A couple of cycling questions

reflecting the fact that my foot is beginning to feel much better, and I'm contemplating the day
that I can take the Rholoff-equipped bike outside for a spin.

1. Does anyone know how I could obtain an M5-like seat for my Bachetta-ized V-Rex? The old seat is
sorta glued together and although I could replace it for a new RANS seat for a reasonable price
I'd just as soon try the lighter, more aero, and more rigid M5-like solution.

2. Does anyone know if they make half-step links for 9 speed chains? In order to set up the chain
length at the right tension to keep it from dropping without tensioners I need to either increase
the number of teeth in the chainline by one, or decrease the length of the chain by one link.
Normally you have to take out or add two links at a time, but Thomas at Rholoff said he thinks
there's a device that alows you to adjust chain length by one link.

I need a longish bike ride.
--
--Scott [email protected] Cut the "tail" to send email.

 

Freewheeling wrote:
> ...
> 1. Does anyone know how I could obtain an M5-like seat for my Bachetta-ized V-Rex? The old seat is
> sorta glued together and although I could replace it for a new RANS seat for a reasonable price
> I'd just as soon try the lighter, more aero, and more rigid M5-like solution.
>
> 2. Does anyone know if they make half-step links for 9 speed chains? In order to set up the chain
> length at the right tension to keep it from dropping without tensioners I need to either
> increase the number of teeth in the chainline by one, or decrease the length of the chain by
> one link. Normally you have to take out or add two links at a time, but Thomas at Rholoff said
> he thinks there's a device that alows you to adjust chain length by one link....

Scott,

1. It might be possible to mount the RANS "L" brackets to the bottom of a Bacchetta Corsa (M5
fiberglass composite) seat.

2. Can you find a chainring that is either 1 tooth larger or 1 tooth smaller - if this would not
work please explain why?

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities USA (Illinois side) RANS "Wavewind" and Rocket, Earth Cycles Sunset and
Dragonflyer

 

You can buy M5 seats from M5. http://www.m5-ligfietsen.com/english/alleenprijslijst.htm I would
presume that Lightning Cycle Dynamics has them. I didn't see any on the web site.
http://www.lightningbikes.com/
--
Bill "Pop Pop" Patterson Retired and riding my Linear, my front drive low racer and our M5 tandem.

 

Power on Cycling has several spiffy seats. Carbon fibre is available. You have to fabricate your own
brackets. (same as with M5, I believe)

Tom

 

Thanks. I knew about Power On, but their carbon seat is around $200 and there's no track record on
it that I know of. Still, it may be the best option.

--
--Scott [email protected] Cut the "tail" to send email.

"Tom Blum" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Power on Cycling has several spiffy seats. Carbon fibre is available. You have to fabricate your
> own brackets. (same as with M5, I believe)
>
>
> Tom

 

"2. Can you find a chainring that is either 1 tooth larger or 1 tooth smaller - if this would not
work please explain why?"

Only three teeth smaller or one tooth larger will work, not one tooth smaller. And that's what I'm
doing now. The problem is that I have a whole series of chainrings that no longer work because of
some inexplicable change that happened when I substituted the new torque arm setup the last time the
hub was overhauled. So if I thought that if I could shorten the chain by one link I could use all my
old rings that are in 4 tooth increments. However...

Come to think of it, if removing 2 links involves a step down of four teeth, then removing one link
would involve a step down of 2 teeth. So strictly speaking there's no way I can adjust the chain to
fit. It'll either be too short by one tooth or too long by one tooth. Never mind. Guess I'm stuck
with what I have, unless I can go to horizontal dropouts.

I have thought of changing the rear cog to a 17. However, that would mean that my lowest gear setup
that I use for the MoM would be outside the safety guidelines for maximum torque. Oh well.

--
--Scott [email protected] Cut the "tail" to send email.

"Tom Sherman" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
> Freewheeling wrote:
> > ...
> > 1. Does anyone know how I could obtain an M5-like seat for my
Bachetta-ized
> > V-Rex? The old seat is sorta glued together and although I could
replace it
> > for a new RANS seat for a reasonable price I'd just as soon try the
lighter,
> > more aero, and more rigid M5-like solution.
> >
> > 2. Does anyone know if they make half-step links for 9 speed chains? In order to set up the
> > chain length at the right tension to keep it from dropping without tensioners I need to
> > either increase the number of
teeth in
> > the chainline by one, or decrease the length of the chain by one link. Normally you have to take
> > out or add two links at a time, but Thomas at Rholoff said he thinks there's a device that alows
> > you to adjust chain length by one link....
>
> Scott,
>
> 1. It might be possible to mount the RANS "L" brackets to the bottom of a Bacchetta Corsa (M5
> fiberglass composite) seat.
>
> 2. Can you find a chainring that is either 1 tooth larger or 1 tooth smaller - if this would not
> work please explain why?
>
> Tom Sherman - Quad Cities USA (Illinois side) RANS "Wavewind" and Rocket, Earth Cycles Sunset and
> Dragonflyer

 

Freewheeling wrote:
>
> "2. Can you find a chainring that is either 1 tooth larger or 1 tooth smaller - if this would not
> work please explain why?"
>
> Only three teeth smaller or one tooth larger will work, not one tooth smaller. And that's what I'm
> doing now. The problem is that I have a whole series of chainrings that no longer work because of
> some inexplicable change that happened when I substituted the new torque arm setup the last time
> the hub was overhauled. So if I thought that if I could shorten the chain by one link I could use
> all my old rings that are in 4 tooth increments. However...
>
> Come to think of it, if removing 2 links involves a step down of four teeth, then removing one
> link would involve a step down of 2 teeth. So strictly speaking there's no way I can adjust the
> chain to fit. It'll either be too short by one tooth or too long by one tooth. Never mind. Guess
> I'm stuck with what I have, unless I can go to horizontal dropouts.
>
> I have thought of changing the rear cog to a 17. However, that would mean that my lowest gear
> setup that I use for the MoM would be outside the safety guidelines for maximum torque. Oh well.

Scott,

It sounds like what you really need is an eccentric BB [1] - although this would require cutting,
welding, and repainting your V-Rex.

If it were my bike, I would assume that there is some factor of safety in the Rohloff torque
limit, and use the 17T rear cog, especially if it is only done it for the few rides with the
steepest climbs.

[1] < http://www.sheldonbrown.com/synchain.html >

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities USA (Illinois side) RANS "Wavewind" and Rocket, Earth Cycles Sunset and
Dragonflyer

 

Freewheeling wrote:
> reflecting the fact that my foot is beginning to feel much better, and I'm contemplating the day
> that I can take the Rholoff-equipped bike outside for a spin.
>
> 1. Does anyone know how I could obtain an M5-like seat for my Bachetta-ized V-Rex? The old seat is
> sorta glued together and although I could replace it for a new RANS seat for a reasonable price
> I'd just as soon try the lighter, more aero, and more rigid M5-like solution.
>
> 2. Does anyone know if they make half-step links for 9 speed chains? In order to set up the chain
> length at the right tension to keep it from dropping without tensioners I need to either
> increase the number of teeth in the chainline by one, or decrease the length of the chain by
> one link. Normally you have to take out or add two links at a time, but Thomas at Rholoff said
> he thinks there's a device that alows you to adjust chain length by one link.
>
> I need a longish bike ride.
> --
> --Scott [email protected] Cut the "tail" to send email.
>
>
>

I have just installed a Poweroncycling fiberglass seat on my Hybrid Race and though having done only
fortysome miles on it today, with about 1700 feet of climbing am very happy with it. Same weight as
the original seat. Came with brackets which worked quite well with very minor adjustments. I still
have some tweaking to do. $156.00 The seat on the speedmachine may have been a little more
comfortable and lighter but even if you can get it,it is $250 plus shipping.

 

Hi, Scott, my Rohloff hub came with a chain tensioner.

Could you not install a rear derailleur ang tweak the adjusting screws so as to position it
correctly for your chain line?

Lewis.

http://home.earthlink.net/~limeylew/index.html ...................

"Freewheeling" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> reflecting the fact that my foot is beginning to feel much better, and I'm contemplating the day
> that I can take the Rholoff-equipped bike outside for a spin.
>
> 1. Does anyone know how I could obtain an M5-like seat for my Bachetta-ized V-Rex? The old seat is
> sorta glued together and although I could replace it for a new RANS seat for a reasonable price
> I'd just as soon try the lighter, more aero, and more rigid M5-like solution.
>
> 2. Does anyone know if they make half-step links for 9 speed chains? In order to set up the chain
> length at the right tension to keep it from dropping without tensioners I need to either
> increase the number of teeth in the chainline by one, or decrease the length of the chain by
> one link. Normally you have to take out or add two links at a time, but Thomas at Rholoff said
> he thinks there's a device that alows you to adjust chain length by one link.
>
> I need a longish bike ride.

 

I'm ignorant as to a M5 seat but look at all the seats www.NorthernTool.com offers to see if
anything they have might meet your needs.

 

Tom:

What would be cheaper, an eccentric BB or horizontal drops? Right now, being the lazy person that I
am, I'm just using a 39T chainring because I had it laying around. Unless it really starts to bug
me, or I come into some big money, I'll probably leave it at that. For some reason lots of other
things seem more important.

But there's nothing like a nice juicy *project*.

--
--Scott [email protected] Cut the "tail" to send email.

"Tom Sherman" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
> Freewheeling wrote:
> >
> > "2. Can you find a chainring that is either 1 tooth larger or 1 tooth smaller - if this would
> > not work please explain why?"
> >
> > Only three teeth smaller or one tooth larger will work, not one tooth smaller. And that's what
> > I'm doing now. The problem is that I have a
whole
> > series of chainrings that no longer work because of some inexplicable
change
> > that happened when I substituted the new torque arm setup the last time
the
> > hub was overhauled. So if I thought that if I could shorten the chain
by
> > one link I could use all my old rings that are in 4 tooth increments. However...
> >
> > Come to think of it, if removing 2 links involves a step down of four
teeth,
> > then removing one link would involve a step down of 2 teeth. So
strictly
> > speaking there's no way I can adjust the chain to fit. It'll either be
too
> > short by one tooth or too long by one tooth. Never mind. Guess I'm
stuck
> > with what I have, unless I can go to horizontal dropouts.
> >
> > I have thought of changing the rear cog to a 17. However, that would
mean
> > that my lowest gear setup that I use for the MoM would be outside the
safety
> > guidelines for maximum torque. Oh well.
>
> Scott,
>
> It sounds like what you really need is an eccentric BB [1] - although this would require cutting,
> welding, and repainting your V-Rex.
>
> If it were my bike, I would assume that there is some factor of safety in the Rohloff torque
> limit, and use the 17T rear cog, especially if it is only done it for the few rides with the
> steepest climbs.
>
> [1] < http://www.sheldonbrown.com/synchain.html >
>
> Tom Sherman - Quad Cities USA (Illinois side) RANS "Wavewind" and Rocket, Earth Cycles Sunset and
> Dragonflyer

 

Lewis:

Oh, I guess I could install the singulator. But the whole point was to get rid of that stuff.

--
--Scott [email protected] Cut the "tail" to send email.

"Lewis Campbell" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi, Scott, my Rohloff hub came with a chain tensioner.
>
> Could you not install a rear derailleur ang tweak the adjusting screws so as to position it
> correctly for your chain line?
>
> Lewis.
>
> http://home.earthlink.net/~limeylew/index.html ...................
>
> "Freewheeling" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > reflecting the fact that my foot is beginning to feel much better, and
I'm
> > contemplating the day that I can take the Rholoff-equipped bike outside
for
> > a spin.
> >
> > 1. Does anyone know how I could obtain an M5-like seat for my
Bachetta-ized
> > V-Rex? The old seat is sorta glued together and although I could
replace it
> > for a new RANS seat for a reasonable price I'd just as soon try the
lighter,
> > more aero, and more rigid M5-like solution.
> >
> > 2. Does anyone know if they make half-step links for 9 speed chains? In order to set up the
> > chain length at the right tension to keep it from dropping without tensioners I need to
> > either increase the number of
teeth in
> > the chainline by one, or decrease the length of the chain by one link. Normally you have to take
> > out or add two links at a time, but Thomas at Rholoff said he thinks there's a device that alows
> > you to adjust chain length by one link.
> >
> > I need a longish bike ride.

 

Freewheeling wrote:
>
> Tom:
>
> What would be cheaper, an eccentric BB or horizontal drops?...

Scott,

Ask a framebuilder - I do not have the answer to the question.

My preference would be for the more elegant solution of the eccentric BB, since the use of
horizontal dropouts would rely on the Rohloff hub QR to resist the force applied by the chain -
Sheldon Brown says a QR skewer will work if it is of sufficient quality and set sufficiently
tight. [1]

There is also the option of using fork ends instead of dropouts.

[1] < http://www.sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html >

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities USA (Illinois side) RANS "Wavewind" and Rocket, Earth Cycles Sunset and
Dragonflyer

 

"My preference would be for the more elegant solution of the eccentric BB, since the use of
horizontal dropouts would rely on the Rohloff hub QR to resist the force applied by the chain "

Rohloff has a hub plate designed for the horizontal drop setup, without the QR. Costs about $30
extra if you buy it after the fact. Thanks for the tip on the fork ends. Last time I checked the
eccentric BB was about $300. Horizontal drops about half that. Not including the paint job.

--
--Scott [email protected] Cut the "tail" to send email.

"Tom Sherman" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
> Freewheeling wrote:
> >
> > Tom:
> >
> > What would be cheaper, an eccentric BB or horizontal drops?...
>
> Scott,
>
> Ask a framebuilder - I do not have the answer to the question.
>
> My preference would be for the more elegant solution of the eccentric BB, since the use of
> horizontal dropouts would rely on the Rohloff hub QR to resist the force applied by the chain -
> Sheldon Brown says a QR skewer will work if it is of sufficient quality and set sufficiently
> tight. [1]
>
> There is also the option of using fork ends instead of dropouts.
>
> [1] < http://www.sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html >
>
> Tom Sherman - Quad Cities USA (Illinois side) RANS "Wavewind" and Rocket, Earth Cycles Sunset and
> Dragonflyer