Tumble caused by Lumicycles

[Danny Colyer]

Well, sort of.

I've been riding home with a pair of helmet mounted Lumicycles since they arrived at the end of
November. I've had the occasional problem where the cable running from the back of my helmet to the
battery in my pocket has looped round the back of the seat on my bent, preventing me from leaning
forward when I want to negotiate tight obstacles at low speeds, or get a good view at a junction.
Generally I just give it a flick and I'm OK.

This evening, as I approached a cyclepath barrier, I tried to perform my usual leap off the front of
the bike as I stopped. But this time it didn't work - I was tied to the bike and we ended up in a
heap of muscle and metal on the floor. Doh!

I'm gonna have to find something else to do with that cable.

--
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

 

[Wafflycathcsdir]

Oh dear, I hope you are okay - I *promise* it wasn't me in paving slab fairy mode taking a swipe at
you ;-) Then again - did anyone get this on video where we can watch it??

Cheers, helen s

~~~~~~~~~~
Flush out that intestinal parasite and/or the waste product before sending a reply!

Any speeliong mistake$ aR the resiult of my cats sitting on the keyboaRRRDdd
~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Just Zis Guy]

On Wed, 29 Jan 2003 19:51:45 -0000, "Danny Colyer" <[email protected]> wrote:

>This evening, as I approached a cyclepath barrier, I tried to perform my usual leap off the front
>of the bike as I stopped. But this time it didn't work - I was tied to the bike and we ended up in
>a heap of muscle and metal on the floor. Doh!

Doh! indeed. I use a roof-mounted spotlight as well - I'm kind of hoping that my mounting
mechanism (battery on top of Ortlieb Bike Box, curly cable pointing straignt forward) will release
cleanly in an emergency, because the way I used to do it (battery on string around neck under
coat) was a nuisance.

I trust that any damage was restricted to your pride?

Guy
===
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dynamic DNS permitting)
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[Danny Colyer]

wafflycat wrote:
> Oh dear, I hope you are okay

Fine, thanks. I didn't have far to fall

> - I *promise* it wasn't me in paving slab fairy mode taking a swipe at you ;-)

I was about to post saying "so I should hope, I wasn't even wearing b*bshorts". Then I remembered
that I *was* wearing b*btights. Perhaps I was getting my just desserts (that's a bizarre phrase,
isn't it?).

> Then again - did anyone get this on video where we can watch it??

Fortunately there was no-one around to see it, but I'm sure it would have made a great comedy
video clip.

--
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

 

[Pete Biggs]

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
> Doh! indeed. I use a roof-mounted spotlight as well - I'm kind of hoping that my mounting
> mechanism (battery on top of Ortlieb Bike Box, curly cable pointing straignt forward) will release
> cleanly in an emergency, because the way I used to do it (battery on string around neck under
> coat) was a nuisance.

Hows about cutting the cable and rejoining just by twisting and insulating taping? Then the cable
should just come apart at that point in the event of any mishap.

~PB

 

[James Annan]

"Pete Biggs" <pLime{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...

> Hows about cutting the cable and rejoining just by twisting and insulating taping? Then the cable
> should just come apart at that point in the event of any mishap.

How about not wanting to introduce a dodgy failure-prone and not very weatherproof junction into
what started out as a fairly robust and effective system...

Routing the cable under some clothing would presumably solve the problem too, if it's possible.

James

 

[Graeme Dods]

"Pete Biggs" <pLime{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>... <snip>
> Hows about cutting the cable and rejoining just by twisting and insulating taping? Then the cable
> should just come apart at that point in the event of any mishap.

Or maybe just a 3.5mm mono headphone inline plug and socket? It would be a bit bulkier, but neater,
plus it would be simply a matter of plugging it back in once you've picked yourself of the ground.

Have fun! (and don't burn yourself on your soldering iron)

Graeme

 

[Just Zis Guy]

Pete Biggs wrote:
>> hoping [...] cable pointing straight forward) will release in an emergency, because the way I
>> used to do it (battery on string around neck under coat) was a nuisance.

> Hows about cutting the cable and rejoining just by twisting and insulating taping?

How would that be better than a plug-and-socket joint with low pullout force? I have an inline plug
and socket on my Petzl, but the pullout force there is much higher than the Nightstick plug. Which
is OK, because I use that on the wedgie, so the battery is in my back pocket.

--
Guy
===
I wonder if you wouldn't mind piecing out our imperfections with your thoughts; and while you're
about it perhaps you could think when we talk of bicycles, that you see them printing their proud
wheels i' the receiving earth; thanks awfully.

http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/09.shtml#103 http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/09.shtml#104

 

[Pete Biggs]

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:

>> Hows about cutting the cable and rejoining just by twisting and insulating taping?
>
> How would that be better than a plug-and-socket joint with low pullout force?

I wouldn't be better if the pug and socket was ideally placed and really did have low pullout force
(at any angle). But the broken wire technique is simple and cheap and would be guaranteed to break
when pulled - which, admittedly, might also happen when you don't want it to.

Self-amalgamating rubber tape instead of insulating tape would help with the weather proofing.

Many types of plug and socket are also prone to various reliability problems as well - so I don't
think there's much in it on that front.

Nevermind, it was just an extra idea.

~PB

 

[Pete Biggs]

Graeme Dods wrote:
> Or maybe just a 3.5mm mono headphone inline plug and socket? It would be a bit bulkier, but
> neater, plus it would be simply a matter of plugging it back in once you've picked yourself of
> the ground.

I've messed around a lot with 3.5 jack sockets. They're rubbish. Come undone accidently, contacts
fail & break, etc, etc.

> and don't burn yourself on your soldering iron)

That is nasty isn't it. I once picked up a hot soldering iron by the hot end with a firm grip :-(

~PB

 

[Just Zis Guy]

Pete Biggs wrote:

> Nevermind, it was just an extra idea.

Yeah, understood. I have enough trouble already with bloody wires, though, without adding twisted
joints

--
Guy
===
I wonder if you wouldn't mind piecing out our imperfections with your thoughts; and while you're
about it perhaps you could think when we talk of bicycles, that you see them printing their proud
wheels i' the receiving earth; thanks awfully.

http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/09.shtml#103 http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/09.shtml#104

 

[Danny Colyer]

Guy wrote:
> I trust that any damage was restricted to your pride?

The handlebar twisted slightly, but I discovered that when I checked the bike over before riding on
and twisted it back again. I didn't find any serious damage - at least, not until I tried to ring
the bell this morning!

The bell had been mounted at the point where the underseat handlebar turns up, conveniently
positioned for me to ring it with the heel of my hand. When I dropped the bike, the whole 40lb +
weight landed on the bell. It's beyond repair.

Fortunately I had a couple of spares lying around, so I've now fitted one of them. But it's not as
good as the one I broke :-(

--
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

 

[Danny Colyer]

James Annan wrote:
> Routing the cable under some clothing would presumably solve the problem too, if it's possible.

Yup, that's what I did today. It's such a simple solution - by letting a little more cable out of
the battery bag, I had enough to route it under my Gore Tex instead of over. I can't believe I
didn't think of it before.

--
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

 

[Just Zis Guy]

On Thu, 30 Jan 2003 21:46:01 -0000, "Danny Colyer" <[email protected]> wrote:

>The bell had been mounted at the point where the underseat handlebar turns up, conveniently
>positioned for me to ring it with the heel of my hand. When I dropped the bike, the whole 40lb +
>weight landed on the bell. It's beyond repair.

I was kind of wondering about the theory of handlebars as roll cage - surely the outside of the
hands might sustain injuries? Anyway, I dropped mine today - I felt it go and put hand and foot
down, so essentially I stood up and the bike didn't. I hurt my finger a little bit. I'm not so sure
I could fall off an upright bike so painlessly!

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.