Home Improvements - For Bikes!?

Quoted message said:

To start the wheel rolling, the first design feature of my new house would be double-width doors
and hallways!

How about a ramp up the middle of the extra wide staircase, for riding up or down. Of course for
variety you have the option of riding the rough line. ;-)

Iestyn.

"Iestyn" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

To start the wheel rolling, the first design feature of my new house would be double-width doors
and hallways!

How about a ramp up the middle of the extra wide staircase, for riding

up or

Quoted message said:

down. Of course for variety you have the option of riding the rough

line. ;-)

Of course, landscape gardening would be taken to new levels, with gardeners struggling to come to
terms with "berms", "doubles" and "the flow"...

Unlimited funds eh? How big is a velodrome again? 😉

hippy

hippy said:

I was thinking right? (yes, THAT's what that noise was!) With all that home improvement rubbish on
TV, what would cyclists do if they had to design a house, given unlimited funds?

I'm talking about cycling related design ideas and improvements only!

To start the wheel rolling, the first design feature of my new house would be double-width
doors and hallways! Why? Because I am sick to death of banging my bikes into door frames, doors
and walls!

So, does anyone have any nifty ideas for making a cyclist's dream home that little bit better?

hippy

Hmm, let's see...

A garage with room for a bike rack so I don't have to hang them up alongside the car (yes, I have a
car, shock horror).

A retinal scanning opener for the garage door so I don't have to fish around in my pockets for keys
or a remote control while juggling bike, mail, helmet, etc.

A spare room for the (nubile Swedish) masseuse and bike mechanic to live in (this could be one
person or two).

A spa, sauna, and massage table (see above).

An air-conditioned training room with rollers, huge video display, and that funky computrainer (?)
system that simulates countryside and fellow riders. If it's good enough for Jan Ullrich (or
"Ullrish", if you're Stephen Hodge) to train in one, it's good enough for me. This room could double
as a TdF viewing lounge once a year.

A fully-equipped bike workshop for me to use once my partner has got rid of the mechanic/masseuse.

That's all for now...

&roo

hippy wrote:

**snip**

Quoted message said:

hippy

I live in a gound floor apartment with tiles on the floor. I just throw my bike in the door .. no
worrying about carrying it upstairs, or down the hall past various flatmates' piles of garbage.

But my dream home for my bike: A garage, with a heater and a good security system. The ute can live
outside. Unfortunately such a setup is hard to come across in the inner city. Except the ute living
outside bit.

--
Cheers LB

(Hey Hippy - is my snipping improving?)

hippy said:

"Iestyn" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

To start the wheel rolling, the first design feature of my new house would be double-width doors
and hallways!

How about a ramp up the middle of the extra wide staircase, for riding

up or

Quoted message said:

down. Of course for variety you have the option of riding the rough

line. ;-)

Of course, landscape gardening would be taken to new levels, with gardeners struggling to come to
terms with "berms", "doubles" and "the flow"...

Unlimited funds eh? How big is a velodrome again? 😉

hippy

I used to have a cement velodrome 100m from my house in Camperdown. The council knocked it down
about 2 years ago. Always good for a post-pub, 4am ride on our various homemade bikes, until you hit
a broken longneck some miscreant had left on the track earlier in the evening.

--
Cheers LB

"Andrew Swan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hmm, let's see...

A garage with room for a bike rack so I don't have to hang them up alongside the car (yes, I have
a car, shock horror).

How about a conveyor belt bike parking machine?

Quoted message said:

A retinal scanning opener for the garage door so I don't have to fish around in my pockets for
keys or a remote control while juggling bike, mail, helmet, etc.

THIS is what I'm talking about! You've watched me try to open my door before haven't you!? :-D

Quoted message said:

A spare room for the (nubile Swedish) masseuse and bike mechanic to live in (this could be one
person or two). A spa, sauna, and massage table (see above).

Drool.

Quoted message said:

An air-conditioned training room with rollers, huge video display, and that funky computrainer (?)
system that simulates countryside and fellow riders. If it's good enough for Jan Ullrich (or
"Ullrish", if you're Stephen Hodge) to train in one, it's good enough for me. This room could
double as a TdF viewing lounge once a year.

Just say home theatre.. you know you want to! I'll excuse that because you have a computrainer in
there! :-)

Quoted message said:

A fully-equipped bike workshop for me to use once my partner has got rid of the mechanic/masseuse.

hehe.. I just though of another nice addition. Voice controlled compressor to rapidly pump tyres up
to the vocalised pressure.

Instead of the Internet Fridge, how about an Internet workshop that lets you know when you are
nearly out of grease/tubes/tyres/etc?

hip

"hippy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I was thinking right? (yes, THAT's what that noise was!) With all that home improvement rubbish on
TV, what would cyclists do if they had to design a house, given unlimited funds?

I'm talking about cycling related design ideas and improvements only!

To start the wheel rolling, the first design feature of my new house would be double-width
doors and hallways! Why? Because I am sick to death of banging my bikes into door frames, doors
and walls!

So, does anyone have any nifty ideas for making a cyclist's dream home that little bit better?

I'd have the back entrance (with ramp, as needed) open into a large area with space and equipment
for maintaining and storing my bikes (as well as coats, boots, etc).

"hippy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I was thinking right? (yes, THAT's what that noise was!) With all that home improvement rubbish on
TV, what would cyclists do if they had to design a house, given unlimited funds?

I'm talking about cycling related design ideas and improvements only!

To start the wheel rolling, the first design feature of my new house would be double-width
doors and hallways! Why? Because I am sick to death of banging my bikes into door frames, doors
and walls!

So, does anyone have any nifty ideas for making a cyclist's dream home that little bit better?

How about a place, attached or detached from the main house, that lets me store all my bicycles,
tools, etc indoors and under lock and key--that has adequate lighting and ventilation, and could
stand to be a bit messy, what with grease and other things possibly dripping on the floor...with a
nice workbench, too.

A lot of houses have them--garages. Pity they're usually full of automobile...

*grin*

Reminds me of the time my father and I were discussing storing bicycles in the house--this is in the
US, where houses are built of matchsticks. We're Filipino, and Dad grew up in the middle of Manila,
so he's pretty wise to the tricks of our swift-fingered friends out there. We had driven some hooks
in the garge walls to store our bikes. then, he knocked on the wall, listening to the resounding
hollow *thunk*. He laughed.

"In Manila," he said, "the thieves will cut through a wall like this to get inside."

So for maximum home/bike security, I'll go with solid brick or stone walls....

-Luigi practical pig

"Luther Blissett" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:bi4ogi$9a3

Quoted message said:

I just throw my bike in the door .. no worrying about carrying it

upstairs, or down

Quoted message said:

the hall past various flatmates' piles of garbage.

My problem is the "throw bike in the door" bit. I tend to connect bike to door frame. Of course, I
_could_ try turning on some lights in the morning.. nah!

Quoted message said:

But my dream home for my bike: A garage, with a heater and a good security system. The ute can
live outside. Unfortunately such a setup is hard to come across in the inner city. Except the ute
living outside bit.

I work on my bikes inside my unit. The shed contains a car (damn I wish I could sell that!) and is
freezing! The carpet is also quite dodgy inside so I feel no need to be careful with
oil/grease/parts.

Quoted message said:

(Hey Hippy - is my snipping improving?)

Tis! 😉

hip

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

...

Quoted message said:

"In Manila," he said, "the thieves will cut through a wall like this to get inside."

So for maximum home/bike security, I'll go with solid brick or stone walls....

I would to, though for hurricane resistance rather than theft resistance.

--
David Kerber An optimist says "Good morning, Lord." While a pessimist says "Good Lord,
it's morning".

Remove the ns_ from the address before e-mailing.

Luigi de Guzman said:

A lot of houses have them--garages. Pity they're usually full of automobile...

I've never seen a garage full of automobile. They're always full of other stuff.

Quoted message said:

"In Manila," he said, "the thieves will cut through a wall like this to get inside."

I've always wondered why thieves don't do that here. We put heavy steel locks on doors, then leave
the wall right next to it made of the following layers: Plaster or wallpaper or paint Sheetrock /
drywall 2x4 or 2x6 studs every 16 inches Insulation, wiring, plumbing inside
1/2" plywood Siding -- Vinyl, wood, etc.

Seems to me, under a minute with a cordless reciprocating saw, or 20 seconds with a sledgehammer,
and you've got a hole you can reach in and unlock the door.

At my house, we have a deadbolt that uses a key on both sides instead of having a handle on one
side; when that's locked, you'll have to break a window to come in. Like that's so hard to do...

Quoted message said:

So for maximum home/bike security, I'll go with solid brick or stone walls....

A brick veneer over the first floor of a standard stick-framed house ought to suffice. Those stone
veneers sure are pretty, though...

dukeconcrete.comNatural%20Stone%20VeneOpen ↗
er%202.jpg

Quoted message said:

-Luigi practical pig

--
Rick Onanian

hippy said:

"Iestyn" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

To start the wheel rolling, the first design feature of my new house would be double-width
doors and hallways!

How about a ramp up the middle of the extra wide staircase, for riding

up or

Quoted message said:

down. Of course for variety you have the option of riding the rough

line. ;-)

Of course, landscape gardening would be taken to new levels, with gardeners struggling to come to
terms with "berms", "doubles" and "the flow"...

Unlimited funds eh? How big is a velodrome again? 😉

I heard of a guy who was building his own track on his rural property near Perth. A standard 250m
track needs too much banking (~45 degrees) for a DIY'er to handle I think, but the Midland track is
400m, bitumen and looks to be about 5 degrees banking, (which is plenty for sprinting). 400m track
goes around a football field, needs about 1.6 hectares of land. You should do that 😉

"Gary K" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:1g043zc.1vk5bzq3jirygN%>

Quoted message said:

I heard of a guy who was building his own track on his rural property near Perth. A standard 250m
track needs too much banking (~45 degrees)

Wow, I never knew they were that steep! I should go watch a track race somewhere!

Quoted message said:

for a DIY'er to handle I think, but the Midland track is 400m, bitumen and looks to be about 5
degrees banking, (which is plenty for sprinting). 400m track goes around a football field, needs
about 1.6 hectares of land. You should do that 😉

$10mil later (urgh.. don't need reminding about land prices!) Don't know any inner city Melbourne
warehouses going cheap do you? One of them would be perfect for my lifestyle!

I still haven't built up the Raleigh frame with fixed-gear parts. I'm finding (well _not_ finding)
that track parts are not exactly easy to acquire unless you a) buy a whole bike second hand or b)
buy new (and expensive) parts. Grr.. stupid costly hobbies...

For the house:
- 3 fridges: 1 food, 1 beer, 1 tools ;-)
- In the middle of the velodrome a nice little skate park setup for "trick" practice.
- A "dishwasher", but for degreasing bike parts
- Cable tv for tour coverage and well stocked DVD/Video collection for mtb stuff.
- All rooms should be rideable and interconnected allowing bike travel all over the house.

hippy

hippy <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I was thinking right? (yes, THAT's what that noise was!) With all that home improvement rubbish on
TV, what would cyclists do if they had to design a house, given unlimited funds?

Just having an easy back entrance to the yard would be a bonus. One you could unlock with one hand,
and still be easy enough to get in and out of, even with a trailer or a tandem. Having a back
laneway for test riding would be a bonus too.

Seeings as we have unlimited funds, I would bulldoze every speed hump in the area that didn't allow
for cyclists to fly through too. Technically this is not part of the house, but anyway...
---
DFM

"Luther Blissett" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I live in a gound floor apartment with tiles on the floor. I just throw my bike in the door .. no
worrying about carrying it upstairs, or down the hall past various flatmates' piles of garbage.

Great. I too live in a ground floor appartment, with a no-step entry to the kitchen. I have hardwood
floors, which I find equally convenient. Just make the kitchen door a bit wider so I can roll in
easily with the child trailer.

There is a "bedroom" that is used for bike storage and maintenance. I would add a grille and a water
drain underneath so the snow can melt off the bike without any interference or problem. Right now, I
use a rubber mat and wipe if a few times while snow melts. When it snows outdoors, I pick up
anything from 0,5 L to 5 L of water which comes from snow melting off tires, rims, brakes....

BTW, this comes from a Canadian who likes these ideas, but who lives in a real 4-season climate.
It's now +30 C, but this Winter, we might go down to -30 C. Great for cycling!

Regards,

Michel Gagnon

"Andrew Swan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]... <...>

Quoted message said:

Hmm, let's see...

A garage with room for a bike rack so I don't have to hang them up alongside the car (yes, I have
a car, shock horror).

A retinal scanning opener for the garage door so I don't have to fish around in my pockets for
keys or a remote control while juggling bike, mail, helmet, etc.

I ride with a bum bag with my garage door opener clipped to the side - that way I just touch the
button and I can roll on in! ;-)

Quoted message said:

A spare room for the (nubile Swedish) masseuse and bike mechanic to live in (this could be one
person or two).

There are sure to be at least a few nubile women that have dual diplomas in bike mechanics and
massage from the Swedish University of Erotic Therapy (SUET).

Tim

Rick Onanian <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Luigi de Guzman said:

A lot of houses have them--garages. Pity they're usually full of automobile...

I've never seen a garage full of automobile. They're always full of other stuff.

Quoted message said:

"In Manila," he said, "the thieves will cut through a wall like this to get inside."

I've always wondered why thieves don't do that here. We put heavy steel locks on doors, then leave
the wall right next to it made of the following layers: Plaster or wallpaper or paint Sheetrock /
drywall 2x4 or 2x6 studs every 16 inches Insulation, wiring, plumbing inside
1/2" plywood Siding -- Vinyl, wood, etc.

Seems to me, under a minute with a cordless reciprocating saw, or 20 seconds with a sledgehammer,
and you've got a hole you can reach in and unlock the door.

Trouble is, of course, that sledgehammering a wall is so damn *noisy*. Although given the sparseness
of some suburban bedroom communities, especially around mid-morning, it may just be feasible.....

Apparently, troops operating in urban areas use a similar means to enter houses--I'm heard it's
called "mouseholing"--so that they don't have to pass through doorways, which are presumably
booby-trapped and/or covered by gunfire. In attached-housing situations, they move from house to
house in this manner...

-Luigi

"You generals all and champions bold that takes delight in fields That knocks down churches and
castle walls but now to death mustyield We must go and face our daring foes and with a sword and
shield I often fought with my merry men but now to death must yield"
- "Lord Marlborough," Trad.

hippy <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Gary K" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:1g043zc.1vk5bzq3jirygN%>

Quoted message said:

I heard of a guy who was building his own track on his rural property near Perth. A standard
250m track needs too much banking (~45 degrees)

Wow, I never knew they were that steep! I should go watch a track race somewhere!

Quoted message said:

for a DIY'er to handle I think, but the Midland track is 400m, bitumen and looks to be about 5
degrees banking, (which is plenty for sprinting). 400m track goes around a football field, needs
about 1.6 hectares of land. You should do that 😉

$10mil later (urgh.. don't need reminding about land prices!) Don't know any inner city Melbourne
warehouses going cheap do you? One of them would be perfect for my lifestyle!

One recently sold for about $900,000 in North Melbourne, near Errol St. It had a huge open space
about 40 metres by 50 metres. I had a few mates living in it, and they would ride trikes around from
one side to the other. Winter was obviously a [censored] there.

That place would have been my dream home if I could have gotten my hands on
it. Now it's gonna be turned into yuppy townhouses, dammit.
---
DFM

I have recently seen a house up the street that has a small roller door that is powered with a motor
(i reckon about a third of the size of a normal door) that the guy uses to store his motor bike. It
is in the side of his house and must have been included in the initial plans of the house (I dunno
if he has a door for internal access or not though) and I reckon it would be ideal for a pushbike.

Also, another thing that I am working on is connecting up an old mountain bike to a DC motor to make
a power generator. My eventual plan is to have one of these connected up to a Sealed Lead Acid
battery which in turn is used to power a TV. I am in no rush, but I want to get it done well and
truly in time to prevent the kids from becoming couch potatoes........ie, "sure you can watch TV,
you just have to pedal".

No wonder my kids love me.

Gags

"Deep Flayed Mares" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

hippy <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I was thinking right? (yes, THAT's what that noise was!) With all that home improvement rubbish
on TV, what would cyclists do if they had to design a house, given unlimited funds?

Just having an easy back entrance to the yard would be a bonus. One you could unlock with one
hand, and still be easy enough to get in and out of, even with a trailer or a tandem. Having a
back laneway for test riding

would

Quoted message said:

be a bonus too.

Seeings as we have unlimited funds, I would bulldoze every speed hump in

the

Quoted message said:

area that didn't allow for cyclists to fly through too. Technically this

is

Quoted message said:

not part of the house, but anyway...
---
DFM