First testride of ze Velokraft

Surprised myself by chucking the chain and whatnot on the bike and taking it for a spin. The bike is
nice and light and I found myself pootling along in a 53/21 combination without any trouble. I
haven't chucked the Astrale on so I don't know how fast I went.

Changing rings up front can actually be done with the chaintube so if anyone needs a couple of deore
frontshifters and a gripshift, lemme know.

Seating is laidback but I think I will manage without a neckrest. Carbon seems more flexy than steel
so the front wheel on its monofork still worries me a little. It seemed to flex a bit when braking
and accelerating.

However there is still some play in the headset cause I need a new rubber seal and also a smidgeon
in the hub that a rubber washer might eliminate or at least dampen. And the spokes do not look
totally kosher to me. A 3-cross pattern was a bit too optimistic given the short spokelengths.

Anyone with monofork experiences? Does it handle differently?

Oh and some pics here as usual http://photos.yahoo.com/briangoebbels ("Velokraft-carbonracer"-folder
also as usual. Last 4 pics.)

Seatheight is 36 cm or 14 inches so perhaps not a total lowracer but that and the chainrouting makes
it better on city streets.

Regards Mikael

 

Ooops... weight is 11 kg but this number was obtained with my notoriously unreliable old scale.
Gotta go get a new one.

The packing tape on the seat/foam is just a temporary fix.

Oh and I'm probably going to throw Kamils driveside idler in the bin and get a big Baron idler
instead as the former makes too much noise.

Mikael

 

Mikael Seierup wrote:
>
> Surprised myself by chucking the chain and whatnot on the bike and taking it for a spin. The bike
> is nice and light and I found myself pootling along in a 53/21 combination without any trouble. I
> haven't chucked the Astrale on so I don't know how fast I went....

> Carbon seems more flexy than steel so the front wheel on its monofork still worries me a little.
> It seemed to flex a bit when braking and accelerating....

> A 3-cross pattern was a bit too optimistic given the short spokelengths.
>
> Anyone with monofork experiences? Does it handle differently?...

Mikael,

In the US, the colloquial definition of "chucking" an item means disposing of it.

The flexibility of any structural member depends on the moments of inertia of the member in the axis
of bending and the elastic modulus of the material. [1] Therefore, general statements such as,
"steel bikes ride better then aluminium alloy [1] bikes" should not be made.

I prefer two-cross for ISO 406-mm and smaller wheels, so the spokes will enter the rim at a
smaller angle.

Monofork is an oxymoron. I have a monostrut on the front of my Earth Cycles Sunset Lowracer [TM]
and I have not noticed any unusual flexing. However, my Sunset has a rim brake and the strut is a
rather hefty airfoil shaped section of steel tubing.

[1] The elastic modulus will be a constant for isotropic material such as metals, but will vary
depending on the orientation of fibers in the surrounding matrix for man made composites such as
carbon fiber/epoxy and naturally occurring composites such as wood.
[2] Pure [3] aluminium would be a very poor material for frame construction.
[3] Of course pure aluminium does not exist except for very small quantities, so I am referring to
industrial grade purity aluminium that does not contain significant enough quantities of other
elements to significantly alter its properties.

Tom Sherman - Recumbent Pedant Quad Cities USA (Illinois side)

 

"Tom Sherman" skrev...
> In the US, the colloquial definition of "chucking" an item means disposing of it.

Well the parts were taking up space on the floor of my livingroom, so you could say I disposed of
them by sticking them on the bike.

> The flexibility of any structural member depends on the moments of inertia of the member in the
> axis of bending and the elastic modulus of the material. [1] Therefore, general statements such
> as, "steel bikes ride better then aluminium alloy [1] bikes" should not be made.

I never did.

> I prefer two-cross for ISO 406-mm and smaller wheels, so the spokes will enter the rim at a
> smaller angle.

Yea, I should get the damn thing relaced.

> [1] The elastic modulus will be a constant for isotropic material such as metals, but will vary
> depending on the orientation of fibers in the surrounding matrix for man made composites such
> as carbon fiber/epoxy and naturally occurring composites such as wood.
> [2] Pure [3] aluminium would be a very poor material for frame construction.
> [3] Of course pure aluminium does not exist except for very small quantities, so I am referring to
> industrial grade purity aluminium that does not contain significant enough quantities of other
> elements to significantly alter its properties.

I'm a bit worried about your obsession with aluminium. Been studying it by emptying beercans?
Would explain a lot. ;o)

M.

 

Mikael Seierup wrote:
>
> Well the parts were taking up space on the floor of my livingroom, so you could say I disposed of
> them by sticking them on the bike.
>
> ... I'm a bit worried about your obsession with aluminium. Been studying it by emptying
> beercans? Would explain a lot. ;o)

Mikael,

I presume you meant to say bicycle storage/assembly/maintenance room, not living room.

When I was in graduate school, I used to teach a laboratory on materials testing methods, and the
laboratory manager (who had a doctorate in metallurgy, IIRC) would jump all over anyone who referred
to a particular aluminium alloy as just "aluminium". [1]

To set the record straight, I only buy beer that comes in glass bottles.

[1] Being in the US, everyone used "aluminum" instead of "aluminium", except those who learned
English in Commonwealth nations or former British colonies [2].

[2] Except of course for the former British colonies on the east coast of North America located
directly to the south of Canada.

Tom Sherman - Recumbent Pedant Quad Cities USA (Illinois side)

 

Mikael, that's a beautiful looking bike. I hope you have many miles of smiles on it.

Alan Weiss NJ Gold Rush, E2 tandem, and Leitra rider

 

"Mikael Seierup" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Changing rings up front can actually be done with the chaintube so if anyone needs a couple of
> deore frontshifters and a gripshift, lemme
know.

I'll buy the front derailer, Anne Mette needs one for the Evita. Is it with all the plastic mounting
hardware? I use a 32mm FD tube, so I need one of the "clamp sets" (actually not a tube, but solid
nylon. Not everybody is a WW ya' know;-). I don't need the gripshift though.

> Seating is laidback but I think I will manage without a neckrest. Carbon seems more flexy than
> steel so the front wheel on its monofork still worries me a little. It seemed to flex a bit when
> braking and
accelerating.

Would worry me a bit, too :-( At least it shouldn't flex during acceleration. Suggestion - tighten
the headset properly and check again. I just assembled my Evita, and during the first ride the
frontwheel wobbled like crazy if I didn't hold on tight to the steerer. Now, with tight headset, I
can drive "no hands" for a little while (no not THAT tight, duh).

> Oh and some pics here as usual http://photos.yahoo.com/briangoebbels
> ("Velokraft-carbonracer"-folder also as usual. Last 4 pics.)

Just beautiful.. drool.
>
> Seatheight is 36 cm or 14 inches so perhaps not a total lowracer but that and the chainrouting
> makes it better on city streets.

Hmm. There's a lot of empty space between the front wheel and the frame - have you thought about
lowering it there? I'm getting used to not unclip at stoplights, after I got my seatheight down to
33cm. Nice - and spectacular.
>
> Regards Mikael

One last thing - can I convince you to do an article about the bike for www.hpv-klub.dk? Pictures,
problems, how to get in contact with Kamil(?), how it rides and so on.

Regards, Torben

 

"Torben Scheel" skrev

> I'll buy the front derailer, Anne Mette needs one for the Evita. Is it with all the plastic
> mounting hardware? I use a 32mm FD tube, so I need one of the "clamp sets" (actually not a tube,
> but solid nylon.

Yep, I got one set of tubeadapters. Got two derailleurs. Downpull and something else. Both Deore.
Swing by and check em out or I can bring them Sunday if I go to Sweden. (and you do too). Paid 179,-
so ehm 130,-?

> At least it shouldn't flex during acceleration. Suggestion - tighten the headset properly and
> check again. I just assembled my Evita, and during the first ride the frontwheel wobbled like
> crazy if I didn't hold on tight to the steerer. Now, with tight headset, I can drive "no hands"
> for a little while (no not THAT tight, duh).

No hands and no turns, eh? ;-) Theres play in the headset due to a missing o-ring. I already ordered
a replacement tho. That leaves only the play in the hub. Will try a rubberwasher or maybe have
someone make me an axle that has no quickrelease as this is what prevents me from getting the play
out by tightening the bolt.

> Hmm. There's a lot of empty space between the front wheel and the frame - have you thought about
> lowering it there? I'm getting used to not unclip at stoplights, after I got my seatheight down to
> 33cm. Nice - and spectacular.

If I buy the other type of fork from Kamil this will lower the front 2-3 cm more. But that will
probably ruin the chainline as it is now. Not too keen on running it along the wheel since I
ride a lot in Copenhagen. This height is also plenty low enough for spooking other bikers when I
sneak past em.

> One last thing - can I convince you to do an article about the bike for www.hpv-klub.dk? Pictures,
> problems, how to get in contact with Kamil(?), how it rides and so on.

Yep, that was the plan. Or a piece for the club rag. But I'm a bit overbooked workwise atm. so the
holding of breath is not recommended.

M.