the UVC, and of course, some countries treat bicycles diffently than the US does. John Forester, in his book Effective Cycling, suggests that all cyclists use the following traffic principles: "1. Ride on the right-hand side of the road, not on the left and never on the sidewalk. [Note: this is specific to those countries which drive on the right hand side of the road, like the US. In countries like the UK, you should ride on the left side of the road.] 2. When approaching a road that is larger than the one you are on, or has more or faster traffic, you must yield to traffic on that road. Yielding means looking and waiting until you see that no traffic is coming. 3. When preparing to move laterally on a roadway, you must yield to traffic in that line of travel. Yielding means looking forward and backward to see that no traffic is in that line of travel. 4. When approaching an intersection, you must choose your position according to your destination. Right-turning drivers are at the curb, left turning drivers are at the center, while straight-through drivers are between them. 5. Between intersections, you choose your position according to your speed relative to other traffic. Parked ones are at the curb, medium-speed drivers are next to them, while fastest drivers are near the center of the road." Transportational cyclists want to maximize safety and minimize time. Usually the most direct route between the cyclist and work will be the best choice, but other factors may come into play. Facilities: Multi-use paths (trails shared with bicycles, pedestrians, skaters and sometimes horses) are less safe than the road, according to a recent study published in the Institute for Transportation Engineers journal; this kind of facility is more likely to send cyclists to the hospital than comparable streets. Pedestrians, pets and skaters are unpredictable and require more skill to pass safely. Sidepath intersections are very dangerous because motorists don't expect vehicular cross traffic. Roads with wide curb lanes are safer than narrow roads, but narrow roads may be ridden safely by using an entire lane. Bike lanes may be as safe as the same width roads without lanes as long as the rider is competent to avoid their dangers (e.g., they direct cyclists into right turn lanes, when the cyclist should normally ride to the left of the right turn lane). In California, cyclists traveling at less than the speed of traffic must remain in the bike lane unless preparing for a left turn or avoiding a hazard, like parked cars, a slower cyclist, rough pavement or debris. Traffic: even though arterials usually faster and more convenient than side streets, riding on side streets may be more enjoyable due to lower traffic noise and better scenery. Some cyclists are willing to ride the Huntington Beach multi-use path during the summer even though the fastest safe speed is 5mph. The view is very nice. The compromise among pleasure, safety and time is yours. Once you set your priorities, scout a few routes. Get the best street map you can find and highlight streets that you like. US Geological Survey maps (1:24000 scale) also show the hills, which is handy. They're beautiful maps, too. They look nice on a wall. Contributors: [I did not retain the mail address of contributors who posted to the group without a sig; also, I may have missed some posts that weren't emailed to me] drobinso@mendel.une.edu.au ilana@niwot.scd.ucar.EDU burrows@bcu.ubc.ca jlbell@presto.eecs.umich.edu jones@greg.cs.usu.edu banders@netcom.com curt@cynic.portal.ca doosh@netcom.com "td" "Robert" ae505@yfn.ysu.edu cs4601ah@coral.cs.unm.edu tbd@dfw.net timlee@netcom.com ------------------------------ Subject: 6.6 Commuting - Do I really need to look that goofy? From: royce@ug.eds.com (Royce Myers) Before I started cycling I had no idea why cyclists wore such silly looking clothes. Now I know why, but I still think we look silly. The value of using cycling clothes on a commute depends on the length of the commute. It is hardly worth it to ride 1 mile to work in cycling clothes and then change to regular clothes at work, but 20 miles is a different story. How to dress for the road, from the ground up: 1. Shoes: if you have a short commute with little climbing, virtually any kind of shoes and socks will do. I have seen commuters wearing cowboy boots moving at around 15 mph. If you expect to exert yourself for any length of time, some trade-offs should be considered. Socks made of cotton will retain moisture, while polyester type socks (e.g., Coolmax) will wick moisture and encourage it to evaporate. Cycling shoes are stiffer than casual or dress shoes, so transmitting energy to the pedal is more efficient. On the other hand, they are not comfortable to wear off the bike, so a change of shoes is necessary at work. For most of us, this is not a problem because shoes take up little space and can be left at the office. There are a range of options in cycling shoes, depending on your pedal choice. A note about pedals: - Flat pedals allow easy on-off and may be used with any shoes. If you hit a bump your feet may leave the pedals, which can result in loss of balance and a crash. - Toe clips and straps keep your feet on the pedals. They are designed to be used with cycling shoes, either touring shoes, which have a sole designed to hook onto a pedal, or racing shoes, which have cleats that lock the cyclist to the pedal and improve efficiency. Many people consider clips and straps to be obsolete, but they are a low cost way to improve your efficiency. They will work adequately with street shoes and hiking boots, which some people consider an advantage. - Clipless pedals attach your shoes to the pedals similar to the way skis attach to boots. With practice you can step in and out of them as easily as flat pedals, but they are more efficient than toe clips. These pedals require shoes that are compatible, and are much more expensive than toe clips. I use the SPD style of clipless pedals, which has a recessed cleat allowing you to walk around off the bike. I wouldn't recommend extensive walking in these shoes, but they are perfect for what I need. - Some pedals are flat on one side and clipless on the other, which allows the rider to choose to wear cleated shoes for performance or regular shoes for utility trips. - An adapter is available for some clipless pedals that will turn them into flat pedals with toe-clips. 2. Shorts: Casual cyclists ride at low speeds, at low RPMs, for short distances so no special shorts are necessary. If you ride for any distance you will need to develop a high RPM (80 - 110) for efficiency. When your legs are moving that fast, baggy clothes will chafe, as will the the seams in ordinary underwear, so you'll need something clingy like lycra. And if you exert yourself, you will need to have some kind of liner in these shorts to wick moisture from your privates. Bicycle shorts are meant to be worn with no underwear; they are usually made out of lycra and are lined with wicking pads. A good pair of bike shorts makes long rides a pleasure; in fact, I never get on my bike without them. 3. Jerseys and shirts: Cotton retains moisture, so if you sweat, cotton will keep it next to your skin, making you feel sticky and soggy. Yecch. Polyester fabrics are designed to wick moisture away from you and allow it to evaporate quickly. Bicycle jerseys are made out of polyester, and are cut longer in the back because cyclists usually ride leaning forward to reduce air resistance. Also, jerseys normally have two or three pockets in the back, handy for carrying a handkerchief, banana, etc. When I take my kids on rides I'll wear a tee shirt because I'm not going to sweat much, but I always wear a jersey on my commute. Some people like cotton and other natural fibers because they don't retain odors as much as the polyester fabrics. In cool weather, wool is ideal. 4. Gloves: gloves will make your commute much more comfortable, and will offer some protection in a crash. Long fingered gloves really help you stay warm when it's chilly. 5. Eyewear: If you are commuting at dawn or dusk, you should consider wearing clear glasses to protect your eyes from debris kicked up by cars and wind. In daylight, sunglasses are a necessity to protect against UV as well as road hazards. 6. Helmet: A helmet offers some protection in a crash, but the best way to survive a crash is to learn to avoid falling in the first place. I wear one, but I don't think it's some kind of magic talisman. 7. Other equipment: If there are unpredictable rains in your area, carry rain gear. The articles on riding in the winter are availble through ftp from: ftp://draco.acs.uci.edu/pub/rec.bicycles/wintertips ftp://draco.acs.uci.edu/pub/rec.bicycles/wintertips.pam If you might work late, carry a light. Articles on lights are available through ftp from: ftp://draco.acs.uci.edu/pub/rec.bicycles/arnie.light ftp://draco.acs.uci.edu/pub/rec.bicycles/lights ftp://draco.acs.uci.edu/pub/rec.bicycles/lights2 Contributors: [I did not retain the mail address of contributors who posted to the group without a sig; also, I may have missed some posts that weren't emailed to me] drobinso@mendel.une.edu.au ilana@niwot.scd.ucar.EDU burrows@bcu.ubc.ca jlbell@presto.eecs.umich.edu jones@greg.cs.usu.edu banders@netcom.com curt@cynic.portal.ca doosh@netcom.com "td" "Robert" ae505@yfn.ysu.edu cs4601ah@coral.cs.unm.edu tbd@dfw.net timlee@netcom.com ------------------------------ Subject: 6.7 Commuting - Do cyclists breathe more pollution than motorists? From: royce@ug.eds.com (Royce Myers) The sources for this information vary in credibility, but most of it comes directly from published studies or other reputable sources like the Berkeley Wellness letter. 1. Exercise will extend your life by about the amount of time you spend doing it. So if you spend an hour on your bike, you've added an hour to your life. 2. Drivers of cars are exposed to up to eighteen times more pollution than "ambient air", approximately 300 feet from the road. Cyclists share the road with cars, but they do not trap pollutants, and they take air in at a much higher position than cars (assuming a diamond frame) so... 3. Cyclists breathe approximately 1/2 as much pollution than cars (this appears to be _per breath_). 4. Over _time_, a cyclist will breathe much more than a sedentary driver, since the cyclist is using more than twice as much air. Athletes appear to be very sensitive to foul air. 5. In general, cycling takes longer than driving, so the bike commuter may be exposed to pollution for longer periods of time. 6. A UK study found that cyclists had 1/2 the blood level of CO that drivers did after traveling along a ten mile stretch of congested road. 7. CO blood levels may be less of a problem than inhaled particulates, which are much harder to measure. Masks make breathing difficult if they are properly sealed, and are ineffective if they are not sealed. As a result, the health advantages of commuting by bike depend on several key factors: 1. Would you exercise anyway? That is, would you drive to the gym and ride a stationary bike in relatively clean air if you weren't commuting in traffic. 2. How hard do you ride? The harder you ride, the more air -- and therefore pollution -- you take in. But then the better the training effect will be, so if you don't do any other exercise, this is a wash. 3. How long is your drive compared to your ride? If it takes significantly more time to ride, you may be exposed to more pollution. 4. What kind of car? An open air Jeep would take in and trap less pollution than a sedan. The health effects of exercise far outweigh any additional health dangers from pollution. If you would exercise anyway, though, commuting may not in your best interest. If you commute on low volume side streets, or on sidepaths, pollution might not get you, but other hazards might. Here is a rationalization for those of us who want to believe that cyclists get less pollution than motorists: One thing I've noticed about my commute: when I drive, I am _always_ surrounded by traffic. All us cars meet at the light and move from light to light more or less together. When I ride my bike, I meet cars at lights, but I don't spend a lot of time around them when they're rushing past me to get to the next light. The vast majority of time is spent between packs of cars, without much motor traffic. Since I'm not around cars very much I can believe: - I am breathing more garbage than a motorist when I'm in traffic - I am breathing less garbage than a motorist when I'm not in traffic - I am not in traffic far more often Therefore: I am probably getting less pollution on the bike than in my car! Contributors: [I did not retain the mail address of contributors who posted to the group without a sig; also, I may have missed some posts that weren't emailed to me] drobinso@mendel.une.edu.au ilana@niwot.scd.ucar.EDU burrows@bcu.ubc.ca jlbell@presto.eecs.umich.edu jones@greg.cs.usu.edu banders@netcom.com curt@cynic.portal.ca doosh@netcom.com "td" "Robert" ae505@yfn.ysu.edu cs4601ah@coral.cs.unm.edu tbd@dfw.net timlee@netcom.com ------------------------------ Subject: 7 Marketplace ------------------------------ Subject: 7.1 Marketplace hints/guidelines From: Jim Siler : Are people really willing to pay 10% less for a "nearly new" MTB when : they : a) often have no assurance that it really hasn't been used : (except of course someone's word) : b) may have to buy, unseen. : c) may not get a transferable waranty on the MTB I think that in general, many people are acutely aware of what they spent for a thing and are woefully unaware of how much value that thing lost when they walked out of the store. Let's assume for a moment that I buy an XTR rear derailleur in my local shop (good practice, worth some added cost) for $100. I use it for a week, and trash my frame and want to part it out. Hmmm... this was $100 new and its only a week old, virtually new. Let's ask $90 o.b.o. and see what happens. Now I change roles and become the buyer. I go to my local bike shop, where I trust the owner and am willing to pay a premium, but no XTR rear derailleur. Next stop mail order. Everyone but everyone has it for $80, plus shipping, but less tax. They will take a credit card. The unit is warrantied, in the box, with instructions (the value of which should not be underesimated). Given this I am unlikeley to even consider the used part. But let's suppose I offer $75, and send off my money order, sight unseen. What can happen? 1 -- It never arrives. After a number of hassles and excuses I realize that there is a major problem. Email stops being returned. I contact his sysadm, who can't do much. I publicly flame him, starting one more interminable flame war. Eventually I either get my $75 bucks back or not. Even if I get the derailleur (remeber, the original object was the derailleur) I have bought myself hundreds of dollars worth of aggravation. 2 -- It arrives and looks like hell. C'est la vie. 3 -- I arrives and one week later it is obvious that something is seriously wrong. No amount of adjustment will cause it to shift reliably for any length of time. See 2, above. 4 -- While waiting for arrival i trash MY frame. Derailleur arrives. Sadly, I have nothing to hang it on. See 2, above. Let's run through the same scenarios having purchased through mail order, using a credit card. 1 -- I don't pay. If they get pissy about it I do too. As most mail order houses have, at best, a fragile relationship with Mastecard/Visa (it is VERY difficult to open a merchant account to accept credit cards over the phone for mail order, so difficult that many use their in store accounts, faking signatures) and are dependent on that relationship to stay in business, they tend to become most reasonable when you make real noise with the credit card company. 2 -- Unlikely, as goods should be new. See 1, above. 3 -- Warranty problem. If you have a good local dealer, you would have been better off there. If you have a so-so dealer you may well be better off through mail order. Worse comes to worst, see 1, above. 4 -- Worst case, you eat a restocking fee. In general, I would be hesitant to buy anything here for much more than 60% of its mail order price, unless the product is exactly what I want and all else is right. I have bought two things this year through this group, a GT Zaskar LE frame, new in the box with slight cosmetic ding for $350 (negotiated from $375) and a Flashlite 2 tent with a tiny hole, professionally repaired, for $100. Both carried resonable prices in the original post, offered to pay the shipping, and clearly spelled out the possible problems with the product for sale. Both sales were satisfactory to all involved, and I am delighted with both. I have seen many other Items for sale that I have wanted and bought elsewhere because the posted prices were so ridiculous that I had no basis for negotiation. Typically, these are reposted with sad wonderings as to why no one has responded. C'est la vie. In general, I think that anyone wanting to move something quickly through posting should do the following: Be realistic with price. Look at the true market value of your goods. It is not what you paid. You are going to take a loss. If your fork, which was the hottest thing in July of this year, cost you $600 in a store is not any better than the new $375 fork that is available in December, its market value is certainly no more than $375, if it is new. Unless limited availability takes it out of the commodity realm (e.g., my Zaskar frame with blemish had only limited availibility) knock off 40% of the realistic market value. Our fork is now down to $225. If this makes you too queasy, up it a bit and throw in shipping, say $275 with U.P.S. ground shipping, hmmm... not too bad. Clearly state everything of importance to the buyer, good and bad. This will avoid later hassles, and greatly increase your trust factor. Don't initially offer at an inflated price, thinking to negotiate down (remember back to Onza Clipless Pedals for sale flame war). It just makes it clear to an intellegent buyer that you are hoping to find a sucker, and will take whatever advantage you can. This may not be true, but it will be clear, nonetheless. Trust factor goes down the toilet. Make phone contact as soon as possible. A human voice is often more comforting than an email address. To anyoune who has read this far, thanks for putting up with my rambling and opining. ------------------------------ Subject: 7.2 Bike Trailers [Ed note: The posting I saved on bike trailers is over 145k bytes, so if you want a copy see the section on "Archives".] ------------------------------ Subject: 7.3 One Less Car T-Shirts From: Alayne McGregor (Ed Ravin panix!eravin@cmcl2.nyu.edu) The T-shirts are produced by Transportation Alternatives, a New York City bicycle activist group. They're 100% cotton, have the TA logo on the front, and ONE LESS CAR on the back. Call TA for colors and sizes currently in stock. They're US$15 each. No refunds or exchanges. Allow 6 weeks for delivery. For people who have to drive but feel guilty about it, they also have "I'm Polluting the Atmosphere" bumper stickers at 3 for $5. Send orders to: Transportation Alternatives 92 Saint Marks Place New York, NY 10009 USA attn: One Less Car I happen to have one of these shirts in my closet right now. Causes lots of comments when my covivant and I ride our tandem with both us wearing our shirts. ------------------------------ Subject: 7.4 Panniers and Racks From: Sharon Pedersen This is a condensed version of a longer article on panniers, low-rider racks, loading and generators. --Sharon pedersen@cartan.berkeley.edu --PANNIERS-- Price--cheaper may not be better, if they fall apart. Commuting to school entails stuffing sharp-cornered books into them thus making sturdiness as important here as for touring. Cut--an angled cut may make those books not fit so well. Pockets--convenient for organization, but cuts down on versatile use of space. You can use stuff sacks for organization instead of pockets. One big and one small pocket on each pannier is plenty. Fastening--lots of options: bungees and hooks, or fixed placement hooks, or straps with buckles or cams. Bungees and hooks have been just fine in my own road experience, but for off-road riding, you will want more security. However, don't get a system with so many attachments that you can't stand to take the panniers on/off. Brands--the following is a by no means exhaustive list, with telegraphic comments made in 1988. Check local stores since features may have changed since then. Eclipse--(no comment); Kirtland--tourers like them; MPacks--panniers made by an actual bike tourer, Mike Center, in Santa Rosa, CA, (707) 545-4624; Maddens--made in Boulder, "superior construction at better than average cost" yeah! (I love mine, write for more glowing testimonials); Performance--low-cost, non-spring attachment; Rhode Gear--expensive; Tailwind--aerodynamic, rigid attachment. --LOW-RIDER RACKS-- Some manufacturers: Bruce Gordon, Blackburn, Vetta, Voyager. The Bruce Gordons are more expensive (~$70 in 1988) but are designed with clearance for the quick-release skewer so you don't have to pry them apart to take the front wheel off. --REAR RACKS-- (No comment in the original article; Blackburns seem to be the standard and durable enough.) --LOADING-- Balance the load side-to-side and, if possible, fore-and-aft. Keep heavier items low and towards the bottom bracket. Rider, bike and luggage together should have 55-60% of weight on rear wheel; remainder on front. Bike with front low-riders is quite stable. --GENERATORS-- The usual location on the left seat-stay interferes with panniers. Mount the generator on the right seat-stay facing the other way, and it will work fine, despite rotating "backwards." Or go with a generator under the bottom bracket, which will have the advantage of putting the wear on the tread rather than the sidewall of the tire. ------------------------------ Subject: 7.5 Clothing materials From: Jim Carson [Ed note: From a summary Jim posted] Polarlite Fluffy, fleecy stuff also called Polarplus and Synchilla. Comfortable. Incredibly warm, especially under something that breaks the wind. Doesn't wick moisture out very well. Breathes very well. Supplex (nylon) Comfortable. It is breathable and water repellent (but NOT water proof). Seems to absorb a small amount of water if it is really getting drenched Merino (wool) From a "breed of fine-wooled white sheep originating in Spain and producing a heavy fleece of exceptional quality." I guess you could treat this as normal 100% wool. Thermax An improvement on Polypro. The big advantage is heat resistance so you can put it in the dryer. Balance that against the extra cost. CoolMax This stuff seems more like a plastic bag than the revolutionary wicking material it is advertised as. Dacron Trademark name for Dupont polyester. Woven fabric made from dacron is similar to nylon ripstop or taffeta, but not as stretchy. Many of the better clothing insulations are made from dacron. They are usually refered to by more specific trademark names, like quallofil, hollofil, polarguard, and dacron-88. Lycra Used for its stretch, mostly a warm weather (>65 degrees) thing. GoreTex A teflon based membrane with microscopic holes. Gortex's claim to fame is that it will let water vapor (from perspiration) through, but not liquid water (rain). It blocks wind fairly well too. The membrane is delicate, so it always comes laminated between 2 layers of other material. It does not breathe enough. There are less expensive alternatives. Polypropylene Does not wick very well. Can be uncomfortable. Troublesome to care for (e.g. can pill badly) Will keep you fairly warm if soaked. Not very wind resistant. Melts in the dryer. Capilene Wicks moisture away. Very comfortable. Comes in different weights for more/less warmth. [lots of favorable things about it... only really unfavorable thing is the co$t] 60/40 cloth - This is a cloth with nylon threads running one direction, cotton in the other. It was the standard wind parka material before Goretex came along, and is considerably less expensive. Good wind resistance, fairly breathable. Somewhat water resistant, especially if you spray it with Scotchguard, but won't hold up to a heavy rain. ------------------------------ Subject: 7.6 Seats Seats are a very personal thing, for obvious reasons. There are several types of seats: Leather Seats like the Brooks models. Usually used by hard-core riders. Requires breaking in before it's really comfortable. Padded The usual bike seat, sometimes refered to as "anatomic". Has padding where your "sit bones" (bottom of pelvis) supposed to rest. Gel Like the padded seats, except they have a gel (e.g. Spenco Gel) in them for additional padding. Reportedly, the gel can harden and/or shift, making the seat uncomfortable. There are several types of seat pads (gel filled, containing an air bladder, etc) that can be fitted over the seat to make it more comfortable. If you are experiencing pain in delicate areas (especially you women readers) you should make sure your seat is adjusted correctly (see the section on seat adjustment). Women may need a women's type seat, which is wider in the back (women's sit bones are farther apart than men's). Most pain can be eliminated by a correctly adjusted seat, using a women's seat, and riding so your body becomes used to it. ------------------------------ Subject: 7.7 Women's Saddles From: Pamela Blalock Many women who cycle have experienced frustration with trying to find a comfortable saddle. It is amazing how many times I end up talking with other women about saddles. This article comes from those discussions and an informal survey of woman's saddle preferences. This is a dynamic article and changes on occasion, so if you have comments please contact me (pamela@keps.com) and I will incorporate your comments. While this is intended to be an article on women's saddles, since so many other things can contribute to potential saddle pain, it will also address some of these issues as well. Just as women are different from men, we are also different from each other. Since (fortunately) there is no mold into which we were all poured, what works for one woman may not work for another. First, be sure that your bike fits properly. Many women end up with overly padded shorts and a big fat thickly padded saddle instead of with a bike that fits properly. No saddle will be comfortable if the bike is too big, or set up incorrectly. It is important to find someone who knows about fit and specifically about women's fit and get the bike set up properly before making other changes. In addition to being more comfortable, a bike that really fits will also handle better than one that is improperly sized. It isn't always easy to find someone willing to take the time, but when you find a shop that will, give them lots of business and send your friends there! Go to shops during non-prime hours for the best service. You won't get a salesman to spend an hour letting you try different saddles on a Saturday afternoon, but you might on a Tuesday morning. Most production bikes are built proportionally for the AVERAGE MAN. But the average man tends to be taller than the average woman, so women, especially smaller women, may have a much more difficult time finding a bike that fits. Using the old guidelines of sizing a bike by straddling the top tube may leave you a bike with a top tube that is too long, since many of these smaller bikes have shorter seat tubes, but the top tubes are left at the same length as larger bikes, so the bike is no longer scaled proportionately. Of course this is not strictly a woman's issue, but one that all smaller riders face. Empirical evidence has come to suggest that many women are more comfortable with a shorter top tube - stem combination than men. Originally it was theorized that this was due to women having longer legs and shorter torsos than men of the same height. Statistics have proven otherwise. But despite the similar proportions, many women still felt stretched out on bikes that men of the same size felt comfortable on. There is no one definitive explanation for this. Some have proposed that women may bend from the waist while men pivot more at the hips, which would explain why two riders with identical torso lengths might still want different top tube stem lengths. Georgena Terry has observed that women tend to sit further back on their saddles than men, which she believes is due to different distributions in muscle mass. Again this could lead to that stretched out feeling. I struggled for the longest time to get comfortable on a bike. I always wanted to sit further back than I could. I finally found a gadget that I could use to mount my saddle further back on the seat post. This really helped. What helped even more was when I switched to a softride bike. I switched for comfort, but discovered a very pleasant benefit, that with the 5 inch range (fore/aft) of saddle adjustment along the flat part of the beam, I could effectively choose any seat tube angle I wanted. I could finally get my saddle far enough back. A riding position that leaves the rider too stretched out can cause saddle pain. It is not necessary to run out and buy a new bike right away if the top tube on your current bike is too long. Using a shorter stem on a this bike MAY give you a more comfortable reach. Very short stems, less than 40 mm, are available, but may have to be specially ordered. Some shops use a fitting system called the Fit Kit. The numbers generated from the Fit Kit are just guidelines and may not work for everybody, especially women, since most of the original data was collected for men. It is important to RIDE your bike and make adjustments to achieve a perfect fit. Others may use an infinitely adjustable stationary bike. One has been developed by Ben Serotta to help choose the perfect size bike - whether it is a Serotta or not. Adjustable stems are available to help you and the shop pick a perfect length stem the first time, rather than the expensive trial and error method of buying different length stems repeatedly until you find the right size. Unless your current bike is a really, really poor fit, you should be able to make a few relatively inexpensive changes to improve the fit. Then when upgrading or buying a new bike, use what you have learned to buy a bike that fits better. Some builders tried to shorten the top tube by increasing the seat tube angle, which then may place the rider uncomfortably far forward over the pedals. This forces the rider to use an adapter in the seat post to get the saddle back, which counteracts the *shorter* top tube. A steep seat tube angle may be good for a time trial or triathlon, but is not comfortable for longer distances, recreational riding or touring. And if it is true that women tend to be more comfortable sitting further back, then this is really counterproductive. A sloping top tube has been used by many manufacturers to achieve a shorter seat tube and more standover clearance, but this leaves the top tube length the same as that for a larger bike, so the smaller rider still feels streched out on a somewhat out of proportion bike.. Several manufacturers have started building bikes proportionally sized for smaller riders to specifically address those needs. There are several different ways of getting the smaller geometry. Some bikes have a small 24" wheel in front and a 700C or 26" wheel in back, others have two 26"or 650C wheels. To truly scale down a frame keeping it in proportion, it is necessary to go with smaller wheels. To avoid confusion, let me state that by 26", I am referring to 559mm bead seat diameter. This size wheel is most commonly used in mountain biking. Thanks to mountain bikers use of very narrow rims, and a few tire manufacturers willingness to make narrow, slick tires for this size, these wheels can be used to build smaller bikes with proper proportions. Several manufacturers make 1.25 high pressure slicks which are very nice for loaded touring or casual riding. Specialized has the ATB turbo, which they advertise as 1 inch wide. I am currently using these on my commuter in good weather. And I understand from recumbent riding friends that other 26X1" tires are available through 'bent specialty shops. While the selection of narrow tires is somewhat limited, it is growing. I understand there is more variety in Germany, and soon both Ritchey and Continental will have narrow tires available in the US market. By 650C, I am referring to wheels with a bead seat diameter of 571mm. These wheels have found their way onto many triathlon bikes. These wheels are also occasionally referred to as 26" wheels, which is why the bead seat diameter number is so important. Tires for these two different *26 inch* wheel sizes are NOT interchangeable, and it is very important to know which one you have. Currently there is a very narrow range of tires available for this wheel size, and I mean narrow in more ways than one. In the US, the widest available tire is a Continental 23 or Michelin 20. In my opinion, neither of these tires is really wide enough for general purpose use on rough roads, and definitely not quite up to touring standards. Of course I live in New England where road surfaces are quite rough. I have used wheels of this size on a softride equipped bike. I don't believe I could take the shock from such a skinny tire on a non-suspended bike, at least not for longer rides. 700C is of course ISO 622, and is the most common wheel size for road bikes in the US today. In addition to a shorter top tube, women's bikes may also have smaller brake levers, narrower handlebars, shorter cranks and wider saddles. Georgena Terry was the pioneer in this area, but many other manufacturers now build women's bikes. They may cost a little more than a comparably equipped man's bike, due to higher production costs for fewer number of parts. But, I believe that the extra initial cost to get a properly fit bike will pay off in the long run, since you will either stop riding an uncomfortable or poorly fitting bike, or you will eventually replace the poorly fitting parts at additional cost. Now to saddles. A woman's hip bones tend to be set farther apart than a man's. (This is a design feature to help with childbirth!) Every woman is different, and there are many women out there with narrower hip bones. To determine where you sit bones are, sit on a low curb. Sorry, a chair won't do! When you sit on the curb, you will be able to feel your sit bones. This is what you want supported by your bike saddle. Avocet used to run a great ad showing a hip bone sitting on a saddle. (look in old copies of bike magazines). With a saddle that's too narrow, a woman may find herself effectively straddling it with her hip bones, or slipping off of one side and pinching nerves - which may eventually cause the legs or feet to go numb. A saddle that's too wide will also cause problems. A saddle that's slightly wider in the back (than the man's saddle that comes on most stock bikes) may offer better support for the sit bones. BTW, I'm not talking about those foot wide saddles you see on exercise bikes at the gym. These are too wide for anyone. I have quite a few retired women's saddles with depressed gel indicating exactly where my bones are. Actually, looking at and feeling your old saddle will tell you a lot about where you do and do not need support! It's important to try out several different saddles to find one that fits. Terry does produce a couple of different width models but they are still somewhat limited. Widths do vary from manufacturer to manufacturer - so for example, if the Terry is too wide or too narrow, try the Vetta or Avocet or some other brand. Ask your local dealer to let you put your bike on a trainer in the shop and try sitting on and riding a few of his saddles. Saddles are fairly easy to change and a good shop should be willing to let you try this. (But not on a busy Saturday afternoon!) Some shops now have a device that makes this easier. It is a stationary bike with merry-go-round of saddles. You can sit on the saddle, pedaling, and then dismount and swing the next saddle to be tried in place. It isn't as good as trying a saddle on your bike, but will tell you a lot more than holding a saddle and poking it, which it seems it how most saddles are purchased! There are several women's saddles on the market, many of which are padded with some form of gel. I have used (and retired) several of these with no complaints. The gel does compress after a while (regardless of sex), so these saddles do have to be replaced (for me it's every 10,000 miles). Brooks also has several different models of women's leather saddles, which some women swear by. I swar at them, but that's me! (And there are women who swear at the saddles I swear by!) And rather than needing to be replaced after 10,000 miles, the Brooks is probably just getting broken in well at that point! Many women who responded to my survey said that they have the nose of their saddle tilted slightly forward to alleviate pressure on the soft tissue. A large variety of saddles were used with this method. One rider pointed out that having a seatpost with infinitely adjustable angles, like the American Classic or Control Tech, will help one to find the perfect angle. With the ratchet type adjustment of most, she was never able to get the angle quite right. One problem with having the saddle tilted too far forward is that you may end up with two much weight/pressure on your wrists and hands. The result is numb hands and pain in the lower back. In John Forester's "Effective Cycling" book, he suggests getting a cheap plastic saddle and carving out a depression in the area where the labia would normally rest. This would place the weight on the sit bones where it belongs, and remove it from the genital area, where it does not. A couple of women used this idea and modified saddle pads in this way. I watched a Spenco pad slowly get modified in this way each day throughout PAC Tour last year. One survey respondent cut up a neoprene pad and put it under the covering of her Flite saddle. There are a couple of women's saddles which specifically address this issue, the Terry Sport and the (formerly) Miyata Pavea (see the end of the article for more info on acquiring this saddle). Both are shorter and wider than the typical man's saddle and both have a hole to suspend soft tissue. These saddles should be comfortable when level. The Miyata leaves the hole exposed, while the Terry is covered in an open-cell low-density foam. I should also point out that with the Terry, the hole is in the nose, while the Miyata saddle has the hole in the middle, further back. While like many women, I tend to bend more at the waist, I also roll my hips forward on a saddle to get in a more comfortable (and aero cycling position). This means that on a standard saddle I am pressing directly on tender tissue. Since I've switched to a saddle with a hole in it, I can without any saddle related discomfort roll my hips forward, and strech out on the aero bars for hours! I heard from Carol Grossman, an Australian rider praising another saddle. She wrote , "I have a Selle Bassano modular seat, which may or may not be available in the US ( I live in Australia now). It has two halves, with the split running nose-to-tail and a gap between them. It joins together at the nose. The width of the seat, and therefore of the gap as well, is adjustable so you can set it to match the width of your seatbones. It has titanium rails, which give it a little bit of spring. I must say, though, that it is quite firm and if I have not been riding much and go for a long ride I do get sore seatbones. But I can live with sore seatbones! Interestingly, the packaging material said nothing about it being for women -- it was marketted as a seat for men who suffered numbness." My concern with this saddle is that as you make it wider in the back to accommodate sit bones, you are also making the middle wider as well. I have not personally triedon e of these yet. T-Gear makes a leather saddle with a diamond shape cut in the middle. The saddle is quite narrow and firm, and didn't fit me, but I've heard some men rave about it. John, my SO found it too narrow in the back, and too wide in the middle. Like the Selle Modular seat it is marketed to men with numbness problems. (Mine is for sale!) Another saddle I have tried very briefly is an Easy Seat. This is actually two separate pieces, which rock independently. The only points of contact are the hip bones - although the backs of my legs rub the saddle. The two pieces can be adjusted for width and angle. I know of a couple of women who used these saddles to salvage Race Across America attempts, when saddle sores otherwise would have taken them out of the race. I mounted this saddle on the bike on my indoor trainer, but we had a wickedly mild winter, so I didn't use it this year. I have used both the Terry and the Miyata a lot. (These were the two most popular saddles in the survey.) I've received lots of positive comments from women (and men) about their experiences with these saddles. The men seem to notice the difference more after the ride later in the evening :) when their partners weren't complaining about saddle tenderness! In 1992 I did BMB, a 750 mile ride in less than 4 days on the back of a tandem. That's a lot of time on a saddle. I'd been using the Terry for over 6 months and it worked great on everything up to 200 miles. But 400 miles into the trip, I was ready to rip the foam out of the hole. Once the swelling started, the presence of the foam became unbearable. Even though there was no plastic shell underneath, there was still something! I asked our crew person to see if he could find the Miyata saddle. It's often quite difficult to find women's products, and I was almost shocked when he showed up 20 miles later with this wonderful saddle with an exposed hole. He had found the Miyata. The difference was immediately noticeable. In addition to the missing foam, the hole was further back (more where I needed the relief). I probably would have finished the ride without it, but I wouldn't have been in a good mood for days! The Miyata is a little harder under the sit bones than the Terry, but that's not where I was experiencing pain, and as Carol said above, it was worth the sacrifice. Of course the saddle is different looking and draws lots of comments and sexual innuendoes, but it saved my ride. Over three years and 45,000 miles later, including 2 x-country rides and another BMB, I still love my Miyata and won't ride anything else. Not all women like the wider saddles. Some women find all women's saddles too wide. Several women responded to the survey saying they prefer a man's saddle. Some of these even felt they had wide hip bones. For those who use a narrow saddle, finding one that was flat on top seemed to help with the above mentioned problems. Others who liked various women's saddles still found them a little thick in the middle, even if they were the right width in the back. Someday, maybe we will see women's saddles in various widths. We must create the demand though. Terry does makes a men's version of their Sport saddle. It is narrower and has a longer nose and hole than the women's model. It also doesn't say Terry on it anywhere. Instead it is marketed under the initials TFI. Both this saddle and new models of the Sport have a (politically correct) simulated leather covering. I know of several men who really like this saddle, especially when using aero-bars. Women who find the Terry Sport too wide may want to check this one out. I've seen Terry saddles change a bit over the past couple of years. One change is from a lycra cover to a simulated leather cover. Some women didn't like the feel of the lycra. (I do.) Another women noticed after replacing a stolen one with a new one that the foam in the hole seems to be getting firmer, kind of negating the benefit of the hole. Terry does offer a 30 day money back guarantee on their products, so you can *painlessly* decide if you'd like a Terry saddle or not. They have also produced a couple of racing saddles. The first was the same width in the back as their Sport model, but narrower through the middle and had titanium rails. I was one of the lucky few to get one of these. They replaced it with a Flite lookalike with holes drilled in the nose. I tried one of these and must say for me it was the most uncomfortable thing I ever came into contact with. But if you prefer a narrow saddle like a Flite, you'll probably like this one. Speaking of which, many women do LIKE Flite and other really narrow saddles. I know that at their cycling camps, Betsy King and Anna Schwartz get many women on them. They stress the flexibility of the saddle with it's titanium rails and thin shell. They are very good for mountain biking where you want to slide off the back of the saddle for balance where a wide saddle would get in the way. I even know of a few women who use them for distance cycling. Two women used them on the x-country ride I did in 93, but they had very narrow set hip bones. The other 15 women had women's models of one type or another, including Terry, Brooks and of course I had my beloved Miyata. And I would be completely negligent if I didn't mention that one respondent said that recumbents almost always solve the uncomfortable saddle problem. (Thanks to David Wittenberg for pointing this out. His wife won't ride anything else.) Other suggestions for improved saddle comfort included trying different shorts. There are a lot of different shorts out there - far more than saddles and just like saddles, they all fit differently. The common theme from most women was to stay away from shorts with seams in the center. This includes seams in the lycra as well as the chamois (good luck!). On multiday rides, you may want to use different brands of shorts, since having the seam in the same place day after day may also cause irritation. Shorts that bunch up in front may cause also discomfort. Pearl Izumi and Urbanek make very nice women's shorts. And of course Terry produces women's shorts. Some have fuller hips, longer legs, wider elastic leg grippers, etc. I really prefer bib or one piece suits, since there is no binding elastic at the waist. These are less convenient for quick bathroom stops, but I prefer the added comfort. Some women like longer legs, some shorter. Some prefer thick chamois, some fake, some real. Try on as many different types as you can, until you find one that fits you the best. Women are even more varied on their opinions about shorts than on saddles, so just keep trying new ones until you find the perfect pair for you. (And while on the subject of saddle comfort, I use a combination of Desitin (or some other diaper rash ointment) and powder sprinkled liberally in my shorts to keep myself dry and rash-free.) I can't stress enough that each woman is different and no one saddle is perfect for all of us. Just because a local or national racer, or your friend, or this author uses a particular type of saddle doesn't mean that it will work for you. Don't let anyone intimidate you into riding something that is uncomfortable, or changing the angle of your saddle because it's different. Use the setup that's most comfortable for you. Among the saddles recommended by respondents were Terry Women's (most popular of the survey) Miyata Pavea (my favorite and a close second in the survey) TFI (men's version of the Terry Sport) women's Selle Italia Turbo Avocet O2 (said to be as comfy as the above Turbo, but lighter) WaveFlo Avocet Women's Racing saddle Viscount saddle San Marco Regal Brooks B-17 and Brooks Pro Flite Terry Racing (like a Flite with holes drilled in the plastic) Selle Bassano modular seat (Of course some women swear at saddles that others swear by! Did I mention that we are all DIFFERENT?) Since Miyata no longer imports into the US, another source has been found for the saddle with the hole in the middle. Tandems East is now carrying this saddle (with their name imprinted on the back.) You can contact Mel Kornbluh at Tandems East at (609) 451-5104 or (609) 453-8626 FAX ------------------------------ Subject: 7.8 Women's Bikes From: Lynn Karamanos Here's a summary of the info I received on whether or not to purchase a Terry bike. 1.) First, find a good bike shop, one that will try to find a bike that fits you, not just sell you what they have in stock. 2.) Ride many different bikes to see what's best for you. You may be able to find other bikes that fit just as well as a Terry once you've made some adjustments/replacements (stem, crank arms, etc.). 3.) If you can't find any other bike to fit you, then a Terry's worth the extra money. 4.) Except for about two people who sent me email, everyone who's ridden a Terry has loved it. Even those two people said they knew others who loved Terry bikes. Bottom line: the fit depends on your build. Women with long legs/short torso seem to be the ones who like them, not necessarily just short women. 5.) Also a few people mentioned that there are other road bikes that are specifically "designed for women" or that fit women well. The names mentioned: Fuji, Miyata, Bridgestone, Specialized (Sirrus). Also, someone mentioned that the same production line in Japan that makes Terry "proportioned" bikes also makes them under other labels. (Also one mountain bike was named, Mongoose Hilltopper, and two hybred bikes, Univega Via Activa and Giant Inova.) 6.) Something to keep in mind if you buy a Terry with a small front wheel... replacement tubes and tires for smaller wheels could be more difficult to find and/or more expensive. 7.) In case you're looking at older model Terry's, a few people mentioned that until a couple years ago, some Terry bikes were $200-$300 less than they are now. ------------------------------ Subject: 7.9 Bike Rentals From: Various Lincoln Guide Service Lincoln Center Lincoln, MA (617) 259-9204 Rents mountain, road, kids bikes, and trailers. About 11 miles west of Boston, within sight of Lincoln Center commuter rail stop. Team Bicycle Rentals 508 Main Huntington Beach, CA (714) 969-5480 12spd $29/day, MTB $29/day, Santana tandem $69 Gregg's Greenlake Seattle, WA Second Gear Seattle, WA New York City Area: All phone numbers are area code (212). A West Side Bicycle Store -- 231 W 96th St -- 663 7531 Eddie's Bicycles Shop -- 490 Amsterdam Ave -- 580 2011 Country Cycling Tours -- 140 W 83rd St -- 874 5151 AAA Central Park Bicycle Rentals -- 72nd St/ Central Pk Boathouse -- 861 4137 Midtown Bicycles -- 360 W 47th St -- 581 4500 Sixth Avenue Bicycles -- 546 Avenue of the Americas -- 255 5100 Metro Bicycle -- 1311 Lexington Ave -- 427 4450 Larry and Jeff's Bicycles Plus -- 204 E 85th St -- 794 2201 Gene's 79th Street Discounted Bicycles -- 242 E 79th St -- 249 9218 Peddle Pusher Bicycle Shop -- 1306 2nd Ave -- 288 5594 A Bicycle Discount House -- 332 E 14th St -- 228 4344 City Cycles -- 659 Broadway -- 254 4457 San Francisco Park Cyclery -- 1865 Haight street (at Stanyan) -- 751-RENT Start to Finish -- 599 2nd Street at Brannan -- 861-4004 Marin County, CA Caesars Cyclery -- 29 San Anselmo Ave San Anselmo -- 258-9920 Far-go bike Shop -- 194 Northgate #1 Shopping Center San Rafael -- 472-0253 Ken's Bike and Sport -- 94 Main Street (Downtown Tiburon) -- 435-1683 Wheel Escapes -- 1000 Magnolia Ave Larkspur -- 415-332-0218 Austin, TX area [all stores rent ONLY mountain bikes] Bicycle Sport Shop -- 1426 Toomey Road -- (512) 477-3472 University Schwinn -- 2901 N. Lamar Blvd -- (512) 474-6696 University Schwinn -- 1542 W. Anderson Ln -- (512) 474-6696 Velotex Inc -- 908-B W 12th St -- (512) 322-9131 Boulder, CO Boulder Bikesmith, Arapahoe Village, Boulder, (303) 443-1132 Bike'n'Hike, 1136 Main St, Longmont, (303) 772-5105 High Wheeler, 1015 Pearl St., Boulder, (303) 442-5588 (MTBs, Road and MTB tandems) Lousiville Cyclery, 1032 S. Boulder Rd, Louisville, (303) 665-6343 Morgul-Bismark, 1221 Pennsylvania Ave, Boulder, (303) 447-1338 Doc's Ski and Sport, Table Mesa Center, Boulder, (303) 499-0963 University Bikes, 9th and Pearl, Boulder, (303) 449-2562 (MTBs and Tandems) Full Cycle. 1211 13th St., Boulder, (303) 440-7771 High Gear, 1834 N. Main, Longmont, (303) 772-4327 Cutting Edge Sports, 1387 S. Boulder Rd., Louisville, (303) 666-3440 ------------------------------ Subject: 7.10 Bike Lockers From: David H. Wolfskill Many thanks to all who mailed or posted an interest in my quest for information regarding bike locker vendors; I apologize for the delay in posting this summary. My colleague -- thanks to some of that information -- was able to locate a sufficiently nearby vendor... one of the requirements of which I had not been aware was that the vendor must be fairly close (to Orange County, CA) -- to minimize shipping charges. (I apologize for failing to determine this issue before posting, and hope that some of the information about other vendors may be of value to others.) I figured it would be more useful for me to organize the information, so I have done so -- at the expense of making an attempt to give credit for the sources at the point the information is quoted. (I include a list of sources at the end of the article.) First, I received a few pointers to one Ellen Fletcher, such as: >For a comprehensive treatment of the bicycle parking subject, >along with a list of vendors & prices, contact Ellen Fletcher >at cdp!scvba@labrea.stanford.edu (put "ATTN ELLEN" in your >"To" line. [I requested clarification regarding addressing a note to Ms. Fletcher, but have yet to receive it.] >... Ellen Fletcher, 777-108 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto, CA >94303-4826, 415-495-8943. Fortunately, someone sent a list of products & manufacturers, apparently originally compiled by Ms. Fletcher. I have taken the liberty of using that list as a "base document" and have augmented it with other information I received; entries are alphabetically by munufacturer's name, since I don't always have product names: (Manufacturer, {Product Name(s)}, Address, Contact Person, Phone, FAX [comments]) American Bicycle Security Co., {BIKE SAFE}, PO Box 7359 Ventura, CA 93006, Thomas E. Volk, 805-933-3688 & 800-BIKESAF, 805-933-1865. Bike Lockers Company, {BikeLokr}, PO Box 445 W. Sacramento, CA 95691,, 916-372-6620, 916-372-3616 [approx. $300/locker, small quantities]. Bike-Lokr Mfg. Co., {?}, PO Box 123, Joplin, MO 64802, Jim Snyder, 417-673-1960/800-462-4049, 417-673-3642 [approx $450/locker, which holds 2 bikes; seem to be the lockers used by the Washington, DC Metro system] Bike Security Racks Co., {?}, PO Box 371, Cambridge, MA 02140,, 617-547-5755, - Bike Stable Co., Inc., {?}, PO 1402, South Bend, Indiana 46624,, 219-233-7060, - Cycle-Safe Inc., 2772-5 Woodlake Rd. SW Wyoming, MI 49509,, (616)538-0079 - David O'Keefe Company, {Super Secure Bike Stor}, P.O. Box 4457, Alamo, CA 94507, Thomas & David O'Keefe, 415-637-4440, 415-837-6234. General Machine company, {Bicycle Locker}, PO Box 405 Vacaville, CA 95696, Vitto Accardi, 707-446-2761, - J.G.Wilson Corp, {Park'n'Lock Bike Garage}, PO Box 599, Norfolk, VA 23501-0599, J.L.Bevan, 804-545-8341, 804-543-3249. Sunshine U-LOK Corp., {Secura Bike Locker}, 31316 Via Colinas Suite 102, Westlake Village, CA 91362, Doug Devine, 818-707-0110. [Specific information near the end of the article -- dhw.] Turtle Storage Ltd., {?}, P. O. Box 7359, Ventura, CA 93006,,, - [Ed. note: The complete posting is available in the archives on draco.acs.uci.edu.] ------------------------------ Subject: 7.11 Bike computer features [This table was created from information contained in Performance and Nashbar catalogs. In the table below, 'Y' means that the computer has the feature, 'O' means it is an optional feature.] Speed Ave Max Total Trip Elpsd Clock Auto Count Speed Speed Miles Miles Time OnOff Down Avocet 30 Y Y Y Y Y Y Avocet 40 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Avocet 50 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Cateye Micro Y Y Y Y Y Y Cateye Mity Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Cateye Mity 2 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Cateye Wireless Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Cateye Vectra Y Y Y Y Y Y Cateye ATC Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Ciclo 37 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Ciclo IIA Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Performance ITV Y Y Y Y Y Y Vetta Innovator Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Vetta HR1000 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Vetta C-10 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Vetta C-15 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Vetta C-20 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Vetta Two Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Vetta Wireless Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Specialized Y Y Y Y Y Y Y S Speed Zone Cadence Wireless Altitude Heart Rate Avocet 30 Avocet 40 Avocet 50 O Y Cateye Micro Y Cateye Mity Cateye Mity 2 Cateye Wireless Y Cateye Vectra Cateye ATC Ciclo 37 Ciclo IIA O O O Performance ITV Vetta Innovator Vetta HR1000 Y Vetta C-10 Vetta C-15 Vetta C-20 Y Vetta Two Y Vetta Wireless Y Specialized Speed Zone ------------------------------ Subject: 7.12 Recumbent Bike Info From: David Wittenberg (updated by Gary Walsh gary.walsh@canrem.com) Here's my standard response to questions about recumbents. I'd be happy to answer more specific questions. Here's some info I posted in the fall of 1990. I think it's still pretty much up to date. Changes from the last posting are in []'s. --David Wittenberg A few words about recumbent design, and then I'll provide a much larger list of recumbent manufacturers. There are three main choices in designing (or buying) a recumbent. Frame material -- all the ones I know of are either Alumninum or Steel. Wheelbase -- The front wheel can either be in front of the bottom bracket (long wheelbase) or behind it (short wheelbase). You can't have a medium wheelbase without a lot of extra work because the wheel and the bottom bracket would interfere with each other. Long wheelbase is reputed to be a bit more stable, while short wheelbase machines are often easier to fit into cars for transport. Some long wheelbase recumbents fold in neat ways to fit into a remarkably small space. Handlebars -- under seat or in front of the rider. Under seat is probably a more comfortable position when you get used to it (your hands just hang at your sides), and may be somewhat safer if you get thrown forward as there is nothing in front of you. High handlebars are somewhat faster as your arms are in front of you instead of at your side, thus reducing the frontal area. Some people find them more natural. [There are long wheelbase bikes with both high and low handlebars. I don't know of any short wheelbase, low handlebar recumbents, but there may be some I don't know of.] The following updated by Gary Walsh (gary.walsh@canrem.com) July 1992. There are a couple of interesting publications for recumbents: International Human Powered Vehicle Association P.O. Box 51255 Indianapolis, IN 46251 USA They publish Human Power Magazine and HPV News on all aspects of human powered transportation (bikes, aircraft, watercraft.) Dues are US$25/year in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and US$30 elsewhere. The Recumbent Bicycle Club of America/Recumbent Cyclist Magazine PO Box 58755 Renton, WA 98058-1755. (206) 852-8149 The best source of information on commercially available recumbents. Read the reviews in this magazine before you buy your first recumbent. Subscriptions are US$25 in the U.S.A., and US$30/year elsewhere. Sample issue and info pack $5. See especially the buyers guide in issue #8 Oct-Dec 1992. Addresses of recumbent manufacturers: Ace Tool & Engineering (Infinity Recumbent) $1 for a flyer P.O Box 325 292 W. Harrison St. Mooresville, IN 46158 (317) 831-8798 Long wheelbase, low handlebars, aluminum frames. $499 + $85 for triple crank option. Information $1. Alternative Bikestyles P.O. Box 1344 Bonita, CA 91908 Phone (619)421-5118 Maverick $ Renegade LWB recumbents with upright handlebars. Framesets from $200. Complete bikes from $395. Advanced Transportation Products 550 3rd Ave. N. Edmonds, WA 98020 Phone (206)771-3719 R-20 SWB. $1350. Info pack $2. Angle Lake Cyclery 20840 Pacific Hwy S. Seattle WA 98198 Phone (206)878-7457 Counterpoint Presto SWB with upright handlebars. Presto SE Tour $1699. Presto SE High Performance $???. Presto CL $1399. Counterpoint Opus IV Tandem Opus CL $2999 Opus SE $3599 Tri Com Trikes $600-$700. Catalogue $2 Original Car-Cycle Technology 1311 Victoria Ave. Victoria, B.C., Canada V8S 4P4 Phone (604)598-7830 Fully fared commuter trike. Under development. DH Recumbents, Inc. 4007-G Bellaire Blvd. Houston, TX 77025 Phone (713)666-4452 LWB with upright steering. DH1000 $999, DH5000 $1395. Earth Traveller 1475 Lillian St. Livermore, CA 94550 Phone (415)449-8312 LWB trike with 2 wheels in back. Information $1. EcoCycle Earth Friendly Transportation 5755 NW Fair Oaks Dr. Corvallis, OR 97330 (503) 753-5178 The Trice is a recumbent tricycle, with two wheels in front. Touring $1495. Speed model $1595. Also imports Ross recumbent from England. $2 for flyer, $9 for video tape. Easy Racers, Inc Box 255H Freedom, CA 95019 (408) 722-9797 High handlebar, long wheelbase bikes. Easy Racer $2300. Frameset $1650. Gold Rush Replica, commercial version of the Dupont prize winning Gold Rush (world's fastest bike) also available. $2 for a catalog Lightning Cycle Dynamics 312 Ninth Street Lompoc, CA 93436 (805) 736-0700 P-38 Short Wheelbase, high handlebars. Full fairings are available, and very fast. $1750. F-40 fully fared version. Lightning Cycle Inc. (Tailwind) $1 for a brochure 3819 Rte. 295 Swanton, OH 43558 (419) 826-4056 Steel long wheelbase, underseat steering. Around $1200. Linear Manufacturing Inc. (Linear) Route 1, Box 173 Guttenberg, IA 52052 (319) 252-1637 Long Wheelbase aluminum bike with either high or low handlebars (You can convert from one to the other.) $900 to $1200. They sell through dealers, and if you get in touch with them they'll tell you where the nearest dealer is. Canadians see S.C. Safety Cycle below. Rans Recumbents 1104 E. Hwy. 40 Bypass Hays, KS 67601 (913) 625-6346 Rans Stratus A & B and Nimbus. LWB with upright handlebars. $995-$1495. ReBike P.O Box 725 Boca Raton, FL 33429 Phone (407)750-1304 The ReBike. A low priced semi-recumbent with upright steering. New and a big seller. $389. Rotator 915 Middle Rincon Rd. Santa Rosa, CA 95409 (707) 539-4203 Rotator Super-7 Streamliner - LWB with 20" wheels. Rotator Companion Tandem. Rhoades International 100 Rhoades Lane Hendersonville, TN 37075 Phone (615)822-2737 4-wheel pedal car. $999 and up. Information $4. Video $19. Ryan Recumbents, Inc. 1 Chestnut Street Nashua, NH 03060 (603) 598-1711 Vanguard. Long wheelbase, underseat steering. From $1295. S.C. Safety Cycle Inc. 1340B St. Paul St. Kelowna, B.C. Canada V1Y 2E1 Canadian distributor of the Linear which is sold as "The Alternative." CAN$1495. Special Purpose Vehicles 120 Prospect Street Somerville, MA 02143 (617) 625-9030 Thebis International 110-2031 Malaview Ave. Sidney, B.C. Canada V8L 3X9 Phone (604)656-1237 1-800-667-6801 Thebis 201 Touring Trike. Two wheels in back. $2990. Trailmate 2359 Trailmate Dr. Sarasota FL 34243 Phone (813)755-5511 Fun Cycle and Bannana Peel trikes. $399. Turner Enterprises P.O.Box 36158 Los Angeles, CA 90036 Phone (383)-0030 SWB with underseat steering. Laid Back "E" frame kit $375. LB-2000 $1500. Frameset $899. Zzip Designs P.O. Box 14 Davenport, CA 95017 Phone (408)425-8650 Manufacturer of fairings for many of the bikes listed above. Cyclopedia P.O. Box 884 Adrian, MI 49221 1-800-678-1021 Good source for parts for builders. ---------------- European Recumbents Leitra APS PO Box 64 DK-2750 Ballerup, Denmark Leitra M2 fully fared commuter trike. 3400 DM for the trike. 5845 DM for complete vehicle with accessories. Bas Ten Brinke Postbus 10075 1301 Almere, Netherlands Flevo SWB front wheel drive. Fateba, Bachman & Co. Rosenstr. 9, 8400 Winterthur Switzerland Fateba Winglet L1 LWB. Kincycle Miles Kingsbury Lane End Road, Sands, High Wycombe, Bucks HP12 4JQ England The Kingcycle SWB. M5 Bram Moens Waalstraat 41, NL-4335 KL Middleburg, Netherlands. M5 SWB. Neatwork The Lees Stables Coldstream, Berwickshire, Scotland TD12-4NN Dealer for Kingcycle SWB and Radius Peer Gynt LWB. Radius-Spezialrader, Frie-Vendt-Str 16, D-4400 Munster, Germany RFA Peer Gynt LWB with underseat steering. More Recumbent Bike Info (Gary Walsh gary.walsh@canrem.com) [This has been copied from a flyer written by Robert Bryant of the Recumbent Cyclist Magazine. He has given me permission to submit it for the FAQ. - Gary] Have You Ever Considered a RECUMBENT BICYCLE? WHY RECUMBENT BICYCLES? There are many reasons to consider a recumbent. First and foremost is comfort. When you ride a recumbent bicycle you will no longer have an aching back, stiff neck, numb wrists or a sore a sore bottom. You will sit in a relaxed easy-chair position. You will be able to ride longer with less fatigue and arrive at your destination feeling refreshed. The recumbent position offerd you a great view of the countryside. While seated you will look straight ahead. This allows your lungs and chest more open and free breathing. Recumbents are very versatile machines. They can be used for a wide range of applications: recreational/sport riding, for the daily commute, a fast double century and they are great for long distance touring. RECUMBENT PERFORMANCE Recumbents hold all of the human-powered speed records. This is because they are aerodynamically superior to conventional bicycles; less frontal area means less wind resistance. The Lightning F-40 currently holds the Race Across America speed record of five days and one hour. Gardner Martin's Easy Racer Gold Rush, ridden by Fast Freddie Markham, was the winner of the Dupont Prize for breaking 65mph. You can currently buy production versions of these bicycles. Fairings for street use are common and optional equipment on most commercially built models. They protect you from rain, cold and wind, with up to a 30% reduction in drag. Commercially available recumbents are not always faster than conventional bicycles. It depends mainly on the individual rider. Your best bet is to do you homework and if your goal is performance and speed, be sure that you look for a recumbent designed for this purpose. COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT RECUMBENT BICYCLES 1) Do recumbents climb hills well? Yes they do, although climbing on a recumbent requires a different technique, you must gear down and spin. Maintaining an efficient spin takes some practice & conditioning, once mastered, it takes less physical effort to climb hills. Depending on your riding style, your speeds can range from slowwer to even faster than on a conventional bicycle. 2) Can recumbents be seen in traffic? Recumbents with a higher seating position may be better suited for riding in traffic than some of the low-slung designs. The use of use of proper safety devices such as safety flags and reflective devices is recommended. Recumbent bicycles are different, futuristic and they get noticed. Many riders feel they get more respect from motorists while on their recumbents. 3) Are they safe? Recumbent's are safer than a conventional bicycle. Due to the low centre of gravity, they stop faster. Brakes can be evenly applied to both wheels simultaneously providing more traction without throwing the rider over the handlebars. In crash situations, the rider goes down to the side absorbing the impact with the hip and leg rather than flying over the handlebars and absorbing the impact on your head and shoulder. Straight ahead vision is also better on a recumbent, however, rear view mirrors are necessary for proper rearward vision. RECUMBENT PAST HISTORY Why are recumbents such a rare sight? Space age technology? New type of bicycle? Not really, recumbent bicycles actually go back as far as the mid to late 1800's with the Macmillan Velocopede and the Challand Recumbent. In the 1930's, a series of events took place that changed bicycling history. A French second category professional track cyclist named Francois Faure rode the Velocar, a two wheeled recumbent bicycle designed and built by Charles Mochet, to record-shattering speeds, breaking both the mile and kilometre records of the day. This created a storm of controversy within the U.C.I. (United Cycliste International), bicycle rating's governing body. The debate centred on whether the Velocar was a bicycle and were these records legal? In 1934 they ruled against the Mochet-Faure record, banning recumbent bicycles and aerodynamic devices from racing. Were U.C.I. members worried that the recumbent bicycle would displace the conventional design? Did they realize this would freeze bicycle and human-powered vehicle development for the next forty years? This is why bicycles of taday look very similar to the Starkey and Sutton Safety (upright/conventional) of 1885. Just think where bicycle technology would be today if the U.C.I. decision had gone the opposite way. MODERN RECUMBENT HISTORY Recumbent development was fairly quiet until the late 1960's. Dan Henry received some media attention for his long wheelbase design in 1968. In the early 1970's, the human-powered revolution was starting up on both the U.S. east coast by David Gordon, designer of the Avatar, and on the west coast by Chester Kyle. These pioneers recognized the need for further development of human-powered vehicles. In the late 1970's and early 1980's, this lead to the first commercial recumbent bicycle designs such as the Avatar, Easy Racer and Hypercycle. In 1990, the Recumbent Bicycle Club of America was founded by Dick Ryan who currently manufactures the Ryan Vanguard and was also involved with the Avatar project in the early 1980's. In 1988 recumbent promoter Robert Bryant got his start writing "Recumbent Ramblings," a column for "HPV News." In the summer of 1990, Robert founded the "Recumbent Cyclist Magazine," and in a short two years, RCM has become the source for recumbent bicyle information in the world today. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION RECUMBENT CYCLIST MAGAZINE 17560-B6-140th Ave SE, Ste 341 Renton WA 98058 __$2 Info-Pak/recumbent manufacturer list __$5 Current sample issue with info-pak/list __$20 USA Bulk Mail Subscription __$25 USA First Class Mail Subscription Rush Service __$30 Canada Air Mail __$35 Worldwide Air Mail (USA funds) (anywhere outside USA/CAN) __$50 Junior Supporter (includes 3 copies of each issue, mailed first class __$100 RBCA Supporter (includes 10 copies of each issue mailed Priority) BACK ISSUE ORDERING INFO -Back issues are mailed 3rd class postage. (allow 4 weeks for delivery.) -First Class Mail/Rush Service - add $.50 per issue. -Canadian Air Mail/Rush Service - add $1.00 per issue. -Worldwide Air Mail - add $2.00 per issue. -Super-Rush Service? We can do FEDEX overnight C.O.D. $4.00 __RC#2 Flevo & CSPC "Poor Man's Composite" $4.00 __RC#3 DH5000 LWB Road Test $4.00 __RC#4 Ryan Vanguard Road Test/F-40/Flevo $4.00 __RC#5 Linear LWB Road Test/Omega HPV/HPV Design Info $4.50 __RC#6 Easy Racer Road Test $4.50 __RC#7 Lightning P-38 Road Test $4.50 __RC#8 1992 Recumbent Buyers Guide $4.50 __RC#9 A.T.P. R-20 SWB Road Test $4.50 __RC#10 Thebis Trike Road Test $4.50 __RC#11 Counterpoint Presto Road Test $4.50 __RC#12 Rans Road Test (available 9/92) $4.50 __RC#13 Trice Road Test (Available 11/92) $4.50 __RC#14 (Available 1/93) $4.50 __RC#14 (Available 3/93) $4.50 __RC#15 (Available 5/93) ------------------------------ Subject: 7.13 Buying a Bike One thing to decide before buying a bike is what type to buy. Here's a brief list: Road bike Once known as a "ten-speed", most are now 12 or 14 (or even 16) speed. There are several sub-types: racing, sport, and touring, the difference mostly in frame geometry. ATB All-terrain bike, also known as mountain bike. Great for riding in the dirt, these bikes usually have fat, knobby tires for traction in dirt and gravel. Hybrid A bike that borrows from road bikes and ATBs. For example, they have the light frame and 700c wheels of road bikes and fat knobby tires, triple cranks, wide-range derailleurs, flat handlebars and cantilever brakes from mountain bikes. Bike buying hints When you're ready to buy a bike, you should first decide what you want to use the bike for. Do you want to race? Do you want to pedal along leisurely? Do you want to ride in the dirt? Next, you should decide on a price range. Plan to spend at least $350 for a decent quality bike. Now find a good bike shop. Ask friends who bike. Ask us here on the net. Chances are, someone here lives in your area and can recommend a shop. Now that you are ready to look for a bike, visit the shop(s) you have selected. Test ride several bikes in your price range. How does it feel? Does it fit you? How does it shift? Does it have the features you are looking for? How do the shop personnel treat you? Remember that the shop gets the bike disassembled and has to spend a couple of hours putting it together and adjusting things, so look for sloppy work (If you see some, you may want to try another shop). You might want to try a bike above your price range to see what the differences are (ask the salesperson). Ask lots of questions - pick the salesperson's brain. If you don't ask questions, they may recommend a bike that's not quite right for you. Ask about places to ride, clubs, how to take care of your bike, warranties, etc. Good shops will have knowledgable people who can answer your questions. Some shops have free or low-cost classes on bike maintenance; go and learn about how to fix a flat, adjust the brakes and derailleurs, overhaul your bike, etc. Ask your questions here - there are lots of people here just waiting for an excuse to post! Make sure that the bike fits you. If you don't, you may find that you'll be sore in places you never knew could be so sore. For road bikes, you should be able to straddle the top tube with your feet flat on the ground and still have about 1 inch of clearance. For mountain bikes, give yourself at least 2-3 inches of clearance. You may need a longer or shorter stem or cranks depending on your build - most bikes are setup for "average" bodies. The bike shop can help you with adjustments to the handlebars and seat. Now that you've decided on a bike, you need some accessories. You should consider buying a helmet a frame pump a tube repair kit tire levers (plastic) a pressure gauge a seat pack (for repair kit, wallet, keys, etc) gloves a water bottle and cage a lock The shop can help you select these items and install them on your bike. ------------------------------ Subject: 7.14 Kid's Bike Clothes There are several places selling shorts and jerseys for kids: Performance Bike Shop (see listing in section 9.2) Nashbar ( "" ) Rad Rat Ragz 303/247-4649 (CO) Freewheelers 617/423-2944 (MA) Teri T's 503/383-2243 (OR) ------------------------------ Subject: 8 Tech ------------------------------ Subject: 8.1 Technical Support Numbers From: Joshua Putnam [This list is now in the ftp archives as it is too long to put here] ------------------------------ Subject: 8.2 Ball Bearing Grades From: Bill Codding , Harry Phinney Following is a description of the different grades of ball bearings. The grade specifies the sphericity of the balls in millionths of an inch. Thus, grade 25 are round to 25/10^6, while grade 1000 are good to 1/1000 (i.e. not all that round, but probably good enough for our uses). Grade 25: the highest quality normally available, aka "Campagnolo quality": hardened all the way through, best alloys, coatings, roundness, and durability. Evidently, a recent bottom-bracket overhaul article in "Bicycling Plus Mountain Bike" magazine recommended these. Campy's tech reps claim that the bearings in a set (usually in a little paper bag) are matched. One should not mix bearings from different sets. Grade 200: mid-range Grade 1000: seems to be the lowest, may only be surface hardened. Good sources for ball bearings: Your local bike shop (make sure you're getting the grade you want) Bike Parts Pacific Bike Nashbar 1-800-NASHBAR ($1-$3 per 100 Grade 25) The Third Hand 1-916-926-2600 ($4-$7 per 100 Grade 25) ------------------------------ Subject: 8.3 SIS Cable Info From: Jobst Brandt After Joe Gorin described the SIS "non-compressive" cable housing to me I got myself a sample to understand what the difference is. I believe "non-compressive" is a misnomer. This cable housing is NOT non-compressive but rather a constant length housing. As far as I can determine, and from reports from bike shops, this housing should not be used for brakes because it is relatively weak in compression, the principal stress for brake housing. SIS housing is made of 18 strands of 0.5mm diameter round spring steel wire wrapped in a 100mm period helix around a 2.5mm plastic tube. The assembly is held together by a 5mm OD plastic housing to make a relatively stiff cable housing. Because the structural wires lie in a helix, the housing length remains constant when bent in a curve. Each strand of the housing lies both on the inside and outside of the curve so on the average the wire path length remains constant, as does the housing centerline where the control cable resides. Hence, no length change. A brake cable housing, in contrast, changes length with curvature because only the inside of the curve remains at constant length while the outside (and centerline) expands. Shimano recommends this cable only for shift control but makes no special effort to warn against the danger of its use for brakes. It should not be used for anything other than shift cables because SIS housing cannot safely withstand compression. Its wires stand on end and have no compressive strength without the stiff plastic housing that holds them together. They aren't even curved wires, so they splay out when the outer shield is removed. Under continuous high load of braking, the plastic outer housing can burst leaving no support. Besides, in its current design it is only half as flexible as brake cable because its outer shell is made of structurally stiff plastic unlike the brake cable housing that uses a soft vinyl coating. Because brake cables transmit force rather than position, SIS cable, even if safe, would have no benefit. In contrast, with handlebar controls to give precise shift positioning, SIS housing can offer some advantage since the cable must move though steering angles. SIS housing has no benefit for downtube attached shifters because the cable bends do not change. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.4 Milk Jug Mud Flaps From: Chuck Tryon Actually, I have used plastic like this (or in my case, some red plastic from a cheap note book cover -- it's heavier) to extend the bottom (rear) end of the front fender. The Zephals are good, but they don't stop the splash from where the tire hits the road from getting on my feet. What I did was cut a small triangle about 3in (~7cm) wide by 6in (~15cm) long, cut a hole in the top of it and the bottom end of the fender, and use a pop-rivet (with washers to prevent tear out) to attach it. On a road bike, it should be end up being within a few inches of the road. ATB's will need more clearance, so this won't work well off road. | | | | /| o |\ <----- rivet with washer on inside | \___/ | / \ <---- flap fits inside of the fender, and follows the | | curve, which gives it some stiffness. | | | | \_________/ | | | | <----- bottom of tire \_/ ------------------------------ Subject: 8.5 Lubricating Chains Lubricating chains is a somewhat religious issue. Some advocate oil, some Teflon-base lubricants, some paraffin wax. The net majority favors a lubricant that does not leave an oily coating on the chain that can attract dirt, which will hasten chain/chainring/freewheel sprocket wear. If you want to use paraffin wax, make sure you melt the wax in a double boiler! Failure to do so can lead to a fire. You can use a coffee can in a pan of boiling water if you don't want to mess up good cookware. After the wax has melted, put the chain in the wax and simmer for 10 minutes or so. Remove the chain, hang it up, and wipe the excess wax off. Let it cool and reinstall on your bike. When using a liquid lubricant, you want to get the lube onto the pins inside the rollers on the chains, not on the outside where it does little good. Oilers with the narrow tubes are good for this because you can put the lube where you want it. Work the oil into the chain after applying it, wipe the chain off, and reinstall on your bike. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.6 Wear and Gear Slippage From: Jobst Brandt Chain care and chain wear seems to be a never ending discussion, especially for new bicyclists who are not entirely happy with this dirtiest of all pars of the bicycle. This leads to the first problem of whether there is a best (and cleanest) way to lubricate a chain. There are a number of ways to take care of a chain of which some traditional methods are the most damaging to chain life while some work to prolong life. Although to some it may seem redundant to repeat, let me repeat it. Chains don't stretch in the sense that the metal elongates, but lengthen because the parts wear. Wear in the pins and sleeves change the length of the chain as the pins fit more loosely. The wear arises primarily from road grit that enters the chain when it is oiled. Grit on the outside of a chain is the ugly black stuff that gets on your leg. This dirt has little effect on chain function because it can't get inside to do damage. Only when a dirty chain is oiled or has excessive oil on it does this grit get inside where it can cause damage. Commercial abrasive grinding paste is made of oil and silicon dioxide (sand) and silicon carbide (sand). You couldn't do a better job if you tried to destroy a chain than to oil a dirty chain. Primitive rule #1: Never oil a chain on the bike. This means the chain should be cleaned of grit before oiling it. Because this is essentially impossible without submerging the chain in a solvent bath (kerosene or commercial solvent), it must be taken off the bicycle. Devices with rotating brushes that can be clamped on the chain when on the bicycle do a fair job but are messy and do not prevent fine grit from becoming suspended in the solvent. Do not use gasoline because it is highly explosive and contains toxic light petroleum fractions that penetrate the skin. Removing the chain from the bicycle isn't always possible and there are times (after the rain) when a chain screams for oil and a good cleaning is not practical on the road. That is when rule #1 must be violated. Removing the solvent from the chain after the rinse is important. Compressed air is not readily available in the household nor is a centrifuge. You can go outdoors and sling the chain around. This works best if the chain is a closed loop. You don't have to press the pin completely in for this. The other way is to evaporate it. You should probably avoid accelerated drying methods because they can be explosive. Heating the chain and applying 90W gear lube works but highly viscous oils acts as efficient fly paper, collecting plenty of hardpack between sprockets and on the outside of the chain. Motor oil is far better but motorcycle chain lubricants are better yet because they have volatile solvents that allow good penetration for their relatively viscous lubricant. Paraffin (canning wax), although clean, works poorly because it is not mobile and cannot replenish the bearing surfaces once it has been displaced. Upset collar chains Sedis was the first with its Sedisport chain to introduce upset collars on the side plates to replace full width sleeves on which the rollers and pins bear. Although the strongest and one of the lightest chains, it achieves its light weight at the expense of durability. These chains, now practically the only ones available, have only vestigial sleeves in the form of short collars on the side plates to support the roller on its outside and the link pin on the inside. This design is both lighter and stronger because the side plates need not have the large hole for insertion of sleeves. Because MTB's use drive sprockets as small as 18t that can cause extremely high chain loads, pin and sleeve chains would be at a disadvantage to safely withstand such loads. Normally the inside of the sleeve on conventional chains was well protected against lubricant depletion because both ends were covered by closely fitting side plates. On motorcycle chains these even have seals at each end. In the upset collar design there is no sleeve while the side plates are formed to support the roller and pin on a collar with a substantial central gap. In the wet, lubricant is quickly washed out of pin and roller and the smaller bearing for the pin and roller often gall and bind. Although in good weather this is not a problem this type of chain has feet of clay in the wet. Chain Life Chain life is almost entirely a cleanliness and lubrication question rather than a load problem. For bicycles the effect of load variations is insignificant compared to the lubricant and grit effects. For example, motorcycle primary chains, operated under oil in clean conditions, last years while the exposed rear chains must be replaced often. The accurate way to test whether a chain is worn is by measurement. A new chain has a half inch pitch so that it has a pin at exactly every half inch. As the pins and sleeves wear, this spacing increases and becomes damaging to sprockets. When the chain pitch grows over one half percent, it is time for a new chain. At one percent, sprocket wear progresses rapidly because this length change occurs only between pin and sleeve so that it is concentrated on every second pitch. The pitch of the link containing the rollers remaining constant. By holding a ruler along the chain on the bicycle, align an inch mark with a pin and see how far off the mark the pin is at twelve inches. An eighth of an inch (0.125) is a little over the one percent limit while more than a sixteenth is a prudent time to get a new chain. Skipping Chain That a new chain does not want to engage used sprockets may be obvious, but in theory a new chain cannot freely engage a new rear sprocket under load even though it has the same pitch as the chain. That is because the tooth being engaged would be under load and this is a contradiction in itself. Therefore, a slightly worn sprocket, that has pockets in its load bearing face is even more reticent to engage a new chain with perfect 1/2 " pitch. Sprockets, by the way, do not change pitch when they wear, only the tooth form changes because the number of teeth remains the same and the base circle remains essentially unchanged for normal sprocket wear. On fixed gear bicycles that are ridden until the chain is 5% out of pitch, the base circle may be slightly reduced but this only makes the fit of a new chain worse. Without a strong chain tensioner or a non derailleur gear, the chain has insufficient tension on its slack run to engage the sprocket when under tension. In contrast, engagement on the tension side, as on the crank sprocket, generally succeeds even with substantial tooth wear because the tension encourages engagement. This condition, however, enhances "chainsuck", the failure of the chain to disengage the chainwheel. This can generally not occur without a long arm derailleur, common to most MTB's and therefore, road bicycles normally experience a grunchy disengagement instead of a chain jam. A new chain has a pitch of exactly one half inch. A sprocket, worn by a longer pitch (worn) chain, has hooked teeth but with the correct pitch. The hooked profile is formed by the rollers of a worn chain as they exit the sprocket under load, whereas rollers of a new chain with correct pitch exit under no load because the load is transferred to the next roller before disengagement. However, with hooked sprockets the new chain cannot engage under load because its pitch doesn't allow it to get over the hook and into the next pocket. These differences are only a few thousandths of an inch but enough to prevent engagement when the previous roller is fully engaged. As a chain wears it concentrates more of its load on the last tooth of a sprocket before disengagement because the chain pitch no longer matches the pitch of the sprocket. This effect sometimes breaks off sprocket teeth. The load concentration on the sprocket also accelerates wear and is another reason to replace a chain at 1/16th inch wear. Jobst Brandt ------------------------------ Subject: 8.7 Adjusting Chain Length From: Bob Fishell For all Shimano SIS and Hyperglide systems, the chain is sized by shifting to the smallest rear cog and the largest front sprocket, then sizing the chain so that the derailleur pulleys are on a vertical line, or as close as you can get to it. Note that this will result in the same chain length for any freewheel within the capacity of the derailleur, so it usually is not necessary to re-size the chain for a different cogset with these systems. The other rule I've used (friction systems) involves shifting to the largest chainring and the largest rear cog, then sizing the chain so that the pulleys are at a 45 degree angle to the ground. The rules probably vary from derailleur to derailleur. In general, you may use the capacity of the rear derailleur cage as a guideline. You want the chain short enough so the cage can take up the slack in the smallest combination of chainwheel and rear cog you will use. The chain must also be long enough so that the cage still has some travel in the largest combination you will use. For example, if you have a 42x52 crank and a 13x21 freewheel, the smallest combination you would use would be a 42/14 (assuming you don't use the diagonal). If the cage can take up the slack in this combo, it's short enough. If the cage has spring left when you are in the 52/19 combo (again, you are not using the diagonal), it's long enough. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.8 Hyperglide chains From: Mark Chandler For those of you that are tired of dealing with Shimano's chains with the special pins, I've found that the following chains work well with Shimano Hyperglide gearing systems: DID SuperShift Sedis ATB Union 800 Union 915 The SuperShift is probably the best performer of the bunch, followed by the ATB and 915. The 800 doesn't do too well with narrow cogsets (i.e., 8-speeds) because the raised elliptical bumps on the side-plates tend to rub on the adjacent cogs. I've also found that these chains work well on SunTour systems. The 915, however, works better on PowerFlo cogs than it does on regular (AccuShift) cogs (where it tends to slip when shifting). ------------------------------ Subject: 8.9 Bottom Bracket Info From: Jobst Brandt The four kinds of BB threads in common use today are Italian, British, French, and Swiss, possibly in that order of occurrence. Diameter Pitch Right Left Cup -------- ----- ----- ----- Italian 36mm x 24F tpi right right tpi (threads per inch) British 1.370" x 24F tpi left right French 35mm x 1mm right right Swiss 35mm x 1mm left right Unless there is something wrong with the right hand cup it should not be removed but should be wiped clean and greased from the left side. The thread type is usually marked on the face of both left and right cups. Swiss threads are rare but if you have one it is good to know before attempting removal. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.10 Crank noises From: Phil Etheridge I've had the creaky crank problem on every bike I've owned which has had cotterless cranks. Until now, I've never known a good solution to the problem. One suggestion I had was to replace the crank, but that wasn't something I was prepared to do on 1 month old bike under warranty. The shop mechanic spent half an hour with me and my bike sorting it out. Tightening the crank bolts and pedal spindle (i.e. onto the crank) didn't help (as Jobst will tell you). Removing each crank, smearing the spindle with grease and replacing the crank eliminated most of the noise. Removing each pedal, smearing grease on the thread and replacing it got rid of the rest of the noise. Greasing the pedal threads is a new one on me, but it makes a lot of sense, since they are steel and the crank aluminum. I thought it was worth relating this story, as creaky cranks seems to be quite a common problem. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.11 Cracking/Breaking Cranks From: Jobst Brandt [Ed note: Yes, another disputed issue is contained here - whether to lube the crank tapers before installing the crankarms. This has popped up from time to time on rec.bicycles, and has never been resolved one way or the other. The text here is Jobst's viewpoint.] Cranks break because they are aluminum and because they have high stress at various points. The worst of these points are at the pedal eye and where the spider fingers join the right crank. The pedal eye is a bad place because the joint is incorrectly designed, but since it is a standard, it may not be changed since it seems to work. This joint always moves and causes fretting corrosion and cracks. These cracks propagate into the crank and cause failure. A better joint here would be a 45 degree taper instead of a flat shoulder at the end of the pedal thread. The thin web between the spider and crank, another common crack origin on cranks like the Campagnolo Record, was nicely redesigned in the C-Record crank, but to make up for that the C-Record is otherwise weaker than the Record version. My experience is that they break in about 1500 miles because the pedal eye has a smaller cross section than the Record model, but maybe the alloy is poorer too. I have subsequently used Dura Ace cranks for more than two years with no failure yet. I don't believe in eternal life here either. Aluminum has no safe fatigue limit but just gets progressively safer as stress is reduced. In contrast, steel has a threshold below which failures cease. Therein lies some of the problem. As for cranks loosening, one can view the junction between spindle and crank in an exaggerated elastic model where the spindle is made of plastic and the crank of Rubbermaid household rubber. The crank, once properly installed and the retaining bolt in place, squirms on the square taper when under torque. During these deformations the crank can move only in one direction because the bolt prevents it from coming off. The crank always slides farther up the taper. Proof that the crank squirms is given by the fretting rouge always found on the spindle, whether lubricated or not, when a crank is pulled off after substantial use. As was mentioned by various observers, the left crank bolt is usually looser, after use, than the right one and this could be anticipated because the two cranks differ in their loading. This does not mean the left crank is looser. Actually it is tighter, only the bolt is looser. The left crank is more heavily loaded because it experiences offset twist from the pedal at the same time it transmits torque to the spindle. The right crank, being connected to the chain, experiences either spindle torque from the left pedal or twist from the right pedal but not torque and twist at the same time. In this squirming mode, cranks wander away from the retaining bolt and leave it loose after the first hard workout (for riders of more than 150 lbs). The bolts should NOT be re-tightened because they were correctly tight when installed. Cranks have been split in half from repeated follow-up tightening, especially left cranks. The spindle should be lubricated before installing cranks. A wipe of a mechanic's finger is adequate since this is to prevent galling in the interface. To prevent losing a loose crank bolt, the "dust" cover that is in fact the lock cap should be installed. Those who have had a crank spindle break, can attest to the greater stress on the left side because this is the end that always breaks from fatigue. A fatigue crack generally has a crystalline appearance and usually takes enough time to develop that the face of the fracture oxidizes so that only the final break is clean when inspected. Because a notch acts to concentrate stress, the advancing crack amplifies this effect and accelerates the advance once the crack has initiated. I have heard of instructions to not lubricate spindles before installing cranks but I have never been able to find it in any manufacturer's printed material. Although I have broken many Campagnolo cranks, none has ever failed at the spindle. I am certain that the standard machine practice of lubricating a taper fit has no ill effects. I have also never had a crank come loose nor have I re-tightened one once installed. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.12 Biopace chainrings Biopace chainrings have fallen into disfavor in recent years. They are hard to "pedal in circles". The early Biopace chainrings were designed for cadences of around 50-70 rpm, while most recommend a cadence of 80-100 rpm. Newer Biopace chainrings are less elliptical, but the general consensus is to (if you are buying a new bike) get the dealer to change the chainrings to round ones. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.13 Snakebite flats Snakebite flats are usually caused by the tire and tube being pinched between the road and the rim, causing two small holes in the tube that look like a snakebite. The usual causes are underinflation, too narrow a tire for your weight, or hitting something (rock, pothole) while having your full weight on the tire. The obvious solutions are to make sure your tires are inflated properly, use a larger size tire if you weigh a lot, and either avoid rocks and potholes or stand up with your knees and elbows flexed (to act like shock absorbers) when you go over them. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.14 Blown Tubes From: Tom Reingold Charles E Newman writes: $ Something really weird happened at 12:11 AM. My bike blew a $ tire while just sitting parked in my room. I was awakened by a noise $ that scared the livin ^&$% out of me. I ran in and found that all the $ air was rushing out of my tire. How could something like happen in the $ middle of the night when the bike isn't even being ridden? I have $ heard of it happening when the bike is being ridden but not when it is $ parked. This happened because a bit of your inner tube was pinched between your tire bead and your rim. Sometimes it takes a while for the inner tube to creap out from under the tire. Once it does that, it has nothing to keep the air pressure in, so it blows out. Yes, it's scary. I've had it happen in the room where I was sleeping. To prevent this, inflate the tire to about 20 psi and move the tire left and right, making sure no part of the inner tube is pinched. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.15 Mounting Tires From: Douglas Gurr A request comes in for tyre mounting tricks. I suspect that this ought to be part of the FAQ list. However in lieu of this, I offer the way it was taught to me. Apologies to those for whom this is old hat, and also for the paucity of my verbal explanations. Pictures would help but, as always, the best bet is to find someone to show you. First of all, the easy bit: 1) Remove the outer tyre bead from the rim. Leave the inner bead. Handy hint. If after placing the first tyre lever you are unable to fit another in because the tension in the bead is too great then relax the first, slip the second in and use both together. 2) Pull out the tube finishing at the valve. 3) Inspect the tube, find the puncture and repair it. Now an important bit: 4) Check tyre for thorns, bits of glass etc - especially at the point where the hole in the tube was found. and now a clever bit: 5) Inflate the tube a _minimal_ amount, i.e. just sufficient for it to hold its shape. Too much inflation and it won't fit inside the tyre. Too little (including none at all) and you are likely to pinch it. More important bits: 6) Fit the tube back inside the tyre. Many people like to cover the tube in copious quantities of talcum powder first. This helps to lubricate the tyre/tube interface as is of particular importance in high pressure tyres. 7) Seat the tyre and tube over the centre of the rim. 8) Begin replacing the outer bead by hand. Start about 90 degrees away from the valve and work towards it. After you have safely passed the valve, shove it into the tyre (away from the rim) to ensure that you have not trapped the tube around the valve beneath the tyre wall. Finally the _really_ clever bit: 9) When you reach the point at which you can no longer proceed by hand, slightly _deflate_ the tube and try again. Repeat this process until either the tyre is completely on (in which case congratulations) or the tube is completely deflated. In the latter case, you will have to resort to using tyre levers and your mileage may vary. Take care. and the last important check: 10) Go round the entire wheel, pinching the tyre in with your fingers to check that there is no tube trapped beneath the rim. If you have trapped the tube, deduct ten marks and go back to step one. Otherwise .... 11) Replace wheel and reinflate. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.16 More Flats on Rear Tires From: Jobst Brandt Most sharp obstacles, except tetrahedral glass slivers and puncture vine, more often get stuck in the rear tire than in the front tire. The reason is that the front tire upsets the sharp object just in time for the rear tire to catch it head-on. This front to rear effect is also true for motor vehicles. Nails lying on the road seldom enter front tires. When dropped on the road by a moving vehicle, the nail slides down the road aligning itself pointing toward traffic because it tends to roll around until it is head first. The tire rolls over it and tilts it up so that if the speed is ideal, the rear tire catches it upright. I once got a flat from a one inch diameter steel washer that the rear tire struck on edge after the front tire flipped it up. When it is wet glass can stick to the tire even in the flat orientation and thereby get a second chance when it comes around again. To add to this feature, glass cuts far more easily when wet as those who have cut rubber tubing in chemistry class may remember. A wet razor blade cuts latex rubber tubing in a single slice while a dry blade only makes a nick. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.17 What holds the rim off the ground? From: Jobst Brandt > What forces keep the rim of a wheel with pneumatic tires off the > ground. It obviously can't be the air pressure because that's acting > from top as well as from below. As has been pointed out, the casing walls pull on the rim (or its equivalent) and thereby support the load. The casing leaves the rim at about a 45 degree angle, and being essentially a circular cross section, it is in contact with the rim over its inner quarter circle. At least this is a good representative model. The visualization may be simpler if a tubular tire is considered. It makes no difference whether the tire is held on by glue or is otherwise attaches to the rim such as a clincher is. Either way the tire is attached to the rim, a relatively rigid structure. Under load, in the ground contact zone, the tire bulges so that two effects reduce the downward pull (increase the net upward force) of the casing. First, the most obvious one is that the casing pulls more to the sides than downward (than it did in its unloaded condition); the second is that the side wall tension is reduced. The reduction arises from the relationship that unit casing tension is equivalent to inflation pressure times the radius of curvature divided by pi. As the curvature reduces when the tire bulges out, the casing tension decreases correspondingly. The inflated tire supports the rim primarily by these two effects. Tire pressure changes imperceptibly when the tire is loaded because the volume does not change appreciably. Besides, the volume change is insignificant in small in comparison to the volume change the air has undergone when being compressed into the tire. In that respect, it takes several strokes of a frame pump to increase the pressure of a tire from 100 psi to 101. The air has a low spring constant that acts like a long soft spring that has been preloaded over a long stroke. Small deflections do not change its force materially. For convenience car and truck tires are regularly inflated to their proper pressure before being mounted on the vehicle. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.18 Anodized vs. Non-anodized Rims From: Jobst Brandt There are several kinds of dark coatings sold on rims. Each suggests that added strength is achieved by this surface treatment while in fact no useful effects other than aesthetic results are achieved. The colored rims just cost more as do the cosmetically anodized ones. The hard anodized rims do not get stronger even though they have a hard crust. The anodized crust is brittle and porous and crazes around spoke holes when the sockets are riveted into the rim. These cracks grow and ultimately cause break-outs if the wheel is subjected to moderate loads over time. There is substantial data on this and shops like Wheelsmith, that build many wheels, can tell you that for instance, no MA-2 rims have cracked while MA-40 rims fail often. These are otherwise identical rims. Hard anodizing is also a thermal and electrical insulator. Because heat is generated in the brake pads and not the rim, braking energy must cross the interface to be dissipated in the rim. Anodizing, although relatively thin, impedes this heat transfer and reduces braking efficiency by overheating the brake pad surfaces. Fortunately, in wet weather, road grit wears off the sidewall anodizing and leaves a messy looking rim with better braking. Anodizing has nothing to do with heat treatment and does not strengthen rims. To make up for that, it costs more. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.19 Reusing Spokes From: Jobst Brandt >I just bent my wheel and am probably going to need a new one >built. Can I reuse my old, 3 months, spokes in the new wheel. >The guy at the shop gave me some mumbo jumbo about tensioning or >something. There is no reason why you should not reuse the spokes of your relatively new wheel. The reason a bike shop would not choose to do this is that they do not know the history of your spokes and do not want to risk their work on unknown materials. If you are satisfied that the spokes are good quality you should definitely use them for you new wheel. The spokes should, however, not be removed from the hub because they have all taken a set peculiar to their location, be that inside or outside spokes. The elbows of outside spokes, for instance, have an acute angle while the inside spokes are obtuse. There are a few restrictions to this method, such as that new rim must have the same effective diameter as the old, or the spokes will be the wrong length. The rim should also be the same "handedness" so that the rim holes are offset in the correct direction. This is not a fatal problem because you can advance the rim one hole so that there is a match. The only problem is that the stem will not fall between parallel spokes as it should for pumping convenience. Take a cotton swab and dab a little oil in each spoke socket of the new rim before you begin. Hold the rims side by side so that the stem holes are aligned and note whether the rim holes are staggered in the same way. If not line the rim up so they are. Then unscrew one spoke at a time, put a wipe of oil on the threads and engage it in the new rim. When they are all in the new rim you proceed as you would truing any wheel. Details of this are in a good book on building wheels. The reason you can reuse spokes is that their failure mode is fatigue. There is no other way of causing a fatigue failure than to ride many thousand miles (if your wheel is properly built). A crash does not induce fatigue nor does it even raise tension in spokes unless you get a pedal between them. Unless a spoke has a kink that cannot be straightened by hand, they can all be reused. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.20 Clinchers vs. Tubulars From: F.J. Brown D.H.Davis@gdt.bath.ac.uk gave some useful hints on mounting clinchers, mostly involving the use of copious quantities of baby powder, and trying to convince me that clinchers aren't difficult to mount, so ease of mounting isn't a valid reason for preferring tubulars. wernerj@lafcol.lafayette.edu wrote that although average tubulars ride 'nicer' than average clinchers, there are some clinchers around that ride just as 'nice'. He also said that ease of change isn't a good reason for preferring tubulars as if you flat in a race, you're either going to swap a wheel or drop out. He pointed out that tubulars end up costing $20 - $80 per flat. ershc@cunyvm.cuny.edu gave some of the historic reasons that tubulars were preferred: higher pressures, lower weight, stronger, lighter rims. Said that only a few of these still hold true (rim strength/weight, total weight), but he still prefers the 'feel' of tubulars. leka@uhifa.ifa.hawaii.edu started this thread with his observations on clinchers seperated from their rims in the aftermath of a race crash. stek@alcvax.pfc.mit.edu comments on improperly-glued tubulars posing a threat to other racers by rolling off, and noted that this couldn't happen with clinchers. jbrandt@hpl.hp.com agreed with stek, with the additional note that it is inadequate inflation that often allows tubulars to roll. Kevin at Buffalo agreed with stek and jobst about tubulars (improperly or freshly glued) sometimes rolling. ruhtra@turing.toronto.edu says he uses clinchers for cost and convenience. Clinchers let him carry around a tiny patch kit and some tyre irons, costing 60c, whereas tubulars would require him to carry a whole tyre, and would cost more. CONCLUSIONS: THE CLINCHER VS. TUBULAR WAR Tubulars - used to be capable of taking higher pressures, had lower weight and mounted onto stronger, lighter rims than clinchers. Clinchers have now largely caught up, but many cyclists thinking hasn't. Tubular tyre + rim combination still lighter and stronger. - are easier to change than clinchers. This matters more to some people than others - triathletes, mechanical morons and those riding in unsupported races. - cost megabucks if you replace them every time you puncture. ***However*** (and none of the North Americans mentioned this) down here in Kiwiland, we ***always*** repair our punctured tubulars (unless the casing is cut to ribbons). The process doesn't take much imagination, you just unstitch the case, repair the tube in the normal manner using the thinnest patches you can buy, stitch it back up again and (the secret to success) put a drop of Superglue over the hole in the tread. - can roll off if improperly glued or inflated. In this case, you probably deserve what you get. Unfortunately, the riders behind you don't. Clinchers - can be difficult to change (for mechanical morons) and are always slower to change than tubulars. Most people still carry a spare tube and do their repairs when they get home. - are cheaper to run: if you puncture a lot clinchers will probably still save you money over tubulars, even if you repair your tubulars whenever possible. Tubulars are only repairable most of the time, you virtually never write off a clincher casing due to a puncture. - have improved immensely in recent years; top models now inflate to high pressures, and are lighter and stronger than they used to be. Likewise clincher rims. Some debate over whether tubulars are still lighter and tubular rims stronger. Probably depends on quality you select. No doubt that high quality clinchers/rims stronger, lighter and mor dependable than cheap tubular/rim combination. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.21 Presta Valve Nuts From: Jobst Brandt Two points here: 1. The jamb nut holds the stem when pumping so that it does not recede into the rim when pressing the pump head against the tire. This is especially useful when the tire is flat (after installing the tube). It also keeps the stem from wiggling around while pumping. Removing the nut should present no difficulty unless the threads have been damaged or the hands are cold. The cold may present a problem, but then just opening the valve nut on a Presta valve under such conditions. 2. Breaking off stems with a frame pump comes from pumping incorrectly. The number of new tubes with broken stems lying along the road proves that this occurs far too often. To avoid breaking the stem, the pump head should be be held in the fist so that the pumping force goes from one hand into the other, not from the pump into the valve stem. To practice the correct action, hold the pump head in one hand with the thumb over the outlet, and pump vigorously letting out no air. All the force goes from one hand into the other. This is essentially what should take place when inflating a tire. It does no good to "get even" with the stupid tube by discarding it on the road for all to see. Most riders understand how to pump a tire and see this only as evidence of incompetence rather than a faulty tube. Besides, this ostentatious behavior constitutes littering for which the the fine is $1000 in California. Bike shops should instruct new bike owners about the use of the frame pump. Along with this there should be some tire patch hints like don't try to ride a freshly patched tube, carry a spare tube and always use the spare after patching the punctured tube. Of course this is a whole subject in itself that should be treated under its own heading. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.22 Ideal Tire Sizes From: Jobst Brandt > I'm getting a custom frame built and wondered what > people thought of using 26 inch road wheels. Smaller > wheels ought to be lighter and stronger. and goes on to list advantages and disadvantages, most of which are less that important in deciding what size to use. What in fact brought us the wheel size (700 or 27") that we have is better understood by the women riders who have a hard time fitting these wheels into their small bicycle frames. Wheels would be larger than they are if they would fit the average riders bike, but they don't. So the compromise size is what we are riding today. > It seems to me that the most obvious reason for using 27" > wheels is tradition, but I'm not sure the advantages make > it worth trying to swim upstream. What do you think? This line of thought is consistent with the "cost be damned" approach in bicycling today. The big bucks are spent by people who want the best or even better than their peers. The more special the better. Riders consistently spend nearly twice the money for wheels and get worse rims when they choose anodized ones, whether there is merit to this finish is of no interest. They cost more so they must be better. How "custom" can you get than to have wheels no one else on the block has (maybe 25"?). If enough riders ask for 24", 25" and 26" wheels, manufacturers will up the price as their product lines multiply and the total sales remain constant. Tires and spokes will follow as a whole range of sizes that were not previously stocked become part of the inventory. Meanwhile, bike frames will come in different configurations to take advantage of the special wheel sizes. SIzes whose advantages are imperceptibly small but are touted by riders who talk of seconds saved in their last club TT or while riding to work. A larger wheel rides better on average roads and always corners better because it brings a longer contact patch to the road. A longer contact averages traction over more pavement and avoids slip outs for lack of local traction. Visualize crossing a one inch wide glossy paint stripe with a 27" wheel and an 18" wheel when banked over in a wet turn. I see this subject arise now and then and it reminds me of the concept of splitting wreck.bike into several newsgroups. The perpetrators bring the matter up for many of the wrong reasons. Ride bike, don't re-invent what has been discarded. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.23 Indexed Steering From: Jobst Brandt > In the several years I spent working in a pro shop, I have never > seen a case of "index steering" (yes, we called it that) that was > _not_ caused by a "brinelled" headset - one with divots in the > races. I am 99.999 percent certain that that is your problem. What > are you going to do if you don't fix it? I suggest that you fix the > headset even if you sell the bike, as a damaged headset could be > grounds for a lawsuit if the buyer crashes. I disagree on two points. First, because you use the term "brinell" because brinelling conveys a notion as incorrect as the phrase "my chain stretched from climbing steep hills" and second, because there is no possibility of injury or damage from an "indexed" head bearing. Damage to the head bearings seems to be twofold in this case because the steering, if properly adjusted, only gets looser from dimpled bearings and would not become arrested by the dimples. So the head was adjusted too tight or it got tighter inadvertently. However, dimpling is caused by lubrication failure and occurs from riding straight ahead. This condition is worse for a correctly adjusted bearing than for a loose one that would introduce more lubricant as it rattled. Off road bicycles suffer from this malady less than road bicycles because it occurs primarily on long smooth descents where there are no steering motions to replenish lubrication. If you believe it comes from hammering the balls into the races, I suggest you try to cause some dimples by hammering with a hammer onto the underside of the fork crown of a clunker bike of your choice. Those who pounded in cotters on steel cranks will recall no such dimpling on the BB axle even though it is a far smaller than the bearing race of a head bearing and the blows more severe and direct. No dimples were made. Ball bearings make metal-to-metal contact only when subjected to fretting loads (microscopic oscillations) while in the same position. Any perceptible steering motion replenishes lubrication from adjoining areas. If you watch your front hub while coasting down the road at 20+ mph you will notice that the fork ends vibrate fore and aft. This motion arises not at the blade tips but at the fork crown and rotates both head bearings in fretting motions that are out of the normal plane of rotation. From this, dimples are formed in the forward and rearward quadrant of the bearings. Lubrication failure from fretting causes welding between balls and races whose microscopic welds tear out repeatedly causing the elliptical milky dimples in the races. Were these brinelling marks (embossed through force) they would be shiny and smooth. Various testimonials for the durability of one bearing over another are most likely based on good experience that has more to do with the lubricant used than the design of the bearing. The rigidly mounted ball bearing has survived for a long time considering its performance record. Roller bearings of various designs have been tried and from their use it seems to have become apparent that the fore and aft motion is the culprit, one that roller bearings were even poorer at absorbing than balls. This made it necessary to put spherical seats under the rollers. Although this got rid of most of the dimpling these bearings did not work well because the needle cage had a tendency to shift and drag on one side of the assembly while the racees shifted the opposite way causing the bearing to bind. It appears that a solution was found when Shimano bought the patent to a ball bearing headset that combined the cup and cone ball bearing with the spherical plain bearing from Wilderness Trail Bikes. Shimano offers these bearings in several model called: LX, XT, 600, STX-RC and Dura Ace. They have a full-complement, angular-contact, ball bearing whose races are sufficiently reentrant to remain assembled when snapped together. Rubber seals that are not exposed to the weather cover the openings to retain grease for life. The ball bearing is supported on a spherical steel ring that forms a plain bearing against the aluminum housing to take up otherwise damaging out of plane motion while the ball bearing does the steering. Of course the bearing is only durable as long as the plain bearing remains properly greased. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.24 Center Pivot vs. Dual Pivot Brakes From: Jobst Brandt Sidepull (one central pivot) brakes operate at a small angle to the rim. That means the pad moves in a nearly perpendicular direction to the braking surface and the pads can be completely worn down without adjusting their position. The unit is light and has a self contained quick release and cable adjustment feature. Its weakness is its thin arms that, in the pursuit of light weight, flex in the bending direction. With the current practice to minimize tire clearance on road bicycles, sidepull brakes cannot be used off road for lack of dirt clearance. Their return spring is anchored in a way that relative motion occurs between it and the brake arms. This motion demands lubrication and in its absence the brake does not center itself. This is a perpetual problem that has not been solved and has given rise to many designs, the latest of which is the Shimano dual pivot brake. This brake has the disadvantage that it cannot track a wobbly wheel because it is forced to be centered. The cantilever and centerpull brakes are inversions of the same design. Both have pivot points that are at 45 degrees to the brake surface, but the centerpull offers no advantage over sidepulls because it has all the same problems and not the advantages. In contrast the cantilever is the most rigid of available brakes and offers more tire clearance for off road use. The approach angel moves the brake pads in an undesirable direction so that as the pad wears it must be adjusted to prevent falling off the rim. With wear, the centerpull goes into the tire while the cantilever allows the pad to pop under the rim, never to return. Cantilever brakes have the additional problem that their reaction force spreads the forks. For this reason, U shaped stress plates are made to contain this force. For forks with telescopic suspension, braking restricts forks motion. Nearly all bicycle brakes have about the same mechanical advantage (4:1) that arises primarily in the hand lever. The "calipers" all approximate a 1:1 ratio. This is necessary to fit the reach of the average hand and the strength of the hand in proportion to body weight. That is to say all brakes are made to about the same human specification. Force and motion are a trade-off and this is the result. The Campagnolo Delta and Modolo Chronos brakes have a variable ratio that at the extremes ranges from infinity to zero, its motion being generated by an equilateral parallelogram that changes from one extreme to the other. This is an undesirable feature, especially as the pads wear and braking takes place in the zone of increased lever travel and increased mechanical advantage. The brake bottoms out abruptly. Servo activation on cantilever brakes has been offered in a design that uses the forward thrust on the brake post to add force to the application. Self servo effects are undesirable in brakes because the proportionality between braking and hand force is lost. You don't know how much braking you will get for a given hand lever force. It can vary widely and in some circumstances cause an unwanted skid. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.25 Seat adjustments From: Roger Marquis The following method of setting saddle height is not the only method around for setting your saddle height but it is the most popular among coaches and riders both here and in Europe. A) Adjust saddle level or very slightly nose up, no more than 2mm at the nose. B) Put on the shoes you normally ride in. Have wrench ready (usually a 5mm Allen). C) Mount the bike and sit comfortably, leaning against a wall. Hold the brake on with one hand (or mount the bike on a turbo trainer if you have one). D) Place your HEELS on the pedals, opposite the clip, pedal backwards at 30+ rpm without rocking your pelvis (very important). E) Adjust seat height so that there is about: 1) ZERO TO ONE HALF CM. for recreational riders (-50 mi/wk.), 2) ONE HALF TO ONE CM. for experienced riders (50+ mi./wk.), 3) ONE TO TWO CM. for endurance cyclists (250+ mi./wk.), between your heel and the pedal. If your soles are thicker at the cleat than at the heel adjust accordingly. Don't forget to grease the seat post. F) Ride. It may take a couple of rides to get used to the feel and possibly stretch the hamstrings and Achilles slightly. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.26 Cleat adjustments From: Roger Marquis [Ed note: You may also want to consider going to a bike shop that does Fit Kit and have them do the Fit Kit RAD to adjust your cleats. Many people recommend it.] A) Grease the cleat bolts and lightly tighten. B) Sitting on the bike, put your feet in the pedals and adjust until: B1) The ball of your foot is directly above or, more commonly, slightly behind the pedal axle and: B2) There is approximately 1 cm. (1/2in.) between your ankle and the crank arm. C) Tighten the cleat bolts 80% and go out for a ride. If another position feels more comfortable rotate your foot into that position. D) Carefully remove your shoes from the pedals and tighten the bolts fully. If you cannot get out of the pedals without shifting the cleats leave your shoes on the bike and draw an outline around the cleat. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.27 SIS Adjustment Procedure From: Bob Fishell Shimano's instructions for adjusting SIS drivetrains varies from series to series. The following method, however, works for each of mine (600EX, 105, and Deore'). [Ed note: Works on Exage road and mtb also.] Your chain and cogs must be in good shape, and the cable must be free of kinks, slips, and binds. The outer cable should have a liner. clean and lubricate all points where the cable contacts anything. SIS adjustment: 1) Shift the chain onto the largest chainwheel and the smallest cog, e.g., 52 and 13. 2) WITHOUT TURNING THE CRANKS, move the shift lever back until it clicks, and LET GO. This is the trick to adjusting SIS. 3) Turn the crank. If the chain does not move crisply onto the next inside cog, shift it back where you started, turn the SIS barrel adjuster (on the back of the rear derailleur) one-half turn CCW, and go back to step 2. Repeat for each pair of cogs in turn until you can downshift through the entire range of the large chainwheel gears without the chain hesitating. If you have just installed or reinstalled a shift cable, you may need to do this several times. 4) Move the chain to the small chainring (middle on a triple) and the largest cog. 5) turn the cranks and upshift. If the chain does not move crisply from the first to the second cog, turn the SIS barrel adjuster one-quarter turn CW. If the drivetrain cannot be tuned to noiseless and trouble-free SIS operation by this method, you may have worn cogs, worn chain, or a worn, damaged, or obstructed shift cable. Replace as needed and repeat the adjustment. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.28 Where to buy tools You can buy tools from many sources. Some tools can be purchased at your local hardware store (wrenches, socket sets, etc), while the special bike tools can be purchased from your local bike store or one of the mail order stores listed elsewhere. You can buy every tool you think looks useful, or just buy the tools you need for a particular repair job. Buying the tools as you need them will let you build up a nice tool set over time without having to drop a lot of money at once. Some common tools you will need are: Metric/SAE wrenches for nuts and bolts (or an assortment of adjustable wrenches). Screwdrivers, both flat and phillips. Metric allen wrenches. Pliers. Wood or rubber mallet for loosening bolts. Special tools and their uses: Cone wrenches to adjust the hub cones. Chain tool to take the chain apart for cleaning and lubrication, and to put it back together. Tire irons for removing tires. Spoke wrenches for adjusting spokes. Cable cutters for cutting cables (don't use diagonal pliers!). Crankarm tools for removing crankarms. Bottom bracket tools for adjusting bottom brackets. Headset wrenches to adjust the large headset nut. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.29 Workstands There are a variety of workstands available, from about $30 to over $130. Look at the mail order catalogs for photos showing the different types. The type with a clamp that holds one of the tubes on the bike are the nicest and easy to use. Park has a couple of models, and their clamp is the lever type (pull the lever to lock the clamp). Blackburn and Performance have the screw type clamp (screw the clamp shut on the tube. If you have a low budget, you can use two pieces of rope hanging from the ceiling with rubber coated hooks on the end - just hang the bike by the top tube. This is not as steady as a workstand, but will do an adequate job. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.30 Workstands 2 From: Douglas B. Meade >>>>>>>>>> BICYCLE REPAIR STAND SUMMARY <<<<<<<<<< The Park PRS6 was recommended by several (>5) responders; all other models were recommended by no more than one responder. Park PRS6 PROS: full 360\degree rotation spring-loaded clamp is adjustable very stable CONS: not height adjustable not easy to transport clamp probably can't work with fat-tubed mtn bike COST: ~$150 SOURCE: catalogs, local bike shops Park Consumer PROS: foldable convenient portable CONS: not as stable as PRS6 COST: ~$100 SOURCE: catalogs, local bike shops Park BenchMount PROS: stronger, and more stable, than many floor models CONS: must have a workbench with room to mount the stand COST: $??? SOURCE: ??? Blackburn PROS: The stand folds flat and is portable. It has a 360 degree rotating clamp. It is relatively stable. CONS: crank-down clamp does not seem to be durable crank bolt is not standard size; difficult to replace hard to get clamp tight enough for stable use clamp scratchs paint/finish problems getting rotating mechanism to work properly COST: ~$100 SOURCE: catalogs, local bike shops Performance PROS: CONS: not too stable Ultimate Repair Stand PROS: excellent quality includes truing stand includes carrying bag CONS: COST: ~$225 SOURCE: order through local bike shop the U.S. address for Ultimate Support Systems is : Ultimate Support Systems 2506 Zurich Dr. P.O. Box 470 Fort Collins, CO. 80522-4700 Phone (303) 493-4488 I also received three homemade designs. The first is quite simple: hang the bike from coated screw hooks (available in a hardware store for less that $5/pair) The others are more sophisticated. Here are the descriptions provided by the designers of the systems. Dan Dixon describes a modification of the Yakima Quickstand attachment into a freestanding workstand I picked up the Yakama clamp and my local Bike shop for around $25. What you get is the clamp and a long carraige bolt with a big (5") wing nut. This is meant to be attached to their floor stand or their roof racks. The roof rack attachment is ~$60; expensive, but great for road trips. I, instead, bought a longer carraige bolt, a piece of 3/4" threaded lead pipe, two floor flanges, and some 2x4's. (about $10 worth of stuff). You say you want to attach it to a bench (which should be easy) pipe +- clamp | wing nut | | | V | +--+ V | |---------+ V | | O | | | |\_________/| | | / | | -O- |=| _________ |=| |==I | | | |/ \| | | \ | |---------+ | | O | | /\ /\ | |<-2x4 | | | | flanges--+---------+ | | | | Excuse the artwork, but it might give you and Idea about what I mean. You could just nail the 2x4 to the bench or something. I really like the clamp because it is totally adjustable for different size tubes. Eric Schweitzer prefers the following set-up to the Park `Professional' stands that he also has. My favorite 'stand', one I used for many years, one that I would use now if my choice of stand were mine, is made very cheaply from old seats and bicycle chain. Two seats (preferably cheap plastic shelled seats) (oh...they must have one wire bent around at the front to form the seat rails...most seats do) have the rails removed and bent to form 'hooks'. The 'right' kind of hooks are placed in a good spot on the ceiling about 5 or 6 feet apart. (really, a bit longer than the length of a 'typical' bike from hub to hub. If you do a lot of tandems or LWB recombants, try longer :) Form a loop in one end of the chain by passing a thin bolt through the opening between 'outer' plates in two spots on the chain. (of course, this forms a loop in the chain, not the bolt). The same is done at the other end to form loops to hold the seat rail/hooks. First, form the hooks so they form a pair of Js, about 2 inch 'hook's The hook for the front of the bike is padded, the one for the rear looped through the chain, squeezed together to a single hook, and padded. To use, hook the rear hook under the seat, or at the seat stays. Hook the front with each arm on oposite sides of the stem. Can also hook to head tube (when doing forks). Either hook can grab a rim to hold a wheel in place while tightening a quick release skewer or axle bolt. There is no restricted access to the left side of the bike. I try to get the BB of a 'typical' frame about waist height. In closing, here is a general statement that only makes my decision more difficult: My best advice is to consider a workstand a long term durable good. Spend the money for solid construction. Good stands don't wear or break, and will always be good stands until the day you die, at which point they will be good stands for your children. Cheese will always be cheese until it breaks. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.31 Frame Stiffness From: Bob Bundy As many of you rec.bicycles readers are aware, there have been occasional, sometimes acrimonious, discussions about how some frames are so much stiffer than others. Cannondale frames seem to take most of the abuse. The litany of complaints about some bike frames is long and includes excessive wheel hop, numb hands, unpleasant ride, broken spokes, pitted headsets, etc. I was complaining to a friend of mine about how there was so much ranting and raving but so little empirical data - to which he replied, "Why don't you stop complaining and do the measurements yourself?". To that, I emitted the fateful words, "Why not, after all, how hard can it be?". Following some consultation with Jobst and a few other friends, I ran the following tests: The following data were collected by measuring the vertical deflection at the seat (ST), bottom bracket (BB) and head tube (HT) as a result of applying 80lb of vertical force. The relative contributions of the tires, wheels, fork, and frame (the diamond portion) were measured using a set of jigs and a dial indicator which was read to the nearest .001 inch. For some of the measures, I applied pressures from 20 to 270 lbs to check for any significant nonlinearity. None was observed. The same set of tires (Continentals) and wheels were used for all measurements. Note that these were measures of in-plane stiffness, which should be related to ride comfort, and not tortional stiffness which is something else entirely. Bikes: TA - 1987 Trek Aluminum 1200, this model has a Vitus front fork, most reviews describe this as being an exceptionally smooth riding bike SS - 1988 Specialized Sirus, steel CrMo frame, described by one review as being stiff, hard riding and responsive DR - 1987 DeRosa, SP/SL tubing, classic Italian road bike RM - 1988 Cannondale aluminum frame with a CrMo fork, some reviewers could not tolerate the rough ride of this bike TA SS DR RM ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ST BB HT ST BB HT ST BB HS ST BB HT diamond 1 1 0 2 2 0 2 2 0 1 1 0 fork 3 11 45 3 9 36 4 13 55 3 10 40 wheels 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 tires 68 52 66 68 52 66 68 52 66 68 52 66 total 74 66 113 75 65 104 76 69 123 74 65 108 What is going on here? I read the bike mags and this net enough to know that people have strong impressions about the things that affect ride comfort. For example, it is common to hear people talk about rim types (aero vs. non-aero), spoke size, butting and spoke patterns and how they affect ride. Yet the data presented here indicate, just a Jobst predicted, that any variation in these factors will essentially be undetectable to the rider. Similarly, one hears the same kind of talk about frames, namely, that frame material X gives a better ride than frame material Y, that butted tubing gives a better ride that non-butted, etc. (I may have even made such statements myself at some time.) Yet, again, the data suggest that these differences are small and, perhaps, even undetectable. I offer two explanations for this variation between the data and subjective reports of ride quality. Engineering: These data are all static measurements and perhaps only applicable at the end of the frequency spectrum. Factors such as frequency response, and damping might be significant factors in rider comfort. Psychology: There is no doubt that these bikes all look very different, especially the Cannondale. They even sound different while riding over rough roads. These factors, along with the impressions of friends and reviews in bike magazines may lead us to perceive differences where they, in fact, do not exist. Being a psychologist, I am naturally inclined toward the psychological explanation. I just can't see how the diamond part of the frame contributes in any significant way to the comfort of a bike. The damping of the frame should be irrelevant since it doesn't flex enough that there is any motion to actually dampen. That the frame would become flexible at some important range of the frequency spectrum doesn't seem likely either. On the other hand, there is plenty of evidence that people are often very poor judges of their physical environment. They often see relationships where they don't exist and mis-attribute other relationships. For example, peoples' judgement of ride quality in automobiles is more related to the sounds inside the automobile than the ride itself. The only way to get a good correlation between accelerometers attached to the car seat and the rider's estimates of ride quality is to blindfold and deafen the rider (not permanently!). This is only one of many examples of mis- attribution. The role of expectation is even more powerful. (Some even claim that whole areas of medicine are built around it - but that is another story entirely.) People hear that Cannondales are stiff and, let's face it, they certainly *look* stiff. Add to that the fact that Cannondales sound different while going over rough roads and perhaps the rider has an auditory confirmation of what is already believed to be true. Unless anyone can come up with a better explanation, I will remain convinced that differences in ride quality among frames are more a matter of perception than of actual physical differences. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.32 Frame materials [Ed note: I got this information from some of the books I have. People in the know are welcome to update this.] There are several materials that are used to make bicycle frames. They are: Mild steel - usually used in cheap department store bikes. Frames made from mild steel are heavy. High carbon steel - a higher quality material used in low end bikes. Reynolds 500 is an example. Steel alloy - lighter and better riding than high-carbon frames. Reynolds 501 and Tange Mangaloy are examples. Chro-moly - also called chrome-molybdenum or manganese-molybdenum steel. One of the finest alloys for bike frames. Reynolds 531 and Columbus SL and SP are some of the best known brands. Carbon fiber - high tech stuff. Made from space-age materials, frames made of this are very light and strong. Some problems have been seen in the connections between the tubes and bottom bracket, etc. Aluminum - Light frames, usually with larger diameter tubes. Cannondale is a well-known brand. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.33 Bike pulls to one side From: Jobst Brandt For less than million dollar bikes this is easy to fix, whether it corrects the cause or not. If a bike veers to one side when ridden no-hands, it can be corrected by bending the forks to the same side as you must lean to ride straight. This is done by bending the fork blades one at a time, about 3 mm. If more correction is needed, repeat the exercise. The problem is usually in the forks although it is possible for frame misalignment to cause this effect. The kind of frame alignment error that causes this is a head and seat tube not in the same plane. This is not easily measured other than by sighting or on a plane table. The trouble with forks is that they are more difficult to measure even though shops will not admit it. It takes good fixturing to align a fork because a short fork blade can escape detection by most measurement methods. Meanwhile lateral and in-line corrections may seem to produce a straight fork that still pulls to one side. However, the crude guy who uses the method I outlined above will make the bike ride straight without measurement. The only problem with this is that the bike may pull to one side when braking because the fork really isn't straight but is compensated for lateral balance. This problem has mystified more bike shops because they did not recognize the problem. Sequentially brazing or welding fork blades often causes unequal length blades and bike shops usually don't question this dimension. However, in your case I assume the bike once rode straight so something is crooked ------------------------------ Subject: 8.34 Frame repair From: David Keppel (Disclaimer: my opinions do creep in from time to time!) When frames fail due to manufacturing defects they are usually replaced under warranty. When they fail due to accident or abuse (gee, I don't know *why* it broke when I rode off that last motorcycle jump, it's never broken when I rode it off it before!) you are left with a crippled or unridable bike. There are various kinds of frame damage that can be repaired. The major issues are (a) figuring out whether it's repairable (b) who can do it and (c) whether it's worth doing (sometimes repairs just aren't worth it). Kinds of repairs: Bent or cracked frame tubes, failed joints, bent or missing braze-on brackets, bent derailleur hangars, bent or broken brake mounts, bent forks, etc. A frame can also be bent out of alignment without any visible damage; try sighting from the back wheel to the front, and if the front wheel hits the ground to one side of the back wheel's plane (when the front wheel is pointing straight ahead), then the frame is probably out of alignment. * Can it be repaired? Just about any damage to a steel frame can be repaired. Almost any damage to an aluminum or carbon fiber frame is impossible to repair. Titanium frames can be repaired but only by the gods. Some frames are composites of steel and other materials (e.g., the Raleigh Technium). Sometimes damage to steel parts cannot be repaired because repairs would affect the non-steel parts. Owners of non-steel frames can take heart: non-steel frames can resist some kinds of damage more effectively than steel frames, and may thus be less likely to be damaged. Some frames come with e.g., replacable derailleur hangers (whether you can *get* a replacement is a different issue, though). Also, many non-steel frames have steel forks and any part of a steel fork can be repaired. Note: For metal frames, minor dents away from joints can generally be ignored. Deep gouges, nicks, and cuts in any frame may lead to eventual failure. With steel, the failure is generally gradual. With aluminum the failure is sometimes sudden. Summary: if it is steel, yes it can be repaired. If it isn't steel, no, it can't be repaired. * Who can do it? Bent derailleur hangers can be straightened. Indexed shifting systems are far more sensitive to alignment than non-indexed. Clamp an adjustable wrench over the bent hanger and yield the hanger gently. Leave the wheel bolted in place so that the derailleur hanger is bent and not the back of the dropout. Go slowly and try not to overshoot. The goal is to have the face of the hanger in-plane with the bike's plane of symmetry. Just about any other repair requires the help of a shop that builds frames since few other shops invest in frame tools. If you can find a shop that's been around for a while, though, they may also have some frame tools. * Is it worth it? The price of the repair should be balanced with * The value of the bicycle * What happens if you don't do anything about the damage * What would a new bike cost * What would a new frame cost * What would a used bike cost * What would a used frame cost * What is the personal attachment If you are sentimentally attached to a frame, then almost any repair is worth it. If you are not particularly attached to the frame, then you should evaluate the condition of the components on the rest of the bicycle. It may be cheaper to purchase a new or used frame or even purchase a whole used bike and select the best components from each. For example, my most recent reconstruction looked like: * Bike's estimated value: $300 * Do nothing about damage: unridable * Cost of new bike: $400 * Cost of new frame: $250+ * Cost of used bike: $200+ * Cost of used frame: N/A * Cost of repair: $100+ * Personal attachment: zip Getting the bike on the road again was not a big deal: I have lots of other bikes, but I *wanted* to have a commuter bike. Since I didn't *need* it, though, I could afford to wait a long time for repairs. The cost of a new bike was more than I cared to spend. It is hard to get a replacement frame for a low-cost bicycle. I did a good bit of shopping around and the lowest-cost new frame that I could find was $250, save a low-quality frame in the bargain basement that I didn't want. Used frames were basically the same story: people generally only sell frames when they are high-quality frames. Because the bike was a road bike, I could have purchased a used bike fairly cheaply; had the bike been a fat-tire bike, it would have been difficult to find a replacement. The cost of the frame repair included only a quick ``rattlecan'' spray, so the result was aesthetically unappealing and also more fragile. For a commuter bike, though, aesthetics are secondary, so I went with repair. There is also a risk that the `fixed' frame will be damaged. I had a frame crack when it was straightened. I could have had the tube replaced, but at much greater expense. The shop had made a point that the frame was damaged enough that it might crack during repair and charged me 1/2. I was able to have the crack repaired and I still ride the bike, but could have been left both out the money and without a ridable frame. * Summary Damaged steel frames can always be repaired, but if the damage is severe, be sure to check your other options. If the bicycle isn't steel, then it probably can't be repaired. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.35 Frame Fatigue From: John Unger I think that some of the confusion (and heat...) on this subject arises because people misunderstand the term fatigue and equate it with some sort of "work hardening" phenomena. By definition, metal fatigue and subsequent fatique failure are well-studied phenomena that occur when metal (steel, aluminum, etc.) is subjected to repeated stresses within the _elastic_ range of its deformation. Elastic deformation is defined as deformation that results in no permanent change in shape after the stess is removed. Example: your forks "flexing" as the bike rolls over a cobblestone street. (an aside... The big difference between steel and aluminum as a material for bicycles or anything similar is that you can design the tubes in a steel frame so that they will NEVER fail in fatigue. On the other hand, no matter how over-designed an aluminum frame is, it always has some threshold in fatigue cycles beyond which it will fail.) This constant flexing of a steel frame that occurs within the elastic range of deformation must not be confused with the permanent deformation that happens when the steel is stressed beyond its elastic limit, (e. g., a bent fork). Repeated permanent deformation to steel or to any other metal changes its strength characteristics markedly (try the old "bend a paper clip back and forth until it breaks" trick). Because non-destructive bicycle riding almost always limits the stresses on a frame to the elastic range of deformation, you don't have to worry about a steel frame "wearing out" over time. I'm sorry if all of this is old stuff to the majority of this newsgroup's readers; I just joined a few months ago. I can understand why Jobst might be weary about discussing this subject; I can remember talking about it on rides with him 20 years ago.... ------------------------------ Subject: 8.36 Weight = Speed? > I was wondering if anyone could help me figure out why heavier > people roll down hills faster than the little scrawnies like myself. Surface as well as cross sectional area of an object (a human body) increases more slowly than its weight (volume). Therefore, wind drag, that is largely dependent on surface, is proportionally smaller for a heavier and larger object than a smaller one of similar shape and composition. A good example is dust at a rock quarry that remains suspended in the air for a long time while the larger pieces such as sand, gravel, and rock fall increasingly faster to the ground. They are all the same material and have similar irregular shapes but have different weight to surface area ratios, and therefore, different wind resistance to weight ratios. This applies equally to bicyclists coasting down hills if other factors such as clothing and position on the bicycle are similar. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.37 Adjusting SPD Cleats Six adjustments can be made when setting up SPD cleats. With the foot parallel to the ground and pointing in the direction of travel, the adjustments are: 1) Left/right translation 2) Front/back translation 3) Up/down translation 4) Front to back tilt 5) Side to side tilt 6) Azimuth, often called "rotation" Front to back tilt is adjusted as the bicycle is pedaled since the pedals themselves rotate freely in this direction. Some people may need to adjust side to side tilt, but this requires the use of shims which are not provided and can cause the cleat to protrude beyond the tread of the shoe. Custom insoles that have one side slightly thicker than the other may have the same effect as shims between the cleat and the shoe. Separate up/down adjustments for each leg may be necessary for individuals with established leg length differences. To adjust up/down translation in one shoe use a combination of an insole and raise or lower the seat. To make small up/down changes equally in both legs, simply raise or lower the seat. The usual adjustments for SPD cleats are left/right, front/back, and Azimuth. Of these Azimuth is the most sensitive. For most people these three adjustments are sufficient to obtain a comfortable alignment. ----------------- Aligning SPD cleats: Position the cleat so that it lies on the imaginary line between the bony knob on the inside of your foot at the base of your big toe and a similar but smaller knob on the outside of the foot at the base of the smallest toe. Set azimuth so that the pointed end of the cleat points directly toward the front of the shoe. If you're switching from clips and straps, and you are satisfied with your current alignment, use the following alternate method. Position your SPD shoe fully in the clip of your old pedal and align the cleat to the spindle of your old pedal. Center the cleat in the X direction, leaving room to adjust either way should the need arise. Some people find pedaling more comfortable if their left and right feet are closer together. This is sometimes called the "Q-factor". If you prefer to start with a low Q-factor, then move the cleat so that it is as close as possible to the outside of the shoe. Tighten both cleat bolts before engaging the pedal. Adjust the release tension of the pedals so that it is somewhere in the low to middle part of the tension adjustment range. The higher the release tension, the harder it will be for you to disengage the pedals when dismounting. The lower the release tension, the easier it will be for you to inadvertently pull out of the pedals, especially when standing and pedaling. If you stand often to power up hills, consider setting the initial release tension higher as an unwanted release under these conditions can result in a painful spill. See the pedal instructions. Mount your bike on a trainer, if you have one, to make preliminary cleat and release tension adjustments. Practice engaging and disengaging the pedals a few times before you take a real ride. Soon you will find this easy. If you notice that a shoe rubs a crank or chainstay, adjust left/right translation and azimuth until the shoe no longer rubs. As you pedal, you will probably find the initial azimuth uncomfortable on one or both legs. Notice how your foot would like to rotate. Adjust the azimuth of the appropriate cleat in the same direction your foot wants to rotate. For example, if your foot wants to rotate clockwise, adjust the azimuth of the cleat (when looking at the bottom of the shoe) clockwise. Start by making moderate corrections. If you overshoot the adjustment, correct by half as much. As you approach optimum azimuth, you may need to ride longer before you notice discomfort. Take your bike off the trainer, and go for a real ride! And bring your 4mm allen key. You may find very small azimuth adjustments difficult to make. This happens because the cleat has made an indentation in the stiff sole material (usually plastic, sometimes with a tacky, glue-like material where a portion of the sole was removed). When you tighten the cleat after making a small correction, it will tend to slide back into the old indentation. Try moving the cleat one millimeter or so to the side or to the front or back, so the cleat can no longer slip into the old indentation pattern as it is being tightened. Pain in the ball of your foot can be relieved. One way is by moving the cleat rearward. Start by moving the cleat about two to three millimeters closer to the rear of the shoe. Be careful not to change the azimuth. When pedaling notice how far your heel is from the crank. After making a front/rear adjustment, check to make sure the crank-heel distance has not noticeably changed. Moving a cleat rearward on the shoe has the effect of raising your seat by a lesser amount for that leg. The exact expression is messy, but for an upright bike, the effect is similar to raising your seat by about y/3 for that leg, where y is the distance you moved the cleat to the rear. For example, if you move your cleat 6 millimeters to the rear, you might also want to lower your seat by about 2 millimeters. Remember, though, that unless both cleats are moved rearward the same amount, your other leg may feel that the seat is too low. Another way to relieve pain in the ball of the foot is to use a custom orthotic and/or a padded insole. Most cycling shoes provide poor arch support and even poorer padding. After riding for a while with your aligned cleats if you find yourself pulling out of the pedals while pedaling, you will need to tighten the release tension. After tightening the release tension the centering force of the pedals will be higher, and you may discover that the azimuth isn't optimum. Adjust the azimuth as described above. On the other hand, if you find you never pull out of the pedals while pedaling and if you find it difficult or uncomfortable to disengage the cleat, try loosening the release tension. People whose knees like some rotational slop in the cleat may be comfortable with very loose cleat retension. As with any modification that affects your fit on the bike, get used to your pedals gradually. Don't ride a century the day after you install SPDs. Give your body about two or three weeks of gradually longer rides to adapt to the new feel and alignment, especially if you've never ridden with clipless pedals before. Several months after installing SPDs, I occasionally tinker with the alignment. After performing the above adjustments if you are still uncomfortable, seek additional help. Some people can be helped by a FitKit. If you're lucky enough to have a good bike shop nearby, seek their advice. ----------------- Tightening cleat bolts: Tighten cleat bolts until they _begin_ to bind. This will happen when further tightening produces a vibration or squeal from the cleat. Tighten no further or you may damage the mounting plate on the inside of the shoe. After living for a while with a comfortable alignment, remove each mounting bolt separately, apply blue loctite on the threads, and reinstall. Should you later find you need to loosen a bolt to adjust the alignment, you will have to reapply the loctite. Keeping the Pedal/Cleat interface clean: Occasionally you may find the pedals suddenly more difficult to disengage. This usually happens because dirt or other contaminants get caught in the cleat or pedal mechanism. I have found that a good spray with a hose quickly and cleanly washes off dust, mud, or other gunk from the pedal and cleat. You may also wish to spray the pedal with a light silicone or teflon lubricant. Acknowledgements: John Unruh (jdu@ihlpb.att.com) Lawrence You (you@taligent.com) ----------------- Case History: I have sensitive legs--feet, ankles, knees, tendons, etc. If the cleats aren't aligned properly, I feel it. I took a long time to find a cleat alignment that was comfortable for long and/or intense rides. I ride a Bridgestone RB-T, 62cm frame, triple chainring. I wear size 48 Specialized Ground Control shoes--evil-looking black and red things. They were the only shoes I could find in my size that were comfortable. When I installed the M737 pedals, I had 175mm cranks. I set the release tension so that the indicator was at the loose end but so that I could see the entire nut in the slot. The azimuth I found most comfortable had both shoes pointing roughly straight ahead. The ball of my left foot began hurting, so I moved the left cleat back about 4-6mm. This placed the ball of my foot in front of the pedal spindle. I did not make any left/right adjustments. Unfortunately, on longer rides, the ball of my left foot still hurt, so I got a pair of custom CycleVac "Superfeet" insoles. I removed the stock insole from the shoe, and inserted the CycleVac insole. The CycleVac doesn't have any padding at the ball, and my foot didn't like the hard plastic sole of the shoe. I had a pair of thin green Spenco insoles lying around, so I put those under the CycleVacs to provide some padding. I didn't use the stock insoles because they are too thick. Finally, the pain was gone! If I remain pain-free for a while I may try moving the left cleat forward again. Then I replaced the 175mm cranks with 180mm cranks, and I lowered the seat 2.5mm. My left foot was still happy, but my right knee began to complain. Not only that, but my right foot felt as if it was being twisted to the right (supinating), toward the outside of the pedal. After fussing with the azimuth of the right cleat, I couldn't find a satisfactory position, though I could minimize the discomfort. I moved the right cleat as far as I could to the outside of the shoe, bringing my foot closer to the crank. I also reduced the release tension further. The red indicating dots are now just visible. This helped my knee, but my foot still felt as if it were being twisted, as if all the force were being transmitted through the outside of the foot. In addition, my left Achilles Tendon started to hurt at times. I lowered the seat another couple millimeters. This helped, but I felt that my right leg wasn't extending far enough. Then I tried _rotating_ the saddle just a little to the right, so the nose was pointing to the right of center. This helped. But my right foot still felt supinated, and my right knee started to hurt again. I removed the right CycleVac insole and Spenco insole and replaced them with the original stock insole that provides little arch support. Bingo. The discomfort was gone. It seems I need the arch support for the left foot but not for the right foot. How long will it be before I make another tweak? The saga continues... ----------------- Copyright 1993, Bill Bushnell. Feel free to distribute this article however you see fit, but please leave the article and this notice intact. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.38 Rim Tape Summary From: Ron Larson This is a summary of the experience of riders on the net regarding various rim tapes, both commercial and improvized. Any additional comments and inputs are welcome. RIM TAPE Rim tape or rim strips are the material that is placed inside a clincher rim to protect the tube from sharp edges of the nipple holes and possibly exposed ends of spokes extending beyond the nipples. Many materials have been used to produce rim tapes: plastic, rubber, tapes consisting of a multi-directional fiber weave, duct tape and fiberglass packing tape. A few factors influence how well a rim tape works. Some of the tapes are available in more than one width. It is important to choose the width that provides the best fit to cover the entire "floor" of the rim as opposed to a tape that is barely wide enough to cover the nipple holes. Another factor is how well the rim tape withstands the stress of being stretched over the nipple holes with a high preassure inner tube applying preassure to it. The main form of failure of the plastic tapes is for the tape to split lengthwise (in the direction the tube lies in the rim) under high preassure forming a sharp edge that the tube squeezes through and then rubs against. Thus the splitting tape causes the flat that it was supposed to be protecting against. REVIEW OF RIM TAPES BY TYPE Plastic Tapes Advantages: Easy to install and remove. No sticky side is involved. Disadvantages: Although there are exceptions, they are prone to splitting under preassure. Michelin Good Experiences: 0 Bad Experiences: 6 Cool Tape Good Experiences: 2 Bad Experiences: 0 Cool Tape is thicker than other plastic tapes and does not exhibit the splitting failure noted above. Hutchinson Good Experiences: 0 Bad Experiences: 2 Specialized Good Experiences: 1 Bad Experiences: 4 Rubber Tapes Advantages: Easy to install and remove. Good if the nipples are even with the rim floor and there are no exposed spoke ends. Disadvantages: Stretch too easily and allow exposed nipple ends to rub through the tape and then through the tape. Rubber strips Good Experiences: 0 Bad Experiences: 2 Cloth tapes woven of multi-directional fibers: Advantages: Easy to install. Do not fail under preassure. Disadvantages: They are a sticky tape and care must be taken not to pick up dirt if they need to be removed and re-installed. Velox Good Experiences:11 Bad Experiences: 0 Velox rim tape comes in three different widths. Be sure to get the widest tape that covers the floor of the rim without extending up the walls of the rim. The stem hole may need to be enlarged to allow the stem to seat properly. Otherwise the stem may push back into the tube under preassure and cause a puncture at the base of the stem. Non-commercial rim tapes Fiberglass packing tape (1 or 2 layers) Advantages: Cheap. Readily available. Easy to install. Disadvantages: Impossible to remove. If access to the nipples is required, the tape must be split and then either removed and replaced or taped over. Fiberglass packing tape Good Experiences: 1 Bad Experiences: 1 Duct tape (hey, someone tried it!!) Advantages: CHEAP. Readily available. Disadvantages: Useless. Becomes a gooey mess that is impossible to remove. Duct tape Good Experiences: 0 Bad Experiences: 1 CONCLUSION While plastic tapes are easy to work with, they often fail. The clear winner in this survey is the Velox woven cloth tape. A quick review of mail order catalogs confirms the experiences of the net. Velox was available in 5 out of 5 catalogs checked. It was the only rim tape available in 3 of the catalogs. The other 2 had one or two plastic tapes available. (None sold duct tape...) One good suggestion was a preassure rating for rim tapes much like the preassure rating of tires. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.39 STI/Ergo Summary From: Ron Larson 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. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.40 Roller Head Bearings From: Jobst Brandt 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. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.41 Tubular Tire Repair From: Jobst Brandt Opening the Tire To patch the tube, you must get into the tire and requires opening the casing by peeling the base tape back and unstitching the seam. If this is a seamless tire, chuck it. There are two types of seams, zipper stitch (using one thread) and two thread stitch. The zipper stitch is identified by having only one thread. It appears to make a pattern of slanted arrows that points in the direction in which it can be 'unzipped'. Never open more tire than is necessary to pull the tube out of the casing. Remember, the tube is elastic and can be pulled out of a three cm long opening pretty well. Even if there are two punctures not too far apart, the tube can be pulled out of a near by opening. If you must insert a boot, you'll need to open about 6 cm or about the length of the boot and then some. Base Tape Never cut the base tape because it cannot be butt joined. Always pull it to one side or separate it where it is overlapped. (also: Don't cut the tire seam, pull out the stitches.) When working on the stem, only unstitch on one side of the stem, preferably the side where machine finished. Use latex to glue down loose threads on a sidewall cut. Paint the exposed casing zone that is to be covered by the base tape and the base tape with latex emulsion, allow to partially dry and put the tape in place. Put the tire on a rim and inflate hard. Zipper Stitch Cut the thread at some convenient place at the upstream end of the opening and, with a blunt awl like a nitting needle, pull out a few stitches in the direction the stitch pattern points. Once you have exposed a length of thread, you can pull the stitching out like a zipper. When you have opened enough, take the loose end and run it through the last loop that has not yet been pulled to lock the zipper. If you think the thread is good enough, don't cut it off but use it to re-sew the seam. Two Thread Stitch One of the threads makes a zig zag as it locks the other thread where it penetrates the tire casing. Cut both threads near the middle of the opening and, with a blunt awl like a nitting needle, pull out a the locking thread in both directions. The locking thread is the easier one to pull out so remove as many stitches as you'll need to get into the tire. The other thread pulls out like a zipper. Tie a square knot with the loose ends at both ends of the opening and cut off the rest. Patching Patch butyl (black) tubes using patches from a bicycle patch kit. To patch a latex tube make patches from an old latex tube that are fully rounded and just large enough to cover the hole plus five mm. For instance, a thorn hole takes a 10 mm diameter patch. Use Pastali rim glue wiped thinly onto the patch with your finger. Place the patch on the tube immediately and press flat. Latex will pass the volatile solvent allowing the glue to cure rapidly with good adhesion to the tube. Casing Repair Repairing tubular tires requires latex emulsion. You can get it from carpet layers, who usually have it in bulk. You must have 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. Most cuts of more than a few cords require a structural boot. For boot material, pull the tread off a silk sprint tire, unstitch it and cut off the bead at the edge of the fold. Now you have a long ribbon of fine boot material. Cut off a 50cm long piece and trim it to a width that just fits inside the casing of the tire to be booted from inside edge of the bead (the folded part) to the other edge. The boot must be trimmed to a thin feathered edge so that the tube is not exposed to a step at the boot's edge, otherwise this will cause pinholes 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. Tube Replacement To replace the entire tube, open the tire on one side of the stem, the side that seems to be easier to re-sew after the repair. Open about eight to ten cm the usual way and pull out the old tube by the stem locally. Cut the tube and attach a 1/16" thick nylon cord to the loose end of the tube to be pulled through the casing as you pull the old tube out. Cut the "new" latex tube about 5 cm away from the stem, tie the cord onto the loose end and pull it gently into the casing. Dumping some talc into the casing and putting talc onto the tube helps get the tube into place. With the tube in place, pull enough of it out by stretching it to splice the ends together. Splicing the Tube This procedure only works with latex tubes. Overlap the tube ends so that the free end goes about one cm inside the end with the stem. With the tube overlapped, use a toothpick to wipe Pastali rim cement into the interface. The reason this MUST be done in place is that the solvent will curl the rubber into an unmanageable mess if you try this in free space. Carefully glue the entire circumference and press the joint together by pressing the tube flat in opposing directions. Wait a minute and then gently inflate to check the results. More glue can be inserted if necessary if you do not wait too long. Sewing the Tire Sewing machines make holes through the bead that are straight across at a regular stitch interval. For best results, you must use the original stitch holes when re-sewing. Get a strong thread that you cannot tear by hand and a (triangular) needle from a Velox tubular patch kit (yes I know they are scarce). Make the first stitch about one stitch behind the last remaining machine stitch and tie it off in a slip knot. With the beads of the tire pressed against each other so that the old holes are exactly aligned, sew in a loop stitch pulling each stitch tight, going forward two holes then back one, forward two, back one, until the seam is closed. This is a balanced stitch that uses one thread and can stretch longitudinally. Now that you know everything there is to know about this, get some practice. It works, I did it for years. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.42 Cassette or Freewheel Hubs From: Jobst Brandt 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. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.43 Cassette or Freewheel Hubs take 2 From: David Keppel People often ask ``should I use a freewheel or a freehub?'' The answer is usually ``yes.'' The hub is the center of a wheel and is composed of an axle, bolted to the bike frame, a hub shell or hub body, where the spokes attatch, and bearings to let the shell rotate around the axle. Freewheels screw onto threads on the rear hub's shell, and cogs attatch to the freewheel. The freewheel's job is to provide a ratchet between the cogs and the hub shell, so that you can coast. Freehubs are similar but combine parts of the freewheel with parts of the hub shell. Freehubs are also sometimes called ``cassettes''. The usual problem with rear hubs is that axles bend and break. This is because the axle diameter was chosen when single cogs were used and the hub bearing was positioned close to the frame. Since then, wider cog clusters have become the norm, the bearings and frame have moved further apart and leverage on the axle has increased. But since the axle has not gotten any stronger, it now has a tendency to fail. Cassettes fix the problem by incorporating one hub bearing in to the freewheel mechanism, so that the bearing is once again outboard and the axle is carrying its load under less leverage. Some freewheel hubs solve the problem by using fatter axles. Since increasing the axle diameter dramatically improves axle strength, this is an effective solution and it is possible to use a fat axle that is aluminum and thus lighter than a standard skinny (weaker) steel axle. Neither solution is perfect -- cassette hubs let you use standard replacement axles, cones, washers, etc., but force you to use cogs and spacers and whatnot by a particular manufacturer (and possibly derailleurs and shifters -- e.g. XTR uses 4.9mm cog-to-cog spacing instead of the normal 5.0mm). On the other hand, fat axles are nonstandard as are some other replacement parts. As an aside, the cassette solution leaves a fairly long unsupported axle stub on the left side, and this is sometimes a source of more bending problems. Fatter axles solve the problem on both sides. Note also that many cassette systems allow you to remove the cogs using a lightweight tool and thus give you ready access to the spokes in case of breakage. Freewheels attatch with a fine thread (another historical artifact, I believe) and are thus more difficult to remove on the road, making spoke replacement harder. In principle, freehubs have all cogs attatch using the same size and shape of spline, so, e.g., a 20T cog can be used as both a large cog for a corncob cluster and as a middle cog for wide-range cluster. However, Shimano's marketing is just the opposite and is directed at selling whole clusters, without letting you replace individual cogs. (Shimano's policy is relevant here since they sell 90+% of such hubs.) Freewheels have several spline diameters in order to clear the bearings and ratchet. Further, small cogs typically screw on to the freewheel body or special cogs with extra threads. This introduces stocking problems and may make it hard to build some cog combinations. I'm not a fan of freehubs for the simple reason that they lock me in to one maker's choices about cogs and cog spacing. For example, I had a 1988 Shimano 6-speed freehub and by 1991 Shimano had, according to my local bike store, discontinued 6-speed replacement cogs. Thus, simply replacing one worn cog meant upgrading to a 7-speed system, which in turn requires all new cogs, a new freehub body (lucky me -- for some it requires a new hub and thus new wheel), and, if I wanted to keep index shifting, new thumbshifters. Had this been a freewheel-equipped bicycle, I could have easily switched to another maker's 6-speed freewheels. Fortunately, the market is stablizing, with a growing number of makers producing hubs and cogs using a spline pattern like the more recent Shimano 7-speed freehubs. However, it hasn't settled entirely, yet. ;-D oN ( A hubalaboo ) Pardo ------------------------------ Subject: 8.44 "Sealed" Bearings From: Jobst Brandt > 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. jbrandt@hpl.hp.com ------------------------------ Subject: 8.45 Installing Cranks From: Jobst Brandt > 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 on bicycle cranks of all the machines I have 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 even with marginal lubrication, some galling may occur on installation. Lubrication is only used to guarantee a proper press without galling because the lubricant is displaced in use. That taper faces show erosion and rouge after substantial use is evidence that the lubricant was displaced. Only the press fit, not friction, transmits load from crank to spindle. As any bicycle mechanic can tell you, crank bolts are often appreciably looser after use with the left one looser 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 because the right pedal does not puts no 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. I don't know how the NO GREASE admonition got started but it must have propagated up from some bike shop that diagnosed cause and effect incorrectly. It makes no sense whatsoever. I have yet to see a logical explanation other than so and so said so. More recently it is cited in some manufacturer's instructions which I find even more baffling because they should know better. I have heard some bike shops, concerned about retaining screws unscrewing, advise users to re-tighten the screws after every ride for a week. This can spell disaster because for strong or heavy riders who can cause significant crank squirm because repeated tightening can split the crank. Because cranks squirm farther up the taper when stressed highly, the unwitting mechanic believes the screw got loose, rather than that the crank got 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 besides which I recently read an article in a European magazine that showed such a failure and attributed it to overtightening on installation and alluded to lubrication as the cause. This is highly improbable because the screw will fail long before the crank is damaged. Wheelsmith bicycles has a classic example in their collection of "interesting" component failures of a Campagnolo Record crank that split lengthwise from repeated tightening. For the press fit to work properly, the pressure must be great enough to prevent elastic separation between the crank and spindle under torque, bending, and shear loads. This means that no gap between crank and spindle should open when pedaling forcefully. Friction has no effect on the transmission of torque because the crank creeps into a position of equilibrium on the spindle in a few hard strokes. Failure of this interface occurs when the press fit is too loose allowing a gap open between spindle and crank. Torque is transmitted by the entire face of the press fit, both the leading edge whose contact pressure increases and the trailing edge whose contact pressure decreases. If lift-off occurs, the entire force bears only on the leading edge and plastic failure ensues. Tightening the retaining screw afterward cannot re-establish a square hole in the crank because the retaining screw will break before the spindle can exert sufficient stress to reshape the bore. Beyond that, the crank would split before any plastic deformation could occur even if the screw were sufficiently strong. Because retaining screws could become entirely lose from squirming action, especially if the press is relatively light, "dust caps" should be used to prevent screws from subsequently unscrewing and causing crank failure. Besides, the loss of the screw won't be noticed until the crank comes off, long after the screw fell out. Jobst Brandt ------------------------------ Subject: 8.46 Stress Relieving Spokes From: Jobst Brandt > 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 ------------------------------ Subject: 8.47 Traffic detector loops From: Bob Shanteau A traffic loop detects metal objects such as cars and bicycles based on the change in inductance that they induce in the loop. The loop is an inductor in an LC circuit that is tuned to resonate at a certain frequency. A metal plate over the loop (like a car) causes the magnetic flux to be shorted, reducing the inductance of the loop. This causes a change in resonant frequency, which is detected and sent to the signal controller. One of the ways of testing a loop is to create a loop about 2 feet in diameter with several turns of wire (connecting the ends) and placing the test wire in the middle of the traffic loop. The test wire should cause a dectection, if all is working. The same effect is seen with a vertical piece of metal, such as a bicycle, but is weaker. Because aluminum conducts electricity quite well, aluminum rims help. Steel rims are OK. Non-metal rims cannot be picked up at all. A bicycle with aluminum rims will cause about 1/100 the change in inductance of a car. It is always possible to set a detector's sensitivity to pick up a bicycle. The trade-off is in longer detection times and the possibility of false detections from vehicles in adjacent lanes. Most people who set signal detectors use the lowest sensitivity setting that will pick up cars reliably. I advocate using the highest setting that will avoid picking up vehicles in adjacent lanes. Digital circuits used in modern detectors can use high sensitivity settings without unacceptable increases in detection times. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of old detectors out there, and most people who work on signals use principles based on the performance characteristics of old detectors. In any case, bicyclists should, as a general rule, place their wheels over one of the slots to maximize their chance of being detected. That is where the magnetic field perpindicular to the wheels is strongest. Bouncing the bike or moving it back and forth does no good. If you have a metal frame, another tactic that may work is to lay the bicycle down horizontally inside the loop until the light turns green. Advancements are under way that may make traffic loops obsolete some day. In particular, radar, infrared and sound detectors have been introduced. Systems based on video cameras are especially promising. Such systems can easily detect bicycles. Such a system may even be able to detect pedestrians some day. Bob Shanteau, PhD. PE Registered Traffic Engineer ------------------------------ Subject: 8.48 Gluing Sew-up Tires From: Roger Marquis Davis criterium, it's hot, hot, hot. The pace is fast and the corners sharp. Inevitably some riders are going to roll tires, happens every year. What can you do to insure that your sew-up tires stay glued when the mercury rises? There is no one cause of poor tire-rim adhesion so let's start at the beginning, new rims and tires. Most rims are shipped with a coating of anti-corrosive substances that closely resemble grease. This has to be thoroughly removed with solvent and a clean rag before you can put down the first coat of glue. Fast Tack is not the best glue to use on a bare rim. Instead try Clement, Wolber or one of the other slower drying glues. Put a thin coat of glue all the way around and leave the wheel(s) to dry for at least 12 hours. While this glue is drying you might check your tires for any latex that might be covering the base tape. If there is any latex at all give it a good roughing up with coarse sandpaper before coating it with a thin layer of standard glue or Fast Tack. This too should be left to dry for a few hours. If you're a light rider or don't plan on doing any hard cornering on hot days you can usually leave out this step but always roughen the latex on the base tape. After the base coat of glue has dried it's time for the adhesive layer. This should be thicker than the first layer but not so thick that it can squeeze out from under the tire when you mount it and get on the rim and sidewalls. If you are using a traditional style road glue let it dry for ten to fifteen minutes before putting your tires on. Tires should be mounted on Fast Tacked rims immediately. New tires usually need a good stretching before they will go onto the rim without tending to roll and get glue all over them. I usually stretch a tire by pulling it around my knees and feet for a few seconds and then mounting it on an old rim for a while. You might want to try mounting the tire on a dry rim first to see just how much stretching it will need. If you used traditional sew-up glue you should wait at least 12 hours before doing any serious cornering. If you need to race right away you can use Fast Tack and corner confidently within an hour. Be sure to spread the glue evenly over the surface of the rim using your finger or a brush. To get the last section of tire onto the rim without making a mess grab the remaining 3 or 4 inches and lift the tire away from and over the rim. This can be difficult if you forget to stretch it beforehand. Some glues work better than others in hot weather. Fast Tack works best followed by Wolber and Vittoria with Clement in the middle and Tubasti at the bottom of the list. When buying Fast Tack be sure you get the real thing. 3-M sells other trim adhesives in boxes nearly identical to Fast Tack. These trim adhesives do not work for bicycle tires! Be careful that whatever glue you do use has not separated in its tube. If it has, take a spoke and stir it up before you squeeze it out. I have also heard of mixing different glues before application. This is a dangerous shortcut that yields unpredictable results. Fast Tack and Clement are the most popular tire adhesives. Even though Fast Tack will dry out you can get a few tire changes between replications if you have a good layer of traditional glue on the rim underneath it. Racing tires though, should be reglued each time. Base tapes can come apart from the tire in hot weather and underinflation can cause tires to roll as well. Check these things as well as the tread for wear or cuts before every race and you'll be able to descend and corner with confidence. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.49 Common Torque Values From: Mike Iglesias These torque values are from the Third Hand catalog. All values are in inch pounds (in lbs); to convert to foot pounds (ft lbs), divide by 12. Stem binder bolt 100-120 Brake levers to handlebars 75-95 Handlebar binder 145-200 Brake cable binders 55-75 Controls to frame 35-45 Straddle nut (yoke) 50-70 Front shifter to frame 25-45 Brake pads to brake 45-75 Front shifter to cable binder 25-45 Brake dome nut 50-80 Rear shifter to frame 120-145 Crank bolt 250-300 Rear shifter cable binder 25-45 Chainring bolts 100-120 Jockey wheel bolt 25-45 Nutted front hub 180 Seat binder bolt 35-55 Nutted rear hub 300 Caliper brakes to frame 100-120 Waterbottle cage 25-35 Cantilever brake to frame 45-60 Fender to frame bolts 50-60 Cantilever brake link wire 35-45 Toeclips to pedals 25-45 Kickstand 60 ------------------------------ Subject: 8.50 Measuring the circumference of a wheel From: Jobst Brandt For accuracy, the speedometer wants to know how far the bicycle travels per wheel revolution (under normal load and inflation). Therefore, that is what must be measured, and it is commonly called the "rollout distance". To make this measurement, sit on the bicycle in typical riding position next to a wall for support, and roll forward, starting with the valve stem exactly at the bottom at a mark on the floor. When the stem is again exactly at the bottom, measure the distance traveled. Typically this distance, for a 700-28 tire at 120 lbs pressure, can be as much as 30 mm shorter under load than rolling the unloaded wheel for one revolution. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.51 Tubular Fables From: Jobst Brandt > Why is it better to deflate tubulars between rides or is this just a > silly rumor? Yes and no. The "rumor" arises from a misunderstanding. Track tires, and these are most often still tubulars, are generally inflated to more than 10 bar and are dangerous if they were to explode. Good track tires, unlike road tires, are often made of silk with fine and thin strands that are not coated or otherwise protected. I have seen these tires get touched by another rider's pedal and explode, or even when carelessly laid on any angular object, they can burst because only breaking a few cords is enough to start a burst. For this reason track tires are best deflated to less than half their running pressure when not in use. I can still vividly hear the sound of a tire exploding in an indoor track although I heard it only a few times years ago. It is not something you would like to have happen in your car or room. The reasons people give for deflating tubulars are generally false and are given for lack of understanding. This is what makes it sound like an old wive's tale. Most people do it just to be doing what they think is "professional" when in fact the protected sidewalls and pressure of road tubulars makes deflation as meaningless for them as it is for clinchers. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.52 Folding a Tubular Tire Although there are many arcane folds that people devise it boils down to pragmatism. Most spares are used tires because those who use tubulars typically ride together and for a new rider someone offers a spare that gets returned or not at a later circumstance that pops up. The point is that to prevent the whole tire from getting goo all over the tread and sidewalls, you flatten the tire against itself lengthwise with the sticky base tape stuck to the sticky base tape. Now you have about a 40 inch long flat tire that when folded in half twice makes the typical wad that people have carried under their saddles secured by a footstrap. Footstraps being nearly extinct, I don't know what people use today, but whatever it is, it must be tight and secure. If not, the tire will jiggle sufficiently to abrade the sidewalls and develop a pre-packaged blowout to be installed when you get a flat on the road. Don't do it. Most spare bags sold today are not good places to put a tubular tire because they are not secure. It's bad news to ride alone with one spare anyway, so you ought to ride with other tubular riders when you go any significant distance from appropriate tire service. It's not like carrying a tube and patch kit that can go until you run out of patches (you can cut them in half too). The use of tubulars is so marginal that the weight you save is better used for track and criterium racing where its minuscule reduction in rotational inertia can at least be argued to have some significance. ------------------------------ Subject: 8.53 Frames "going soft" From: jbrandt@hpl.hp.com (Jobst Brandt) > I have read accounts of "frames going dead" in cycling literature in > the past. If you have information that debunks this, I'd like to > know about it. The explanations I have read claim that the flexing > of a metal causes it to heat up and harden, making it more brittle. > Eventually it will break under stress. In fact, I read recently > that aluminum frames are coming out with warning stickers stating > "this frame will break someday". I have also read that this happens > to titanium and steel. It was in print, therefore it is true! Also known is that a freshly washed and polished care runs better. Just the idea that the care is admirably clean makes this concept true for the feelings of many drivers. The same psychosomatic mechanism is at work when a bicycle racer thinks it is time for a new frame. I even suspect that some frame builders assisted in spreading this idea to improve frame sales. Metal fatigue and failure occur, but they do not change the elastic response of the metal. Steel (and of course aluminum and other common metals) have been characterized in the past century to an extremely precise understanding. None of this has shown a change in perceptible elastic response through any of the stresses to which a bicycle frame might be subjected. You mention brittleness. Brittleness is not a perceptible characteristic unless the metal breaks. Hardness is also not perceptible unless you exceed its elastic limit. This means you would have to bend the frame permanently to have assessed its hardness. What escapes the purveyors of the "softening" or for that matter "hardening" effect, is that neither of these effects alter the elastic modulus of the metal. A coat hanger and a highspeed steel drill of the same diameter have the same elastic bending stiffness. For small bending deflections, both are equally stiff, although one can bend farther than the other and still spring back unchanged. The stress at which it permanently deforms is the measure of hardness, not the elasticity. The other dodge is that the frame is brittle and may have cracks. First I should say that brittleness is a description of the failure mode, not its elastic response. It means the metal does not take a set but breaks at the elastic limit. If not, it springs back unchanged as do many ceramics. You often see this when dropping a dish or glass that does not break. It is not bent. It either breaks or it doesn't. That is brittleness personified. Classically, bicycles have parts or frame failures in which the rider says he didn't notice anything until the time of failure. This is true for cranks and sometimes frames. The reason for this is that to permit any perceptible change in elasticity, the advancing crack must open substantially to, by itself, allow perceptible motion. Since this is not possible without the crack separating entirely, it grows in length, but not width, until the remaining cross section can no longer support the load, and then it separates. > If these ideas have been widely disproven, I'd appreciate knowing > how. I've read all six parts of the FAQ and did not see it mentioned. The reason this is not in the FAQ may be that the whole subject is so preposterous to engineers, metallurgists, and physicists, that they, the people who might discuss it, are generally not inclined to bother discussing whether "the moon is made of green cheese" or not. > PS. If what you're objecting to is the use of the word "dead" as > opposed to brittle and inflexible, I'll grant you that. The objection is that you present something for which there is no iota of scientific evidence, nor any even slightly credible explanation, as though it were fact. It is as though bicyclists have a different natural world where the technical laws are entirely different from all other machinery and the greatest perceptive technical minds are those of the strongest bicycle racers. Jobst Brandt ------------------------------ Subject: 8.54 Inspecting your bike for potential failures From: richkatz@cruzio.com (Keith Bontrager) Handlebars are probably the one component that deserves the most respect. Easton recommends a new bar every two years. I don;t recall if they include an "if you race" preface. I'd say that's probably about right. Same for our aluminum bars. Yearly would be good on bars that have not been engineered for extended fatigue lives. Of course, if you don;t race, if you have more than one bike, if you are a smooth rider, if you like to do "skyshots" you need to work this in to the estimate. Getting tougher, eh? Many people could ride on the good quality bars into the next millenium without a problem. How do you sort it out? I don't know. Many parts (not bars or forks) will give you ample warning if you bother to inspect your bike regularly. Clean it. Look at it. There are "hot spots" all over the bike that deserve carefull attention. Fork crown. Welds if a rigid fork, crown material if its a sus fork. Steerer. Hard to look at, but once a year, especially if it's aluminum or if you've crashed hard with a big front impact. Also if there are noises from the front of the bike when you climb or sprint, or if the bike starts handling funny. Be careful when you change lower head set races so you don't gouge up the steerer at the bottom. If you have an AHS stem/steerer look at the steerer at the point where the stem and HS bearings meet. Critical! Stem. All of the welds and the binder. Especially if you are a 200lb sprint specialist. Down tube/head tube joint of the frame - underneath. Top tube/ head tube joint - same location. Seat tube - near the BB shell and near the seat binder clamp slot. BB spindle. Hard to look at, but once a year. Look near the tapers where the crank fits on. This is the weak spot. If the crank feels funny when you are pedaling (hard to describe the feeling) or if it comes loose unexpectedly, look long and hard at the spindle. Cartridge BBs that allow you to change the bearings should be treated with some respect. You can keep fresh bearings in them forever, guaranteeing that they'll be in service until the spindle fails! Cranks. Check the right hand arm all around where the arm leaves the spider. Also check the hub where the arm attaches to the spindle - especially if the arm is machined from bar (CNC). The section near the pedal threads was prone to failure on older road cranks though I have not seen this on MTB cranks (yet!). Look all over the arms on the light aftermarket cranks. Often. Twice. Seat post. Pull it out and sight down the quill. Any ripples or deformation around the area where the post is clamped in the frame indicates a failure on the way. The clamps are too varied to comment on. If you have to run the fasteners real tight to keep the saddle from slipping you should put new, very high strength fasteners in every year or so. The clamps can come loose from the quill tube sometimes (ask me how I know). Grab the saddle and give it a twist. Saddle. Rails near the seat post support pieces. Rims. material around spoke holes can pull out, side walls can wear through, side walls can fail due to extrusion defects. Some of these are hard to see. Frames around the dropouts (not a problem with newer frames as it was with older campy forged drops). Chainstays near the CS bridge and BB shell. Hubs. Flanges can pull away from the hub body. Not a problem in most cases unless the wheels are poorly built, you are running radial spokes and ride real hard, have poorly designed aftermarket hubs, or are very unlucky. Many components will make a bit of noise or make the bike feel funny before they go. Not all will. Respect this. ------------------------------ Subject: 9 Misc ------------------------------ Subject: 9.1 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 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 Bike Culture Quarterly is an engaging magazine for "[people] who see cycling as a way of life rather than an occasional leisure activity". It has interviews with people building interesting bikes (Mike Burrows about the Obree bike), travel reports, discussions of bicycle advocacy, new equipment, and so on. Its summer issue is the "Encycleopedia" "a personal selection of unorthodox, thoughtful cycling products from around the world". Price is (British Pounds) 25/year. Order by phone UK: (0904) 654654 outside UK: +44904 654654 Post: Open Road 4 New Street York Y01 2RA, England They accept Visa, Access, Mastercard, and Eurocard. Eurocheques are also accepted. From the US, it's easiest to use a credit card. 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 An Elementary Treatise on Their Design and Construction by Archibald Sharp Reprint of the 1896 edition, with a foreword by David Gordon Wilson Anytime you hear of a "new" invention for bicycles, look it up in here, and you'll find it. MIT press - I have a paperback edition labelled $14.95 Bicyling Science by Frank Rowland Whitt and David Gordon Wilson A good book, and an excellent reference. Second Edition 1982, MIT press, paper $9.95 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) ------------------------------ Subject: 9.2 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 2045 32nd Street 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 Pedal Phernalia Phone: 1-313-995-1336 Box 2566-net Ann Arbor MI 48106-2566 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 ------------------------------ Subject: 9.3 Road Gradient Units From: Jeff Berton 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. ------------------------------ Subject: 9.4 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. According to Bell Helmets, the shelf life of their helmets is 8 years. ------------------------------ Subject: 9.5 Terminology From: David Keppel , Charles Tryon 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. ------------------------------ Subject: 9.6 Avoiding Dogs From: Arnie Berger 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. :-) ------------------------------ Subject: 9.7 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 jbrandt@hpl.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. ------------------------------ Subject: 9.8 Contact Lenses and Cycling From: Robert A. Novy 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. ------------------------------ Subject: 9.9 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 take 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. ------------------------------ Subject: 9.10 Pete's Winter Cycling Tips From: Pete Hickey 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. ------------------------------ Subject: 9.11 Nancy's Cold/Wet Cycling Tips From: Name removed by request 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 Adventure Cycling Association, 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. [Joshua Putnam reports: Nashbar has apparently discontinued its toe clip covers. Traditional toe clip covers, also called toe warmers, are still made by Kucharik Bicycle Clothing. Kucharik's model is not insulated, just waterproof nylon cloth. It may be hard to find a shop that carries them, but if you have a good relationship with your local shop, they might be interested in dealing with Kucharik, which also makes great wool jerseys and tights, arm and leg warmers, etc. The company is: Kucharik Clothing 1745 W 182nd St Gardena, CA 90248 Please remember that this is a manufacturer/distributor, not a mail order catalog. ] 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. ------------------------------ Subject: 9.12 Studded Tires From: Name removed by request [A summary on studded tires compiled by Nancy. A complete copy of the responses she received, including some that give directions for making your own studded tires, is in the archive.] Studded tires do help, especially on packed snow and ice. On fresh snow and on water mixed with snow (i.e. slush) they're not significantly different from unstudded knobbies. On dry pavement they are noisy and heavy, but can be used; watch out for cornering, which is degraded compared to unstudded tires. Several people recommend a Mr. Tuffy or equivalent with them; one respondent says he gets more flats with a liner than without. In the U.S. the IRC Blizzard tires are commercially available. They can also be made. ------------------------------ Subject: 9.13 Cycling Myths Following are various myths about cycling and why they are/aren't true. Myth: Wearing a helmet makes your head hotter than if you didn't wear one. Actual measurements under hard riding conditions with ANSI standard helmets show no consistent temperature difference from helmetless riders. Part of the reason is that helmets provide insulated protection from the sun as well as some airflow around the head. (Les Earnest Les@cs.Stanford.edu) Myth: You need to let the air out of your tires before shipping your bike on an airplane - if you don't, the tires will explode. Assume your tire at sea level, pumped to 100 psi. Air pressure at sea level is (about) 15psi. Therefore, the highest pressure which can be reached in the tire is 100+15=115psi. Ergo: There is no need to deflate bicycle tires prior to flight to avoid explosions. (Giles Morris gilesm@bird.uucp) Addendum: The cargo hold is pressurized to the same pressure as the passenger compartment. (Tom ? tom@math.ufl.edu) Myth: You can break a bike lock with liquid nitrogen or other liquified gases Freon cannot cool the lock sufficiently to do any good. Steel conducts heat into the cooling zone faster than it can be removed by a freeze bomb at the temperatures of interest. Liquid nitrogen or other gasses are so cumbersome to handle that a lock on a bike cannot be immersed as it must be to be effective. The most common and inconspicuous way to break these locks is by using a 4 inch long 1 inch diameter commercial hydraulic jack attached to a hose and pump unit. (Jobst Brandt jobst_brandt%01@hp1900.desk.hp.com) [More myths welcome!] ------------------------------ Subject: 9.14 Descending I From: Roger Marquis Descending ability, like any other skill, is best improved with practice. The more time you can spend on technical descents the more confidence and speed you will be able to develop. A few local hot shots I know practice on their motorcycles before races with strategic descents. While frequent group rides are the only way to develop real bike handling skills descending with others will not necessarily help you descend faster alone. The most important aspect of fast descending is relaxation. Too much anxiety can narrow your concentration and you will miss important aspects of the road surface ahead. Pushing the speed to the point of fear will not help develop descending skills. Work on relaxation and smoothness (no sudden movements, braking or turning) and the speed will follow. A fast descender will set up well in advance of the corner on the outside, do whatever braking needs to be done before beginning to turn, hit the apex at the inside edge of the road, finally exiting again on the outside (always leaving some room for error or unforeseen road hazard). The key is to _gradually_ get into position and _smoothly_ follow your line through the corner. If you find yourself making _any_ quick, jerky movements take them as a sign that you need to slow down and devote a little more attention further up the road. Use your brakes only up to the beginning of a corner, NEVER USE THE BRAKES IN A CORNER. At that point any traction used for braking significantly reduces the traction available for cornering. If you do have to brake after entering the curve straighten out your line before applying the brakes. If the road surface is good use primarily the front brake. If traction is poor switch to the rear brake and begin breaking earlier. In auto racing circles there are two schools of thought on braking technique. One advocates gradually releasing the brakes upon entering the corner, the other advises hard braking right up to the beginning of the curve and abruptly releasing the brakes just before entering the curve. A cyclists would probably combine the techniques depending on the road surface, rim trueness, brake pad hardness and the proximity of other riders. Motorcyclists and bicyclists lean their bikes very differently in a corner. When riding fast motorcyclists keep their bikes as upright as possible to avoid scraping the bike. Bicyclists on the other hand lean their bikes into the corner and keep the body upright. Both motorcyclists and bicyclists extend the inside knee down to lower the center of gravity. To _pedal_ through the corners make like a motorcyclists and lean the bike up when the inside pedal is down. One of the most difficult things about descending in a group is passing. It is not always possible to begin the descent ahead of anyone who may be descending slower. If you find yourself behind someone taking it easy either hang out a safe distance behind or pass very carefully. Passing on a descent is always difficult and dangerous. By the same token, if you find yourself ahead of someone who obviously wants to pass, let them by at the earliest safe moment. It's never appropriate to impede someone's progress on a training ride whether they are on a bicycle or in a car. Always make plenty of room for anyone trying to pass no matter what the speed limit may be. Be courteous and considerate and you'll be forever happy. Remember that downhill racing is not what bicycle racing is all about. There is no need to keep up with the Jones'. This is what causes many a crash. Compete against yourself on the descents. Belgians are notoriously slow descenders due to the consistently rainy conditions there. Yet some of the best cyclists in the world train on those rainy roads. Don't get caught pushing it on some wet or unfamiliar descent. Be prepared for a car or a patch of dirt or oil in the middle of your path around _every_ blind corner no matter how many times you've been on a particular road. Take it easy, relax, exercise your powers of concentration and hammer again when you can turn the pedals. If you're interested in exploring this further the best book on bike handling I've read is "Twist of The Wrist" by motorcycle racer Keith Code. There is also data out there (Cycle Magazine) on eye exercises designed to train depth perception adjustment, peripheral vision and concentration. If you know where I can find this information please send it to: NCNCA District Coaching Office Roger Marquis 782 San Luis Rd. Berkeley, Ca 94707 ------------------------------ Subject: 9.15 Descending II From: Jobst Brandt Descending or Cornering Fast Descending on a bicycle requires a combination of skills that are more commonly used in motorcycling. It is primarily when descending that a bicycle has some of the power and speed that the motorcycle encounters regularly, not to say that criterium racing doesn't also challenge these skills. It requires a combination of lean angle and braking while selecting an appropriate line through curves. Unlike motorcycle tires, bicycle tires have little margin so that even a small slip on pavement is usually unrecoverable. Understanding the forces involved and how to control them is more natural to some than others. For some these skills may have atrophied from disuse at an early age and need to be regenerated. Drifting a Road Bicycle on Pavement It has been suggested that there are riders who can slide wheels on dry pavement to achieve greater speed in a curve. Beyond this, the term drift means to slide both wheels, which is even more challenging. I believe this is pure wishful thinking and may come from observing motorcycles that can apply power when banked over at their maximum lean angle to partially break traction. A bicycle cannot be pedaled even at angles less than the maximum lean angle without grounding a pedal while the tires have no margin at the critical angle as has been measured by lean-slip tests on roads and testing machines. In these tests, the slipout angle (slightly more than 45 degrees from the vertical) was found to be precipitous and unrecoverable. Knobby tires begin to walk sideways at a substantially more upright angle and have no sudden slipout. They can be drifted around curves, but then they cannot approach the speed or angle of smooth tires so there is no advantage to using them for this purpose. How to Corner Cornering is the skill of anticipating the appropriate lean angle with respect to the ground before you get to the apex of the turn. The angle to the road surface is what counts and it is limited by traction. This means you must have an eye for traction. For most pavement this is about 45 degrees in the absence of oil, water or other smooth and slick spots. So if the curve is positively banked 10 degrees, you could lean to 55 degrees from the vertical. In contrast, a crowned road with no banking, where the surface falls off about 10 degrees, would allow only 35 degrees (at the limit). Estimating the required lean angle for a curve is derived from the apparent traction and what your speed will be in the apex of the turn at the current rate of braking. Anticipating the lean angle is something humans, animals and birds do regularly in self propulsion. When running you anticipate how fast and sharply you can turn on the sidewalk, dirt track or lawn on which you run. You estimate the lean for the conditions and you control your speed to not exceed that angle. Although the consequences are more severe, the same is true for the bicycle. These are reflexes that are normal to most people in youth but some have not exercised them in such a long time that they don't trust their skills. A single fall strongly reinforces this doubt. For this reason, it is best to improve and regenerate these abilities gradually through practice. Countersteer Countersteer is a common subject of discussion for riders who belatedly discover or rediscover how to balance, is a contrived subject. As mentioned in the previous section, this is how a broomstick is balanced on the hand or a bicycle on the road. The support point is moved beneath the mass to make line up with the combined force of gravity and the cornering force. That this requires steering skills should be self evident. It is so obvious that runners never mention it, although you can see football and basketball players conspicuously doing it. I'm sure nothing is made of it in the NHL either. I wish it were so in bicycling. Braking Once the nuts and bolts of getting around a corner are in place the big difference between being fast and being faster is another problem entirely. How the brakes are used before and in curves makes the difference between the average rider and the fast one. When traction is good, the front brake can be used almost exclusively because, with it, the bicycle can slow down so rapidly that the back wheel barely has any weight on it. When slowing down this hard with the front brake, the rear brake is obviously useless. Once in the curve, more and more traction is used by the lean angle but braking is still used to trim speed. This is done with both brakes, because neither wheel no longer has much traction to spare. To develop a feel for rear wheel lift-off, practice hard front braking at a low and safe speed. Why brake in the turn. If all braking is done before the turn you will be going slower than necessary to early in the turn. Because it is practically impossible to anticipate the exact maximum speed for the apex of the turn, you should anticipate trimming speed all the way to the apex of the turn. Fear of braking usually comes from an incident caused by injudicious braking. The use of the front and rear brake must be adapted to the conditions. When riding straight ahead with good traction, you can safely allow substantial transfer of weight from the rear to the front wheel allowing strong use of the front brake. When traction is poor, deceleration and weight transfer is small, so light braking with both wheels is appropriate. If traction is miserable, you should use only the rear brake because, although a rear skid is permissible, one in the front is not. Take for example a rider cornering on good traction, leaning at 45 degrees. With this 1 G centrifugal acceleration, he can still apply 0.1 G braking and hardly increase the load on the the tires, which is given by the square root(1^2+0.1^2)=1.005 or 1/2%. In other words, you can brake substantially near maximum cornering. The centrifugal acceleration changes as the square of the speed, so braking rapidly reduces the required lean angle and allows increased braking. Being aware of this relationship should leave no doubt why racers are nearly always applying brakes at the apex of max speed turns. Suspension Beyond lean and braking, suspension helps substantially in descending. For bicycles without built-in suspension, this is furnished by the legs. If the road has fine ripples you needn't stand up but merely take the weight off your pelvic bones. For rougher roads, you should rise high enough so the saddle does not carry any weight. The reason for this is twofold. Your vision will become blurred if you don't rise off the saddle, and traction will be compromised if the tires are not kept in contact with the road while skimming over bumps. The ideal is to keep the tire on the ground at uniform load. Lean the Bicycle, the Rider, or Both Some riders believe that sticking out their knee or leaning their body away from the bike, improves cornering. Sticking out a knee is the same thing that riders without cleats do when they stick out a foot in dirt track motorcycle fashion. It is a useless but reassuring gesture that, on uneven roads, actually works against you. Any body weight that is not centered over the bicycle (leaning the bike or sticking out a knee) puts a side load on the bicycle, and side loads cause steering motions if the road is not smooth. Getting weight off the saddle is also made more difficult by such maneuvers. To verify this, ride down a straight but rough road standing on one pedal with the bike slanted, and note how the bike follows an erratic line. In contrast, if you ride centered on the bike you can ride no-hands perfectly straight over rough road. When you lean off the bike you cannot ride a smooth line over road irregularities, especially in curves. For best control, stay centered over your bike. Vision Where you look is critical to effective descending. Your central vision involves mostly the cones in the retina of your eye. These are color receptive and images generally are more time consuming to interpret than information received by the rods in the peripheral vision. For this reason you should focus on the pavement where your tire will track while looking for obstacles and possible oncoming traffic in your peripheral vision that is fast and good at detecting motion. If you look at the place where an oncoming vehicle or obstacle might appear, its appearance will bring data processing to a halt for a substantial time. You needn't identify the color or model of car so leave it to the peripheral vision in high speed black and white because processing speed is essential when you are going fast. The Line Picking the broadest curve through a corner should be obvious by the time the preceding skills are mastered but the line is both a matter of safety and road surface. Sometimes it is better to hit a bump or a "Bott's dot" than to alter the line, especially at high speed. In that respect, your tire should be large enough to absorb the entire height of a "Bott's dot" without pinching the tube. The crown of the road sometimes is sufficient to make using the other side of the road counterproductive because you can't lean enough there. Mental Speed Mental speed is demanded by all of these. However, being quick does not guarantee success either because judgment is even more important. Above all, it is important to not be daring but rather to ride with a margin that leaves a comfortable feeling rather than one of high risk. At the same time, do not be blinded by the age old presumption that everyone who rides faster is crazy. It is one of the most common descriptions used by the slower riders. "He descended like a madman!" means merely that the speaker was slower, nothing more. Ride bike! ------------------------------ Subject: 9.16 Trackstands From: Rick Smith How to trackstand on a road bike. With acknowledgments to my trackstanding mentor, Neil Bankston. Practice, Practice, Practice, Practice, .... 1. Wear tennis shoes. 2. Find an open area, like a parking lot that has a slight grade to it. 3. Put bike in a gear around a 42-18. 4. Ride around out of the saddle in a counter-clockwise circle, about 10 feet in diameter. Label Notation for imaginary points on the circle: 'A' is the lowest elevation point on the circle. 'B' is the 90 degrees counterclockwise from 'A' . 'C' is the highest elevation point on the circle. 'D' is the 90 degrees counterclockwise from 'C' . C / \ D B Aerial View \ / A 5. Start slowing down, feeling the different sensation as the bike transitions between going uphill (B) and downhill (D). 6. Start trying to go real slowly through the A - B region of the circle. This is the region you will use for trackstanding. Ride the rest of the circle as you were in step 5. The trackstanding position (aerial view again): ---| / ------| |----/ |--- / The pedal are in a 3 o'clock - 9 o'clock arrangement (in other words, parallel to the ground). Your left foot is forward, your wheel is pointed left. You are standing and shifting you weight to keep balance. The key to it all is this: If you start to fall left, push on the left peddle to move the bike forward a little and bring you back into balance. If you start to fall right, let up on the peddle and let the bike roll back a little and bring you back into balance. 7. Each time you roll through the A - B region, try to stop when the left peddle is horizontal and forward. If you start to lose your balance, just continue around the circle and try it again. 8. Play with it. Try doing it in various regions in the circle, with various foot position, and various amounts of turn in your steering. Try it on different amounts of slope in the pavement. Try different gears. What you are shooting for is the feel that's involved, and it comes with practice. The why's of trackstanding: Why is road bike specified in the title? A true trackstand on a track bike is done differently. A track bike can be peddled backwards, and doesn't need a hill to accomplish the rollback affect. Track racing trackstands are done opposite of what is described. They take place on the C - D region of the circle, with gravity used for the roll forward, and back pedaling used for the rollback. This is so that a racer gets the assist from gravity to get going again when the competition makes a move. Why a gear around 42-18? This is a reasonable middle between too small, where you would reach the bottom of the stroke on the roll forward, and too big, where you couldn't generate the roll forward force needed. Why is the circle counter-clockwise? Because I assume you are living in an area where travel is done on the right side of the road. When doing trackstands on the road, most likely it will be at traffic lights. Roads are crowned - higher in the middle, lower on the shoulders - and you use this crown as the uphill portion of the circle (region A-B). If you are in a country where travel is done on the left side of the road, please interpret the above aerial views as subterranial. Why is this done out of the saddle? It's easier!! It can be done in while seated, but you lose the freedom to do weight adjustments with your hips. Why is the left crank forward? If your right crank was forward, you might bump the front wheel with your toe. Remember the steering is turned so that the back of the front wheel is on the right side of the bike. Some bikes have overlap of the region where the wheel can go and your foot is. Even if your current bike doesn't have overlap, it's better to learn the technique as described in case you are demonstrating your new skill on a bike that does have overlap. Why the A - B region? It's the easiest. If you wait till the bike is around 'B', then you have to keep more force on the peddle to hold it still. If you are around the 'A' point, there may not be enough slope to allow the bike to roll back. Questions: What do I do if I want to stop on a downhill? While there are techniques that can be employed to keep you in the pedals, for safety sake I would suggest getting out of the pedals and putting your foot down. Other exercises that help: Getting good balance. Work through this progression: 1. Stand on your right foot. Hold this until it feels stable. 2. Close your eyes. Hold this until it feels stable. 3. Go up on your toes. Hold this until it feels stable. 4. If you get to here, never mind, your balance is already wonderful, else repeat with other foot. ------------------------------ Subject: 9.17 Front Brake Usage From: John Forester I have dealt for many years with the problem of explaining front brake use, both to students and to courtrooms, and I have reached some conclusions, both about the facts and about the superstitions. The question was also asked about British law and front brakes. I'll answer that first because it is easier. British law requires brakes on both wheels, but it accepts that a fixed gear provides the required braking action on the rear wheel. I think that the requirement was based on reliability, not on deceleration. That is, if the front brake fails, the fixed-gear cyclist can still come to a stop. In my house (in California) we have three track-racing bikes converted to road use by adding brakes. Two have only front brakes while the third has two brakes. We have had no trouble at all, and we ride them over mild hills. The front-brake-only system won't meet the normal U.S. state traffic law requirement of being able to skid one wheel, because that was written for coaster-braked bikes, but it actually provides twice the deceleration of a rear-wheel-braked bike and nobody, so far as I know, has ever been prosecuted for using such a setup. The superstitions about front brake use are numerous. The most prevalent appears to be that using the front brake without using the rear brake, or failing to start using the rear brake before using the front brake, will flip the cyclist. The other side of that superstition is that using the rear brake will prevent flipping the bicycle, regardless of how hard the front brake is applied. The truth is that regardless of how hard the rear brake is applied, or whether it is applied at all, the sole determinant (aside from matters such as bicycle geometry, weight and weight distribution of cyclist and load, that can't practically be changed while moving) of whether the bicycle will be flipped is the strength of application of the front brake. As the deceleration to produce flip is approached, the weight on the rear wheel decreases to zero, so that the rear wheel cannot produce any deceleration; with no application of the rear brake it rolls freely, with any application at all it skids at a force approaching zero. With typical bicycle geometry, a brake application to attempt to produce a deceleration greater than 0.67 g will flip the bicycle. (Those who advocate the cyclist moving his butt off and behind the saddle to change the weight distribution achieve a very small increase in this.) A typical story is that of a doctor who, now living in the higher- priced hilly suburbs, purchased a new bicycle after having cycled to med school on the flats for years. His first ride was from the bike shop over some minor hills and then up the 15% grade to his house. His second ride was down that 15% grade. Unfortunately, the rear brake was adjusted so that it produced, with the lever to the handlebar, a 0.15 g deceleration. The braking system would meet the federal requirements of 0.5 g deceleration with less than 40 pounds grip on the levers, because the front brake has to do the majority of the work and at 0.5 g there is insufficient weight on the rear wheel to allow much more rear brake force than would produce 0.1 g deceleration. (The U.S. regulation allows bicycles with no gear higher than 60 inches to have only a rear-wheel brake that provides only 0.27 g deceleration.) I don't say that the rear brake adjustment of the bicycle in the accident was correct, because if the front brake fails then the rear brake alone should be able to skid the rear wheel, which occurs at about 0.3 g deceleration. The doctor starts down the hill, coasting to develop speed and then discovering that he can't slow down to a stop using the rear brake alone. That is because the maximum deceleration produced by the rear brake equalled, almost exactly, the slope of the hill. He rolls down at constant speed with the rear brake lever to the handlebar and the front brake not in use at all. He is afraid to apply the front brake because he fears that this will flip him, but he is coming closer and closer to a curve, after which is a stop sign. At the curve he panics and applies the front brake hard, generating a force greater than 0.67 g deceleration and therefore flipping himself. Had he applied the front brake with only a force to produce 0.1 g deceleration, even 100 feet before the curve, he would have been safe, but in his panic he caused precisely the type of accident that he feared. He thought that he had a good case, sued everybody, and lost. This is the type of superstition that interferes with the cycling of many people. My standard instruction for people who fear using the front brake is the same instruction for teaching any person to brake properly. Tell them to apply both brakes simultaneously, but with the front brake 3 times harder than the rear brake. Start by accelerating to road speed and stopping with a gentle application. Then do it again with a harder application, but keeping the same 3 to 1 ratio. Then again, harder still, until they feel the rear wheel start to skid. When the rear wheel skids with 1/4 of the total braking force applied to it, that shows that the weight distribution has now progressed as far to the front wheel as the average cyclist should go. By repeated practice they learn how hard this is, and attain confidence in their ability to stop as rapidly as is reasonable without any significant risk. ------------------------------ Subject: 9.18 Slope Wind, the Invisible Enemy From: Jobst Brandt Wind as well as relative wind caused by moving through still air demands most of a bicyclists effort on level ground. Most riders recognize when they are subjected to wind because it comes in gusts and these gusts can be distinguished from the more uniform wind caused by moving through still air. That's the catch. At the break of dawn there is often no wind as such but cool air near the ground, being colder and more dense than higher air slides downslope as a laminar layer that has no turbulent gusts. Wind in mountain valleys generally blows uphill during the heat of the day and therefore pilots of light aircraft are warned to take off uphill against the morning slope wind. Slope wind, although detectable, is not readily noticed when standing or walking because it has negligible effect and does not come in apparent gusts. The bicyclist, in contrast, is hindered by it but cannot detect it because there is always wind while riding. Slope wind, as such, can be up to 10 mph before it starts to take on the characteristics that we expect of wind. It is doubly deceptive when it comes from behind because it gives an inflated speed that can be mistakenly attributed to great fitness that suddenly vanishes when changing course. If you live near aspen or poplars that tend to fan their leaves in any breeze, you will not be fooled. ------------------------------ Subject: 9.19 Reflective Tape From: Jobst Brandt Reflective tape is available in most better bike shops in various forms, most of which is pre-cut to some preferred shape and designed for application to some specific part of the bike or apparel. The most effective use of such tape is on moving parts such as pedals, heel of the shoe or on a place that is generally overlooked, the inside of the rim. First, it is appropriate to note that car headlights generally produce white light and a white or, in fact, colorless reflector returns more of this light to its source than ones with color filters or selective reflection. Red, for instance, is not nearly as effective as white. Placing reflective tape on the inside of the rims between the spokes is a highly effective location for night riding because it is visible equally to the front and rear while attracting attention through its motion. It is most effective when applied to less than half the rim in a solid block. Five inter-spoke sections does a good job. One can argue that it isn't visible from the side (if the rim is not an aero cross section) but the major hazard is from the front and rear. Be seen on a bike! It's good for your health. ------------------------------ Subject: 9.20 Nutrition From: Bruce Hildenbrand Oh well, I have been promising to do this for a while and given the present discussions on nutrition, it is about the right time. This article was written in 1980 for Bicycling Magazine. It has been reprinted in over 30 publications, been the basis for a chapter in a book and cited numerous other times. I guess somebody besides me thinks its OK. If you disagree with any points, that's fine, I just don't want to see people take exception based on their own personal experiences because everyone is different and psychological factors play a big role(much bigger than you would think) on how one perceives his/her own nutritional requirements. Remember that good nutrition is a LONG TERM process that is not really affected by short term events(drinking poison would be an exception). If it works for you then do it!!! Don't preach!!!! BASIC NUTRITION PRIMER Nutrition in athletics is a very controversial topic. However, for an athlete to have confidence that his/her diet is beneficial he/she must understand the role each food component plays in the body's overall makeup. Conversely, it is important to identify and understand the nutritional demands on the physiological processes of the body that occur as a result of racing and training so that these needs can be satisfied in the athlete's diet. For the above reasons, a basic nutrition primer should help the athlete determine the right ingredients of his/her diet which fit training and racing schedules and existing eating habits. The body requires three basic components from foods: 1) water; 2) energy; and 3)nutrients. WATER Water is essential for life and without a doubt the most important component in our diet. Proper hydrations not only allows the body to maintain structural and biochemical integrity, but it also prevents overheating, through sensible heat loss(perspiration). Many cyclists have experienced the affects of acute fluid deficiency on a hot day, better known as heat exhaustion. Dehydration can be a long term problem, especially at altitude, but this does not seem to be a widespread problem among cyclists and is only mentioned here as a reminder(but an important one). ENERGY Energy is required for metabolic processes, growth and to support physical activity. The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences has procrastinated in establishing a Recommended Daily Allowance(RDA) for energy the reasoning being that such a daily requirement could lead to overeating. A moderately active 70kg(155lb) man burns about 2700 kcal/day and a moderately active 58kg(128lb) woman burns about 2500 kcal/day. It is estimated that cyclists burn 8-10 kcal/min or about 500-600 kcal/hr while riding(this is obviously dependent on the level of exertion). Thus a three hour training ride can add up to 1800 kcals(the public knows these as calories) to the daily energy demand of the cyclist. Nutritional studies indicate that there is no significant increase in the vitamin requirement of the athlete as a result of this energy expenditure. In order to meet this extra demand, the cyclist must increase his/her intake of food. This may come before, during or after a ride but most likely it will be a combination of all of the above. If for some reason extra nutrients are required because of this extra energy demand, they will most likely be replenished through the increased food intake. Carbohydrates and fats are the body's energy sources and will be discussed shortly. NUTRIENTS This is a broad term and refers to vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, fiber and a host of other substances. The body is a very complex product of evolution. It can manufacture many of the resources it needs to survive. However, vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids(the building blocks of proteins) and fatty acids cannot be manufactured, hence they must be supplied in our food to support proper health. Vitamins and Minerals No explanation needed here except that there are established RDA's for most vitamins and minerals and that a well balanced diet, especially when supplemented by a daily multivitamin and mineral tablet should meet all the requirements of the cyclist. Proper electrolyte replacement(sodium and potassium salts) should be emphasized, especially during and after long, hot rides. Commercially available preparations such as Exceed, Body Fuel and Isostar help replenish electrolytes lost while riding. Proteins Food proteins are necessary for the synthesis of the body's skeletal(muscle, skin, etc.) and biochemical(enzymes, hormones, etc.)proteins. Contrary to popular belief, proteins are not a good source of energy in fact they produce many toxic substances when they are converted to the simple sugars needed for the body's energy demand. Americans traditionally eat enough proteins to satisfy their body's requirement. All indications are that increased levels of exercise do not cause a significant increase in the body's daily protein requirement which has been estimated to be 0.8gm protein/kg body weight. Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are divided into two groups, simple and complex, and serve as one of the body's two main sources of energy. Simple carbohydrates are better known as sugars, examples being fructose, glucose(also called dextrose), sucrose(table sugar) and lactose(milk sugar). The complex carbohydrates include starches and pectins which are multi-linked chains of glucose. Breads and pastas are rich sources of complex carbohydrates. The brain requires glucose for proper functioning which necessitates a carbohydrate source. The simple sugars are quite easily broken down to help satisfy energy and brain demands and for this reason they are an ideal food during racing and training. The complex sugars require a substantially longer time for breakdown into their glucose sub units and are more suited before and after riding to help meet the body's energy requirements. Fats Fats represent the body's other major energy source. Fats are twice as dense in calories as carbohydrates(9 kcal/gm vs 4 kcal/gm) but they are more slowly retrieved from their storage units(triglycerides) than carbohydrates(glycogen). Recent studies indicate that caffeine may help speed up the retrieval of fats which would be of benefit on long rides. Fats are either saturated or unsaturated and most nutritional experts agree that unsaturated, plant-based varieties are healthier. Animal fats are saturated(and may contain cholesterol), while plant based fats such as corn and soybean oils are unsaturated. Unsaturated fats are necessary to supply essential fatty acids and should be included in the diet to represent about 25% of the total caloric intake. Most of this amount we don't really realize we ingest, so it is not necessary to heap on the margarine as a balanced diet provides adequate amounts. WHAT THE BODY NEEDS Now that we have somewhat of an understanding of the role each food component plays in the body's processes let's relate the nutritional demands that occur during cycling in an attempt to develop an adequate diet. Basically our bodies need to function in three separate areas which require somewhat different nutritional considerations. These areas are: 1) building; 2) recovery; and 3) performance. Building Building refers to increasing the body's ability to perform physiological processes, one example being the gearing up of enzyme systems necessary for protein synthesis, which results in an increase in muscle mass, oxygen transport, etc. These systems require amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Hence, it is important to eat a diet that contains quality proteins (expressed as a balance of the essential amino acid sub units present)fish, red meat, milk and eggs being excellent sources. As always, the RDA's for vitamins and minerals must also be met but, as with the protein requirement, they are satisfied in a well balanced diet. Recovery This phase may overlap the building process and the nutritional requirements are complimentary. Training and racing depletes the body of its energy reserves as well as loss of electrolytes through sweat. Replacing the energy reserves is accomplished through an increased intake of complex carbohydrates(60-70% of total calories) and to a lesser extent fat(25%). Replenishing lost electrolytes is easily accomplished through the use of the commercial preparations already mentioned. Performance Because the performance phase(which includes both training rides and racing)spans at most 5-7 hours whereas the building and recovery phases are ongoing processes, its requirements are totally different from the other two. Good nutrition is a long term proposition meaning the effects of a vitamin or mineral deficiency take weeks to manifest themselves. This is evidenced by the fact that it took many months for scurvy to show in sailors on a vitamin C deficient diet. What this means is that during the performance phase, the primary concern is energy replacement (fighting off the dreaded "bonk") while the vitamin and mineral demands can be overlooked. Simple sugars such a sucrose, glucose and fructose are the quickest sources of energy and in moderate quantities of about 100gm/hr(too much can delay fluid absorption in the stomach) are helpful in providing fuel for the body and the brain. Proteins and fats are not recommended because of their slow and energy intensive digestion mechanism. Short, one day rides or races of up to one hour in length usually require no special nutritional considerations provided the body's short term energy stores (glycogen) are not depleted which may be the case during multi-day events. Because psychological as well as physiological factors determine performance most cyclists tend to eat and drink whatever makes them feel "good" during a ride. This is all right as long as energy considerations are being met and the stomach is not overloaded trying to digest any fatty or protein containing foods. If the vitamin and mineral requirements are being satisfied during the building and recovery phases no additional intake during the performance phase is necessary. IMPLICATIONS Basically, what all this means is that good nutrition for the cyclist is not hard to come by once we understand our body's nutrient and energy requirements. If a balanced diet meets the RDA's for protein, vitamins and minerals as well as carbohydrate and fat intake for energy then everything should be OK nutritionally. It should be remembered that the problems associated with nutrient deficiencies take a long time to occur. Because of this it is not necessary to eat "right" at every meal which explains why weekend racing junkets can be quite successful on a diet of tortilla chips and soft drinks. However, bear in mind that over time, the body's nutritional demands must be satisfied. To play it safe many cyclists take a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement tablet which has no adverse affects and something I personally recommend. Mega vitamin doses(levels five times or more of the RDA) have not been proven to be beneficial and may cause some toxicity problems. GREY NUTRITION "Good" nutrition is not black and white. As we have seen, the body's requirements are different depending on the phase it is in. While the building and recovery phases occur somewhat simultaneously the performance phase stands by itself. For this reason, some foods are beneficial during one phase but not during another. A good example is the much maligned twinkie. In the performance phase it is a very quick source of energy and quite helpful. However, during the building phase it is not necessary and could be converted to unwanted fat stores. To complicate matters, the twinkie may help replenish energy stores during the recovery phase however, complex carbohydrates are probably more beneficial. So, "one man's meat may be another man's poison." NUTRIENT DENSITY This term refers to the quantity of nutrients in a food for its accompanying caloric(energy) value. A twinkie contains much energy but few vitamins and minerals so has a low nutrient density. Liver, on the other hand, has a moderate amount of calories but is rich in vitamins and minerals and is considered a high nutrient density food. Basically, one must meet his/her nutrient requirements within the constraints of his/her energy demands. Persons with a low daily activity level have a low energy demand and in order to maintain their body weight must eat high nutrient density foods. As already mentioned, a cyclist has an increased energy demand but no significant increase in nutrient requirements. Because of this he/she can eat foods with a lower nutrient density than the average person. This means that a cyclist can be less choosy about the foods that are eaten provided he/she realizes his/her specific nutrient and energy requirements that must be met. BALANCED DIET Now, the definition of that nebulous phrase, "a balanced diet". Taking into consideration all of the above, a diet emphasizing fruits and vegetables (fresh if possible), whole grain breads, pasta, cereals, milk, eggs, fish and red meat(if so desired) will satisfy long term nutritional demands. These foods need to be combined in such a way that during the building and recovery phase, about 60-70% of the total calories are coming from carbohydrate sources, 25% from fats and the remainder(about 15%) from proteins. It is not necessary to get 100% of the RDA for all vitamins and minerals at every meal. It may be helpful to determine which nutritional requirements you wish to satisfy at each meal. Personally, I use breakfast to satisfy part of my energy requirement by eating toast and cereal. During lunch I meet some of the energy, protein and to a lesser extent vitamin and mineral requirements with such foods as yogurt, fruit, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Dinner is a big meal satisfying energy, protein, vitamin and mineral requirements with salads, vegetables, pasta, meat and milk. Between meal snacking is useful to help meet the body's energy requirement. CONCLUSION All this jiberish may not seem to be telling you anything you couldn't figure out for yourself. The point is that "good" nutrition is not hard to achieve once one understands the reasons behind his/her dietary habits. Such habits can easily be modified to accommodate the nutritional demands of cycling without placing any strict demands on one's lifestyle. ------------------------------ Subject: 9.21 Nuclear Free Energy Bar Recipe From: Phil Etheridge Nuclear Free Energy Bars ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Comments and suggestions welcome. They seem to work well for me. I eat bananas as well, in about equal quanities to the Nuclear Free Energy Bars. I usually have two drink bottles, one with water to wash down the food, the other with a carbo drink. You will maybe note that there are no dairy products in my recipe -- that's because I'm allergic to them. You could easily replace the soy milk powder with the cow equivalent, but then you'd definitely have to include some maltodextrin (my soy drink already has some in it). I plan to replace about half the honey with maltodextrin when I find a local source. If you prefer cocoa to carob, you can easily substitute. C = 250 ml cup, T = 15 ml tablespoon 1 C Oat Bran 1/2 C Toasted Sunflower and/or Sesame seeds, ground (I use a food processor) 1/2 C Soy Milk Powder (the stuff I get has 37% maltodextrin, ~20% dextrose*) 1/2 C Raisins 2T Carob Powder Mix well, then add to 1/2 C Brown Rice, Cooked and Minced (Using a food processor again) 1/2 C Peanut Butter (more or less, depending on consistency) 1/2 C Honey (I use clear, runny stuff, you may need to warm if it's thicker and/or add a little water) Stir and knead (I knead in more Oat Bran or Rolled Oats) until thoroughly mixed. A cake mixer works well for this. The bars can be reasonably soft, as a night in the fridge helps to bind it all together. Roll or press out about 1cm thick and cut. Makes about 16, the size I like them (approx 1cm x 1.5cm x 6cm). * Can't remember exact name, dextrose something) ------------------------------ Subject: 9.22 Powerbars Recipe From: John McClintic Have you ever watched a hummingbird? Think about it! Hummingbirds eat constantly to survive. We lumpish earthbound creatures are in no position to imitate this. Simply, if we overeat we get fat. There are exceptions: those who exercise very strenuously can utilize - indeed, actually need - large amounts of carbohydrates. For example, Marathon runners "load" carbohydrates by stuffing themselves with pasta before a race. On the flip side Long-distance cyclists maintain their energy level by "power snacking". With reward to the cyclist and their need for "power snacking" I submit the following "power bar" recipe which was originated by a fellow named Bill Paterson. Bill is from Portland Oregon. The odd ingredient in the bar, paraffin, is widely used in chocolate manufacture to improve smoothness and flowability, raise the melting point, and retard deterioration of texture and flavor. Butter can be used instead, but a butter-chocolate mixture doesn't cover as thinly or smoothly. POWER BARS ---------- 1 cup regular rolled oats 1/2 cup sesame seed 1 1/2 cups dried apricots, finely chopped 1 1/2 cups raisins 1 cup shredded unsweetened dry coconut 1 cup blanched almonds, chopped 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ 2 teaspoons butter or margarine 1 cup light corn syrup 3/4 cup sugar 1 1/4 cups chunk-style peanut butter 1 teaspoon orange extract 2 teaspoons grated orange peel 1 package (12 oz.) or 2 cups semisweet chocolate baking chips 4 ounces paraffin or 3/4 cup (3/4 lb.) butter or margarine Spread oats in a 10- by 15-inch baking pan. Bake in a 300 degree oven until oats are toasted, about 25 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. Meanwhile, place sesame seed in a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium heat. Shake often or stir until seeds are golden, about 7 minutes. Pour into a large bowl. Add apricots, raisins, coconut, almonds, dry milk, and wheat germ; mix well. Mix hot oats into dried fruit mixture. Butter the hot backing pan; set aside. In the frying pan, combine corn syrup and sugar; bring to a rolling boil over medium high heat and quickly stir in the peanut butter, orange extract, and orange peel. At once, pour over the oatmeal mixture and mix well. Quickly spread in buttered pan an press into an even layer. Then cover and chill until firm, at least 4 hours or until next day. Cut into bars about 1 1/4 by 2 1/2 inches. Combine chocolate chips and paraffin in to top of a double boiler. Place over simmering water until melted; stir often. Turn heat to low. Using tongs, dip 1 bar at a time into chocolate, hold over pan until it stops dripping (with paraffin, the coating firms very quickly), then place on wire racks set above waxed paper. When firm and cool (bars with butter in the chocolate coating may need to be chilled), serve bars, or wrap individually in foil. Store in the refrigerator up to 4 weeks; freeze to store longer. Makes about 4 dozen bars, about 1 ounce each. Per piece: 188 cal.; 4.4 g protein; 29 g carbo.; 9.8 g fat; 0.6 mg chol.; 40 mg sodium. ------------------------------ Subject: 9.23 Calories burned by cycling From: Jeff Patterson The following table appears in the '92 Schwinn ATB catalog which references Bicycling, May 1989: --------- Speed (mph) 12 14 15 16 17 18 19 Rider Weight Calories/Hr 110 293 348 404 448 509 586 662 120 315 375 437 484 550 634 718 130 338 402 469 521 592 683 773 140 360 430 502 557 633 731 828 150 383 457 534 593 675 779 883 160 405 485 567 629 717 828 938 170 427 512 599 666 758 876 993 180 450 540 632 702 800 925 1048 190 472 567 664 738 841 973 1104 200 495 595 697 774 883 1021 1159 (flat terrain, no wind, upright position) ------------------------------ Subject: 9.24 Road Rash Cures From: E Shekita [Ed note: This is a condensation of a summary of cures for road rash that Gene posted.] The July 1990 issue of Bicycle Guide has a decent article on road rash. Several experienced trainers/doctors are quoted. They generally recommended: - cleaning the wound ASAP using an anti-bacterial soap such as Betadine. Showering is recommended, as running water will help flush out dirt and grit. If you can't get to a shower right away, at the very least dab the wound with an anti-bacteria solution and cover the wound with a non-stick telfa pad coated with bactrin or neosporin to prevent infection and scabbing. The wound can then be showered clean when you get home. It often helps to put an ice bag on the wound after it has been covered to reduce swelling. - after the wound has been showered clean, cover the wound with either 1) a non-stick telfa pad coated with bactrin or neosporin, or 2) one of the Second Skin type products that are available. If you go the telfa pad route, daily dressing changes will be required until a thin layer of new skin has grown over the wound. If you go the Second Skin route, follow the directions on the package. The general consensus was that scabbing should be prevented and that the Second Skin type products were the most convenient -- less dressing changes and they hold up in a shower. (Silvadene was not mentioned, probably because it requires a prescription.) It was pointed out that if one of the above treatments is followed, then you don't have to go crazy scrubbing out the last piece of grit or dirt in the wound, as some people believe. This is because most of the grit will "float" out of the wound on its own when a moist dressing is used. There are now products that go by the names Bioclusive, Tegaderm, DuoDerm, Op-Site, Vigilon, Spenco 2nd Skin, and others, that are like miracle skin. This stuff can be expensive ($5 for 8 3x4 sheets), but does not need to be changed. They are made of a 96% water substance called hydrogel wrapped in thin porous plastic. Two non-porous plastic sheets cover the hydrogel; One sheet is removed so that the hydrogel contacts the wound and the other non-porous sheet protects the wound. These products are a clear, second skin that goes over the cleaned (ouch!) wound. They breathe, are quite resistant to showering, and wounds heal in around 1 week. If it means anything, the Olympic Training Center uses this stuff. You never get a scab with this, so you can be out riding the same day, if you aren't too sore. It is important when using this treatment, to thoroughly clean the wound, and put the bandage on right away. It can be obtained at most pharmacies. Another possible source is Spenco second skin, which is sometimes carried by running stores and outdoor/cycling/ stores. If this doesn't help, you might try a surgical supply or medical supply place. They aren't as oriented toward retail, but may carry larger sizes than is commonly available. Also, you might check with a doctor, or university athletic department people. ------------------------------ Subject: 9.25 Knee problems From: Roger Marquis As the weather becomes more conducive to riding and the racing season gets going and average weekly training distances start to climb a few of us will have some trouble with our knees. Usually knee problem are caused by one of four things: 1) Riding too hard, too soon. Don't get impatient. It's going to be a long season and there's plenty of time to get in the proper progression of efforts. Successful cycling is a matter of listening to your body. When you see riders burning out, hurting themselves and just not progressing past a certain point you can be fairly certain that it is because they are not paying enough attention to what their body is telling them. 2) Too many miles. Your body is not a machine. It cannot be expected to take whatever miles you feel compelled to ride without time to grow and adapt. If you keep this in mind whenever you feel like increasing your average weekly mileage by more than forty miles over two or three weeks you should have no problems. 3) Low, low rpms (also excess crank length). Save those big ring climbs and big gear sprints for later in the season. This is the time of year to develop fast twitch muscle fibers. That means spin, spin, spin. You don't have to spin all the time but the effort put into small gear sprints and high rpm climbing now will pay off later in the season. 4) Improper position on the bike. Unfortunately most bicycle salespeople in this country have no idea how to properly set saddle height. The most common error being to set it too low. This is very conducive to developing knee problems because of the excessive bend at the knee when the pedal is at, and just past, top dead center. Make sure your seat and cleats are adjusted properly by following the adjustment procedures found elsewhere. If after all this you're still having knee problems: 1) Check for leg length differences both below and above the knee. If the difference is between 2 and 8 millimeters you can correct it by putting spacers under one cleat. If one leg is shorter by more than a centimeter or so you might experiment with a shorter crank arm on the short leg side. 2) Use shorter cranks. For some riders this helps keep pedal speed up and knee stress down. I'm 6 ft. 1/2 in. and I ride 170mm cranks for most of the season. 3) Try the Fit-Kit R.A.D. cleat alignment device and/or a rotating type cleat/pedal like the Time pedal. 4) Cut way back on mileage and intensity (This is a last resort for obvious reasons). Sometimes a prolonged rest is the only way to regain full functionality and is usually required only if you try to "train through" any pain. ------------------------------ Subject: 9.26 Cycling Psychology From: Roger Marquis Motivation, the last frontier. With enough of it any ordinary person can become a world class athlete. Without it this same person could end up begging for change on Telegraph ave. Even a tremendously talented rider will go nowhere without motivation. How do some riders always seem to be so motivated? What are the sources of their motivation? This has been a central theme of sports psychology since its beginning when Triplett studied the effects of audience and competition on performance in the late nineteenth century. Though a great deal has been written on motivation since Triplett it is an individual construct. As an athlete you need to identify what motivates you and cultivate the sources of your motivation. * One of the best sources of motivation is setting goals. Be specific, put it down on paper. Define your goals clearly and make them attainable. Short term goals are more important than long term goals and should be even more precisely defined Set long term goals such as training at least five days a week, placing in specific races, upgrading, etc.. Set short term goals for things like going on a good ride this afternoon, doing five sprints, bettering your time up Wildcat, etc.. DO NOT STRESS WINNING when defining your goals. Instead stress enjoying the ride and doing your best in every ride and race. * Do it together. Going to races with friends, training together and racing as a team is great for motivation. This is what clubs should be all about. * Do it frequently. Regularity makes difficult tasks easy. If you make it a point to ride every day, or at least five times a week (to be competitive), making the daily ride will become automatic. * Cycling books and videos are tremendously motivating as are new bike parts, new clothing, new roads, nice weather, losing weight, seeing friends, getting out of the city and breathing fresh air, riding hard and feeling good and especially that great feeling of accomplishment and relaxation at the end of every ride that makes life beautiful. ============== While high levels of arousal (motivational energy) are generally better for shorter rides and track races, be careful not to get over-aroused before longer, harder races. Stay relaxed and conserve precious energy for that crosswind section or sprint where you'll need all the strength you've got. Learn how psyched you need to be to do your best and be aware of when you are over or under aroused. It's not uncommon, especially for novices, to be so nervous before the start that they are already fatigued on the line. This much stress is dangerous and should be recognized and controlled immediately. If you get too stressed before a race try counting to ten, breathing deeply, stretching, talking to friends, finding a quiet place to warm-up, or a crowded place to warm-up, depending on your inclination, and remember that the stress will disappearas soon as the race starts. Racing takes too much concentration to spare any for worrying. Every athlete needs to be adept in stress management. One new technique used to reduce competitive anxiety is imagery. Mental practice has been credited with almost miraculous improvements in fine motor skills (archery, tennis) but its greatest value in gross motor sports is in stress reduction. Actually winning a race can also help put an end to excessive competitive anxiety. But if you have never won nervousness may be keeping you from winning. If you find yourself getting overstressed whenever you think about winning, or even riding, a race try this; Find a quiet, relaxing place to sit and think about racing. Second; Picture yourself driving to the race in a very relaxed and poised state of mind. Continue visualizing the day progressing into the race and going well until you detect some tension THEN STOP. Do not let yourself get excited at all. End the visualization session and try it again the next day. Continue this DAILY until you can picture yourself racing and winning without any stress. If this seems like a lot of work evaluate just how much you want to win a bike race. Visualization is not meant to replace on the bike training but can make that training pay off in a big way. Eastern European research has found that athletes improve most quickly if visual training comprises fifty to seventy-five percent of the total time spent training! Like any training imagery will only pay off if you do it regularly and frequently. My French club coach always used to tell us: believe it and it will become true. (C) 1989, Roger Marquis (see also Velo-News, 3-91) ------------------------------ Subject: 9.27 Mirrors From: Jobst Brandt > Mirrors are mandatory on virtually every other type of vehicle on > the road. Competent drivers/riders learn the limitations of the > information available from their mirrors and act accordingly. I suppose the question is appropriate because no one seems to have a good explanation for this. In such an event, when there is much evidence that what would seem obvious is not what is practiced, I assume there are other things at work. I for one don't wear glasses to which to attach a mirror and putting it on a helmet seems a fragile location when the helmet is placed anywhere but on the head. These are not the real reasons though, because I have found that when looking in a head mounted mirror, I cannot accurately tell anything about the following vehicle's position except that it is behind me. That is because I am looking into a mirror whose angular position with respect to the road is unknown. The rear view mirror in a car is fixed with respect to the direction of travel and objects seen in it are seen with reference to ones own vehicle, be that the rear window frame or side of the car. I find the image in a head mounted mirror on a bicycle to be distracting and a source of paranoia if I watch it enough. It does not tell me whether the upcoming car is, or is not, going to slice me. I additionally I find it difficult to focus on objects when my eyeballs are distorted by turning them as much as 45 degrees to the side of straight ahead. You can try this by reading these words with your head turned 45 degrees from the text. I believe these two effects are the prime reasons for the unpopularity of such mirrors. They don't provide the function adequately and still require the rider to look back. I do not doubt that it is possible to rely on the mirror but it does not disprove my contention that the information seen is by no means equivalent to motor vehicle rear view mirrors to which these mirrors have been compared. It is not a valid comparison. ------------------------------ Subject: 9.28 ==> Powerbars NO more ---> homemade -- YES!!! From: econrad@teal.csn.org (Eric Conrad) I don't know about any of you out there in cyber-mtbike-land, but I was getting tired of buying Powerbars and other nutrition supplements to enhance my riding. However, I do understand the benefit of having a quick, nutritious snack that is full of energy on hand during a ride. So I asked around and came up with a recipe for Powerbar-like bars that seem to have a lot of what we need. I'll place the recipe here on the Usenet for all to copy, distribute ... [but please don't market them, cause I'll only kick myself for not doing it first ;-) ]. Please make them and enjoy them before you think about flaming me. Trust me, you'll like them much more than Powerbars, and they're cheaper to make than to buy their counterpart. ALSO, PLEASE POST ANY OTHER RECIPES YOU HAVE FOUND THAT HELP BIKING PERFORMANCE!!! Eric BARS OF IRON :-} 1 Cup dark raisins 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 Cup golden raisins 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/3 Cup butter or Margarine 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 Cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1 egg 1/2 Cup liquid milk 1 1/4 Cup Whole Wheat Flour 1 Cup quick cooking oats 1/4 Cup toasted wheat germ 1 Cup sliced almonds (optional) 1/2 Cup golden molasses (dark is ok also) 1/2 Cup Nonfat dry milk Chop raisins (in food processor if possible). Cream butter, sugar, molasses & egg. Combine flour, dry milk, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ginger. Blend into creamed mixture with liquid milk. Stir in oats, raisins, and half the almonds (if desired). Pour into greased 13x9x2 inch pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle with remaining almonds (if desired). Bake at 350 degrees for approx. 30 minutes. Cool in pan and cut into 1x4 inch bars. ------------------------------ Subject: 9.29 Lower back pain From: "David LaPorte (Biochem)" I'm not a medical expert, but I've had my share of low back pain and I've learned a few things. When in doubt, go see a medical professional. Low back pain is one of the most common problems afflicting humans. It's been estimated that about 80% of these problems arise because of poor posture. These posture problems occur when we stand but are even more significant when we sit or ride a bike. We tend to round up our low backs, stressing the ligaments and tendons which lie along the spine. It is the irritation and inflammation of these ligaments and tendons which leads to most low back problems. It is important to remember that back pain results from the sum total of ALL the stresses your back experiences. Even if you only experience pain when you're riding, poor riding posture may not be your only problem. For example, you may be sitting poorly at a desk all day or lifting boxes poorly. **Low Back Pain and Posture** Since posture is the problem, it is also the solution. Those of us who suffer from low back pain need to be constantly vigilant. We need to maintain some arch in our backs as much as possible. Sitting is a particular problem. Most chairs, coaches, car seats, etc provide little low back support. You can buy low-back support pads at some drug stores. Try them before you buy them because they are not all comfortable. Alternatively, you can fold a towel and put it behind your low back. The key is to maintain some arch without being uncomfortable. Position on the bike is also important. Get your bike fit checked at a shop that you trust. You should also work on maintaining a flat back when riding. One way to achieve this is to push your belly button toward the top tube. ***Stretching*** Stretching is an important way to achieve flexibility and improve your posture. A very useful stretch is to place you hands on you butt and push your hips forward while standing: o <\ / you should feel this in the front of your hips. Tight hip flexors prevent an upright posture. After a few seconds, arch your back and slide your hands down the back of your thighs: o |) / This movement puts the arch in you low back. You can do this stretch many times a day. It is particularly useful to do it periodically when you have to sit or ride for an extended period of time. A more potent stretch that can be done a couple of times a day starts with you lying on your front. Using your arms, push your shoulders off the floor. Don't lift with your back. Keep your low back as relaxed as possible. Let your hips hang down, staying as close to the floor as possible. o __/| This is a powerful stretch and should be started gradually. Otherwise, it can do more harm than good. However, done properly, it can be enormously helpful. Over a period of weeks, you should gradually increase the height you achieve and the time you hold the position. It is also less stressful to do this stretch for short periods with a little rest than for a long period (for example, 3 X 10 sec with 5 sec rest rather than for 30 sec straight). Once your back starts to heal, you will probably need to stretch it deliberately. This is apparently because of the scar tissue that built up during healing. Keep it gentle, especially at first. You could easily reinjure your back. Here's a good one: lie on your back with your legs straight. Pull your knees up, grasp your thighs by your hamstrings and gently pull your knees to your chest. Stretching the ham strings can also help relieve low back pain. Tight ham strings tend to pull the pelvis out of line. This can stress your low back. The problem with most ham string stretches is that they also tend to stretch the low back by forcing it to round up. The most appropriate stretch I know requires the use of a doorway. Lie in the doorway with your butt near the wall. Gently slide your foot up the wall until you feel the stretch. doorway | |- || || |___|____O / Two ways to make the stretch more gentle are (1) bend the lower leg, keeping only your foot on the floor or (2) move your butt further away from the wall. To make the stretch more intense, loop a cord or towel over your raised foot and gently pull it away from the wall. As with all stretches, this shouldn't hurt. ***Exercises*** Another key to preventing low back pain is to keep your abdominal muscles strong. These muscles help support the back. Do abdominal crunchers, not sit ups. Sit ups emphasize the hip flexors, not the abs, and can be hard on the back. Crunchers are done by lying on your back with your knees bent. Press your low back into the floor and curl your head and shoulders off the floor. Hold for a couple of seconds, then lower back to the floor. Repeat until you can't get your shoulder blades off the floor. Abs can be worked every day. Strengthening the low back muscles can also be helpful. To start, lie on your front with your arms and legs extended in a straight line with your body. Raise your right arm and left leg. Put them down and raise your left arm and right leg. Put them down and continue. As your back strength improves, try raising both arms and legs at the same time, arching your back in a "reverse stomach crunch". There are, of course, more powerful back exercises, but they are also more stressful and shouldn't be considered until your back is 110%. ***Medication*** Antiinflamitory medication can be helpful. Ibuprofen, naproxin and aspirin are all available without a prescription. Acetominophen (eg. Tylanol) is NOT an antiinflamatory. These drugs are most effective if they are taken early since inflamation is hard to get rid of once it's become established. A danger in antiinflamatory drugs is that they are also pain killers. Pain is your body's way of telling you that your doing damage. If you block the pain signals, you can easily aggravate your injury without knowing it. Muscle relaxants are sometime prescribed for back problems. These should only be obtained from a physician. ***Ice, Heat and Massage*** Ice is a great way to reduce pain and inflamation. A good way to apply ice is to freeze water in a paper cup. Peel the cup back to expose the ice and then use the cup as a handle while gently rubbing the ice over the effected area. Ice is particularly good for the first couple of days. Some people find that it's useful to continue ice treatments beyond that. Others find that the ice treatments make their backs tight if they continue beyond a couple of days. Heat, especially moist heat, can be useful. However, it should not be used for a couple of days after injuring your back or after aggravating a current injury. Regardless of the timing, if you feel worse during or shortly after heat treatment, stop doing it. In the later stages of a back problem, I find that my low back muscles get tight. Gentle massage seems to help them relax, promoting the healing process. I suspect that massage could make things worse in some cases, such as when the injury is fresh. ***Book*** An excellent book on this subject is "Treat Your Own Back" by Robin McKenzie, Spinal Publications Ltd., P.O. Box 93, Waikanae, New Zealand ISBN 0-9597746-6-1. They use this book at the Low Back Center of the University of Minnesota Hospital. ------------------------------ Subject: 9.30 Saddle Sores From: greenla@umich.edu (Lee Green MD MPH) > I think I'm developing a couple of saddle sores. I'm curious as to an > effective treatment for them, and effective preventative measures I can It recurs intermittently here. Lots of comments about keeping clean to keep the bugs at bay, all to the good. However, there is more to saddle sores than infection. Skin has several defenses against bacterial invasion, all of which must fail before infection occurs. Abrasion breaks the physical barrier, and preventing it is the reason for good bike shorts. Lubrication is sometimes helpful too. I recommend not Vaseline but Desitin. Yup, the diaper rash stuff. Some advocate bag balm (there seems to be a whole cult of folk medicine around bag balm, actually) but I'd say best avoid it: it softens skin, which is just what you don't want. The point that most posters here seem to miss is probably the most important though: tissue ischemia. That is, the skin and subcutaneous fat between your bones and the saddle get compressed. Blood doesn't flow through them much. Low blood flow is "ischemia", meaning not much oxygen, nutrients, antibodies, white blood cells, and other good things delivered to the area. Ischemic tissue is highly susceptible to infection, heals poorly, and can break down and form a sore just from ischemia, without any infection at all. It's similar to the pressure sores that nursing home patients suffer. Keep clean, use lubricants if they seem to help, but especially wear good bike shorts, *make sure your saddle fits properly*, and *get off the saddle often to allow blood flow through the tissues.* There is more to saddle sores if you're interested in a lot of technical detail regarding oxygen tension, shear forces, etc but e-mail me if you want the gory details. ------------------------------ Subject: 10 Off-Road ------------------------------ Subject: 10.1 Suspension Stems From: Brian Lee by Brian Lee & Rick Brusuelas, 1994 ABSTRACT: Discussion of the differences between suspension stems and suspension forks, and a listing of the pros & cons of suspension stems. DESCRIPTION: The suspension stem discussed here is the Allsop-type, which employs a linkage parallelogram and a spring mechanism to effect shock-absorption. Two models on the market using this mechanism are the Allsop Softride, and a version produced by J.P. Morgen, a machinist based in San Francisco. There is also a version put out by J.D Components of Taiwan (advertised in Mountain Bike Action), however judging from illustrations, this unit does not employ the parallelogram design shared by Allsop & Morgen. Other Taiwanese models may also exist. The Girvin-type stem, which uses a simpler hinge and bumper, will not be directly addressed here, although some of the comments may also apply. The Allsop-type suspension stem (suspension stem) works on a different principal than a telescopic shock fork. Instead of only the front wheel moving to absorb shock, a stem allows the entire front end of the bike to move with obstacles while the rider's position does not change. All suspension requires some form of "inertial backstop" to operate. A theoretical suspension (stem or fork) loaded with zero mass will not function regardless of the size of obstacle encountered. This is because there is nothing to force the compression of the spring mechanism. It is essentially locked out. In a fork system, the weight of the bike & rider both provide the inertial backstop. In a stem system, the rider's weight on the handlebars provides the backstop. Because of this, the two systems "ride" differently. Since most of the weight comes from the pressure of the rider's hands, the stem system encourages a more weight-forward style of riding. Or perhaps placing the stem on a frame with a shorter top tube so the rider's weight is distributed more on the front end. (Shortening the front end has also been applied by frame builders on frames intended for use with suspension forks. Ex: Bontrager.) What does this mean to you and me? It means the suspension stem requires a certain amount of the rider's weight to be on it at all times in order to remain completely active. For the majority of riding, it's just fine. The only difference is in extremely steep descents, where you are forced to keep the weight back in order to keep from going over the bars. In this situation, much less weight is on the bars to activate the stem. Further, if one were to encounter a largish rock on such a descent, what does one do? The instinctive thing is to pull back a bit to unweight the front and help the front wheel over. This removes all the weight from the stem area, and you are now riding a rigid bike again. A fork system is also affected by weight shifts, but not quite to the extent that a stem is affected, because of the weight of bike & rider coming through the head tube to be distributed into the fork. Even if you were to remove your hands from the bars on a gnarly descent and hang with butt brushing the rear wheel, you are still applying weight to the bike through the pedals. All this, of course, is theoretical and YMMV. I, for one, am not always able to react to obstacles coming at me and leave the front end weighted. When that happens, I'm very glad I have suspension. Now enough theory stuff, here's a summary of the advantages & disadvantages of suspension stems: PROs 1) Lighter than a suspension fork. This depends on the existing stem/fork combination. If the current stem and rigid fork are heavy, then a suspension fork may be a better choice. For example, I've chosen the following items for comparison, as they represent the lightest and heaviest of commercially available stems & forks (weights for all stems are for conventional types - non-Aheadset): Litespeed Titanium 211g Ritchey Force Directional 375g Allsop Stem 625g Fat Chance Big One Inch 680g Tange Big Fork 1176g Manitou 3 1360g Lawwill Leader 1588g So say you have a Litespeed stem and a Fat Chance fork. The combined weight would be 891 g. Switching to an Allsop would change the combined weight to 1305 g, while a Manitou 3 would bring it to 1571 g. The Allsop has a weight advantage of 266 g (9.4 oz). OTOH, if you have a Ritchey stem & Tange Big Fork, the original weight would be 1551 g. Allsop stem => 1801 g. Manitou 3 => 1735 g. In this case, keeping the boat anchor of a fork and switching to the Allsop would be a weight penalty of 66 g (2.3 oz.). Of course, YMMV depending on your original equipment. 2) Does not affect frame geometry. A suspension fork retrofitted to a frame, *not* designed for suspension, raises the front end - sometimes as much as 1". This reduces the effective head angle and slackens the steering, slowing it down. This is especially true for smaller sized frames which, with their shorter wheel base, are affected to a greater degree by the raising of the head tube. A suspension stem provides suspension while preserving the handling of the bike. 3) Torsionally rigid fork. Telescopic forks all have a certain amount of flex to them, and the sliders are able to move up & down independently. This aspect of front suspension forks has spawned a new line of suspension enhancing products: stiffer fork braces, and bigger, heavier suspension hubs. All to stiffen up the fork. This is one reason suspension stems are favored by some riders who ride lots of tight, twisting single track. 4) No stiction. Stiction, or static friction, is friction that exists as the fork sliders rub against the stanchion tubes. This friction is an extra force that must be overcome for a fork system to activate. Not a problem on large hits. But more of a problem on small- and medium-size impacts. Because the stem has none, the stem responds better to small, high-frequency bumps (washboard) than many air-oil forks. 5) More boing for the buck. The Allsop stem provides up to 3" of stiction-free travel, at a cost of about $250, depending where you go. The majority of forks in this price range only offer 1" - 2" of travel, and are often heavy, flexy, and fraught with stiction. The fork could be stiffened, but at the additional cost of a stiffer fork brace or perhaps a suspension hub and a rebuilt wheel (e.g. fork brace - $90; hub - $80; rebuild - $100. Plus the original $350 for the fork. YMMV). 6) Better "feel". The stem allows you to have a rigid fork, which transmits more "information" back to the rider. This is a benefit when riding through creeks where you cannot see where your wheel is. 7) Less exposed to the environment. The stem is higher, more out of the way than suspension forks. Thus you can ride through creeks and mud without having to worry about your fork seals, or about contaminating the innards of the fork. Even if mud splashes on a suspension stem, the pivots are less sensitive to grit than sliders and stanchion tubes. 8) Ease of maintenance. There are no seals to replace or service, no oil to replace, no air pressure to adjust, and no bumpers to wear out. An occasional lube of the pivots is all that is needed. An extension of this is the ease of initial set up. For best results, you have to set suspension (fork or stem) to react according to your weight and riding style. With air/oil forks you may have to change oil, adjust pressure or change damping settings (if the fork has them). With bumper forks you may need to swap out bumper stacks and mix-n-match bumpers until you get what works for you. With the stem, the only adjustment is to increase or decrease the spring tension with an allen wrench. CONs 1) No damping. This is one of the main complaints from proponents of suspension forks. The suspension stem will give way to absorb shock, but the return is not controlled and cannot be adjusted. JP Morgen currently makes a suspension stem which employs oil-damping, but Allsop does not. 2) Requires adjustment to riding style. As mentioned above, the stem requires weight to be applied to it to function. This is also one of the complaints applied to the Softride rear suspension beam. The flip-side to this, according to riders of the Beam, is once the adjustment is made to "plant your butt on the saddle" the ride is extremely comfortable and affords excellent control by sticking the rear tire to the ground. 3) Stem "clunks" on rebound. The feeling is about the same as suspension bottoming out, except it happens on the rebound. This is not as much a problem on the Allsop as on the Morgen stem, which uses a hard plastic top-out bumper. This is a subjective complaint, as some riders claim not to notice it. 4) Stem not torsionally rigid. Another trade off. The stem is not proof to twisting forces and may be noticeable in hard, out-of-the-saddle efforts. Allsop has redesigned the top beam of their aluminum stem for 1994 to address this problem. Instead of the aluminum "dog bone" structure for the top linkage member, they've substituted a machined aluminum beam, reminiscent of a cantilever bridge. SUMMARY: In my opinion, a suspension stem is an excellent choice if one is retrofitting an existing bike, which has not been designed around a suspension fork. A suspension stem is also a very good choice if one's primary riding is twisty singletrack, where you need the sharp, precise steering of a rigid fork. There are undoubtedly situations for which a stem may not be ideal, but stems should not be dismissed as a viable form of suspension. The best thing to do is to try both types of suspension if you can, and see what you like better.