New to the Dark Side...



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Disgruntled Goat responded to Tim Hall:
> > Water bottle (not sure how easy it is to fix to an optima)
>
> I can probably work something out. I quite fancy an Air-Zound, so I may end up with a bladder
> instead.

The Orca looks as though it's got a very similar seat to the Street Machine. I can mount 3 bottles
and the Air Zound to my SM with no problem.

I've got 2 Lowe Alpine bottle pouches of the sort designed to loop onto a bumbag strap or the waist
strap of a rucksack. I have wrapped 2 webbing straps around the seat, passing under the cushion. One
strap goes through the top part of the loop on each bottle pouch, the other strap goes through the
bottom part of the loop, so I've effectively got a bottle carrier at the back of the seat on each
side. I can reach these very easily while riding.

I must upload some pictures sometime.

I've also used a pair of jubilee clips to mount a bottle cage to the top of the boom. Due to the
angle of the boom, the bottle in the cage is pointing slightly downwards and will tend to work its
way out of a standard bottle cage every time I go over a bump. But the Specialized Rib Cage is a
wonderful device and holds my bottle securely wherever I go.

Finally, the AirZound doesn't need a bottle cage. I've got the air reservoir velcroed to the rack.

> > Cycle computer so you can see how much faster you're going than all the other cyclists.
>
> I wish! OTOH, it'll give me motivation if I can see how fast I'm going. What's a good one?

Cadence is a very useful function to have. I recommend the Cateye Astrale, and Guy will back me
up on that.

> > Clipless pedals and shoes to suit
>
> I've been thinking about these. Again, what's the best system for a beginner? Spuds?

I meant to mention clipless pedals. Not essential, but nice to have, and a significant safety
feature on a bent. It only takes a gentle gust of gravity for your feet to part company with
platform pedals on a bent, putting you in danger of the dreaded "leg suck". That's where your foot
hits the floor while the bike is still moving, and effectively gets dragged back underneath you.

I'm very happy with SPuDs, but in all seriousness I'd recommend taking a couple of months to get
used to the bike before you add the complication of learning to use clipless pedals.

Also, as Andy mentioned, a rear mudguard is essential on a bent. Otherwise the spray will go right
down the back of your neck (or so I've read). But hey, you've already said that your bike's coming
with front and rear mudguards.

--
Danny Colyer (remove safety to reply) ( http://www.juggler.net/danny ) Recumbent cycle page:
http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/recumbents/ "He who dares not offend cannot be honest." -
Thomas Paine
 
Disgruntled Goat wrote:

> <very quiet whisper> ...don'tlikehelmets... Well, I'm not anti-helmet, it's just that I prefer not
> to wear one. Happy for everyone else to, though. Each to their own, innit.

Since you're unlikely to sail over the bars and don't have such an interesting set of trajectories
to fly through starting from your chair, of less use on a 'bent anyway IMHO. I wear a lid for local
shopping trips or if it's bloody cold but for touring tend not to bother so much these days. The B&M
Cyclestar mirror comes on a multi-adjusting stalk so you should be able to get some joy out of it on
USS bars. Seems to work okay on the Streetmachine.

> I've been thinking about these. Again, what's the best system for a beginner? Spuds?

I use Time ATACs, but SPuDs are okay. However, I'd reinforce Danny's suggestion of getting the hang
of the basic balance (it won't take long) before you give yourself a harder time putting a foot
down. Clips and straps really not worth the bother on a 'bent IMHO.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email protected]
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
 
On 1-May-2003, Disgruntled Goat <[email protected]> wrote:

> Cheers. Last time I looked in here, there was some bloke failing to flog a campervan with amusing
> results. Did he ever manage to sell it?

Dunno, but he still provides amusement from time to time!

> <very quiet whisper> ...don'tlikehelmets... Well, I'm not anti-helmet, it's just that I prefer not
> to wear one. Happy for everyone else to, though. Each to their own, innit.

Absolutely. There is probably less reason to wear a helmet on a bent anyway since your head is less
likely to be the first point of contact with the road. However, I found that a helmet mounted mirror
worked better than one fixed to the bike as your neck tends to damp out the vibrations and you can
get a bigger field of view by moving your head around. But I did use one of the old fashioned chrome
mirrors (looks like the sort of thing you get on a motorbike) mounted on the under seat bars of my
StreetMachine for a while. Worked well enough, although it did give me a fright when some moronic
driver clipped it at high speed on the local dual carriageway. Who said bents get more room!

Cheers,

Andy
 
On Thu, 01 May 2003 09:42:37 +0100, Peter Clinch
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Tim Hall wrote:

<snipped a whole load of useful stuff>

>I note that lowriders are an option. I have some on the Streetmachine, and for heavy loads they're
>*superb*. Having weight between the wheels and under the rider means that the handling is hardly
>affected by bags that make an upright rather twitchy at best. If you'll be carrying heavy loads,
>recommended (assuming they go in more or less the same place as HPVel's).

I think they do. I'll be carrying a lot of gear when I start doing some touring but the main use
will be commuting.

>Guy and Danny are both keen on gloves. I used to wear them religiously but tend not to bother now.
>I've come of the Streetmachine a couple of times (one slide on gravel under heavy braking, the
>other I think must have been a patch of diesel) and never scraped my hands at all. It crashes in a
>far more civilised way than my upright! ;-/

I hope not to find out. I left most of one of my kneecaps somewhere on the A30. (long downhill,
sharp left-hander and black ice. Ironically, if I'd not been going carefully because of the
conditions, I'd have missed it!)

> My previous Orbit I wiped out on once, finally proving it wasn't unbreakable on corners (110
> degrees on an adverse camber, down a small hill and I'd "forgotten" to brake and was trying not
> to use the far side of the road even though I knew it was clear, all my own work rather than a
> flaw with the bike in other words), again without gloves and again no unpleasantness on my hands.
> It seems one is rather less prone to part company with a 'bent than an upright...

Being a bit closer to the ground, it should be less painful, if the worst happens.

>One thing about under-seat steering is it means fitting lights can be a bit of a game. The
>Streetmachine solved that by having a fitting built in at the front, but do check that your front
>lamps will mount okay. If you don't have a SON dynohub then I'd seriously look into one. They're
>really quite superb bits of kit.

Got one ordered, along with the automatic lights. Expensive, but if it works half as well as I've
heard, It'll be worth it.

Thanks for the very informative reply.
--
DG

Bah!
 
On Thu, 1 May 2003 23:08:35 +0100, "Danny Colyer" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Disgruntled Goat wrote:
>> Cheers. Last time I looked in here, there was some bloke failing to flog a campervan with amusing
>> results. Did he ever manage to sell it?
>
>John Shackford of Thornbury. He did sell it, but not here.
>
>Surprisingly enough, he's still about. Be careful what you say - he gets very uptight when people
>mention camper vans these days :)

Well, I've mentioned it once and I think I've got away with it. So, that's two egg mayonnaise, a
prawn Winnebago...
:)
--
DG

Bah!
 
In message <[email protected]>, Disgruntled Goat
<[email protected]> writes
>
><delurk> Hello.
>
>I've recently decided to return to cycling after a back injury and a few years away, and ordered a
>recumbent (Optima Orca low-bar). Things have changed a bit since I last seriously looked at bike
>stuff, and now I can afford to indulge myself slightly. :)
>
>So, what are the absolute necessities and nice-to-have things that I should be looking at? I've got
>lights, lock and tools covered.

Good suggestions so far. I'd add a baseball cap, waterproofed with silicone spray... how else does
anyone cope with low sun and horizontal rain?

Foot retention system, even more important on a trike. Since I value waterproofness I use wellington
boots and Power-Grips (http://www.powergrips.com/). OK, laugh if you like. Being as it's a trike, I
could hardly be more conspicuous anyway. Talking of conspicuity, I'm looking for one of those
cut-out cardboard waving hands. It'll save my right arm a lot.

Conspicuity is not always there when we want it. Dark Side maybe, but personally I regard myself as
on the side of Light. Well, green light-sabers, anyway. You've ticked the box marked "lights", good.
Do you have, or want, a flag or a stinger stick? My flag has a strobe on
it. I had trouble fixing the lights, too. The solution for the front lights was a handlebar
extension, which gave a great place to mount things. The rack needed a doodad so that I could
mount lights on that.

Has anyone found waterproofs that don't have a huge zip down the front, a zip which lets in the
puddle, a puddle which soaks my navel and then my waist and crutch?

>
>Cheers!

thanks, mine's a red wine.

--
Richard Keatinge

proud owner of Hotmover 004

http://www.keatinge.demon.co.uk/pedal.htm
 
Richard Keatinge wrote:

> Good suggestions so far. I'd add a baseball cap, waterproofed with silicone spray... how else does
> anyone cope with low sun and horizontal rain?

Mine's not proofed, though that's a good idea...

> Foot retention system, even more important on a trike. Since I value waterproofness I use
> wellington boots and Power-Grips (http://www.powergrips.com/).

Have you discovered Nokian Trimmi calf-length wellies? They're from somewhere in Scandanavia and
would be ideal. Google will throw up various UK dealers.

> Has anyone found waterproofs that don't have a huge zip down the front, a zip which lets in the
> puddle, a puddle which soaks my navel and then my waist and crutch?

There are various waterproofs that come as pullover smocks rather than jackets. Lowe's Adrenaline
anorak, Paramo's Velez (probably a bit hot, but some folk like them for cycling) are a couple that
spring to mind. Bound to be lots of others too.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email protected]
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
 
On Sat, 3 May 2003 21:52:08 +0100, Richard Keatinge
<[email protected]> wrote:

>a baseball cap, waterproofed with silicone spray... how else does anyone cope with low sun and
>horizontal rain?

A velcro-on peak on the front of my h*lm*t, since you ask :)

> OK, laugh if you like.

If you insist :-D

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. http://www.chapmancentral.com (BT ADSL and
dynamic DNS permitting)
NOTE: BT Openworld have now blocked port 25 (without notice), so old mail addresses may no longer
work. Apologies.
 
On Sat, 3 May 2003 21:52:08 +0100, Richard Keatinge
<[email protected]> wrote:

>a baseball cap, waterproofed with silicone spray... how else does anyone cope with low sun and
>horizontal rain?
Click to expand...


I've just ordered from Millets a Goretex baseball cap (20 quid) as I'm sick of wearing a soggy hat in attempt to keep the rain off my spectacles.

Baseball caps are also useful for riding at night. When a car approaches with it's headlights not dipped, by simply looking downwards the peak stops you getting blinded.
 
In message <[email protected]>, Peter Clinch
<[email protected]> writes
>
>Have you discovered Nokian Trimmi calf-length wellies? They're from somewhere in Scandanavia and
>would be ideal. Google will throw up various UK dealers.

I've ordered a pair - thanks. One more essential for travel on what amounts to a wheeled
sun-lounger: Factor 60 sun cream. It depends on your degree of natural protection, but I see skin
cancers on a weekly basis, sun-damaged skin much more often, and I don't fancy either of them.

--
Richard Keatinge

http://www.keatinge.net
 
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> Richard Keatinge wrote:
>
> > Foot retention system, even more important on a trike. Since I value waterproofness I use
> > wellington boots and Power-Grips (http://www.powergrips.com/).
>
> Have you discovered Nokian Trimmi calf-length wellies? They're from somewhere in Scandanavia and
> would be ideal. Google will throw up various UK dealers.

Nokia, and yes it is the same Nokia---from Finland. Known as Nokia Bogtrotters in orienteering
circles. They are a campsite essential for many orienteers and useful for kids. Ultrasport
(www.ultrasport.co.uk) sell them, look under fell shoes.

Colin
 
Richard Keatinge wrote:

> I've ordered a pair - thanks. One more essential for travel on what amounts to a wheeled
> sun-lounger: Factor 60 sun cream. It depends on your degree of natural protection, but I see skin
> cancers on a weekly basis, sun-damaged skin much more often, and I don't fancy either of them.

I feel a bit naked with my usual dose of SPF 35 now...

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email protected]
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
 
Disgruntled Goat <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> <delurk> Hello.
>
> I've recently decided to return to cycling after a back injury and a few years away, and ordered a
> recumbent (Optima Orca low-bar). Things have changed a bit since I last seriously looked at bike
> stuff, and now I can afford to indulge myself slightly. :)
>
> So, what are the absolute necessities and nice-to-have things that I should be looking at? I've
> got lights, lock and tools covered.
>
> Cheers!

My top list:

- Reflective tape, for the back of your seat. (Halfords do 1 inch rolls of this for car bumpers)

- Flag/pole. I've got a bit of tubing with front and back smart lights on it, just above head height
(about 4 feet off the ground I guess) - just enough to make sure people see you at night when
you're obscured by parked cars.

- Air Zound - got me out of a couple of situations when my fluorescent yellow invisibility cloak
didn't grab someone's attention - but to be honest I think I've used it less on my bent than my
wedgie. The "WTF?" factor comes in quite useful sometimes.

- Mirror - I found the one that came with my street machine was often obscured by my jacket arm, and
have replaced it with one on a 7 inch arm - MUCH better - cost about £12. I haven't tried a helmet
mounted one, but imagine it would be quite good. Looking backwards on a bent without a mirror is
pretty awkward.

- Peddles - I found the balance and manoeuvrability at speed a little tricky for my first few rides
- you may find single sided spuds (spud one side, normal peddle the other) quite good, and it will
mean you have one less thing to worry about when getting used to low speed handling. I've only
come off three times - one due to turning to fast on a slippy metal prism on a pedestrian
crossing, and the other two where climbing up a steep hill at 4 miles an hour, losing my balance,
and not getting my feet free quick enough. This isn't a problem once you get used to it.

- Shorts - I may get some of those toughened shorts (again, seen them in Halfords, but I imagine
you can get them from most bike shops) - generally if falling off you don't have to travel, but
the one time I came off at any speed the worst damage I did would have been alleviated by a
pair of these.

Have fun...

Leigh.
------

Replace google with leigh to email.
 
"Colin Blackburn" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:MPG.19231af88351dae59899da@localhost...
> Nokia, and yes it is the same Nokia---from Finland. Known as Nokia Bogtrotters in orienteering
> circles. They are a campsite essential for many orienteers and useful for kids. Ultrasport
> (www.ultrasport.co.uk) sell them, look under fell shoes.

yikes - not cheap, are they!

cheers, clive
 
In news:MPG.19231af88351dae59899da@localhost, Colin Blackburn <[email protected]> typed:
>
> Nokia, and yes it is the same Nokia---from Finland.
>

<pedant> Was the same Nokia but now a seperate company. Nokia divested all its non-telecom
activities in the early 90's and shed its historical base of rubber and paper. Footwear is now
made by Nokian Footwear, paper by Nokia Paper and tyres by Nokian Tyres while phones are made by
Nokia </pedant>

Tony

http://www.raven-family.com

"All truth goes through three steps: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed.
Finally, it is accepted as self-evident." Arthur Schopenhauer
 
In article <[email protected]>, junk@raven- family.com says...
> In news:MPG.19231af88351dae59899da@localhost, Colin Blackburn
> <[email protected]> typed:
> >
> > Nokia, and yes it is the same Nokia---from Finland.
> >
>
> <pedant> Was the same Nokia but now a seperate company. Nokia divested all its non-telecom
> activities in the early 90's and shed its historical base of rubber and paper. Footwear is now
> made by Nokian Footwear, paper by Nokia Paper and tyres by Nokian Tyres while phones are made by
> Nokia </pedant>

Fairy snuff. But when the telecom boom busts they'll wished they'd hung on to their rubber holdings!

Colin
 
Peter Clinch <[email protected]> wrote:
>Guy and Danny are both keen on gloves. I used to wear them religiously but tend not to bother now.
>I've come of the Streetmachine a couple of times (one slide on gravel under heavy braking, the
>other I think must have been a patch of diesel) and never scraped my hands at all.

I don't wear 'em for road rash prevention, just to provide a little extra padding.
--
David Damerell <[email protected]> flcl?
 
On Wed, 7 May 2003 16:38:56 +0100, Colin Blackburn <[email protected]> wrote:

>when the telecom boom busts they'll wished they'd hung on to their rubber holdings!

But then... No, too easy :)

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. http://www.chapmancentral.com (BT ADSL and
dynamic DNS permitting)
NOTE: BT Openworld have now blocked port 25 (without notice), so old mail addresses may no longer
work. Apologies.
 
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