"Nice bike!"

so I'm walking down the street when I see a most unusual bike:

It's grey, dirty, and full-fendered. Low-profile TT bullhorn bars. 700Cx25 tires, full fenders. BIG
cantilever front brakes, no rear--wait, it's a fixed-gear! Track fork ends, at that....

I'm busy contemplating this unusual species of two-wheeled life when its owner comes out of a door;
he's a messenger, and I look very bike-thief-like. "nice bike" i say.

"what's so nice about it?" he challenges me.

"That's a fixed-gear, isn't it?" This must have passed a test. The messenger relaxes. I'm not going
to jack him for his bike (which would have fit me just fine, too).

"Yeah it is. Best thing for riding around town, this. You into bikes?"

"A bit."

anyway, this got me thinking: is there a sort of bike-admiration etiquette to be followed? I did
feel rather embarassed to be caught examining his bike so closely, but I was only curious about the
details of how it was put together and its interesting setup--but then, I did look rather dodgy. am
I just too sad for my own good?

[i never did get ask him too closely about the bike--he was working after all, and if the bike is
feeding him, i didn't feel right holding him up unduly. maybe a track frame with a cyclocross fork
installed?]

(I should say that the london messenger crowd seems to ride everything and anything, which makes
them interesting to watch. I've seen battered road frames, track bikes, mtbs, and...this, which
seems to defy any real classification)

-Luigi

 

"Bernie" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Does anyone out there have some wheel advice for my 700c wheels? I'd sure
like
> them to be tougher, just so I can ride country roads (on the edge where
the
> metal junk, cracks, and holes are) at night at speed. I love to ride my
hybrid,
> but had the innocent exptation that the wheel/spoke assembly would be
tougher.
> Bernie
>

I've been riding my Gary Fisher Utopia with Rolf Vector Hybrid wheels for over two years now. In the
wintertime I've put studded Nokia tires on it and go everywhere at full speed. Especially on
clubrides. I haven't even had a flat.

--
Replace the dots to reply

Perre

 

"Luigi de Guzman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> so I'm walking down the street when I see a most unusual bike:
>
> anyway, this got me thinking: is there a sort of bike-admiration etiquette to be followed?

After morning cycle training I shower in my building and change into the office clobber and get a
coffee (long strong skinny cap to go) from a Brazilian guy outside our building, who for some reason
seems to attract the cycle courier lads in Sydney between deliveries (a reliable indicator of good
cheap coffee I think).

Because it takes a couple of minutes to making proper coffee I spend those moments watching how the
couriers have set up their bikes.

Interesting things noticed -

Detachable plastic fenders (didn't know they could go on and off so easily)

Surprising number of fixed gear bikes

Surprisingly few suspended mtbs (they go to bunny hopping school early)

More mtb pedals and shoes than road cleats

Easily moveable but bright LED's

Not a lot of valuable removable items on the bike

Quick, much used locks

Bomb proof 32or36 spoked wheels

I have started a daily conversation with these guys and I think they are still bemused with the
office guy who seems to take an active interest in their day jobs !

Little do they know I harbour a desire to do a few laps of the city with them, when that days
training was a bit short or easy !

best, Andrew (remove the .x1 to reply)

"But riding is my special gift, my chiefest, sole delight; Just ask a wild duck can it swim, a
wildcat can it fight... I'll ride this here two-wheeled concern, right straight away, at sight." A B
'Banjo' Patterson - "Mulga Bill" 25 July 1896.

 

In article <[email protected]>, "Andrew Price"
<[email protected]> writes:

> Interesting things noticed -
...

> Surprising number of fixed gear bikes

Apparently they're harder to steal, and offer would-be thieves a Big Surprise when they try to
ride them.

cheers, Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD

remove NO_SPAM. from address to reply

 

Andrew Price wrote:

> "Luigi de Guzman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > so I'm walking down the street when I see a most unusual bike:
> >
> > anyway, this got me thinking: is there a sort of bike-admiration etiquette to be followed?
>
> After morning cycle training I shower in my building and change into the office clobber and get a
> coffee (long strong skinny cap to go) from a Brazilian guy outside our building, who for some
> reason seems to attract the cycle courier lads in Sydney between deliveries (a reliable indicator
> of good cheap coffee I think).
>
> Because it takes a couple of minutes to making proper coffee I spend those moments watching how
> the couriers have set up their bikes.
>
> Interesting things noticed -
>
> Detachable plastic fenders (didn't know they could go on and off so easily)
>
> Surprising number of fixed gear bikes
>
> Surprisingly few suspended mtbs (they go to bunny hopping school early)
>
> More mtb pedals and shoes than road cleats
>
> Easily moveable but bright LED's
>
> Not a lot of valuable removable items on the bike
>
> Quick, much used locks
>
> Bomb proof 32or36 spoked wheels
>
> I have started a daily conversation with these guys and I think they are still bemused with the
> office guy who seems to take an active interest in their day jobs !
>
> Little do they know I harbour a desire to do a few laps of the city with them, when that days
> training was a bit short or easy !
>
> best, Andrew (remove the .x1 to reply)
>
> "But riding is my special gift, my chiefest, sole delight; Just ask a wild duck can it swim, a
> wildcat can it fight... I'll ride this here two-wheeled concern, right straight away, at sight." A
> B 'Banjo' Patterson - "Mulga Bill" 25 July 1896.

Hey Andrew, I am always checking out other people's rides too. I like your description: "bomb proof
wheels" . I've had a number of problems with my hybrid's 700c wheels. Nigh none with my old mtn
bikes wider thicker 26 inch wheels. NEVER broke a spoke. I don't do a lot of trail and dirt rides,
but go where ever the hell I want just the same. The mountain bike is an out of date rigid frame,
more than 10 years older than the hybrid.

Does anyone out there have some wheel advice for my 700c wheels? I'd sure like them to be tougher,
just so I can ride country roads (on the edge where the metal junk, cracks, and holes are) at night
at speed. I love to ride my hybrid, but had the innocent exptation that the wheel/spoke assembly
would be tougher. Bernie

 

--------------8D0E162E8FBD34713AB83597 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

>
> "But riding is my special gift, my chiefest, sole delight; Just ask a wild duck can it swim, a
> wildcat can it fight... I'll ride this here two-wheeled concern, right straight away, at sight." A
> B 'Banjo' Patterson - "Mulga Bill" 25 July 1896.

PS: Love your signoff!

--------------8D0E162E8FBD34713AB83597 Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en"> <html>

<blockquote TYPE=CITE> <br>"But riding is my special gift, my chiefest, sole delight; <br>Just
ask a wild duck can it swim, a wildcat can it fight... <br>I'll ride this here two-wheeled concern,
right straight away, at sight." <br>A B 'Banjo' Patterson - "Mulga Bill" 25 July
1896.</blockquote>
PP Love your signoff! <br> </html>

--------------8D0E162E8FBD34713AB83597--

 

"Andrew Price" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> "Luigi de Guzman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > so I'm walking down the street when I see a most unusual bike:
> >
> > anyway, this got me thinking: is there a sort of bike-admiration etiquette to be followed?
>
> After morning cycle training I shower in my building and change into the office clobber and get a
> coffee (long strong skinny cap to go) from a Brazilian guy outside our building, who for some
> reason seems to attract the cycle courier lads in Sydney between deliveries (a reliable indicator
> of good cheap coffee I think).
>
> Because it takes a couple of minutes to making proper coffee I spend those moments watching how
> the couriers have set up their bikes.
>
> Interesting things noticed -
>
> Detachable plastic fenders (didn't know they could go on and off so easily)
>
> Surprising number of fixed gear bikes
>
> Surprisingly few suspended mtbs (they go to bunny hopping school early)
>
> More mtb pedals and shoes than road cleats
>
> Easily moveable but bright LED's
>
> Not a lot of valuable removable items on the bike
>
> Quick, much used locks
>
> Bomb proof 32or36 spoked wheels
>
> I have started a daily conversation with these guys and I think they are still bemused with the
> office guy who seems to take an active interest in their day jobs !
>
> Little do they know I harbour a desire to do a few laps of the city with them, when that days
> training was a bit short or easy !
>
>
> best, Andrew (remove the .x1 to reply)
>
> "But riding is my special gift, my chiefest, sole delight; Just ask a wild duck can it swim, a
> wildcat can it fight... I'll ride this here two-wheeled concern, right straight away, at sight." A
> B 'Banjo' Patterson - "Mulga Bill" 25 July 1896.

Does anyone know how to secure bikes.

 

"Bernie" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
> Does anyone out there have some wheel advice for my 700c wheels? I'd sure
like
> them to be tougher, just so I can ride country roads (on the edge where the metal junk, cracks,
> and holes are) at night at speed. I love to ride my
hybrid,
> but had the innocent exptation that the wheel/spoke assembly would be
tougher.

Most of the problems with wheels can be traced to bad builds. The usual culprits are insufficient
tension and no stress relieving. Check out the FAQ.

 

>"Andrew Price" [email protected]

wrote in part:

> I spend those moments watching how the couriers have set up their bikes.
>
>Interesting things noticed -

>Surprisingly few suspended mtbs (they go to bunny hopping school early)

I'm not sure why you find that surprising. Here in Chicago, USA I'm surprised when I see a bike
messenger on a hardtail and I'd be *amazed* to see one on a fully suspended MTB. Suspension has it's
place but for a messenger it would just be more stuff to break, less efficient pedalling, and more
weight to move.

Regards, Bob Hunt

 

> Does anyone know how to secure bikes.

with a lock. To a solid object.

google 'how to lock a bike'

-Luigi

 

"Per Elmsäter" wrote:

> "Bernie" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> > Does anyone out there have some wheel advice for my 700c wheels? I'd sure
> like
> > them to be tougher, just so I can ride country roads (on the edge where
> the
> > metal junk, cracks, and holes are) at night at speed. I love to ride my
> hybrid,
> > but had the innocent exptation that the wheel/spoke assembly would be
> tougher.
> > Bernie
> >
>
> I've been riding my Gary Fisher Utopia with Rolf Vector Hybrid wheels for over two years now. In
> the wintertime I've put studded Nokia tires on it and go everywhere at full speed. Especially on
> clubrides. I haven't even had a flat.
>
> --
> Replace the dots to reply
>
> Perre

Thanks for the reply Perre (and others!). I suspect my local bike mechanic is not up to speed when
it comes to rebuilding wheels. I did have him retension my wheels but still break rear spokes. I
have stainless steel spokes, alloy rims, on a Marin Larkspur hybrid. Wheels have about 9 thousand
miles on them. I'm feeling sort of DIY these days (just completely disassembled, painted and
reassembled my old Norco Bush Pilot), so I may just sit down and rebuild a wheel. I confess I feel
challenged by the asymmetry of the rear wheel, tho. Best regards, Bernie