Recumbent update

Jon Senior said:

A new seat has made a hell of a difference. Details at

www.hoovesofdestiny.co.uk

as always! First proper test ride will be tomorrow morning.

Jon

I can't help thinking that boom needs a nice shiny spearhead on the
front of it for added 'stay away from me' factor in traffic. I'd
imagine it could look quite fetching, glinting in the sunlight...

--

Velvet

Jon Senior said:

A new seat has made a hell of a difference. Details at

www.hoovesofdestiny.co.uk

Is that your garage?!? I've got serious workshop envy if it is!

--
jc

Remove the -not from email

In article <[email hidden]>, jd.collins@ntlworld-
not.com says...

Quoted message said:

Is that your garage?!? I've got serious workshop envy if it is!

Not my garage but you can maintain the sorkshop envy if you like. It is
in fact my workplace, but out-of-hours, I am free to build things. I
have a 20m x 5m straight run down the centre (Assuming it is clear) and
plenty of workspace off to the sides. A fully equipped workbench. And
one floor up is the workshop proper with milling machine, welder, table
saw, bench drill etc.

Very useful!

Jon

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I can't help thinking that boom needs a nice shiny spearhead on the
front of it for added 'stay away from me' factor in traffic. I'd
imagine it could look quite fetching, glinting in the sunlight...

Or I could put a triple chainring on, with a 60-odd tooth outer ring
which is only used for the buzzsaw effect! ;-)

Now all I need is some sunlight for it to glint in!

Jon

Jon Senior said:

A new seat has made a hell of a difference. Details at

www.hoovesofdestiny.co.uk

as always! First proper test ride will be tomorrow morning.

Jon

Now that you have a plug, you can make a mould and go into production with
seats. You really need your URL on the boom too.

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden]
says...

Quoted message said:

Now that you have a plug, you can make a mould and go into production with
seats. You really need your URL on the boom too.

In a few months time (When my finances have recovered from a flurry of
bike building) I will be buying some epoxy and CF and having a play.
First projects are a monofin (Diving gubbins) for my mate and a CF seat
for a bent. After that... who knows?

I'm still trying to work out the best way of getting the URL on. Without
recourse to clever printing technologies the current plan is to print
onto transparency paper and then use clear lacquer of some kind to stick
it on. I was hoping to do it in white though which would require the
ability to print white (Or a steady hand and some tippex!).

Jon

Jon Senior <jon@restlesslemon_DOT_co_DOT_uk.remove> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I'm still trying to work out the best way of getting the URL on.

If you try to look too flash I think it will spoil the character of the
bike - don't take that as a criticism in any way, your bike says "Self
built, and bloody proud of it!" (as I would be). Perhaps using an old
school-style stencil (the light blue clear plastic ones) and some spray
paint? Or maybe some white Letraset (but that could cost quite a bit)?

Graeme

Graeme said:

Jon Senior <jon@restlesslemon_DOT_co_DOT_uk.remove> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I'm still trying to work out the best way of getting the URL on.

Quoted message said:

If you try to look too flash I think it will spoil the character of the
bike - don't take that as a criticism in any way, your bike says "Self
built, and bloody proud of it!" (as I would be). Perhaps using an old
school-style stencil (the light blue clear plastic ones) and some spray
paint? Or maybe some white Letraset (but that could cost quite a bit)?

My old tourer (which I called a racer at the time) started as a anonymous
frame which I painted. I then transfered plastic stick-on letters (the
sort which you could buy as a sheet with a selection of letters) and then
finished off with a layer of transparant spray (which also protected the
paint). All rather unprofessional but it did actually look quite good. Or
I did think so at the time 🙂
And I'm sure I was the only person with a bike labelled "Eisma Exclusive"
:-)

Roos

Jon Senior said:

Not my garage but you can maintain the sorkshop envy if you like. It is
in fact my workplace, but out-of-hours, I am free to build things. I
have a 20m x 5m straight run down the centre (Assuming it is clear) and
plenty of workspace off to the sides. A fully equipped workbench. And
one floor up is the workshop proper with milling machine, welder, table
saw, bench drill etc.

If you ever need to borrow my Alien multi-tool you are welcome ;-)

John B

Jon Senior said:

A new seat has made a hell of a difference. Details at
www.hoovesofdestiny.co.uk

HPVelo seat. Good choice.

What you need now is a wicking cushion to make it more comfy still ;-)

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
<URL:http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

Danny Colyer [email hidden] opined the following...

Quoted message said:

HPVelo seat. Good choice.

What you need now is a wicking cushion to make it more comfy still ;-)

Which brings me nicely onto my Ride Report:

No serious riding today as I was working, but I took it on my "long"
commute (~10 miles) this morning to give it a good run. The new seat has
three notable differences over the old one:

1) It's lighter - enough of a difference to be noticeable when lifting
the bike and when climbing hills.
2) It's a damn sight more comfortable - the laid back position is a vast
improvement and road shock is now spread across the entire of the back
as apposed to being concentrated on my kidneys (Not really sure how I
managed that one!).
3) It's very hot! - Despite the dodgy, asymmetric grooves cut in the old
seat back it did seem to have a reasonable level of airflow. I knwo
appreciate why all the HPVelo riders recommend buying the airflow
cushion!

When returning, I rode up Leith Walk with a colleague who was amazed at
the amount of attention that it draws. I did receive an offer of a lift
from a female passenger who said I looked like I needed one (Did I
mention that it's hot?).

I then dropped off some of my stuff, added a second pannier with my
Camelbak in it (The new seat doesn't allow the mounting of the 'bak in
the same way as the old), and set off for another little circuit. The
route (for those who know the city) basically consists of climbing
Comiston Road, then turning left before the ring road and riding through
to Gilmerton and back in along the A7. It incorporates a few wonderful
descents, one of which is the fastest that I know of in the city. My
record speed on that hill is 46mph and was set on the Giant. With the
old seat a few days earlier I managed 42mph on the 'bent. I was hoping
to break the record. I failed. :-( But not badly as I did manage to
clock 45mph so I was damn close. If I manage to design and complete a
different rear rack for it that can accomodate my 'bak I'll try again. I
reckon I should be able to clear 45mph if I push a bit harder and remove
all the luggage!

Finished the ride without injury or bike failure :-) and and now
recuperating. The bottom bracket mount is now starting to annoy me. When
I built it, it ended up slightly squint (~1 degree rightwards) and as a
consequence the right hand crank frequently taps the lower chain tube. I
may have to make use of the other BB shell that I bought and make a new
one.

Jon

Jon Senior said:

3) It's very hot! - Despite the dodgy, asymmetric grooves cut in the old
seat back it did seem to have a reasonable level of airflow. I knwo
appreciate why all the HPVelo riders recommend buying the airflow
cushion!

On the bright side, the standard foam cushion is *much* better in the
winter and when it rains. The airflow cushion can get quite chilly in
cold weather. And if it rains, the rain seeps in at the top and pools
at the bottom so you end up sitting in a puddle.

I've just noticed the new front wheel (I remember you picked it up at
York Rally) and the nice shiny tyres (Marathons?). It's really looking
good now.

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
<URL:http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

Danny Colyer [email hidden] opined the following...

Quoted message said:

On the bright side, the standard foam cushion is *much* better in the
winter and when it rains. The airflow cushion can get quite chilly in
cold weather. And if it rains, the rain seeps in at the top and pools
at the bottom so you end up sitting in a puddle.

I've heard about this too. When I first went riding with Eddie (The day
I noticed the crack!) I saw how easy it was to mop down the standard
cushion when it got wet.

Quoted message said:

I've just noticed the new front wheel (I remember you picked it up at
York Rally) and the nice shiny tyres (Marathons?). It's really looking
good now.

The front wheel needs truing, but I'm thinking that I might exercise my
underused wheel building skills at some point and just build a new one.
The priority at the minute though is the frame which could do with a
rethink (Rear suspension would be nice. I did discover that while the
new seat is way more comfortable, really sharp shocks from the rear tend
to be concentrated onto the shoulder blades.). I have some plans which
involve picking up a length of thinner steel and building a triangulated
rear. I have a cheap rear shock (Spring - no damping!) which would make
a starting point, and I've seen plans for a home-made elastomer damper.

All of this sadly requires time which tends to be time away from riding
(Eating:cycling ratio is currently wrong!). Given that the nights are
now drawing in again, I may have to work out a mounting system for my
light to allow me to continue riding into the night.

I guess it keeps me out of trouble... or something like that!

Jon

In message <[email hidden]>, Jon Senior
<jon@restlesslemon_DOT_co_DOT_uk.remove> writes

Quoted message said:

I'm still trying to work out the best way of getting the URL on. Without
recourse to clever printing technologies the current plan is to print
onto transparency paper and then use clear lacquer of some kind to stick
it on. I was hoping to do it in white though which would require the
ability to print white (Or a steady hand and some tippex!).

You can buy special 'paper' for printing your own water slide transfers
(as in old Airfix kits etc.)

Chris French, Leeds

Jon Senior said:

riding (Eating:cycling ratio is currently wrong!). Given that the
nights are now drawing in again, I may have to work out a mounting
system for my light to allow me to continue riding into the night.

I started building a Klick Fix light mount yesterday.

In article said:

Jon Senior said:

A new seat has made a hell of a difference. Details at
www.hoovesofdestiny.co.uk

HPVelo seat. Good choice.

Where do you get one for about £35?
http://www.kinetics-online.co.uk/html/other_parts1.shtml has them at £60.
Is the difference the "with no fittings"?

Alan Braggins [email hidden] opined the following...

Quoted message said:

Where do you get one for about =A335?
http://www.kinetics-online.co.uk/html/other_parts1.shtml has them at =A36=

0.

Quoted message said:

Is the difference the "with no fittings"?

You have to phone Ben. Bikefix were selling the fittingless ones at that=20
price, so asked Ben if he could oblige (I wasn't particularly impressed=20
with them at York and Ben lets me play with his cool toys so I'd rather=20
give him the money!).

Jon