Re: The bicycle thread

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Shit!
So I finally got the old Peugeot back together and out in my neighborhood. Brakes squealed horribly. I got off and checked and one of the rear anchor bolts was GONE! I retraced my ride and didn't find it! Had that original bolt from the day I bought the bike at the end of the summer in 1972! Ordered a brake caliper to cannibalized off eBay...but that was an original part!
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: The bicycle thread

380
for the denali lightening project, i ordered up a set of handlebar shims from niagara cycle along with a couple of other things for the peugeot. everything arrived after about 10 days (why so long?) EXCEPT.
one of the shims. their webpage says shimS, the picture shows a pair of shimS. the one shim arrives in an opened plastic bag, i assume from where they removed the other shim.
a vigorous exchange of e-mails with jennifer and audrey in customer service ensued, and today the other shim arrives. thank you very much niagara, your selection is good, your prices are good, but none of that does any good if it takes badgering you for 3 WEEKS to get the parts. i'll be putting the shimS on tonite. on the plus side, i have trimmed another 1.2 lbs off the bike, for a total so far of 2.5 lbs off. next up, (maybe), carbon fork with aluminum steer tube. these won't be so cheap, need to save up some pennies. unlikely to shop niagara, unable to recommend.
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: The bicycle thread

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I got some used MAFAC racer brakes off eBay and was able to pull a good screw off one. I then loc-tited (blue) all 4 of the pivot screws. Didn't get a chance to adjust the Peugeot's brakes that were squealing insanely with the NOS pads. Been away for a couple of weeks.
Here, I have a cheapie Shogun "Mountain Bike" from Kent, which is a better bike than I'd have expected. I put a longer seat tube on it so it's more comfortable and, at 28# it's surprisingly light. No front suspension, though, and cant brakes--no discs. Twist shifters work OK, and allow some adjusting to the front derailleur while riding to smooth out chain noise. Only so-so on sand but does fine on the dirt logging roads--your legs are your suspension--and rides just fine on the street (pavement here is laid rougher).
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: The bicycle thread

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YankeeTarheel wrote: Sun May 27, 2018 8:12 am I got some used MAFAC racer brakes off eBay
should have said something, i've got a couple of spares.
oh, well.

being a denali owner, (maybe i'm prejudiced) i'm favorably impressed by the value kent offers for the dollar. they are decent quality low-end mass market bikes and need to be taken for what they are - not professional-grade, full-on race bikes. we wouldn't want to take our formula 1 race cars to the grocery store, would we? well, ok, yes we would a time or two, just because, but even our beloved u-08s were not top of the line race bikes in their prime. they're perfectly competent for the day to day we demand of them.
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: The bicycle thread

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lurker wrote: Sun May 27, 2018 8:26 am
YankeeTarheel wrote: Sun May 27, 2018 8:12 am I got some used MAFAC racer brakes off eBay
should have said something, i've got a couple of spares.
oh, well.
Thanks, but I got them pretty cheaply. When I'm back I'll pull them apart and toss them in the rock tumbler with walnut shells, metal polish and detergent to clean them up.
being a denali owner, (maybe i'm prejudiced) i'm favorably impressed by the value kent offers for the dollar. they are decent quality low-end mass market bikes and need to be taken for what they are - not professional-grade, full-on race bikes. we wouldn't want to take our formula 1 race cars to the grocery store, would we? well, ok, yes we would a time or two, just because, but even our beloved u-08s were not top of the line race bikes in their prime. they're perfectly competent for the day to day we demand of them.
Yeah, I've been impressed by the value-for-the-money of this Kent bike despite it being low end and nothing like my Motobecane. The UO-8, in its day, was a "reach" for an average middle-class kid, but it was a reachable reach (with toe clips and tax I think I paid $155 in 1972 out of my summer earnings--and it was during the inflation era where a year earlier it might have been $130, and 2 years earlier under $100). It was a much better bike than a department store bike, but it wasn't like a $300 or $400 dollar bike equipped with all high-end Campagnolo components and a 531 double-butted brazed-lugged frame.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: The bicycle thread

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being an afficionado of fine cheap bicycles, about six months ago i went searching for an appropriate forum. and i found one. but there was a strong anti-gun sentiment there among some of the members, and they had a serious shill problem so i left and found another, in part composed of refugees like me from the first one. when, as they do with small forums, things got slow, i got to discussing firearms with the owner, and now it's a cheap bicycle AND firearm forum. if you get bored, check it out:
http://budgetbicycleboards.freeforums.net/
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: The bicycle thread

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lurker wrote: Sun May 27, 2018 10:52 am being an afficionado of fine cheap bicycles, about six months ago i went searching for an appropriate forum. and i found one. but there was a strong anti-gun sentiment there among some of the members, and they had a serious shill problem so i left and found another, in part composed of refugees like me from the first one. when, as they do with small forums, things got slow, i got to discussing firearms with the owner, and now it's a cheap bicycle AND firearm forum. if you get bored, check it out:
http://budgetbicycleboards.freeforums.net/
Thanks. I posted a pic of the Kent in post #343. My mistake--it's 21 speeds, not 18.

Ferocious winds today--backwash of TS Alberto.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: The bicycle thread

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Mason wrote: Tue May 29, 2018 10:36 am Nice AOTK!

I used a WeeHoo a ton with my son.

https://rideweehoo.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw9 ... yEEALw_wcB
How old/heavy is your son? My daughter is pushing the weight limit of the WeeRide, but she is 2.5 and not able to ride one of these yet. She'd fall, which would be funny, but ultimately not a positive initial experience toward my goal of creating a bike rider. Every step away from bikes is a step closer to *shudder* ball/puck-sports...

Re: The bicycle thread

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AOTK, My son is now nearly ten and HUGE. I used the Weehoo from about age three until seven. He at the same time had a balance bike and the when he was four a Redline Pitboss. I would alternate rides on the WeeHoo with short jaunts on the Redline. If you are planning to, I would buy the weehoo asap. They have a five point harness and you strap their feet into the pedals. The kid can literally fall asleep in it with no issues.

We used to go by a store on the way to ride and let the sprog choose a snack for the ride. It worked well for me. He loves to ride his MTB and occasionally places top three in a race.

No sportsball. Ever! Balls are boring bikes are beautiful. Bikes are useful and balls are not.
'Sorry stupid people but there are some definite disadvantages to being stupid."

-John Cleese

Re: The bicycle thread

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So...I straightened out the problems with the Peugeot's brakes which were screeching so bad they shook an anchor screw out that I had to replace, and took it into town. Brakes were nice and quiet. (YouTube videos CAN be your friend!) Now that it's a 15 speed, the old lady climbs hills better, but not as well the new Motobecane, which has even lower gearing. Still, the seating position, the toe clips, and the traditional "10 Speed" bars give a lot more leverage than the flat bar of the 'Cane....and I needed it with the taller gearing of the lowest speed!

Meanwhile the bottom bracket loosened up but I made it home without a disaster. Had to pull the chain wheel to tighten it down--Loc-Tite Blue added! I just used a 3-arm gear puller to get the chain wheel assembly off (you can't tighten THAT side without pulling the assembly), and a dead-blow hammer to seat it again after the bracket screw/clamp/bolt was tightened. It's fine.

Just think: Monday, they were rushing me to the ER thinking I was possibly going to have a heart attack....luckily, it was a comedy of errors due to reactions to meds I've never had a problem with before, but now must avoid. Imagine: I've had the penicillin family of anti-Biotics all my life without a problem, and now, on the eve of my 63rd b'day, I've become allergic to the stuff! A super-smart dermatologist figured out that was started this whole mess because the reaction was delayed--it showed up 10 days after I finished the Amoxicillin! (As I said, the dermatologist counted the days out from the last dose to the reaction and nailed it!)
Then I got a shot of Decadron (Prednisone family) to counter the reaction to the Amoxicillin (which they didn't know it was)...reacted to THAT and that fucked up my EKG, which sent me to the ER...

Just glad to be alive and be able to bust my ass climbing all the hills around here on the Old Lady (46 years old).
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: The bicycle thread

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so, you know how they say you'll get used to that PITA bike seat? the one with minimal padding and the trough for the delicate parts that will make you faster than greg lemond on steroids, and comfier to boot?
yeah, me neither.
so today i've swapped out the "coda expert" saddle i randomly grabbed on the way to the exit at the co-op for the cheap-a$$ vitesse saddle that came on the denali. and i weighed them too. the vitesse is 72 grams heavier. big hairy deal. i'll try it out later in the day when it cools off, hopefully below 90. i should probably just buy a brooks like i had 30 years ago, but i'm too cheap right now.
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: The bicycle thread

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lurker wrote: Sun Jun 10, 2018 1:41 pm so, you know how they say you'll get used to that PITA bike seat? the one with minimal padding and the trough for the delicate parts that will make you faster than greg lemond on steroids, and comfier to boot?
yeah, me neither.
so today i've swapped out the "coda expert" saddle i randomly grabbed on the way to the exit at the co-op for the cheap-a$$ vitesse saddle that came on the denali. and i weighed them too. the vitesse is 72 grams heavier. big hairy deal. i'll try it out later in the day when it cools off, hopefully below 90. i should probably just buy a brooks like i had 30 years ago, but i'm too cheap right now.
I like modern gel-cushioning, but I like the sprung structure under the old leather saddles. Why can't they make one with both?
I do find that getting the EXACT angle, height and backward-forward positioning on the seat just right can make an enormous difference in comfort, between alternately numb, sore, and chafed, or pretty good tolerance. The narrow saddles DO keep weight off the muscles in the gluteous maximus so you pedal better. Yesterday's ride made lots of things ache, but the saddle seems to be set correctly, so at least not there. (Getting old ain't for the faint-hearted!)
A guy admired the Old Lady and I asked how old he thought it was. He said 10 or 15 years. I said, nope, over 45. His jaw dropped and his eyes popped out! Made me feel pretty good. I AM thinking about replacing the old chrome wheels and spokes, both OEM, over this winter, with alloy wheels. They still make 27x1.25" (630x32mm) alloy wheels with 36 holes, but I don't know what length spokes yet. I'll probably replace the bearings on the hubs at that time, but I'm not going to part with those wide-flange Normandy hubs!
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: The bicycle thread

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lurker wrote: Sun Jun 10, 2018 9:42 pm
YankeeTarheel wrote: Sun Jun 10, 2018 9:04 pm A guy admired the Old Lady and I asked how old he thought it was. He said 10 or 15 years.
young punk lusting after a lady old enough to be his mother. oedipus would be proud. :roflmao:
He wasn't that young--had to be in his 50's...

Oedipus gets a bad rap...He didn't learn Jocasta was his mother till they had been married many years and were parents to Polynices, Eteocles, Antigone, and Ismene. Jocasta hanged herself, and Oedipus put out his own eyes. Polynices and Eteocles were supposed to rule Thebes together but when Eteocles pulled a Trump on him, Polynices started the war of The Seven Against Thebes that resulted in both of them dying.....
Greek mythology is such happy stuff!
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: The bicycle thread

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yeah, those deities will screw you over every time.
"hey, let's play a trick on the mortals, then blame it on them!"
by co-inkydink i re-read part of the iliad yesterday. trying to find whose idea it was to hide soldiers in the horse. athena's, apparently.
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: The bicycle thread

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lurker wrote: Mon Jun 11, 2018 8:31 pm yeah, those deities will screw you over every time.
"hey, let's play a trick on the mortals, then blame it on them!"
by co-inkydink i re-read part of the iliad yesterday. trying to find whose idea it was to hide soldiers in the horse. athena's, apparently.

Good Luck! The Trojan Horse isn't part of the Iliad, which is only one part of the story of the Trojan War, starting with Achilles angry at Agamemnon and ending with the funeral of Hector.

I believe it may be mentioned in passing in the Odyssey, but don't hold me to that. Probably in VIrgil's The Aeneid, though, and in The Trojan Women by Euripides.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

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