Rebel with a cause?

R Brickston said:

On 13 Sep 2006 16:27:25 -0700, "landotter" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Chris Z The Wheelman said:

OK, who here has a component (or components) on at least one of their
machines that is controversial?

I've been using cheap house brand tires from the "big two" for years
and years, despite being told "you get what you pay for." *In my
experience* they've been just as decent as big brands for my type of
riding.

I heard that some of the Performance brand's were made by Panaracer.

The Nashbar Prima II, which I think is just a fabulous tire for
training and general use, is made by the honorable Cheng Shin. :-P
Never checked the sidewall of the last set of Performance mtb slicks I
had, as I sold the bike, but the quality rivaled any name brand for
$25, and were $8 on sale. Never a flat, something I can't say for the
otherwise nice Slickasaurus at 3x the price.

Chris Z The Wheelman said:

OK, who here has a component (or components) on at least one of their
machines that is controversial? One that a good portion of "Tthe Cycling
World" (note quotes) condemns, but you stubbornly continue to use anyway
regardless of what anyone else thinks because you know from experience
it / they work(s) great?

I'm sort of disappointed with the replies. I was expecting tales of
packing hubs with peanut butter [1], inflating ones tires with jam, and
riding sidesaddle on a loaf of good crusty bread.

I don't think my choices are all that weird, but I suppose I can throw
out a list.

Barcons - Not a big STI fan - MTB trigger shifters are nice though
Carradice bag - I have actually gotten quite a bit of ribbing about this [3]
Dynohub - It just keeps running and running [2]
Fenders - It's Seattle - definitely not weird here
'Tandem' rear wheel - 48 spokes of double butted goodness

The grocery bike is an Xtracycle - which is a little odd I suppose, it's
a dirt standard MTB otherwise.

[1] Smooth, not crunchy - lets be serious.
[2] Much better than buying a new rechargable every year.
[3] My coworkers on the other hand have bought three since I showed them
how nice mine was.

--
Dane Buson - [email hidden]
USENET would be a better laboratory is there were more labor and less oratory.
-- Elizabeth Haley

Chalo said:

Chris Z The Wheelman said:

OK, who here has a component (or components) on at least one of their
machines that is controversial? One that a good portion of "Tthe Cycling
World" (note quotes) condemns, but you stubbornly continue to use anyway
regardless of what anyone else thinks because you know from experience
it / they work(s) great?

Drum brakes and those that are Self-Energizing,
BMX bars and some others high-rising,
Seven-speed freewheels with single chainrings,
These are a few of my favorite things;

Great big flat pedals, four-finger brake levers,
Sealed bearing hubsets that roll on forever,
Gigantic triple-rail saddles with springs,
These are a few of my favorite things!

Heh, very cute. I suppose Rohloff was a little too hard to rhyme?

--
Dane Buson - [email hidden]
"I brought the atom bomb. I think it's a good time to use it."
-MST3K

Dane Buson said:

Chalo said:

Drum brakes and those that are Self-Energizing,
BMX bars and some others high-rising,
Seven-speed freewheels with single chainrings,
These are a few of my favorite things;

Great big flat pedals, four-finger brake levers,
Sealed bearing hubsets that roll on forever,
Gigantic triple-rail saddles with springs,
These are a few of my favorite things!

Heh, very cute. I suppose Rohloff was a little too hard to rhyme?

That, and things like "eccentric adjusting bottom brackets" and "welded
tubular chromoly cranks" that didn't fit the meter. I could go on and
on with the equipment choices that work for me but don't seem to
attract others.

Chalo

Chris Z The Wheelman said:

OK, who here has a component (or components) on at least one of their
machines that is controversial? One that a good portion of "Tthe Cycling
World" (note quotes) condemns, but you stubbornly continue to use anyway
regardless of what anyone else thinks because you know from experience
it / they work(s) great?

I'm not in the same as, say, Brian, but here's my list. Most are on my
commuter, but some are on multiple bikes:

Lugged steel.
Generator
Two headlamps. Switcheable and steerable - they pivot when I swing a
lever on the handlebars. And switchable taillight.
Handlebar bag. Huge and homemade.
Fenders.
Bar cons, by SunTour.
SunTour derailleurs and cogs.
Half-step gearing. 5 cogs in back.
Carradice bag.
Rear rack.
Until recently, extension brake levers on my commuter. (I've switched
to "interrupters."😉
Bell. Not the foam hat, the warning device.
Cotton cap with flip-up brim - seldom used.
Eyeglass mirror, home made.

Oh - and perched atop the saddle, an old, semi-retired body. Still
works, more or less. ;-)

- Frank Krygowski

Group: rec.bicycles.misc
Date: Wed, Sep 13, 2006, 10:18pm (EDT+4)
From: [email hidden] (Leo Lichtman)

Quoted message said:

I have a set of elliptical chainrings on
one of my mountain bikes, and they are
great. But they are different from
Biopace.

Would those just happen to be Durham (as in Roger Durham) ellipticals? I
knew him (hae was a member of my last bike club), and he still rides and
swears by them

- -
Comments and opinions compliments of,
"Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

My web Site:
http://geocities.com/czcorner

To E-mail me:
ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net

Group: rec.bicycles.misc
Date: Thu, Sep 14, 2006, 2:02am (EDT+4)
From: [email hidden] (mark)

Quoted message said:

Unfortunately I didn't come up with a
good retort until after I got to work.

Quoted message said:

mark

Your retort sounded pretty good to me ;-3)

- -
Comments and opinions compliments of,
"Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

My web Site:
http://geocities.com/czcorner

To E-mail me:
ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net

since other's are making lists, here goes:

On my tourer (as if the fact that it's an expedition style touring bike
isn't enough):

Lugged steel (Columbus) Schwinn frame.
The aforementioned chainrings, in a half-step granny configuration no
less.
UniGlide cogs.
Bar-Con shifters.
Box-channel rims.
Square taper cranks.

AND, when I tour, I use a full set of racks and panniers to carry my
camping equipment

(I don't consider the Brooks B-17 as "unpopular"😉

On My MTB:

Hardtail frame.
Friction thumbshifter (front).
Yet another square taper crank (had to look hard for that one).
Bar ends (Cane Creek "ergo"s, not quite as radical as the old bull
horns).

Both bike's bearings are packed with waterproof boat trailer wheel
bearing grease (don't know how "controversial that is) and the chains
are lubed with hot melt paraffin.

Rebellious enough? ;-3)

- -
Comments and opinions compliments of,
"Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

My web Site:
http://geocities.com/czcorner

To E-mail me:
ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net

On Sat, 16 Sep 2006 23:14:28 -0400, [email hidden]
(none of your business) wrote, in part:
\

Quoted message said:

Both bike's bearings are packed with waterproof boat trailer wheel
bearing grease (don't know how "controversial that is) and the chains
are lubed with hot melt paraffin.

Boat trailer grease is good stuff for this wet coastal climate. I
don't see how it's much different than Park's green goop.
I use chainsaw bar-oil for chains. Looks like Phil's to me.

I find it funny that anyone would question the efficacy of either of
these everyday products. Perhaps their views are biased by the
commoness, lack of hype and low cost of the products.
--
zk

Chalo said:

Dane Buson said:

Chalo said:

Drum brakes and those that are Self-Energizing,
BMX bars and some others high-rising,
Seven-speed freewheels with single chainrings,
These are a few of my favorite things;

Great big flat pedals, four-finger brake levers,
Sealed bearing hubsets that roll on forever,
Gigantic triple-rail saddles with springs,
These are a few of my favorite things!

Heh, very cute. I suppose Rohloff was a little too hard to rhyme?

That, and things like "eccentric adjusting bottom brackets" and "welded
tubular chromoly cranks" that didn't fit the meter. I could go on and
on with the equipment choices that work for me but don't seem to
attract others.

Chalo

Dear Chalo,

Fourteen-speed Rohloffs
And eccentric adjusters
Aren't just for showoffs
Or oval crank-busters.

Chrome-moly is sturdy,
Reliability it brings,
But we mustn't be wordy
About our favorite things.

When the tire's flat,
When the chain skips,
When I'm feeling sad,
I simply remember that it's just RBT,
And then I don't feel so bad.

Cheers,

Rodgers & Hammerstein

Quoted message said:

Chalo said:

Dane Buson said:

Chalo wrote:
>
> Drum brakes and those that are Self-Energizing,
> BMX bars and some others high-rising,
> Seven-speed freewheels with single chainrings,
> These are a few of my favorite things;
>
> Great big flat pedals, four-finger brake levers,
> Sealed bearing hubsets that roll on forever,
> Gigantic triple-rail saddles with springs,
> These are a few of my favorite things!

Heh, very cute. I suppose Rohloff was a little too hard to rhyme?

That, and things like "eccentric adjusting bottom brackets" and "welded
tubular chromoly cranks" that didn't fit the meter. I could go on and
on with the equipment choices that work for me but don't seem to
attract others.

Chalo

Dear Chalo,

Fourteen-speed Rohloffs
And eccentric adjusters
Aren't just for showoffs
Or oval crank-busters.

Chrome-moly is sturdy,
Reliability it brings,
But we mustn't be wordy
About our favorite things.

When the tire's flat,
When the chain skips,
When I'm feeling sad,
I simply remember that it's just RBT,
And then I don't feel so bad.

Cheers,

Rodgers & Hammerstein

"Or oval crank-busters" is just plain wrong, like Julie Andrews
singing "Cocaine that stays on my nose and eyelashes."

The line should read "Or square-taper busters."

R & H

Quoted message said:

"Or oval crank-busters" is just plain wrong, like Julie Andrews
singing "Cocaine that stays on my nose and eyelashes."

I die.

Chalo

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

Quoted message said:

Chris Z The Wheelman said:

OK, who here has a component (or components) on at least one of their
machines that is controversial? One that a good portion of "Tthe Cycling
World" (note quotes) condemns, but you stubbornly continue to use anyway
regardless of what anyone else thinks because you know from experience
it / they work(s) great?

Drum brakes and those that are Self-Energizing,
BMX bars and some others high-rising,
Seven-speed freewheels with single chainrings,
These are a few of my favorite things;

Great big flat pedals, four-finger brake levers,
Sealed bearing hubsets that roll on forever,
Gigantic triple-rail saddles with springs,
These are a few of my favorite things!

Chalo

A Huffy Three Speed bike with a Brooks sprung saddle, rear coaster brake,
riser pull back bars, steel frame, steel kickstand, steel rims, big front
and rear Wald metal baskets, with fenders too.

"Zoot Katz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I find it funny that anyone would question the efficacy of either of
these everyday products. Perhaps their views are biased by the
commoness, lack of hype and low cost of the products.

Not to mention their total lack of mojo.

none of your business said:

Group: rec.bicycles.misc
Date: Thu, Sep 14, 2006, 2:02am (EDT+4)
From: [email hidden] (mark)

Quoted message said:

Unfortunately I didn't come up with a
good retort until after I got to work.

Quoted message said:

mark

Your retort sounded pretty good to me ;-3)

- -
Comments and opinions compliments of,
"Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

What I wish I had said was "You'd go faster if you got some fenders". My
best lines are always the ones I think up when the moment has passed.
mark

On Sat, 16 Sep 2006 23:14:28 -0400, [email hidden]

(none of your business) said:

On my tourer (as if the fact that it's an expedition style touring bike
isn't enough):

....

Quoted message said:

AND, when I tour, I use a full set of racks and panniers to carry my
camping equipment

(I don't consider the Brooks B-17 as "unpopular"😉

On the local bike club's century yesterday, I was comparing my (new)
tourer with a friend's home-made, 30 year old bike. I commented my
B-17 probably added a full pound to my bike weight, and his response
was, "You have a Brooks?! You, me, and my friend here probably have
the only three Brooks on this whole ride!"

Pat

Email address works as is.

Chris Z The Wheelman said:

OK, who here has a component (or components) on at least one of their
machines that is controversial? One that a good portion of "Tthe Cycling
World" (note quotes) condemns, but you stubbornly continue to use anyway
regardless of what anyone else thinks because you know from experience
it / they work(s) great?

I use as many MTB components on my road bikes as possible (cheaper,
stronger). I also use only "touring" frames (although I don't tour --
stronger, better geometry).

Perhaps my most controversial belief is that frames really don't matter
much. I have bikes with expensive frames and very cheap ones and find
the difference to be so subtle as to leave me ambivalent as to which
ones I ride.

Peter Cole said:

Chris Z The Wheelman said:

OK, who here has a component (or components) on at least one of their
machines that is controversial? One that a good portion of "Tthe Cycling
World" (note quotes) condemns, but you stubbornly continue to use anyway
regardless of what anyone else thinks because you know from experience
it / they work(s) great?

I use as many MTB components on my road bikes as possible (cheaper,
stronger). I also use only "touring" frames (although I don't tour --
stronger, better geometry).

Perhaps my most controversial belief is that frames really don't matter
much. I have bikes with expensive frames and very cheap ones and find
the difference to be so subtle as to leave me ambivalent as to which
ones I ride.

Perhaps the ride from the touring geometry itself takes out any big
differences.

Zoot Katz said:

On Sat, 16 Sep 2006 23:14:28 -0400, [email hidden]
(none of your business) wrote, in part:
\

Quoted message said:

Both bike's bearings are packed with waterproof boat trailer wheel
bearing grease (don't know how "controversial that is) and the chains
are lubed with hot melt paraffin.

Boat trailer grease is good stuff for this wet coastal climate. I
don't see how it's much different than Park's green goop.
I use chainsaw bar-oil for chains. Looks like Phil's to me.

Chainsaw bar oil is pretty sticky stuff. Doesn't it attract grit?

I've been using Pro-Link. It seems to work pretty well, and has the
bonus of not being sticky, so the chain doesn't attract a lot of [censored].

Quoted message said:

I find it funny that anyone would question the efficacy of either of
these everyday products. Perhaps their views are biased by the
commoness, lack of hype and low cost of the products.

The same phenomenon occurs in the motorcycle world. Nearly every
bike's owner's manual recommends lubricating the chain with 90-weight, yet
people persist in buying expensive, sticky, [censored]-attracting boutique lubes
that come in spray cans. I get by just fine with a small, clear,
twist-top mustard bottle full of 90-weight, and my chain is lasting a
very, very long time.

I have wondered if 90-weight (or perhaps straight 30-weight instead)
would be a suitable lubricant for a bicycle chain. It lubricates well and
is not sticky; therefore, it shouldn't attract grit. At worst, it just
needs to be renewed every once in awhile and after riding in the rain.

--
Chris BeHanna

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Chris BeHanna said:

Zoot Katz said:

On Sat, 16 Sep 2006 23:14:28 -0400, [email hidden]
(none of your business) wrote, in part:
\

Quoted message said:

Both bike's bearings are packed with waterproof boat trailer wheel
bearing grease (don't know how "controversial that is) and the chains
are lubed with hot melt paraffin.

Boat trailer grease is good stuff for this wet coastal climate. I
don't see how it's much different than Park's green goop.
I use chainsaw bar-oil for chains. Looks like Phil's to me.

Chainsaw bar oil is pretty sticky stuff. Doesn't it attract grit?

I've been using Pro-Link. It seems to work pretty well, and has the
bonus of not being sticky, so the chain doesn't attract a lot of [censored].

Quoted message said:

I find it funny that anyone would question the efficacy of either of
these everyday products. Perhaps their views are biased by the
commoness, lack of hype and low cost of the products.

The same phenomenon occurs in the motorcycle world. Nearly every
bike's owner's manual recommends lubricating the chain with 90-weight, yet
people persist in buying expensive, sticky, [censored]-attracting boutique lubes
that come in spray cans. I get by just fine with a small, clear,
twist-top mustard bottle full of 90-weight, and my chain is lasting a
very, very long time.

I have wondered if 90-weight (or perhaps straight 30-weight instead)
would be a suitable lubricant for a bicycle chain. It lubricates well and
is not sticky; therefore, it shouldn't attract grit. At worst, it just
needs to be renewed every once in awhile and after riding in the rain.

I use 90w gear oil mixed 1:1 with paint thinner to lube the chains on
my utility bikes that have chain guards. I gently rub it on with a
toothbrush, with newspaper underneath of course, and the mix drips off
the nasty grit and replaces it with oil after the carrier evaporates.
Five minutes every few months. Certainly wipe the chain dry on the
outside after doing this. Cheep, and you get a silent chain. I couldn't
care less about chain wear one way or another, these bikes are low
miles, and just need to be quieted.

I like the mustard bottle concept! <g>