Folding bike : Trek F400 or F600 ?



On 19 Dec 2005 11:40:47 -0800, [email protected] said in
<[email protected]>:

>I've been a bit suspicious of the Halfway, with it's one-sided fork and
>cantilevered hubs. Anybody know about maintaining such things?


That's a Mike Burrows thing. He's been building cantilever-hub bikes
for years, I don't know of any issues.

Plus the old git lapped me in a race a couple of years back, and he's
twenty years my senior. OK, he had a tailbox, which made the
difference.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
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85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound
 
On 19 Dec 2005 11:43:40 -0800, "gds" <[email protected]> said in
<[email protected]>:

>That's interesting! Is it thought that the reduced speed is mainly
>attributable to the upright position or gearing or what? I'd think that
>a full size mountain bike has at least a 10% speed discount to a road
>bike. So the foldables are roughly the same.


I find a mountain bike about 5% slower. The Brom is somewhat worse on
the flat but climbs like a rat up a drainpipe for some reason.

10% is of course a guesstimate.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound
 
Tom Keats wrote:
>
> For a combination of long/hilly rides and some degree of portability
> for occasional travel, I'd be inclined to investigate and consider
> S&S Couplers.


With S&S couplers, what hardware is used to uncouple the brake and
shift cables?

- Frank Krygowski
 
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] writes:
>
> Tom Keats wrote:
>>
>> For a combination of long/hilly rides and some degree of portability
>> for occasional travel, I'd be inclined to investigate and consider
>> S&S Couplers.

>
> With S&S couplers, what hardware is used to uncouple the brake and
> shift cables?


That's where the "investigation" comes in.


cheers,
Tom

--
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Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca
 
Tom Keats wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> SMS <[email protected]> writes:
>
>> I really like the Brompton for what it is. I can ride to the
>> supermarket, fold it up in about eight seconds, and put in into the
>> shopping cart. It's a great bike to take in the car or on the train. But
>> it isn't a great choice for long rides, or very hilly rides.

>
> For a combination of long/hilly rides and some degree of portability
> for occasional travel, I'd be inclined to investigate and consider
> S&S Couplers.


Yes, this is an excellent idea. I've met the inventor of those several
times, when we used to have Bay Area Folder rides. Remember, these
couplers are only sold to manufacturers and frame builders, and not all
qualify to buy them (the machine shop that makes them has certain
requirements before they'll sell them). Also, they aren't made for
aluminum frames (I think one tandem maker does have a version that works
on aluminum, but this is the only exception).

For a folding road bicycle, Tom Ritchey's Dahon Allegro would be hard to
beat.
 
In article <[email protected]>,
([email protected]) wrote:

> I've been a bit suspicious of the Halfway, with it's one-sided fork and
> cantilevered hubs. Anybody know about maintaining such things?


I've been running one on Cosimo the Stealth Baron for three race seasons
now, and the amount of maintenance it has required has been this: 0

Patrick Field has, IIRC, done two P-B-P's and two L-E-L's on his
similarly-equipped Ratcatcher 9.

--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
There ought to be a /La/ against it.
 
gds wrote:
> Not to hijach the thread too much but a couple of questions on folding
> bikes from someone who knows nothing about them.
> 1) Are they rideable (comfortably)for distances over 25 miles?
> 2) What, if any, is the speed discount to a road bike given moderately
> hilly roads?
>
> Just wondering. I see folks on them doing centuries and such and they
> seem to be struggling more than most. I assume it's the bike more than
> the rider but really don't know.
>


FWIW, my father had a Raleigh folding bike. Arguably it's the most
comfortable bike I've ever ridden. Certainly very comfortable - upright
position with a really decent seat.

It had a SturmeyArcher 3 speed, which I despise. With a decent gearbox,
I could see riding a century. Note that it would not be a fast century
- the bike is not really designed for speed. I'd love such a bike for
commuting.

Jeff
 
Jeff Williams <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> It had a SturmeyArcher 3 speed, which I despise. With a decent gearbox,
> I could see riding a century. Note that it would not be a fast century
> - the bike is not really designed for speed. I'd love such a bike for
> commuting.


I'm fixing mine up with an SRAM 7 speed hub. I still haven't decided
whether to pick up a pair of folding drop bars and convert it to those
or not...

--
Dane Buson - z u v e m b i @ u n i x b i g o t s . o r g
They use different words for things in America.
For instance they say elevator and we say lift.
They say drapes and we say curtains.
They say president and we say brain damaged git.
-- Alexie Sayle
 
Dane Buson wrote:
>
> I'm fixing mine up with an SRAM 7 speed hub. I still haven't decided
> whether to pick up a pair of folding drop bars and convert it to those
> or not...


Hmm. Folding drop bars? I didn't know they existed. What's the
source?

I've been displeased that almost all folders use flat bars.

- Frank Krygowski
 
[email protected] wrote:
>
> Dane Buson wrote:
>>
>> I'm fixing mine up with an SRAM 7 speed hub. I still haven't decided
>> whether to pick up a pair of folding drop bars and convert it to those
>> or not...

>
> Hmm. Folding drop bars? I didn't know they existed. What's the
> source?


Well, Bike Friday used to have them on their site. But it looks
like that is no longer true. Hmmm.

Though it looks like they'll split and shim bars you send them
for a $25 fee.

http://www.bikefriday.com/ServiceCenterInfo.cfm

> I've been displeased that almost all folders use flat bars.


I am pretty stuck on drop bars. But I can understand why most
folders do use flat bars.

--
Dane Buson - z u v e m b i @ u n i x b i g o t s . o r g
"Are you police officers?"
"No, ma'am. We're musicians."
-- The Blues Brothers
 
Dane Buson wrote:

> I'm fixing mine up with an SRAM 7 speed hub. I still haven't decided
> whether to pick up a pair of folding drop bars and convert it to those
> or not...


I have one folder with folding bars, though they are flat bars, not drop
bars. I would not recommend them. You have to clamp them very tightly
for there to be no play in the bars.

"http://www.tradesources.com/gmp/en/catalog/prod_details_map.jsp?catalogId=GPC50FA65B8CF8D"

Not sold in the U.S. They sent me one as an evaluation unit. I use it
occasionally, but it's quite heavy, and while it folds more narrowly
than the Brompton, it doesn't fold as quickly or as well.
 
On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 18:43:02 -0600, Jeff Williams
<[email protected]> said in <[email protected]>:

>It had a SturmeyArcher 3 speed, which I despise.


I think they are pretty good, for their day. Mind you, I am no longer
as adept at rebuilding them as once I was...

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound