Going faster

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Dear Urcers,

A few days ago, I took my bike into the shop because I had had an accident
which bent the forks. I was able to get the forks replaced, but the guy who
replaced it told me he had made an adjustment to the bike in addition.

I didn't quite catch what he said, but when I took the bike for a spin the
next day, I found that whatever he had done, the bike was now *flying*! It
seems it I could turn the cranks with a lot more ease. I could do 20mph
without too much difficulty - and I don't even use SPDs!

I went back to the shop the day after that to find out what magic had been
wrought on my bike. Unfortunately, the person who did the actual repair
wasn't there, but a colleague of his said that he probably must have
tightened the gear cables.

This sounds a bit odd to me - I can't see how tightening the gear cables
would make turning the cranks more difficult. Anyone else have any idea what
else might have been done?

Yours sincerely,

--
Akin

aknak at aksoto dot idps dot co dot uk

"Epetruk" <nobody@blackhole.com> wrote:

> Dear Urcers,
>
> A few days ago, I took my bike into the shop because I had had an
> accident which bent the forks. I was able to get the forks replaced,
> but the guy who replaced it told me he had made an adjustment to the
> bike in addition.
>
> I didn't quite catch what he said, but when I took the bike for a
> spin the next day, I found that whatever he had done, the bike was
> now *flying*!

Added wings?

Response to Epetruk:
> I didn't quite catch what he said, but when I took the bike for a spin the
> next day, I found that whatever he had done, the bike was now *flying*! It
> seems it I could turn the cranks with a lot more ease. I could do 20mph
> without too much difficulty - and I don't even use SPDs!
>
> I went back to the shop the day after that to find out what magic had been
> wrought on my bike.


He arranged a tailwind? Put a second computer magnet on the wheel? ;-)

--
Mark, UK.
Never believe anything until it has been officially denied.

On Mon, 3 Jan 2005 00:13:32 -0000, "Adrian Boliston"
<adrian@boliston.co.uk> wrote:

>"Epetruk" <nobody@blackhole.com> wrote:
>
>> Dear Urcers,
>>
>> A few days ago, I took my bike into the shop because I had had an
>> accident which bent the forks. I was able to get the forks replaced,
>> but the guy who replaced it told me he had made an adjustment to the
>> bike in addition.
>>
>> I didn't quite catch what he said, but when I took the bike for a
>> spin the next day, I found that whatever he had done, the bike was
>> now *flying*!
>
>Added wings?
>
Fitted a second magnet?


Tim

On Sun, 2 Jan 2005 23:59:31 -0000, "Epetruk" <nobody@blackhole.com>
wrote:


>I went back to the shop the day after that to find out what magic had been
>wrought on my bike. Unfortunately, the person who did the actual repair
>wasn't there, but a colleague of his said that he probably must have
>tightened the gear cables.
>
>This sounds a bit odd to me - I can't see how tightening the gear cables
>would make turning the cranks more difficult. Anyone else have any idea what
>else might have been done?

You are right to question what good "tightening gear cables" would
have done, it's bloody nonsense. That answer is also a reason not to
entirely trust the shop for future mechanical work. You know for sure
they have at least one clueless muppet working there. Hopefully they
don't let him near the spanners.

There really aren't many small tweaks that will give a bike a
genuinely significant boost in performance. The most obvious would be
re-adjusting the brakes, if the pads were rubbing on the rims.

Servicing poorly hub bearings is noticeable, but he's unlikely to have
done that for you as a quick freebie. Same with a bottom
bracket/drivetrain overhaul.

You say you had the forks changed, did you swap suspension forks for
rigid? That would give a speed boost on tarmac.

Other than that, I'd suggest it was just perhaps a combination of the
bike feeling a bit "fresher", because you'd had it fettled, and maybe
an unnoticed tail wind or even just good strong legs today.



--

Call me "Bob"

"More oneness, less categories,
Open hearts, no strategies"

Email address is spam trapped, to reply directly remove the beverage.

"Epetruk" <nobody@blackhole.com> wrote in message
news:33rg8pF3rja7jU1@individual.net...

> This sounds a bit odd to me - I can't see how tightening the gear cables
> would make turning the cranks more difficult. Anyone else have any idea
> what
> else might have been done?
>

I dunno, but I wish my bike could be made to go faster with just some minor
mechanical adjustment ;)

Rich

"Epetruk" <nobody@blackhole.com> wrote


> This sounds a bit odd to me - I can't see how tightening the gear cables
> would make turning the cranks more difficult. Anyone else have any idea
> what
> else might have been done?

Locknuts on a hubs were not locking and had auto tightened to bind the
bearings?

"Epetruk" <nobody@blackhole.com> wrote in message
news:33rg8pF3rja7jU1@individual.net...
> Anyone else have any idea what
> else might have been done?

Reconfiguration of the Engine Management System, have you any recollection
of being hit on the head with a mallet? :-)

Pete

Epetruk wrote:
> Dear Urcers,
>
> A few days ago, I took my bike into the shop because I had had an accident
> which bent the forks. I was able to get the forks replaced, but the guy who
> replaced it told me he had made an adjustment to the bike in addition.
>
> I didn't quite catch what he said, but when I took the bike for a spin the
> next day, I found that whatever he had done, the bike was now *flying*! It
> seems it I could turn the cranks with a lot more ease. I could do 20mph
> without too much difficulty - and I don't even use SPDs!
>
> I went back to the shop the day after that to find out what magic had been
> wrought on my bike. Unfortunately, the person who did the actual repair
> wasn't there...

The mythical bike mechanic.

Epetruk wrote:
[bike much faster]
Anyone else have any idea what
> else might have been done?

Just a guess obviously, but aligning a wheel that was rubbing on the
frame, or stopping the brakes binding on the rims, would be possibilities.


--
Joe * If I cannot be free I'll be cheap

Epetruk wrote:

> Dear Urcers,
>
> A few days ago, I took my bike into the shop because I had had an accident
> which bent the forks. I was able to get the forks replaced, but the guy who
> replaced it told me he had made an adjustment to the bike in addition.
>
> I didn't quite catch what he said, but when I took the bike for a spin the
> next day, I found that whatever he had done, the bike was now *flying*! It
> seems it I could turn the cranks with a lot more ease. I could do 20mph
> without too much difficulty - and I don't even use SPDs!
>
> I went back to the shop the day after that to find out what magic had been
> wrought on my bike. Unfortunately, the person who did the actual repair
> wasn't there, but a colleague of his said that he probably must have
> tightened the gear cables.
>
> This sounds a bit odd to me - I can't see how tightening the gear cables
> would make turning the cranks more difficult. Anyone else have any idea what
> else might have been done?

Could have readjusted a conventional BB that was too tight, or just put
more air in the tyres.

"Zog The Undeniable" <hrothgar19@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:41d925db.0@entanet...
> Could have readjusted a conventional BB that was too tight, or just put
> more air in the tyres.

Good call, more air sounds very likely.
Before the last ride on my winter bike that's exactly what I did, the tyres
were seriously underinflated, and although I wasn't aware of riding faster
(no computer on that bike) I was fairly convinced I was using higher gears
for the same route, subjective I know.
The ride was a little harsher but hardly detectable on the smoothest
surfaces.
(On my shiney summer bike I check pressures before each ride, on the winter
bike I just get on and pedal).

Pete

Zog The Undeniable wrote:
> Epetruk wrote:
>

<snip tale of faster bike>

>
> Could have readjusted a conventional BB that was too tight, or just
> put more air in the tyres.

Zog, you're right. I finally sussed it today when I noticed that my rides
were now 'bumpier' than usual... checked to see if there was a potential
flat and the tyre was hard as stone.

So I should be looking to get my self a decent track pump with which I can
easily achieve the same tyre pressure in the future. Any recommendations?

--
Akin

aknak at aksoto dot idps dot co dot uk

"Richard Goodman" <rsk@NOSPAM.homechoice.co.uk> wrote in message
news:41d89395$0$51249$14726298@news.sunsite.dk...
> "Epetruk" <nobody@blackhole.com> wrote in message
> news:33rg8pF3rja7jU1@individual.net...
>
> > This sounds a bit odd to me - I can't see how tightening the gear cables
> > would make turning the cranks more difficult. Anyone else have any idea
> > what
> > else might have been done?
> >
>
> I dunno, but I wish my bike could be made to go faster with just some
minor
> mechanical adjustment ;)
>
> Rich
>
That's easily done. Just neglect your bike for a year or two, then you'll be
impressed how much better it is after minor fettling.

Hywel

Epetruk wrote:

> So I should be looking to get my self a decent track pump with which I can
> easily achieve the same tyre pressure in the future. Any recommendations?

I'm always meaning to buy one myself, but have never had a spare £30
that couldn't be spent on something more exciting, so I still use a foot
pump for up to 100psi and a Zefal hpx for that bit extra on the racing bike.

Cycling Plus liked the Specialized ones, so look at them first. I'd
avoid anything that wasn't mostly made from metal.

in message <33tc6eF425kotU1@individual.net>, Epetruk
('nobody@blackhole.com') wrote:

> Zog The Undeniable wrote:
>> Epetruk wrote:
>>
> <snip tale of faster bike>
>
>> Could have readjusted a conventional BB that was too tight, or just
>> put more air in the tyres.
>
> Zog, you're right. I finally sussed it today when I noticed that my
> rides were now 'bumpier' than usual... checked to see if there was a
> potential flat and the tyre was hard as stone.
>
> So I should be looking to get my self a decent track pump with which I
> can easily achieve the same tyre pressure in the future. Any
> recommendations?

Don't buy a cheap one - very false economy as I know to my cost. Can't
recommend a good one as I don't have one, but will be looking to see
what other people recommend.

But getting your tyres decently hard is definitely one of the best ways
to improve performance.

--
simon@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Ring of great evil
Small one casts it into flame
Bringing rise of Men ;; gonzoron

in message <33tbfmF43ri6dU1@individual.net>, Peter B
('peter28@btinternet.com') wrote:

> "Zog The Undeniable" <hrothgar19@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:41d925db.0@entanet...
>> Could have readjusted a conventional BB that was too tight, or just
>> put more air in the tyres.
>
> Good call, more air sounds very likely.
> Before the last ride on my winter bike that's exactly what I did, the
> tyres were seriously underinflated, and although I wasn't aware of
> riding faster (no computer on that bike) I was fairly convinced I was
> using higher gears for the same route, subjective I know.
> The ride was a little harsher but hardly detectable on the smoothest
> surfaces.
> (On my shiney summer bike I check pressures before each ride, on the
> winter
> bike I just get on and pedal).

I found myself riding noticeably faster yesterday, thanks to a neat
little component not much bigger than a box of matches. One of these,
to be precise:
<URL:http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?product=10795>

Seriously and I kid you not. Did my fastest ten mile time for many years
(on my old Raleigh Record Sprint) - it really helps with the cadence.
Mind you I do have some sympathy with people who question whether this
is safe.

--
simon@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Human history becomes more and more a race between
;; education and catastrophe.
H.G. Wells, "The Outline of History"

On Mon, 03 Jan 2005 18:02:19 +0000, Zog The Undeniable
<hrothgar19@yahoo.com> wrote:

>Cycling Plus liked the Specialized ones, so look at them first. I'd
>avoid anything that wasn't mostly made from metal.

Nah - metal bends. Plastic doesn't. My first track pump had a metal
stem which developed a small kink. That was enough to render it pretty
useless.


--
Amazon: "If you are interested in 'Asimov's I-Robot',
you may also be interested in 'Garfield - The Movie'.
... erm, how do they figure that one out?

Simon Brooke wrote:
>
> I found myself riding noticeably faster yesterday, thanks to a neat
> little component not much bigger than a box of matches. One of these,
> to be precise:
> <URL:http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?product=10795>
>

Zen & the Art of Bicycle Cadence?

Tony

Simon Brooke wrote:
> in message <33tc6eF425kotU1@individual.net>, Epetruk
> ('nobody@blackhole.com') wrote:
>
>> Zog The Undeniable wrote:
>>> Epetruk wrote:
>>>
>> <snip tale of faster bike>
>>
>>> Could have readjusted a conventional BB that was too tight, or just
>>> put more air in the tyres.
>>
>> Zog, you're right. I finally sussed it today when I noticed that my
>> rides were now 'bumpier' than usual... checked to see if there was a
>> potential flat and the tyre was hard as stone.
>>
>> So I should be looking to get my self a decent track pump with which
>> I can easily achieve the same tyre pressure in the future. Any
>> recommendations?
>
> Don't buy a cheap one - very false economy as I know to my cost. Can't
> recommend a good one as I don't have one, but will be looking to see
> what other people recommend.

I have a Zefal one, bought at Mildenhall show several years ago. Doing fine.
Metal body, wooden handle, adaptor converts from Presta to Schrader by
sliding a switch (handy if you have bikes with both types).
Pressure gauge goes to some stupid high figure (I forget). It is fine for
120psi.
Not particularly compact, but is fine in corner of shed.


> But getting your tyres decently hard is definitely one of the best
> ways to improve performance.

Appropriately firm would be my view, over-hard doesn't help comfort in my
opinion.


- Nigel
--
NC - Webmaster for http://www.2mm.org.uk/
Replies to newsgroup postings to the newsgroup please.