Basket Case

"andy gee" wrote: (clip) The only drawback is that the 1.5 square feet of
briefcase is shaving about 2% off my time. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That's a drawback? It's not that easy to shave anything off your time. I
predict that next year we will see many riders at the TDF with briefcases on
their handlebars.

andy gee said:

I'm now officially a dork, although it's by design. I installed a basket
on the front of my Metro 3-speed daily commuter. First, I wanted an easier
way to carry groceries, and second, I wanted to not have to carry my
Manhattan Portage briefcase bag over my back this summer. Panniers are not
a good solution for this bike, and I thought not adding more weight to the
rear would be good. Third, I always like to show that the non-super hero
outfit guy, the non-Trek 5000 rider, the non-messenger, can comfortably
ride through Manhattan.

Anyway, it's fun and certainly convenient. Having the weight forward seems
to make it handle a little more solidly than extra weight in the rear. The
only drawback is that the 1.5 square feet of briefcase is shaving about 2%
off my time. It's not preventing me from reaching full speed on sprints;
in fact, I might even be squeezing a little more out on uphill sprints,
but on overall cruising it's a minor drag.

Anyone else with drag and front basket data?

--ag

I've used a small front bag, nothing heavy, but lots of people carry
loads there without a problem. I think I set a record yesterday for my
milk crate rear carrier when I used it to transport a (auto) water pump,
2 gallons of coolant and miscellaneous hoses and fittings from the auto
parts store. The counter guy was amazed. It handled fine.

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

Quoted message said:

Anyone else with drag and front basket data?

--ag

I used to have a Cruiser with a front basket. Loved it. Eventually it got
stolen (the basket - with the bike still attached to it...). I am now
exclusively using my Trek 520 with panniers, though I am always thinking of
getting a cruiser or old MTB with front basket again for the quick trip to
the store.

bjorn

"Leo Lichtman" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

"andy gee" wrote: (clip) The only drawback is that the 1.5 square
feet of briefcase is shaving about 2% off my time. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That's a drawback? It's not that easy to shave anything off your
time. I predict that next year we will see many riders at the TDF
with briefcases on their handlebars.

Sorry. Shaving 2% off my _speed_ or increasing my elapsed time. My bad.

--ag

"Bjorn Haake" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:[email hidden]-
koblenz.de:

Quoted message said:

I used to have a Cruiser with a front basket. Loved it

The real question for me now is, now that I have the basket, do I get the
plastic daisy? They don't really make wicker baskets for this kind of
bike, but still, what's a basket without a daisy?

--ag

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

Quoted message said:

"Bjorn Haake" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:[email hidden]-
koblenz.de:

Quoted message said:

The real question for me now is, now that I have the basket, do I get the
plastic daisy? They don't really make wicker baskets for this kind of
bike, but still, what's a basket without a daisy?

I have a basket on our yellow tandem. It has fake purple and violet pansies
woven in. Daisies are, IMHO, too falsely cheerful.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/
Sponsor me for the Big Climb! See: www.active.com/donate/cpetersky06
See the books I've set free at:
http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

Claire Petersky said:

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

Quoted message said:

The real question for me now is, now that I have the basket, do I get the
plastic daisy? They don't really make wicker baskets for this kind of
bike, but still, what's a basket without a daisy?

I have a basket on our yellow tandem. It has fake purple and violet pansies
woven in. Daisies are, IMHO, too falsely cheerful.

Sheldon's cornered the market on eagles on the helmet, but could you
strap an eagle to the basket? It would look masculine! and patriotic!

Pat

andy gee said:

Anyway, it's fun and certainly convenient. Having the weight forward seems
to make it handle a little more solidly than extra weight in the rear.

Beware, at low speeds, of a loaded basket's tendency to induce "caster
flop". A typical briefcase, by itself, is probably not enough to make
it significant. A big basket full of newspapers used to engage it as
a hazard immediately. (Egad, that was forty years ago...)
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

Pat Lamb <[email hidden]> wrote in news:47vufcFhh1vdU1
@individual.net:

Quoted message said:

patriotic!

Speaking of patriotic, does a flag on a bike take a real flying flag like a
boat, or a decal like a plane? If the latter, does it need port side and
starboard side decals? All the flag decal sets I've seen (last time I
looked was after 9/11) were made in China and didn't have port side
decals.)

Does the answer change if the bike crosses international frontiers?

--ag

Werehatrack said:

andy gee said:

Anyway, it's fun and certainly convenient. Having the weight forward seems
to make it handle a little more solidly than extra weight in the rear.

Beware, at low speeds, of a loaded basket's tendency to induce "caster
flop". A typical briefcase, by itself, is probably not enough to make
it significant. A big basket full of newspapers used to engage it as
a hazard immediately. (Egad, that was forty years ago...)

Ever try turning with a 50 pound kid sitting on your bars?
I prefer the saddle bags. Bread and such up front.
Bill

andy gee said:

Pat Lamb <[email hidden]> wrote in news:47vufcFhh1vdU1
@individual.net:

Quoted message said:

patriotic!

Speaking of patriotic, does a flag on a bike take a real flying flag like a
boat, or a decal like a plane? If the latter, does it need port side and
starboard side decals? All the flag decal sets I've seen (last time I
looked was after 9/11) were made in China and didn't have port side
decals.)

That is the most pathetic thing I have heard about China yet. Like we
aren't patriotic to make our own flags? Block them at the port. We can
make cheep flags by the millions with a few computer operated machines,
not a bunch of child labor.
Bill

Quoted message said:

Does the answer change if the bike crosses international frontiers?

--ag

Bill Baka said:

That is the most pathetic thing I have heard about China yet. Like we
aren't patriotic to make our own flags? Block them at the port. We can
make cheep flags by the millions with a few computer operated machines,
not a bunch of child labor.

Do you have evidence that China is using child labor to make flags, or
are you just making up [censored] again.

And I'm not really sure what's patriotic about making our own flags.
Care to enlighten me?

Rich

Bill Baka said:

Ever try turning with a 50 pound kid sitting on your bars?
I prefer the saddle bags. Bread and such up front.
Bill

So the kid goes in the saddle bags?
How to you divide him up between the two bags?

"Rich" wrote: So the kid goes in the saddle bags?

Quoted message said:

How to you divide him up between the two bags?

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Solomon?

Bill Baka said:

andy gee said:

Pat Lamb <[email hidden]> wrote in news:47vufcFhh1vdU1
@individual.net:

Quoted message said:

patriotic!

Speaking of patriotic, does a flag on a bike take a real flying flag like a
boat, or a decal like a plane? If the latter, does it need port side and
starboard side decals? All the flag decal sets I've seen (last time I
looked was after 9/11) were made in China and didn't have port side
decals.)

That is the most pathetic thing I have heard about China yet. Like we
aren't patriotic to make our own flags? Block them at the port. We can
make cheep flags by the millions with a few computer operated machines,
not a bunch of child labor.

Yeah, making cheap flags is too good for the little [censored], make 'em go back
out in the rice paddies like their grandparents.

Ron

Leo Lichtman said:

"Rich" wrote: So the kid goes in the saddle bags?

Quoted message said:

How to you divide him up between the two bags?

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Solomon?

http://www.ssiworld.com/watch/watch-en.htm

Of course, you may need waterproof panniers to carry what's left.

--
Dane Buson - [email hidden]
All men know the utility of useful things;
but they do not know the utility of futility.
-- Chuang-tzu

Rich said:

Bill Baka said:

That is the most pathetic thing I have heard about China yet. Like we
aren't patriotic to make our own flags? Block them at the port. We can
make cheep flags by the millions with a few computer operated
machines, not a bunch of child labor.

Do you have evidence that China is using child labor to make flags, or
are you just making up [censored] again.

And I'm not really sure what's patriotic about making our own flags.
Care to enlighten me?

Rich

Figures it would be you to defend Communist practices.
Bill

Rich said:

Bill Baka said:

Ever try turning with a 50 pound kid sitting on your bars?
I prefer the saddle bags. Bread and such up front.
Bill

So the kid goes in the saddle bags?
How to you divide him up between the two bags?

They have their own bikes. I only carry the food and drinks.
Bill

RonSonic said:

Bill Baka said:

andy gee said:

Pat Lamb <[email hidden]> wrote in news:47vufcFhh1vdU1
@individual.net:

>patriotic!
>

Speaking of patriotic, does a flag on a bike take a real flying flag like a
boat, or a decal like a plane? If the latter, does it need port side and
starboard side decals? All the flag decal sets I've seen (last time I
looked was after 9/11) were made in China and didn't have port side
decals.)

That is the most pathetic thing I have heard about China yet. Like we
aren't patriotic to make our own flags? Block them at the port. We can
make cheep flags by the millions with a few computer operated machines,
not a bunch of child labor.

Yeah, making cheap flags is too good for the little [censored], make 'em go back
out in the rice paddies like their grandparents.

Ron

I hear they need to replace those kids. Why don't you move there? I hear
it is a lovely 'Communist' country.
Bill