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Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
Couldn't believe it. Those great agency folks obviously didn't test the
bike racks for our local buses before signing the contract. Long story short my 29er bike didn't fit in and neither did my friend's. Luckily the driver was patient and helpful. We had to load the bikes reversed so the hook goes over the rear wheel. Not easy because of my panniers but worked, somehow. The front wheels now rode up on the other side of the rack slot. We both had bungee cords with which we strapped them down as hard as we could. Oh, and the slot width barely fit my 2.25" wide MTB tires barely squeezed in and I had to push down hard. The rack looks like this: https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/sho...8df2678ec2064b When we arrived another rider put his 26" MTB on there on even that barely fit in (rear wheel rode up half an inch). Does anyone know a better "strap down" method that is faster than wrapping a bungee around rim and rack numerous times? -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On Friday, August 24, 2018 at 10:35:42 AM UTC-4, Joerg wrote:
Couldn't believe it. Those great agency folks obviously didn't test the bike racks for our local buses before signing the contract. Long story short my 29er bike didn't fit in and neither did my friend's. Luckily the driver was patient and helpful. We had to load the bikes reversed so the hook goes over the rear wheel. Not easy because of my panniers but worked, somehow. The front wheels now rode up on the other side of the rack slot. We both had bungee cords with which we strapped them down as hard as we could. Oh, and the slot width barely fit my 2.25" wide MTB tires barely squeezed in and I had to push down hard. The rack looks like this: https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/sho...8df2678ec2064b When we arrived another rider put his 26" MTB on there on even that barely fit in (rear wheel rode up half an inch). Does anyone know a better "strap down" method that is faster than wrapping a bungee around rim and rack numerous times? -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ You should look into getting a few Cohglans Arno Straps. They are like super long nylon toestraps and have a metal buckle that does not fall apart when reefed really tight. I'ved used them to secure a recliner rocker chair to my rear bike rack. I also use them for fastening everything to the bike when touring. In addition to that I use them for holding the rolled up sleeping bag, tent etcetera instead of having to fumble with laces etcetera. Here's a link to an actual card with two Arno straps on it. https://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/...9227/cat101260 You can get them in lengths of 36" to 60". The straps are 3/4" wide. Cheers |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 8/24/2018 9:35 AM, Joerg wrote:
Couldn't believe it. Those great agency folks obviously didn't test the bike racks for our local buses before signing the contract. Long story short my 29er bike didn't fit in and neither did my friend's. Luckily the driver was patient and helpful. We had to load the bikes reversed so the hook goes over the rear wheel. Not easy because of my panniers but worked, somehow. The front wheels now rode up on the other side of the rack slot. We both had bungee cords with which we strapped them down as hard as we could. Oh, and the slot width barely fit my 2.25" wide MTB tires barely squeezed in and I had to push down hard. The rack looks like this: https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/sho...8df2678ec2064b When we arrived another rider put his 26" MTB on there on even that barely fit in (rear wheel rode up half an inch). Does anyone know a better "strap down" method that is faster than wrapping a bungee around rim and rack numerous times? Special bike = special accessories: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6P6logRiwo -- Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org/ Open every day since 1 April, 1971 |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On Friday, August 24, 2018 at 11:25:58 AM UTC-4, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Friday, August 24, 2018 at 10:35:42 AM UTC-4, Joerg wrote: Couldn't believe it. Those great agency folks obviously didn't test the bike racks for our local buses before signing the contract. Long story short my 29er bike didn't fit in and neither did my friend's. Luckily the driver was patient and helpful. We had to load the bikes reversed so the hook goes over the rear wheel. Not easy because of my panniers but worked, somehow. The front wheels now rode up on the other side of the rack slot. We both had bungee cords with which we strapped them down as hard as we could. Oh, and the slot width barely fit my 2.25" wide MTB tires barely squeezed in and I had to push down hard. The rack looks like this: https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/sho...8df2678ec2064b When we arrived another rider put his 26" MTB on there on even that barely fit in (rear wheel rode up half an inch). Does anyone know a better "strap down" method that is faster than wrapping a bungee around rim and rack numerous times? -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ You should look into getting a few Cohglans Arno Straps. They are like super long nylon toestraps and have a metal buckle that does not fall apart when reefed really tight. I'ved used them to secure a recliner rocker chair to my rear bike rack. I also use them for fastening everything to the bike when touring. In addition to that I use them for holding the rolled up sleeping bag, tent etcetera instead of having to fumble with laces etcetera. Here's a link to an actual card with two Arno straps on it. https://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/...9227/cat101260 You can get them in lengths of 36" to 60". The straps are 3/4" wide. Cheers Addendum I forgot to mention that I use those Arno Straps to secure my mountain bicyle to the front rack on our inter-city bus. It's great insurance for when the bus is running at highway speeds. Cheers |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 8/24/2018 10:35 AM, Joerg wrote:
Couldn't believe it. Those great agency folks obviously didn't test the bike racks for our local buses before signing the contract. Long story short my 29er bike didn't fit in and neither did my friend's. Luckily the driver was patient and helpful. We had to load the bikes reversed so the hook goes over the rear wheel. Not easy because of my panniers but worked, somehow. The front wheels now rode up on the other side of the rack slot. We both had bungee cords with which we strapped them down as hard as we could. Oh, and the slot width barely fit my 2.25" wide MTB tires barely squeezed in and I had to push down hard. The rack looks like this: https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/sho...8df2678ec2064b When we arrived another rider put his 26" MTB on there on even that barely fit in (rear wheel rode up half an inch). Does anyone know a better "strap down" method that is faster than wrapping a bungee around rim and rack numerous times? I wouldn't fault the rack designer too much. Bikes come in such incredible variety it's tricky to design even stationary bike racks. And transit companies are seldom flush with funds. They can spend only so much to accommodate the one percent with unusual bikes. As to your question: I wonder if a velcro strap with rectangular ring might work. They're fast to install and surprisingly strong. See, for example: https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Cabl...g=UTF8&s=a ht -- - Frank Krygowski --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On Friday, August 24, 2018 at 1:11:09 PM UTC-4, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 8/24/2018 10:35 AM, Joerg wrote: Couldn't believe it. Those great agency folks obviously didn't test the bike racks for our local buses before signing the contract. Long story short my 29er bike didn't fit in and neither did my friend's. Luckily the driver was patient and helpful. We had to load the bikes reversed so the hook goes over the rear wheel. Not easy because of my panniers but worked, somehow. The front wheels now rode up on the other side of the rack slot. We both had bungee cords with which we strapped them down as hard as we could. Oh, and the slot width barely fit my 2.25" wide MTB tires barely squeezed in and I had to push down hard. The rack looks like this: https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/sho...8df2678ec2064b When we arrived another rider put his 26" MTB on there on even that barely fit in (rear wheel rode up half an inch). Does anyone know a better "strap down" method that is faster than wrapping a bungee around rim and rack numerous times? I wouldn't fault the rack designer too much. Bikes come in such incredible variety it's tricky to design even stationary bike racks. And transit companies are seldom flush with funds. They can spend only so much to accommodate the one percent with unusual bikes. As to your question: I wonder if a velcro strap with rectangular ring might work. They're fast to install and surprisingly strong. See, for example: https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Cabl...g=UTF8&s=a ht -- - Frank Krygowski --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus The Arno Strap I reference in my earlier reply are so simple to use. What's really neat is that they are so easy to release and doing so does not delay the bus for more than a few seconds. When not in use to hold the bike to the bus rack an Arno strap can be used for many other things - such as towing another bicyclist or strapping a keg of beer to a rear bicycle rack. LOL I use a couple to hold my big jug of spring water to the rear bicycle rack when I go to and from the freshwater spring to refill the jug. Cheers Cheers |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 2018-08-24 09:21, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Friday, August 24, 2018 at 11:25:58 AM UTC-4, Sir Ridesalot wrote: On Friday, August 24, 2018 at 10:35:42 AM UTC-4, Joerg wrote: Couldn't believe it. Those great agency folks obviously didn't test the bike racks for our local buses before signing the contract. Long story short my 29er bike didn't fit in and neither did my friend's. Luckily the driver was patient and helpful. We had to load the bikes reversed so the hook goes over the rear wheel. Not easy because of my panniers but worked, somehow. The front wheels now rode up on the other side of the rack slot. We both had bungee cords with which we strapped them down as hard as we could. Oh, and the slot width barely fit my 2.25" wide MTB tires barely squeezed in and I had to push down hard. The rack looks like this: https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/sho...8df2678ec2064b When we arrived another rider put his 26" MTB on there on even that barely fit in (rear wheel rode up half an inch). Does anyone know a better "strap down" method that is faster than wrapping a bungee around rim and rack numerous times? -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ You should look into getting a few Cohglans Arno Straps. They are like super long nylon toestraps and have a metal buckle that does not fall apart when reefed really tight. I'ved used them to secure a recliner rocker chair to my rear bike rack. I also use them for fastening everything to the bike when touring. In addition to that I use them for holding the rolled up sleeping bag, tent etcetera instead of having to fumble with laces etcetera. Here's a link to an actual card with two Arno straps on it. https://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/...9227/cat101260 Aha, Arno straps! Thanks, those look very good. They can also come in handy when something structural breaks on the bike during a trail ride. You can get them in lengths of 36" to 60". The straps are 3/4" wide. Cheers Addendum I forgot to mention that I use those Arno Straps to secure my mountain bicyle to the front rack on our inter-city bus. It's great insurance for when the bus is running at highway speeds. On the freeway the bus driver really stepped on it and actually passed a tour bus. I was concerned that the handlebar of my bike might smash a front window on the bus but despite being just 2" from it that didn't happen. He took corners Mario Andretti style and luckily neither bike flew out sideways. The bungees were all that was holding them sideways to the bus depending on curve direction (away from the hook). If I was an engineer on the design review for such a rack (they don't seem to hold any design reviews ...) I'd insist that there are wheel hooks for front and rear wheel. And, of course, slots long enough for 29ers and 27-1/2 bikes. In fact, then you could leave the slots open to the curb side making loading and unloading much easier for older riders who can't lift a bike upwards while bent over (something even young people should avoid). -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 2018-08-24 09:00, AMuzi wrote:
On 8/24/2018 9:35 AM, Joerg wrote: Couldn't believe it. Those great agency folks obviously didn't test the bike racks for our local buses before signing the contract. Long story short my 29er bike didn't fit in and neither did my friend's. Luckily the driver was patient and helpful. We had to load the bikes reversed so the hook goes over the rear wheel. Not easy because of my panniers but worked, somehow. The front wheels now rode up on the other side of the rack slot. We both had bungee cords with which we strapped them down as hard as we could. Oh, and the slot width barely fit my 2.25" wide MTB tires barely squeezed in and I had to push down hard. The rack looks like this: https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/sho...8df2678ec2064b When we arrived another rider put his 26" MTB on there on even that barely fit in (rear wheel rode up half an inch). Does anyone know a better "strap down" method that is faster than wrapping a bungee around rim and rack numerous times? Special bike = special accessories: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6P6logRiwo I've got those. Takes too long. Yesterday we held up the bus at that stop for 4min. Not good. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 2018-08-24 10:11, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 8/24/2018 10:35 AM, Joerg wrote: Couldn't believe it. Those great agency folks obviously didn't test the bike racks for our local buses before signing the contract. Long story short my 29er bike didn't fit in and neither did my friend's. Luckily the driver was patient and helpful. We had to load the bikes reversed so the hook goes over the rear wheel. Not easy because of my panniers but worked, somehow. The front wheels now rode up on the other side of the rack slot. We both had bungee cords with which we strapped them down as hard as we could. Oh, and the slot width barely fit my 2.25" wide MTB tires barely squeezed in and I had to push down hard. The rack looks like this: https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/sho...8df2678ec2064b When we arrived another rider put his 26" MTB on there on even that barely fit in (rear wheel rode up half an inch). Does anyone know a better "strap down" method that is faster than wrapping a bungee around rim and rack numerous times? I wouldn't fault the rack designer too much. Bikes come in such incredible variety it's tricky to design even stationary bike racks. And transit companies are seldom flush with funds. They can spend only so much to accommodate the one percent with unusual bikes. In this day and age 27-1/2" and 29" bikes hardly represent 1%. And yes, the designers are at fault. They should have tested or at least hold a design review with actual cyclists attending. In med-tech we are obligated to hold those and for good reasons. Also, as I wrote even a simple 26" MTB didn't fit completely, the rear wheel remained an inch above the rail floor. In my book that constitutes a thoroughly botched design. As to your question: I wonder if a velcro strap with rectangular ring might work. They're fast to install and surprisingly strong. See, for example: https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Cabl...g=UTF8&s=a ht Thanks, but I do not trust plastic for this stuff. The Arno straps that Sir mentioned seem to be the ticket here. Of course, there remains the risk that a picky bus driver refuses to accept that mounting method and we'd be stranded. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On Friday, August 24, 2018 at 2:17:27 PM UTC-4, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-08-24 10:11, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/24/2018 10:35 AM, Joerg wrote: Couldn't believe it. Those great agency folks obviously didn't test the bike racks for our local buses before signing the contract. Long story short my 29er bike didn't fit in and neither did my friend's. Luckily the driver was patient and helpful. We had to load the bikes reversed so the hook goes over the rear wheel. Not easy because of my panniers but worked, somehow. The front wheels now rode up on the other side of the rack slot. We both had bungee cords with which we strapped them down as hard as we could. Oh, and the slot width barely fit my 2.25" wide MTB tires barely squeezed in and I had to push down hard. The rack looks like this: https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/sho...8df2678ec2064b When we arrived another rider put his 26" MTB on there on even that barely fit in (rear wheel rode up half an inch). Does anyone know a better "strap down" method that is faster than wrapping a bungee around rim and rack numerous times? I wouldn't fault the rack designer too much. Bikes come in such incredible variety it's tricky to design even stationary bike racks. And transit companies are seldom flush with funds. They can spend only so much to accommodate the one percent with unusual bikes. In this day and age 27-1/2" and 29" bikes hardly represent 1%. And yes, the designers are at fault. They should have tested or at least hold a design review with actual cyclists attending. In med-tech we are obligated to hold those and for good reasons. Also, as I wrote even a simple 26" MTB didn't fit completely, the rear wheel remained an inch above the rail floor. In my book that constitutes a thoroughly botched design. As to your question: I wonder if a velcro strap with rectangular ring might work. They're fast to install and surprisingly strong. See, for example: https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Cabl...g=UTF8&s=a ht Thanks, but I do not trust plastic for this stuff. The Arno straps that Sir mentioned seem to be the ticket here. Of course, there remains the risk that a picky bus driver refuses to accept that mounting method and we'd be stranded. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ Around here the bus drivers don't mind the few seconds it takes to use a long Arno strap to secure the bike to the rack. I just loop the strap around the top tube of the bike and then around the bus rack and cinch the Arno strap tight. It takes just seconds and I usually have it done whilst other passengers are getting on or off the bus. Arno straps are really tough as are their buckles. I've never had an Arno strap fail nor its buckle even when being used in the dead of winter. I've had many a plastic buckle snap when being cinched in winter's cold. Cheers |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 2018-08-24 12:01, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Friday, August 24, 2018 at 2:17:27 PM UTC-4, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-24 10:11, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/24/2018 10:35 AM, Joerg wrote: Couldn't believe it. Those great agency folks obviously didn't test the bike racks for our local buses before signing the contract. Long story short my 29er bike didn't fit in and neither did my friend's. Luckily the driver was patient and helpful. We had to load the bikes reversed so the hook goes over the rear wheel. Not easy because of my panniers but worked, somehow. The front wheels now rode up on the other side of the rack slot. We both had bungee cords with which we strapped them down as hard as we could. Oh, and the slot width barely fit my 2.25" wide MTB tires barely squeezed in and I had to push down hard. The rack looks like this: https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/sho...8df2678ec2064b When we arrived another rider put his 26" MTB on there on even that barely fit in (rear wheel rode up half an inch). Does anyone know a better "strap down" method that is faster than wrapping a bungee around rim and rack numerous times? I wouldn't fault the rack designer too much. Bikes come in such incredible variety it's tricky to design even stationary bike racks. And transit companies are seldom flush with funds. They can spend only so much to accommodate the one percent with unusual bikes. In this day and age 27-1/2" and 29" bikes hardly represent 1%. And yes, the designers are at fault. They should have tested or at least hold a design review with actual cyclists attending. In med-tech we are obligated to hold those and for good reasons. Also, as I wrote even a simple 26" MTB didn't fit completely, the rear wheel remained an inch above the rail floor. In my book that constitutes a thoroughly botched design. As to your question: I wonder if a velcro strap with rectangular ring might work. They're fast to install and surprisingly strong. See, for example: https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Cabl...g=UTF8&s=a ht Thanks, but I do not trust plastic for this stuff. The Arno straps that Sir mentioned seem to be the ticket here. Of course, there remains the risk that a picky bus driver refuses to accept that mounting method and we'd be stranded. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ Around here the bus drivers don't mind the few seconds it takes to use a long Arno strap to secure the bike to the rack. I just loop the strap around the top tube of the bike and then around the bus rack and cinch the Arno strap tight. It takes just seconds and I usually have it done whilst other passengers are getting on or off the bus. Arno straps are really tough as are their buckles. I've never had an Arno strap fail nor its buckle even when being used in the dead of winter. I've had many a plastic buckle snap when being cinched in winter's cold. I'll have to cinch down the rim only because going over the frame won't prevent the bike from sliding out sideways. Reason is that with a 29er MTB one wheel rides on top of a slot rail end instead of down in the slot. Probably the straps are some sort of Nylon material so I should be able to cut one to 15" length and use a cigarette lighter to re-seal the cut strands so they won't unravel. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On Friday, August 24, 2018 at 10:25:58 AM UTC-5, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Friday, August 24, 2018 at 10:35:42 AM UTC-4, Joerg wrote: Couldn't believe it. Those great agency folks obviously didn't test the bike racks for our local buses before signing the contract. Long story short my 29er bike didn't fit in and neither did my friend's. Luckily the driver was patient and helpful. We had to load the bikes reversed so the hook goes over the rear wheel. Not easy because of my panniers but worked, somehow. The front wheels now rode up on the other side of the rack slot. We both had bungee cords with which we strapped them down as hard as we could. Oh, and the slot width barely fit my 2.25" wide MTB tires barely squeezed in and I had to push down hard. The rack looks like this: https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/sho...8df2678ec2064b When we arrived another rider put his 26" MTB on there on even that barely fit in (rear wheel rode up half an inch). Does anyone know a better "strap down" method that is faster than wrapping a bungee around rim and rack numerous times? -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ You should look into getting a few Cohglans Arno Straps. They are like super long nylon toestraps and have a metal buckle that does not fall apart when reefed really tight. I'ved used them to secure a recliner rocker chair to my rear bike rack. I also use them for fastening everything to the bike when touring. In addition to that I use them for holding the rolled up sleeping bag, tent etcetera instead of having to fumble with laces etcetera. Here's a link to an actual card with two Arno straps on it. https://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/...9227/cat101260 You can get them in lengths of 36" to 60". The straps are 3/4" wide. Cheers Never knew those had such an official formal name. Coghlans Arno Straps. I always just called them "straps with buckles on the end". |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 24-08-18 16:35, Joerg wrote:
Couldn't believe it. Those great agency folks obviously didn't test the bike racks for our local buses before signing the contract. Long story short my 29er bike didn't fit in and neither did my friend's. Luckily the driver was patient and helpful. We had to load the bikes reversed so the hook goes over the rear wheel. Not easy because of my panniers but worked, somehow. The front wheels now rode up on the other side of the rack slot. We both had bungee cords with which we strapped them down as hard as we could. Oh, and the slot width barely fit my 2.25" wide MTB tires barely squeezed in and I had to push down hard. The rack looks like this: https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/sho...8df2678ec2064b When we arrived another rider put his 26" MTB on there on even that barely fit in (rear wheel rode up half an inch). Does anyone know a better "strap down" method that is faster than wrapping a bungee around rim and rack numerous times? I have occasionally had a problem with my MTB in a Swiss train. Depending on the train, there will typically be a space for bikes at the end of the wagon. There you can hang the front wheel of your bike by a hook, and the back wheel will be in a vertically mounted U-shaped, fitting to keep it from swaying too much. See https://www.radreise-wiki.de/Datei:S...lbstverlad.JPG However, especially in older rail cars sometimes the hooks are too near the ceiling and the wall, so that 2.25" tires won't fit. The train operators (mainly the federal rail system) know about this problem, but solving it involves more than just replacing the hooks. Newer trains sometimes will have a wagon with a different sort of bike parking: https://blog.veloplus.ch/2015/03/24/...velotransport/ That works well, and it's easier to park your bike. Ned |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 2018-08-25 07:19, Ned Mantei wrote:
On 24-08-18 16:35, Joerg wrote: Couldn't believe it. Those great agency folks obviously didn't test the bike racks for our local buses before signing the contract. Long story short my 29er bike didn't fit in and neither did my friend's. Luckily the driver was patient and helpful. We had to load the bikes reversed so the hook goes over the rear wheel. Not easy because of my panniers but worked, somehow. The front wheels now rode up on the other side of the rack slot. We both had bungee cords with which we strapped them down as hard as we could. Oh, and the slot width barely fit my 2.25" wide MTB tires barely squeezed in and I had to push down hard. The rack looks like this: https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/sho...8df2678ec2064b When we arrived another rider put his 26" MTB on there on even that barely fit in (rear wheel rode up half an inch). Does anyone know a better "strap down" method that is faster than wrapping a bungee around rim and rack numerous times? I have occasionally had a problem with my MTB in a Swiss train. Depending on the train, there will typically be a space for bikes at the end of the wagon. There you can hang the front wheel of your bike by a hook, and the back wheel will be in a vertically mounted U-shaped, fitting to keep it from swaying too much. See https://www.radreise-wiki.de/Datei:S...lbstverlad.JPG However, especially in older rail cars sometimes the hooks are too near the ceiling and the wall, so that 2.25" tires won't fit. The train operators (mainly the federal rail system) know about this problem, but solving it involves more than just replacing the hooks. Why? I am sure that one of my riding buddies who is a machinist could devise a solution and build a prototype in one afternoon. Newer trains sometimes will have a wagon with a different sort of bike parking: https://blog.veloplus.ch/2015/03/24/...velotransport/ That works well, and it's easier to park your bike. Seems they learned. I am trying now as well, have contacted someone higher up at the transit agency and he already responded. He wants to study our loading efforts on a camera recording to see the problem in more detail. I didn't know they also had a running camera for that. If he can't I'll ride my bike up there for a meeting at the bus depot. It's a nice singletrack. Some of it gnarly, one of riding friends turfed it on Thursday and now his shoulder hurts badly. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 8/24/2018 2:17 PM, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-08-24 10:11, Frank Krygowski wrote: As to your question: I wonder if a velcro strap with rectangular ring might work. They're fast to install and surprisingly strong. See, for example: https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Cabl...g=UTF8&s=a ht Thanks, but I do not trust plastic for this stuff. The Arno straps that Sir mentioned seem to be the ticket here. Of course, there remains the risk that a picky bus driver refuses to accept that mounting method and we'd be stranded. I do have some with steel loops, but that's OK. I should have known it wouldn't work for you. ;-) A certain guy I know well once had a habit of asking my advice. "Can you come over and look at this? You're an engineer." So I'd visit and hear "The garage door track is coming loose" or "This table I'm building has wobbly legs" or "I need a way to carry this bag on the back of my bike" or a bunch of other things. In each case, the answer seemed obvious to me - as in "You need something to resist that bending moment, so if you add a brace here" or "... if you screw this in two places..." or whatever. Invariably, he'd say "That won't work, because..." and spout some nonsense. I still see the guy from time to time. When he asks me about problems now, I usually say things like "Yeah, I see why that bothers you. What do you think?" and later "Well, you could try that if you like." -- - Frank Krygowski --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 8/24/2018 2:09 PM, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-08-24 09:21, Sir Ridesalot wrote: On Friday, August 24, 2018 at 11:25:58 AM UTC-4, Sir Ridesalot wrote: On Friday, August 24, 2018 at 10:35:42 AM UTC-4, Joerg wrote: Couldn't believe it. Those great agency folks obviously didn't test the bike racks for our local buses before signing the contract. Long story short my 29er bike didn't fit in and neither did my friend's. Luckily the driver was patient and helpful. We had to load the bikes reversed so the hook goes over the rear wheel. Not easy because of my panniers but worked, somehow. The front wheels now rode up on the other side of the rack slot. We both had bungee cords with which we strapped them down as hard as we could. Oh, and the slot width barely fit my 2.25" wide MTB tires barely squeezed in and I had to push down hard. The rack looks like this: https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/sho...8df2678ec2064b When we arrived another rider put his 26" MTB on there on even that barely fit in (rear wheel rode up half an inch). Does anyone know a better "strap down" method that is faster than wrapping a bungee around rim and rack numerous times? -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ You should look into getting a few Cohglans Arno Straps. They are like super long nylon toestraps and have a metal buckle that does not fall apart when reefed really tight. I'ved used them to secure a recliner rocker chair to my rear bike rack. I also use them for fastening everything to the bike when touring. In addition to that I use them for holding the rolled up sleeping bag, tent etcetera instead of having to fumble with laces etcetera. Here's a link to an actual card with two Arno straps on it. https://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/...9227/cat101260 Aha, Arno straps! Thanks, those look very good. They can also come in handy when something structural breaks on the bike during a trail ride. You can get them in lengths of 36" to 60". The straps are 3/4" wide. Cheers Addendum I forgot to mention that I use those Arno Straps to secure my mountain bicyle to the front rack on our inter-city bus. It's great insurance for when the bus is running at highway speeds. On the freeway the bus driver really stepped on it and actually passed a tour bus. I was concerned that the handlebar of my bike might smash a front window on the bus but despite being just 2" from it that didn't happen. He took corners Mario Andretti style and luckily neither bike flew out sideways. The bungees were all that was holding them sideways to the bus depending on curve direction (away from the hook). If I was an engineer on the design review for such a rack (they don't seem to hold any design reviews ...) I'd insist that there are wheel hooks for front and rear wheel. And, of course, slots long enough for 29ers and 27-1/2 bikes. In fact, then you could leave the slots open to the curb side making loading and unloading much easier for older riders who can't lift a bike upwards while bent over (something even young people should avoid). Don't forget to design for small wheel, short wheelbase shopping bikes. And for long wheelbase "flatfoot" bikes. For short wheelbase and long wheelbase recumbents. For recumbents with 20" wheels and 700c wheels. For under-seat steering and above-seat steering. For tandems, including conventional, small wheel, and recumbent. For tall bikes and for antiques, including high wheelers. (Most of those are very valuable.) For carbon fiber frames as well as metal. For folding bikes, especially if carrying packs, because those frequently can't go into the bus. For electric assist bikes, and electric powered bikes. Don't worry about unicycles. This is a BIcycle discussion group. -- - Frank Krygowski --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 8/25/2018 1:22 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 8/24/2018 2:09 PM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-24 09:21, Sir Ridesalot wrote: On Friday, August 24, 2018 at 11:25:58 AM UTC-4, Sir Ridesalot wrote: On Friday, August 24, 2018 at 10:35:42 AM UTC-4, Joerg wrote: Couldn't believe it. Those great agency folks obviously didn't test the bike racks for our local buses before signing the contract. Long story short my 29er bike didn't fit in and neither did my friend's. Luckily the driver was patient and helpful. We had to load the bikes reversed so the hook goes over the rear wheel. Not easy because of my panniers but worked, somehow. The front wheels now rode up on the other side of the rack slot. We both had bungee cords with which we strapped them down as hard as we could. Oh, and the slot width barely fit my 2.25" wide MTB tires barely squeezed in and I had to push down hard. The rack looks like this: https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/sho...8df2678ec2064b When we arrived another rider put his 26" MTB on there on even that barely fit in (rear wheel rode up half an inch). Does anyone know a better "strap down" method that is faster than wrapping a bungee around rim and rack numerous times? -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ You should look into getting a few Cohglans Arno Straps. They are like super long nylon toestraps and have a metal buckle that does not fall apart when reefed really tight. I'ved used them to secure a recliner rocker chair to my rear bike rack. I also use them for fastening everything to the bike when touring. In addition to that I use them for holding the rolled up sleeping bag, tent etcetera instead of having to fumble with laces etcetera. Here's a link to an actual card with two Arno straps on it. https://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/...9227/cat101260 Aha, Arno straps! Thanks, those look very good. They can also come in handy when something structural breaks on the bike during a trail ride. You can get them in lengths of 36" to 60". The straps are 3/4" wide. Cheers Addendum I forgot to mention that I use those Arno Straps to secure my mountain bicyle to the front rack on our inter-city bus. It's great insurance for when the bus is running at highway speeds. On the freeway the bus driver really stepped on it and actually passed a tour bus. I was concerned that the handlebar of my bike might smash a front window on the bus but despite being just 2" from it that didn't happen. He took corners Mario Andretti style and luckily neither bike flew out sideways. The bungees were all that was holding them sideways to the bus depending on curve direction (away from the hook). If I was an engineer on the design review for such a rack (they don't seem to hold any design reviews ...) I'd insist that there are wheel hooks for front and rear wheel. And, of course, slots long enough for 29ers and 27-1/2 bikes. In fact, then you could leave the slots open to the curb side making loading and unloading much easier for older riders who can't lift a bike upwards while bent over (something even young people should avoid). Don't forget to design for small wheel, short wheelbase shopping bikes. And for long wheelbase "flatfoot" bikes. For short wheelbase and long wheelbase recumbents. For recumbents with 20" wheels and 700c wheels. For under-seat steering and above-seat steering. For tandems, including conventional, small wheel, and recumbent. For tall bikes and for antiques, including high wheelers. (Most of those are very valuable.) For carbon fiber frames as well as metal. For folding bikes, especially if carrying packs, because those frequently can't go into the bus. For electric assist bikes, and electric powered bikes. Don't worry about unicycles. This is a BIcycle discussion group. More true than you know, Frank. Sold a wheel tray type hitch-mount car carrier last week to a guy who came back because the retaining strap for the downtube would not span the 6"x10" downtube on his XMart internal battery wonder toy. O Tempora! O Mores! As it turns out, the Saris polymer strap-buckle thingy can be doubled up nose-to-toe and we stock them anyway. https://66e2197c1fdd000748fd-b9614b5.../15539_700.jpg -- Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org/ Open every day since 1 April, 1971 |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 2018-08-25 11:39, AMuzi wrote:
On 8/25/2018 1:22 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/24/2018 2:09 PM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-24 09:21, Sir Ridesalot wrote: On Friday, August 24, 2018 at 11:25:58 AM UTC-4, Sir Ridesalot wrote: On Friday, August 24, 2018 at 10:35:42 AM UTC-4, Joerg wrote: Couldn't believe it. Those great agency folks obviously didn't test the bike racks for our local buses before signing the contract. Long story short my 29er bike didn't fit in and neither did my friend's. Luckily the driver was patient and helpful. We had to load the bikes reversed so the hook goes over the rear wheel. Not easy because of my panniers but worked, somehow. The front wheels now rode up on the other side of the rack slot. We both had bungee cords with which we strapped them down as hard as we could. Oh, and the slot width barely fit my 2.25" wide MTB tires barely squeezed in and I had to push down hard. The rack looks like this: https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/sho...8df2678ec2064b When we arrived another rider put his 26" MTB on there on even that barely fit in (rear wheel rode up half an inch). Does anyone know a better "strap down" method that is faster than wrapping a bungee around rim and rack numerous times? -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ You should look into getting a few Cohglans Arno Straps. They are like super long nylon toestraps and have a metal buckle that does not fall apart when reefed really tight. I'ved used them to secure a recliner rocker chair to my rear bike rack. I also use them for fastening everything to the bike when touring. In addition to that I use them for holding the rolled up sleeping bag, tent etcetera instead of having to fumble with laces etcetera. Here's a link to an actual card with two Arno straps on it. https://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/...9227/cat101260 Aha, Arno straps! Thanks, those look very good. They can also come in handy when something structural breaks on the bike during a trail ride. You can get them in lengths of 36" to 60". The straps are 3/4" wide. Cheers Addendum I forgot to mention that I use those Arno Straps to secure my mountain bicyle to the front rack on our inter-city bus. It's great insurance for when the bus is running at highway speeds. On the freeway the bus driver really stepped on it and actually passed a tour bus. I was concerned that the handlebar of my bike might smash a front window on the bus but despite being just 2" from it that didn't happen. He took corners Mario Andretti style and luckily neither bike flew out sideways. The bungees were all that was holding them sideways to the bus depending on curve direction (away from the hook). If I was an engineer on the design review for such a rack (they don't seem to hold any design reviews ...) I'd insist that there are wheel hooks for front and rear wheel. And, of course, slots long enough for 29ers and 27-1/2 bikes. In fact, then you could leave the slots open to the curb side making loading and unloading much easier for older riders who can't lift a bike upwards while bent over (something even young people should avoid). Don't forget to design for small wheel, short wheelbase shopping bikes. And for long wheelbase "flatfoot" bikes. For short wheelbase and long wheelbase recumbents. For recumbents with 20" wheels and 700c wheels. For under-seat steering and above-seat steering. For tandems, including conventional, small wheel, and recumbent. For tall bikes and for antiques, including high wheelers. (Most of those are very valuable.) For carbon fiber frames as well as metal. For folding bikes, especially if carrying packs, because those frequently can't go into the bus. For electric assist bikes, and electric powered bikes. Don't worry about unicycles. This is a BIcycle discussion group. But don't forget the rolling zeppelins. More true than you know, Frank. Sold a wheel tray type hitch-mount car carrier last week to a guy who came back because the retaining strap for the downtube would not span the 6"x10" downtube on his XMart internal battery wonder toy. O Tempora! O Mores! As it turns out, the Saris polymer strap-buckle thingy can be doubled up nose-to-toe and we stock them anyway. https://66e2197c1fdd000748fd-b9614b5.../15539_700.jpg Most bus passengers won't show up with E-bikes because the driver is not allowed to assist with loading and those things are heavy. Straps aren't a problem because they clamp a wheel. However, slot length will increasingly problematic on not so well designed racks like they are used on our buses. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 2018-08-25 11:12, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 8/24/2018 2:17 PM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-24 10:11, Frank Krygowski wrote: As to your question: I wonder if a velcro strap with rectangular ring might work. They're fast to install and surprisingly strong. See, for example: https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Cabl...g=UTF8&s=a ht Thanks, but I do not trust plastic for this stuff. The Arno straps that Sir mentioned seem to be the ticket here. Of course, there remains the risk that a picky bus driver refuses to accept that mounting method and we'd be stranded. I do have some with steel loops, but that's OK. I should have known it wouldn't work for you. ;-) A certain guy I know well once had a habit of asking my advice. "Can you come over and look at this? You're an engineer." So I'd visit and hear "The garage door track is coming loose" or "This table I'm building has wobbly legs" or "I need a way to carry this bag on the back of my bike" or a bunch of other things. In each case, the answer seemed obvious to me - as in "You need something to resist that bending moment, so if you add a brace here" or "... if you screw this in two places..." or whatever. Invariably, he'd say "That won't work, because..." and spout some nonsense. I still see the guy from time to time. When he asks me about problems now, I usually say things like "Yeah, I see why that bothers you. What do you think?" and later "Well, you could try that if you like." I would have assumed that you as a mechanical engineer would understand that plastic buckles will not be adequate for holding a bike wheel _on_ the slot (not _in_ the slot) at freeway speeds and when taking corners at a good clip. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On Saturday, August 25, 2018 at 2:58:12 PM UTC-4, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-08-25 11:12, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/24/2018 2:17 PM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-24 10:11, Frank Krygowski wrote: As to your question: I wonder if a velcro strap with rectangular ring might work. They're fast to install and surprisingly strong. See, for example: https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Cabl...g=UTF8&s=a ht Thanks, but I do not trust plastic for this stuff. The Arno straps that Sir mentioned seem to be the ticket here. Of course, there remains the risk that a picky bus driver refuses to accept that mounting method and we'd be stranded. I do have some with steel loops, but that's OK. I should have known it wouldn't work for you. ;-) A certain guy I know well once had a habit of asking my advice. "Can you come over and look at this? You're an engineer." So I'd visit and hear "The garage door track is coming loose" or "This table I'm building has wobbly legs" or "I need a way to carry this bag on the back of my bike" or a bunch of other things. In each case, the answer seemed obvious to me - as in "You need something to resist that bending moment, so if you add a brace here" or "... if you screw this in two places..." or whatever. Invariably, he'd say "That won't work, because..." and spout some nonsense. I still see the guy from time to time. When he asks me about problems now, I usually say things like "Yeah, I see why that bothers you. What do you think?" and later "Well, you could try that if you like." I would have assumed that you as a mechanical engineer would understand that plastic buckles will not be adequate for holding a bike wheel _on_ the slot (not _in_ the slot) at freeway speeds and when taking corners at a good clip. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ When I know the bus is going onto a highway, I use two Arno straps on the bus carrier to brace the bike so that it doesn't end up leaning to one side or the other and thus put a lot of sideways pressure on the wheels. Again, I wrap the Arno straps around the FRAME not the wheels so that the sideways stress is take by the frame and straps not the wheels. Cheers |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 2018-08-25 12:26, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Saturday, August 25, 2018 at 2:58:12 PM UTC-4, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-25 11:12, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/24/2018 2:17 PM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-24 10:11, Frank Krygowski wrote: As to your question: I wonder if a velcro strap with rectangular ring might work. They're fast to install and surprisingly strong. See, for example: https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Cabl...g=UTF8&s=a ht Thanks, but I do not trust plastic for this stuff. The Arno straps that Sir mentioned seem to be the ticket here. Of course, there remains the risk that a picky bus driver refuses to accept that mounting method and we'd be stranded. I do have some with steel loops, but that's OK. I should have known it wouldn't work for you. ;-) A certain guy I know well once had a habit of asking my advice. "Can you come over and look at this? You're an engineer." So I'd visit and hear "The garage door track is coming loose" or "This table I'm building has wobbly legs" or "I need a way to carry this bag on the back of my bike" or a bunch of other things. In each case, the answer seemed obvious to me - as in "You need something to resist that bending moment, so if you add a brace here" or "... if you screw this in two places..." or whatever. Invariably, he'd say "That won't work, because..." and spout some nonsense. I still see the guy from time to time. When he asks me about problems now, I usually say things like "Yeah, I see why that bothers you. What do you think?" and later "Well, you could try that if you like." I would have assumed that you as a mechanical engineer would understand that plastic buckles will not be adequate for holding a bike wheel _on_ the slot (not _in_ the slot) at freeway speeds and when taking corners at a good clip. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ When I know the bus is going onto a highway, I use two Arno straps on the bus carrier to brace the bike so that it doesn't end up leaning to one side or the other and thus put a lot of sideways pressure on the wheels. Again, I wrap the Arno straps around the FRAME not the wheels so that the sideways stress is take by the frame and straps not the wheels. I'll probably carry two straps so I can run an additional one over the top tube, though it won't help much because the only place I can tie it to is the slot below the bike. No hooks on the bus bumper and I can't tie to the next slot because another passenger might want to load their bike in it. The wheel must be strapped down as well, hard, because else the bike will won't to shoot out to the side of the bus when it takes a corner, due to the fact that the front wheel is almost completely riding on top of the U-shaped top end of the slot.. Anyhow, a manager at the transit agency seems to be interested in digging into the matter. Let's see where that goes. IMO the rack manufacturer should fix this free of charge to the transit agency because they messed up. If they fix it I won't need to strap down at all but like you I probably will anyhow if it feels at all iffy. Arno straps are on the shopping list for the next Amazon order. They come as 2-packs so I can shorten one for the wheel strapping and leave the other for the top tube strapping. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On Friday, August 24, 2018 at 12:01:26 PM UTC-7, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Friday, August 24, 2018 at 2:17:27 PM UTC-4, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-24 10:11, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/24/2018 10:35 AM, Joerg wrote: Couldn't believe it. Those great agency folks obviously didn't test the bike racks for our local buses before signing the contract. Long story short my 29er bike didn't fit in and neither did my friend's. Luckily the driver was patient and helpful. We had to load the bikes reversed so the hook goes over the rear wheel. Not easy because of my panniers but worked, somehow. The front wheels now rode up on the other side of the rack slot. We both had bungee cords with which we strapped them down as hard as we could. Oh, and the slot width barely fit my 2.25" wide MTB tires barely squeezed in and I had to push down hard. The rack looks like this: https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/sho...8df2678ec2064b When we arrived another rider put his 26" MTB on there on even that barely fit in (rear wheel rode up half an inch). Does anyone know a better "strap down" method that is faster than wrapping a bungee around rim and rack numerous times? I wouldn't fault the rack designer too much. Bikes come in such incredible variety it's tricky to design even stationary bike racks. And transit companies are seldom flush with funds. They can spend only so much to accommodate the one percent with unusual bikes. In this day and age 27-1/2" and 29" bikes hardly represent 1%. And yes, the designers are at fault. They should have tested or at least hold a design review with actual cyclists attending. In med-tech we are obligated to hold those and for good reasons. Also, as I wrote even a simple 26" MTB didn't fit completely, the rear wheel remained an inch above the rail floor. In my book that constitutes a thoroughly botched design. As to your question: I wonder if a velcro strap with rectangular ring might work. They're fast to install and surprisingly strong. See, for example: https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Cabl...g=UTF8&s=a ht Thanks, but I do not trust plastic for this stuff. The Arno straps that Sir mentioned seem to be the ticket here. Of course, there remains the risk that a picky bus driver refuses to accept that mounting method and we'd be stranded. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ Around here the bus drivers don't mind the few seconds it takes to use a long Arno strap to secure the bike to the rack. I just loop the strap around the top tube of the bike and then around the bus rack and cinch the Arno strap tight. It takes just seconds and I usually have it done whilst other passengers are getting on or off the bus. Arno straps are really tough as are their buckles. I've never had an Arno strap fail nor its buckle even when being used in the dead of winter. I've had many a plastic buckle snap when being cinched in winter's cold. Cheers I have more concern for the other bus or BART passengers if you're holding things up. |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On Saturday, August 25, 2018 at 7:19:59 AM UTC-7, Ned Mantei wrote:
On 24-08-18 16:35, Joerg wrote: Couldn't believe it. Those great agency folks obviously didn't test the bike racks for our local buses before signing the contract. Long story short my 29er bike didn't fit in and neither did my friend's. Luckily the driver was patient and helpful. We had to load the bikes reversed so the hook goes over the rear wheel. Not easy because of my panniers but worked, somehow. The front wheels now rode up on the other side of the rack slot. We both had bungee cords with which we strapped them down as hard as we could. Oh, and the slot width barely fit my 2.25" wide MTB tires barely squeezed in and I had to push down hard. The rack looks like this: https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/sho...8df2678ec2064b When we arrived another rider put his 26" MTB on there on even that barely fit in (rear wheel rode up half an inch). Does anyone know a better "strap down" method that is faster than wrapping a bungee around rim and rack numerous times? I have occasionally had a problem with my MTB in a Swiss train. Depending on the train, there will typically be a space for bikes at the end of the wagon. There you can hang the front wheel of your bike by a hook, and the back wheel will be in a vertically mounted U-shaped, fitting to keep it from swaying too much. See https://www.radreise-wiki.de/Datei:S...lbstverlad.JPG However, especially in older rail cars sometimes the hooks are too near the ceiling and the wall, so that 2.25" tires won't fit. The train operators (mainly the federal rail system) know about this problem, but solving it involves more than just replacing the hooks. Newer trains sometimes will have a wagon with a different sort of bike parking: https://blog.veloplus.ch/2015/03/24/...velotransport/ That works well, and it's easier to park your bike. Ned Both look like very good ideas. The Ferry Boats around here have very crude conditions for bikes. On the stern there are the semi-hanging bike hooks but that is only few in numbers. So in the passenger compartment there is a large space where people just throw all their bikes together leaning against one another. There isn't a lot of swaying because the boats are twin-hulls with turbines but I always try to be at the head of the line to get to the hooks in order to not get into that mess. The ferry-boats also have bars so I suppose that's why people don't care how their bikes are handled. |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On Saturday, August 25, 2018 at 11:22:33 AM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 8/24/2018 2:09 PM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-24 09:21, Sir Ridesalot wrote: On Friday, August 24, 2018 at 11:25:58 AM UTC-4, Sir Ridesalot wrote: On Friday, August 24, 2018 at 10:35:42 AM UTC-4, Joerg wrote: Couldn't believe it. Those great agency folks obviously didn't test the bike racks for our local buses before signing the contract. Long story short my 29er bike didn't fit in and neither did my friend's. Luckily the driver was patient and helpful. We had to load the bikes reversed so the hook goes over the rear wheel. Not easy because of my panniers but worked, somehow. The front wheels now rode up on the other side of the rack slot. We both had bungee cords with which we strapped them down as hard as we could. Oh, and the slot width barely fit my 2.25" wide MTB tires barely squeezed in and I had to push down hard. The rack looks like this: https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/sho...8df2678ec2064b When we arrived another rider put his 26" MTB on there on even that barely fit in (rear wheel rode up half an inch). Does anyone know a better "strap down" method that is faster than wrapping a bungee around rim and rack numerous times? -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ You should look into getting a few Cohglans Arno Straps. They are like super long nylon toestraps and have a metal buckle that does not fall apart when reefed really tight. I'ved used them to secure a recliner rocker chair to my rear bike rack. I also use them for fastening everything to the bike when touring. In addition to that I use them for holding the rolled up sleeping bag, tent etcetera instead of having to fumble with laces etcetera. Here's a link to an actual card with two Arno straps on it. https://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/...9227/cat101260 Aha, Arno straps! Thanks, those look very good. They can also come in handy when something structural breaks on the bike during a trail ride. You can get them in lengths of 36" to 60". The straps are 3/4" wide. Cheers Addendum I forgot to mention that I use those Arno Straps to secure my mountain bicyle to the front rack on our inter-city bus. It's great insurance for when the bus is running at highway speeds. On the freeway the bus driver really stepped on it and actually passed a tour bus. I was concerned that the handlebar of my bike might smash a front window on the bus but despite being just 2" from it that didn't happen. He took corners Mario Andretti style and luckily neither bike flew out sideways. The bungees were all that was holding them sideways to the bus depending on curve direction (away from the hook). If I was an engineer on the design review for such a rack (they don't seem to hold any design reviews ...) I'd insist that there are wheel hooks for front and rear wheel. And, of course, slots long enough for 29ers and 27-1/2 bikes. In fact, then you could leave the slots open to the curb side making loading and unloading much easier for older riders who can't lift a bike upwards while bent over (something even young people should avoid). Don't forget to design for small wheel, short wheelbase shopping bikes. And for long wheelbase "flatfoot" bikes. For short wheelbase and long wheelbase recumbents. For recumbents with 20" wheels and 700c wheels. For under-seat steering and above-seat steering. For tandems, including conventional, small wheel, and recumbent. For tall bikes and for antiques, including high wheelers. (Most of those are very valuable.) For carbon fiber frames as well as metal. For folding bikes, especially if carrying packs, because those frequently can't go into the bus. For electric assist bikes, and electric powered bikes. Don't worry about unicycles. This is a BIcycle discussion group. -- - Frank Krygowski --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus I've been seeing those long wheelbase pickup bikes more and more often. |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 8/25/2018 2:58 PM, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-08-25 11:12, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/24/2018 2:17 PM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-24 10:11, Frank Krygowski wrote: As to your question: I wonder if a velcro strap with rectangular ring might work. They're fast to install and surprisingly strong. See, for example: https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Cabl...g=UTF8&s=a ht Thanks, but I do not trust plastic for this stuff. The Arno straps that Sir mentioned seem to be the ticket here. Of course, there remains the risk that a picky bus driver refuses to accept that mounting method and we'd be stranded. I do have some with steel loops, but that's OK. I should have known it wouldn't work for you.Â*Â* ;-) A certain guy I know well once had a habit of asking my advice. "Can you come over and look at this? You're an engineer."Â* So I'd visit and hear "The garage door track is coming loose" or "This table I'm building has wobbly legs" or "I need a way to carry this bag on the back of my bike" or a bunch of other things. In each case, the answer seemed obvious to me - as in "You need something to resist that bending moment, so if you add a brace here" or "... if you screw this in two places..." or whatever. Invariably, he'd say "That won't work, because..." and spout some nonsense. I still see the guy from time to time. When he asks me about problems now, I usually say things like "Yeah, I see why that bothers you. What do you think?" and later "Well, you could try that if you like." I would have assumed that you as a mechanical engineer would understand that plastic buckles will not be adequate for holding a bike wheel _on_ the slot (not _in_ the slot) at freeway speeds and when taking corners at a good clip. First, I ride my bikes. Sometimes I carry them on my car, so I've modified my own racks to work the way I wanted. I've never put them on a bus rack. But you've shown no image of your bike on the rack, just a small distant shot of a bike that fits. You said the big clamp bar worked on your rear wheel, so it's not clear how your bike could fall off. Was your front wheel only partially in the slot? If so, it's probably no big deal. Gravity is holding it down. Straps would mostly be insurance against jostling. The forces would be small. You've given me no evidence that a plastic buckle is not sufficient. You've given only your assertion. I don't value your assertions. Andrew gave a link to the kind of strap on my roof rack. It's got a plastic buckle that's worked perfectly with singles and our tandem since 2004. If I wanted to use the design I linked and didn't trust plastic, I'd substitute a metal loop for the plastic one, either by purchase or by fabrication. Yes, I know, you don't have time to cut a piece of steel rod and bend it into a rectangle, but I would make the time to do that instead of type 18 discussion posts about how you're smarter than anyone who ever designed a bike rack. But if you want to use Arno straps, that's perfectly fine with me. Just remember, they're made of polyester. That's another word for [gasp!] plastic. -- - Frank Krygowski --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 8/25/2018 10:19 AM, Ned Mantei wrote:
O I have occasionally had a problem with my MTB in a Swiss train. Depending on the train, there will typically be a space for bikes at the end of the wagon. There you can hang the front wheel of your bike by a hook, and the back wheel will be in a vertically mounted U-shaped, fitting to keep it from swaying too much. See https://www.radreise-wiki.de/Datei:S...lbstverlad.JPG However, especially in older rail cars sometimes the hooks are too near the ceiling and the wall, so that 2.25" tires won't fit. The train operators (mainly the federal rail system) know about this problem, but solving it involves more than just replacing the hooks. We rode a train in Estonia and another on a trip in France with our Bikes Friday. For those trips, we had large packs on the back of the bikes. Hanging from those sorts of hooks was a little difficult because of having to lift the bike higher than normal off the ground, but I didn't complain. A Bike Friday is an unusual design. It requires compromise. Newer trains sometimes will have a wagon with a different sort of bike parking: https://blog.veloplus.ch/2015/03/24/...velotransport/ That works well, and it's easier to park your bike. Our Fridays (and their trailers) rode into Zurich in such a car. The car was packed with bikes, and ours barely fit, but we made it. -- - Frank Krygowski --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On Sat, 25 Aug 2018 21:31:19 -0400, Frank Krygowski
wrote: On 8/25/2018 2:58 PM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-25 11:12, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/24/2018 2:17 PM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-24 10:11, Frank Krygowski wrote: As to your question: I wonder if a velcro strap with rectangular ring might work. They're fast to install and surprisingly strong. See, for example: https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Cabl...g=UTF8&s=a ht Thanks, but I do not trust plastic for this stuff. The Arno straps that Sir mentioned seem to be the ticket here. Of course, there remains the risk that a picky bus driver refuses to accept that mounting method and we'd be stranded. I do have some with steel loops, but that's OK. I should have known it wouldn't work for you.** ;-) A certain guy I know well once had a habit of asking my advice. "Can you come over and look at this? You're an engineer."* So I'd visit and hear "The garage door track is coming loose" or "This table I'm building has wobbly legs" or "I need a way to carry this bag on the back of my bike" or a bunch of other things. In each case, the answer seemed obvious to me - as in "You need something to resist that bending moment, so if you add a brace here" or "... if you screw this in two places..." or whatever. Invariably, he'd say "That won't work, because..." and spout some nonsense. I still see the guy from time to time. When he asks me about problems now, I usually say things like "Yeah, I see why that bothers you. What do you think?" and later "Well, you could try that if you like." I would have assumed that you as a mechanical engineer would understand that plastic buckles will not be adequate for holding a bike wheel _on_ the slot (not _in_ the slot) at freeway speeds and when taking corners at a good clip. First, I ride my bikes. Sometimes I carry them on my car, so I've modified my own racks to work the way I wanted. I've never put them on a bus rack. But you've shown no image of your bike on the rack, just a small distant shot of a bike that fits. You said the big clamp bar worked on your rear wheel, so it's not clear how your bike could fall off. Was your front wheel only partially in the slot? If so, it's probably no big deal. Gravity is holding it down. Straps would mostly be insurance against jostling. The forces would be small. You've given me no evidence that a plastic buckle is not sufficient. You've given only your assertion. I don't value your assertions. Andrew gave a link to the kind of strap on my roof rack. It's got a plastic buckle that's worked perfectly with singles and our tandem since 2004. If I wanted to use the design I linked and didn't trust plastic, I'd substitute a metal loop for the plastic one, either by purchase or by fabrication. Yes, I know, you don't have time to cut a piece of steel rod and bend it into a rectangle, but I would make the time to do that instead of type 18 discussion posts about how you're smarter than anyone who ever designed a bike rack. But if you want to use Arno straps, that's perfectly fine with me. Just remember, they're made of polyester. That's another word for [gasp!] plastic. Apparently plastic buckles are used on quite a few, what might be called "important" stuff: see https://bit.ly/2P2s4kf :-) |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 8/24/2018 7:35 AM, Joerg wrote:
snip When we arrived another rider put his 26" MTB on there on even that barely fit in (rear wheel rode up half an inch). Does anyone know a better "strap down" method that is faster than wrapping a bungee around rim and rack numerous times? Yeah, those racks were not designed for long wheelbase bikes with wide tires. Since the transit agency is unlikely to put in new racks, you'll need to buy a new bike with a shorter wheelbase. But perhaps when they buy new buses they can build a rack with a longer and wider wheel tray. I've taken bikes on Caltrain and VTA light rail (and light rail from Folsom to Sacramento) but never on a bus. |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 2018-08-26 07:31, sms wrote:
On 8/24/2018 7:35 AM, Joerg wrote: snip When we arrived another rider put his 26" MTB on there on even that barely fit in (rear wheel rode up half an inch). Does anyone know a better "strap down" method that is faster than wrapping a bungee around rim and rack numerous times? Yeah, those racks were not designed for long wheelbase bikes with wide tires. Since the transit agency is unlikely to put in new racks, you'll need to buy a new bike with a shorter wheelbase. But perhaps when they buy new buses they can build a rack with a longer and wider wheel tray. I've taken bikes on Caltrain and VTA light rail (and light rail from Folsom to Sacramento) but never on a bus. At least on some bsues the racks were retrofitted and that wasn't long ago. It is sad that it wasn't properly field-tested. 29er bikes are not as popular as 26" out here but 27-1/2" sure are. Since half of the bike riders in my area use MTB that prevents a lot of people from using the bus system. Not a smart marketing move which is why I wrote to the director of marketing (who responded immediately). -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 2018-08-25 19:25, John B. Slocomb wrote:
On Sat, 25 Aug 2018 21:31:19 -0400, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/25/2018 2:58 PM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-25 11:12, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/24/2018 2:17 PM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-24 10:11, Frank Krygowski wrote: As to your question: I wonder if a velcro strap with rectangular ring might work. They're fast to install and surprisingly strong. See, for example: https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Cabl...g=UTF8&s=a ht Thanks, but I do not trust plastic for this stuff. The Arno straps that Sir mentioned seem to be the ticket here. Of course, there remains the risk that a picky bus driver refuses to accept that mounting method and we'd be stranded. I do have some with steel loops, but that's OK. I should have known it wouldn't work for you. ;-) A certain guy I know well once had a habit of asking my advice. "Can you come over and look at this? You're an engineer." So I'd visit and hear "The garage door track is coming loose" or "This table I'm building has wobbly legs" or "I need a way to carry this bag on the back of my bike" or a bunch of other things. In each case, the answer seemed obvious to me - as in "You need something to resist that bending moment, so if you add a brace here" or "... if you screw this in two places..." or whatever. Invariably, he'd say "That won't work, because..." and spout some nonsense. I still see the guy from time to time. When he asks me about problems now, I usually say things like "Yeah, I see why that bothers you. What do you think?" and later "Well, you could try that if you like." I would have assumed that you as a mechanical engineer would understand that plastic buckles will not be adequate for holding a bike wheel _on_ the slot (not _in_ the slot) at freeway speeds and when taking corners at a good clip. First, I ride my bikes. Sometimes I carry them on my car, so I've modified my own racks to work the way I wanted. I've never put them on a bus rack. A bus is environmentally more friendly than a car if used by enough riders. I also always hemmer up to Placerville on the singletrack but this time I rode with a much slower rider and we would have not made it back home in time without using the bus for one trip. But you've shown no image of your bike on the rack, just a small distant shot of a bike that fits. You said the big clamp bar worked on your rear wheel, so it's not clear how your bike could fall off. ... Not fall off but shoot out the side. Unless thoroughly strapped down which is why the bus driver (correctly) insisted that we cinched that as tight as we could. ... Was your front wheel only partially in the slot? Yes, like I wrote. It was almost completely riding on the round top tube of the rack rail (same as in the picture). ... If so, it's probably no big deal. Gravity is holding it down. Straps would mostly be insurance against jostling. The forces would be small. Until the bus driver makes a hard right turn in which case the bike would have flown out the rack to the left. You've given me no evidence that a plastic buckle is not sufficient. You've given only your assertion. I don't value your assertions. I do not care whether you value them. I rely on experience and to me experience matters the most. ... Andrew gave a link to the kind of strap on my roof rack. It's got a plastic buckle that's worked perfectly with singles and our tandem since 2004. If I wanted to use the design I linked and didn't trust plastic, I'd substitute a metal loop for the plastic one, either by purchase or by fabrication. Yes, I know, you don't have time to cut a piece of steel rod and bend it into a rectangle, but I would make the time to do that instead of type 18 discussion posts about how you're smarter than anyone who ever designed a bike rack. Six bucks buys two Arno straps. That makes a home-build silly, doesn't it? But if you want to use Arno straps, that's perfectly fine with me. Just remember, they're made of polyester. That's another word for [gasp!] plastic. Apparently plastic buckles are used on quite a few, what might be called "important" stuff: see https://bit.ly/2P2s4kf :-) I've had too many fail and I routinely see plastic-buckle straps on the side of the road during my rides where the buckle has snapped. The buckle has to be sturdy metal. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 8/26/2018 10:57 AM, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-08-25 19:25, John B. Slocomb wrote: On Sat, 25 Aug 2018 21:31:19 -0400, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/25/2018 2:58 PM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-25 11:12, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/24/2018 2:17 PM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-24 10:11, Frank Krygowski wrote: As to your question: I wonder if a velcro strap with rectangular ring might work. They're fast to install and surprisingly strong. See, for example: https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Cabl...g=UTF8&s=a ht Thanks, but I do not trust plastic for this stuff. The Arno straps that Sir mentioned seem to be the ticket here. Of course, there remains the risk that a picky bus driver refuses to accept that mounting method and we'd be stranded. I do have some with steel loops, but that's OK. I should have known it wouldn't work for you.Â*Â* ;-) A certain guy I know well once had a habit of asking my advice. "Can you come over and look at this? You're an engineer."Â* So I'd visit and hear "The garage door track is coming loose" or "This table I'm building has wobbly legs" or "I need a way to carry this bag on the back of my bike" or a bunch of other things. In each case, the answer seemed obvious to me - as in "You need something to resist that bending moment, so if you add a brace here" or "... if you screw this in two places..." or whatever. Invariably, he'd say "That won't work, because..." and spout some nonsense. I still see the guy from time to time. When he asks me about problems now, I usually say things like "Yeah, I see why that bothers you. What do you think?" and later "Well, you could try that if you like." I would have assumed that you as a mechanical engineer would understand that plastic buckles will not be adequate for holding a bike wheel _on_ the slot (not _in_ the slot) at freeway speeds and when taking corners at a good clip. First, I ride my bikes. Sometimes I carry them on my car, so I've modified my own racks to work the way I wanted. I've never put them on a bus rack. A bus is environmentally more friendly than a car if used by enough riders. I also always hemmer up to Placerville on the singletrack but this time I rode with a much slower rider and we would have not made it back home in time without using the bus for one trip. But you've shown no image of your bike on the rack, just a small distant shot of a bike that fits. You said the big clamp bar worked on your rear wheel, so it's not clear how your bike could fall off. ... Not fall off but shoot out the side. Unless thoroughly strapped down which is why the bus driver (correctly) insisted that we cinched that as tight as we could. Â*... Was your front wheel only partially in the slot? Yes, like I wrote. It was almost completely riding on the round top tube of the rack rail (same as in the picture). Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â*Â* ... If so, it's probably no big deal. Gravity is holding it down. Straps would mostly be insurance against jostling. The forces would be small. Until the bus driver makes a hard right turn in which case the bike would have flown out the rack to the left. You've given me no evidence that a plastic buckle is not sufficient. You've given only your assertion. I don't value your assertions. I do not care whether you value them. I rely on experience and to me experience matters the most. Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â*Â* ... Andrew gave a link to the kind of strap on my roof rack. It's got a plastic buckle that's worked perfectly with singles and our tandem since 2004. If I wanted to use the design I linked and didn't trust plastic, I'd substitute a metal loop for the plastic one, either by purchase or by fabrication. Yes, I know, you don't have time to cut a piece of steel rod and bend it into a rectangle, but I would make the time to do that instead of type 18 discussion posts about how you're smarter than anyone who ever designed a bike rack. Six bucks buys two Arno straps. That makes a home-build silly, doesn't it? But if you want to use Arno straps, that's perfectly fine with me. Just remember, they're made of polyester. That's another word for [gasp!] plastic. Apparently plastic buckles are used on quite a few, what might be called "important" stuff: see https://bit.ly/2P2s4kf :-) I've had too many fail and I routinely see plastic-buckle straps on the side of the road during my rides where the buckle has snapped. The buckle has to be sturdy metal. Bull****, Joerg. Use whatever you want, BUT: The forces are small. It's just jostling, and buses have huge masses and soft springs. They don't corner at high lateral accelerations, so the accelerations (therefore forces) are small in all directions. If a bike did come off, it could be because of the remote possibility of a broken bus rack (see https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting...racks-wtf.html) but it's much more likely because you botched the mounting job. (Part of the job is to make sure the bus rack isn't broken.) If your bike is outside the norm, it's your job to deal with it. Other people do. And don't tell me you routinely see broken plastic buckle straps on the side of the road. That's a ludicrous fantasy right in line with your mountain lion attacks, fence nail chain repairs, lives saved because you carried your growler and other weird tales. I'm beginning to believe you dream all this stuff up while sitting in a dive bar sloshed on Miller Lite. You sound like a Walter Mitty with home brewing pretensions. -- - Frank Krygowski --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On Sunday, August 26, 2018 at 10:44:41 AM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 8/26/2018 10:57 AM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-25 19:25, John B. Slocomb wrote: On Sat, 25 Aug 2018 21:31:19 -0400, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/25/2018 2:58 PM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-25 11:12, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/24/2018 2:17 PM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-24 10:11, Frank Krygowski wrote: As to your question: I wonder if a velcro strap with rectangular ring might work. They're fast to install and surprisingly strong. See, for example: https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Cabl...g=UTF8&s=a ht Thanks, but I do not trust plastic for this stuff. The Arno straps that Sir mentioned seem to be the ticket here. Of course, there remains the risk that a picky bus driver refuses to accept that mounting method and we'd be stranded. I do have some with steel loops, but that's OK. I should have known it wouldn't work for you.Â*Â* ;-) A certain guy I know well once had a habit of asking my advice. "Can you come over and look at this? You're an engineer."Â* So I'd visit and hear "The garage door track is coming loose" or "This table I'm building has wobbly legs" or "I need a way to carry this bag on the back of my bike" or a bunch of other things. In each case, the answer seemed obvious to me - as in "You need something to resist that bending moment, so if you add a brace here" or "... if you screw this in two places..." or whatever. Invariably, he'd say "That won't work, because..." and spout some nonsense. I still see the guy from time to time. When he asks me about problems now, I usually say things like "Yeah, I see why that bothers you. What do you think?" and later "Well, you could try that if you like." I would have assumed that you as a mechanical engineer would understand that plastic buckles will not be adequate for holding a bike wheel _on_ the slot (not _in_ the slot) at freeway speeds and when taking corners at a good clip. First, I ride my bikes. Sometimes I carry them on my car, so I've modified my own racks to work the way I wanted. I've never put them on a bus rack. A bus is environmentally more friendly than a car if used by enough riders. I also always hemmer up to Placerville on the singletrack but this time I rode with a much slower rider and we would have not made it back home in time without using the bus for one trip. But you've shown no image of your bike on the rack, just a small distant shot of a bike that fits. You said the big clamp bar worked on your rear wheel, so it's not clear how your bike could fall off. ... Not fall off but shoot out the side. Unless thoroughly strapped down which is why the bus driver (correctly) insisted that we cinched that as tight as we could. Â*... Was your front wheel only partially in the slot? Yes, like I wrote. It was almost completely riding on the round top tube of the rack rail (same as in the picture). Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â*Â* ... If so, it's probably no big deal. Gravity is holding it down. Straps would mostly be insurance against jostling. The forces would be small. Until the bus driver makes a hard right turn in which case the bike would have flown out the rack to the left. You've given me no evidence that a plastic buckle is not sufficient. You've given only your assertion. I don't value your assertions. I do not care whether you value them. I rely on experience and to me experience matters the most. Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â*Â* ... Andrew gave a link to the kind of strap on my roof rack. It's got a plastic buckle that's worked perfectly with singles and our tandem since 2004.. If I wanted to use the design I linked and didn't trust plastic, I'd substitute a metal loop for the plastic one, either by purchase or by fabrication. Yes, I know, you don't have time to cut a piece of steel rod and bend it into a rectangle, but I would make the time to do that instead of type 18 discussion posts about how you're smarter than anyone who ever designed a bike rack. Six bucks buys two Arno straps. That makes a home-build silly, doesn't it? But if you want to use Arno straps, that's perfectly fine with me. Just remember, they're made of polyester. That's another word for [gasp!] plastic. Apparently plastic buckles are used on quite a few, what might be called "important" stuff: see https://bit.ly/2P2s4kf :-) I've had too many fail and I routinely see plastic-buckle straps on the side of the road during my rides where the buckle has snapped. The buckle has to be sturdy metal. Bull****, Joerg. Use whatever you want, BUT: The forces are small. It's just jostling, and buses have huge masses and soft springs. They don't corner at high lateral accelerations, so the accelerations (therefore forces) are small in all directions. If a bike did come off, it could be because of the remote possibility of a broken bus rack (see https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting...racks-wtf.html) but it's much more likely because you botched the mounting job. (Part of the job is to make sure the bus rack isn't broken.) If your bike is outside the norm, it's your job to deal with it. Other people do. And don't tell me you routinely see broken plastic buckle straps on the side of the road. That's a ludicrous fantasy right in line with your mountain lion attacks, fence nail chain repairs, lives saved because you carried your growler and other weird tales. I'm beginning to believe you dream all this stuff up while sitting in a dive bar sloshed on Miller Lite. You sound like a Walter Mitty with home brewing pretensions. Ouch. Who knows, maybe Joerg is one of those guys who finds oodles of road swag. I ride with the guy, an M.D., who finds stuff on every ride. I rode by a really nice short-handle phillips head screw driver yesterday. I left it for the next guy since I already have too many. Maybe Joerg has an eye for broken straps. We have essentially the same racks in Portland on TriMet buses and probably 100X more bikes than suburban Sacramento, and yet I don't see broken straps, ruined bikes or other rack-related mayhem. Maybe we have more skilled bike loaders. They can practice at various spots in PDX. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avQ6ZHKvNgI I see lots of cargo bikes, although many have Bosch and other motors and are unlikely to be on the front of a bus, unless they're hit. It's an eye-opener to get passed on a climb by an e-cargo bike. It's like getting passed on a highway by a triple trailer. -- Jay Beattie. |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On Sun, 26 Aug 2018 13:44:35 -0400, Frank Krygowski
wrote: On 8/26/2018 10:57 AM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-25 19:25, John B. Slocomb wrote: On Sat, 25 Aug 2018 21:31:19 -0400, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/25/2018 2:58 PM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-25 11:12, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/24/2018 2:17 PM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-24 10:11, Frank Krygowski wrote: As to your question: I wonder if a velcro strap with rectangular ring might work. They're fast to install and surprisingly strong. See, for example: https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Cabl...g=UTF8&s=a ht Thanks, but I do not trust plastic for this stuff. The Arno straps that Sir mentioned seem to be the ticket here. Of course, there remains the risk that a picky bus driver refuses to accept that mounting method and we'd be stranded. I do have some with steel loops, but that's OK. I should have known it wouldn't work for you.** ;-) A certain guy I know well once had a habit of asking my advice. "Can you come over and look at this? You're an engineer."* So I'd visit and hear "The garage door track is coming loose" or "This table I'm building has wobbly legs" or "I need a way to carry this bag on the back of my bike" or a bunch of other things. In each case, the answer seemed obvious to me - as in "You need something to resist that bending moment, so if you add a brace here" or "... if you screw this in two places..." or whatever. Invariably, he'd say "That won't work, because..." and spout some nonsense. I still see the guy from time to time. When he asks me about problems now, I usually say things like "Yeah, I see why that bothers you. What do you think?" and later "Well, you could try that if you like." I would have assumed that you as a mechanical engineer would understand that plastic buckles will not be adequate for holding a bike wheel _on_ the slot (not _in_ the slot) at freeway speeds and when taking corners at a good clip. First, I ride my bikes. Sometimes I carry them on my car, so I've modified my own racks to work the way I wanted. I've never put them on a bus rack. A bus is environmentally more friendly than a car if used by enough riders. I also always hemmer up to Placerville on the singletrack but this time I rode with a much slower rider and we would have not made it back home in time without using the bus for one trip. But you've shown no image of your bike on the rack, just a small distant shot of a bike that fits. You said the big clamp bar worked on your rear wheel, so it's not clear how your bike could fall off. ... Not fall off but shoot out the side. Unless thoroughly strapped down which is why the bus driver (correctly) insisted that we cinched that as tight as we could. *... Was your front wheel only partially in the slot? Yes, like I wrote. It was almost completely riding on the round top tube of the rack rail (same as in the picture). **************************** ... If so, it's probably no big deal. Gravity is holding it down. Straps would mostly be insurance against jostling. The forces would be small. Until the bus driver makes a hard right turn in which case the bike would have flown out the rack to the left. You've given me no evidence that a plastic buckle is not sufficient. You've given only your assertion. I don't value your assertions. I do not care whether you value them. I rely on experience and to me experience matters the most. ************************************************** *** ... Andrew gave a link to the kind of strap on my roof rack. It's got a plastic buckle that's worked perfectly with singles and our tandem since 2004. If I wanted to use the design I linked and didn't trust plastic, I'd substitute a metal loop for the plastic one, either by purchase or by fabrication. Yes, I know, you don't have time to cut a piece of steel rod and bend it into a rectangle, but I would make the time to do that instead of type 18 discussion posts about how you're smarter than anyone who ever designed a bike rack. Six bucks buys two Arno straps. That makes a home-build silly, doesn't it? But if you want to use Arno straps, that's perfectly fine with me. Just remember, they're made of polyester. That's another word for [gasp!] plastic. Apparently plastic buckles are used on quite a few, what might be called "important" stuff: see https://bit.ly/2P2s4kf :-) I've had too many fail and I routinely see plastic-buckle straps on the side of the road during my rides where the buckle has snapped. The buckle has to be sturdy metal. Bull****, Joerg. Use whatever you want, BUT: The forces are small. It's just jostling, and buses have huge masses and soft springs. They don't corner at high lateral accelerations, so the accelerations (therefore forces) are small in all directions. If a bike did come off, it could be because of the remote possibility of a broken bus rack (see https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting...racks-wtf.html) but it's much more likely because you botched the mounting job. (Part of the job is to make sure the bus rack isn't broken.) If your bike is outside the norm, it's your job to deal with it. Other people do. And don't tell me you routinely see broken plastic buckle straps on the side of the road. That's a ludicrous fantasy right in line with your mountain lion attacks, fence nail chain repairs, lives saved because you carried your growler and other weird tales. I'm beginning to believe you dream all this stuff up while sitting in a dive bar sloshed on Miller Lite. You sound like a Walter Mitty with home brewing pretensions. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/fantasies Fantasies are not frivolous. They can be entertaining, distracting, frightening, even arousing, but they also allow for creativity and help us plan for the future. As long as we don't mistake fantasies for reality (as in delusional disorder and schizophrenia), they provide a necessary escape from the here and now. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/c...ional-disorder Delusions are fixed beliefs that do not change, even when a person is presented with conflicting evidence. Delusions are considered "bizarre" if they are clearly implausible and peers within the same culture cannot understand them. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/c.../schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a disabling, chronic, and severe mental illness. Symptoms include hearing internal voices, having false beliefs, disorganized thoughts and behavior, being emotionally flat, and having hallucinations. |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On Sunday, August 26, 2018 at 1:44:41 PM UTC-4, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 8/26/2018 10:57 AM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-25 19:25, John B. Slocomb wrote: On Sat, 25 Aug 2018 21:31:19 -0400, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/25/2018 2:58 PM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-25 11:12, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/24/2018 2:17 PM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-24 10:11, Frank Krygowski wrote: As to your question: I wonder if a velcro strap with rectangular ring might work. They're fast to install and surprisingly strong. See, for example: https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Cabl...g=UTF8&s=a ht Thanks, but I do not trust plastic for this stuff. The Arno straps that Sir mentioned seem to be the ticket here. Of course, there remains the risk that a picky bus driver refuses to accept that mounting method and we'd be stranded. I do have some with steel loops, but that's OK. I should have known it wouldn't work for you.Â*Â* ;-) A certain guy I know well once had a habit of asking my advice. "Can you come over and look at this? You're an engineer."Â* So I'd visit and hear "The garage door track is coming loose" or "This table I'm building has wobbly legs" or "I need a way to carry this bag on the back of my bike" or a bunch of other things. In each case, the answer seemed obvious to me - as in "You need something to resist that bending moment, so if you add a brace here" or "... if you screw this in two places..." or whatever. Invariably, he'd say "That won't work, because..." and spout some nonsense. I still see the guy from time to time. When he asks me about problems now, I usually say things like "Yeah, I see why that bothers you. What do you think?" and later "Well, you could try that if you like." I would have assumed that you as a mechanical engineer would understand that plastic buckles will not be adequate for holding a bike wheel _on_ the slot (not _in_ the slot) at freeway speeds and when taking corners at a good clip. First, I ride my bikes. Sometimes I carry them on my car, so I've modified my own racks to work the way I wanted. I've never put them on a bus rack. A bus is environmentally more friendly than a car if used by enough riders. I also always hemmer up to Placerville on the singletrack but this time I rode with a much slower rider and we would have not made it back home in time without using the bus for one trip. But you've shown no image of your bike on the rack, just a small distant shot of a bike that fits. You said the big clamp bar worked on your rear wheel, so it's not clear how your bike could fall off. ... Not fall off but shoot out the side. Unless thoroughly strapped down which is why the bus driver (correctly) insisted that we cinched that as tight as we could. Â*... Was your front wheel only partially in the slot? Yes, like I wrote. It was almost completely riding on the round top tube of the rack rail (same as in the picture). Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â*Â* ... If so, it's probably no big deal. Gravity is holding it down. Straps would mostly be insurance against jostling. The forces would be small. Until the bus driver makes a hard right turn in which case the bike would have flown out the rack to the left. You've given me no evidence that a plastic buckle is not sufficient. You've given only your assertion. I don't value your assertions. I do not care whether you value them. I rely on experience and to me experience matters the most. Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â*Â* Â*Â*Â* ... Andrew gave a link to the kind of strap on my roof rack. It's got a plastic buckle that's worked perfectly with singles and our tandem since 2004.. If I wanted to use the design I linked and didn't trust plastic, I'd substitute a metal loop for the plastic one, either by purchase or by fabrication. Yes, I know, you don't have time to cut a piece of steel rod and bend it into a rectangle, but I would make the time to do that instead of type 18 discussion posts about how you're smarter than anyone who ever designed a bike rack. Six bucks buys two Arno straps. That makes a home-build silly, doesn't it? But if you want to use Arno straps, that's perfectly fine with me. Just remember, they're made of polyester. That's another word for [gasp!] plastic. Apparently plastic buckles are used on quite a few, what might be called "important" stuff: see https://bit.ly/2P2s4kf :-) I've had too many fail and I routinely see plastic-buckle straps on the side of the road during my rides where the buckle has snapped. The buckle has to be sturdy metal. Bull****, Joerg. Use whatever you want, BUT: The forces are small. It's just jostling, and buses have huge masses and soft springs. They don't corner at high lateral accelerations, so the accelerations (therefore forces) are small in all directions. If a bike did come off, it could be because of the remote possibility of a broken bus rack (see https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting...racks-wtf.html) but it's much more likely because you botched the mounting job. (Part of the job is to make sure the bus rack isn't broken.) If your bike is outside the norm, it's your job to deal with it. Other people do. And don't tell me you routinely see broken plastic buckle straps on the side of the road. That's a ludicrous fantasy right in line with your mountain lion attacks, fence nail chain repairs, lives saved because you carried your growler and other weird tales. I'm beginning to believe you dream all this stuff up while sitting in a dive bar sloshed on Miller Lite. You sound like a Walter Mitty with home brewing pretensions. -- - Frank Krygowski --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus Perhaps there's little jostling on some buses. However the buses here have quite a jarring ride - so much so that I bring a cushion to sit on if I'm taking the bus for longer than a 20 minutes ride. Regarding plastic buckle breaking. I've had many a plastic buckle break where the strap goes over the part that allows you to adjust the length of the strap. I've had a few of them break in cold weather. Rather than be inconvenienced by that I decided to go back to using Arno straps and have never had on of them fail in any way even in the dead of winter. YMMV Cheers |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
Frank Krygowski writes:
[...] And don't tell me you routinely see broken plastic buckle straps on the side of the road. That's a ludicrous fantasy right in line with your mountain lion attacks, fence nail chain repairs, lives saved because you carried your growler and other weird tales. I have never seen a broken plastic buckle strap on the road. Broken bungies, on the other hand are everywhere. -- |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 2018-08-26 12:44, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, August 26, 2018 at 10:44:41 AM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/26/2018 10:57 AM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-25 19:25, John B. Slocomb wrote: On Sat, 25 Aug 2018 21:31:19 -0400, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/25/2018 2:58 PM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-25 11:12, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/24/2018 2:17 PM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-24 10:11, Frank Krygowski wrote: As to your question: I wonder if a velcro strap with rectangular ring might work. They're fast to install and surprisingly strong. See, for example: https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Cabl...g=UTF8&s=a ht Thanks, but I do not trust plastic for this stuff. The Arno straps that Sir mentioned seem to be the ticket here. Of course, there remains the risk that a picky bus driver refuses to accept that mounting method and we'd be stranded. I do have some with steel loops, but that's OK. I should have known it wouldn't work for you. ;-) A certain guy I know well once had a habit of asking my advice. "Can you come over and look at this? You're an engineer." So I'd visit and hear "The garage door track is coming loose" or "This table I'm building has wobbly legs" or "I need a way to carry this bag on the back of my bike" or a bunch of other things. In each case, the answer seemed obvious to me - as in "You need something to resist that bending moment, so if you add a brace here" or "... if you screw this in two places..." or whatever. Invariably, he'd say "That won't work, because..." and spout some nonsense. I still see the guy from time to time. When he asks me about problems now, I usually say things like "Yeah, I see why that bothers you. What do you think?" and later "Well, you could try that if you like." I would have assumed that you as a mechanical engineer would understand that plastic buckles will not be adequate for holding a bike wheel _on_ the slot (not _in_ the slot) at freeway speeds and when taking corners at a good clip. First, I ride my bikes. Sometimes I carry them on my car, so I've modified my own racks to work the way I wanted. I've never put them on a bus rack. A bus is environmentally more friendly than a car if used by enough riders. I also always hemmer up to Placerville on the singletrack but this time I rode with a much slower rider and we would have not made it back home in time without using the bus for one trip. But you've shown no image of your bike on the rack, just a small distant shot of a bike that fits. You said the big clamp bar worked on your rear wheel, so it's not clear how your bike could fall off. ... Not fall off but shoot out the side. Unless thoroughly strapped down which is why the bus driver (correctly) insisted that we cinched that as tight as we could. ... Was your front wheel only partially in the slot? Yes, like I wrote. It was almost completely riding on the round top tube of the rack rail (same as in the picture). ... If so, it's probably no big deal. Gravity is holding it down. Straps would mostly be insurance against jostling. The forces would be small. Until the bus driver makes a hard right turn in which case the bike would have flown out the rack to the left. You've given me no evidence that a plastic buckle is not sufficient. You've given only your assertion. I don't value your assertions. I do not care whether you value them. I rely on experience and to me experience matters the most. ... Andrew gave a link to the kind of strap on my roof rack. It's got a plastic buckle that's worked perfectly with singles and our tandem since 2004. If I wanted to use the design I linked and didn't trust plastic, I'd substitute a metal loop for the plastic one, either by purchase or by fabrication. Yes, I know, you don't have time to cut a piece of steel rod and bend it into a rectangle, but I would make the time to do that instead of type 18 discussion posts about how you're smarter than anyone who ever designed a bike rack. Six bucks buys two Arno straps. That makes a home-build silly, doesn't it? But if you want to use Arno straps, that's perfectly fine with me. Just remember, they're made of polyester. That's another word for [gasp!] plastic. Apparently plastic buckles are used on quite a few, what might be called "important" stuff: see https://bit.ly/2P2s4kf :-) I've had too many fail and I routinely see plastic-buckle straps on the side of the road during my rides where the buckle has snapped. The buckle has to be sturdy metal. Bull****, Joerg. Use whatever you want, BUT: The forces are small. It's just jostling, and buses have huge masses and soft springs. They don't corner at high lateral accelerations, so the accelerations (therefore forces) are small in all directions. If a bike did come off, it could be because of the remote possibility of a broken bus rack (see https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting...racks-wtf.html) but it's much more likely because you botched the mounting job. (Part of the job is to make sure the bus rack isn't broken.) If your bike is outside the norm, it's your job to deal with it. Other people do. Nonsense. And don't tell me you routinely see broken plastic buckle straps on the side of the road. Yet that's how it is. ... That's a ludicrous fantasy right in line with your mountain lion attacks, fence nail chain repairs, lives saved because you carried your growler and other weird tales. Growlers have never saved lives but they did create times of happiness. I'm beginning to believe you dream all this stuff up while sitting in a dive bar sloshed on Miller Lite. You sound like a Walter Mitty with home brewing pretensions. Ouch. Who knows, maybe Joerg is one of those guys who finds oodles of road swag. I ride with the guy, an M.D., who finds stuff on every ride. I rode by a really nice short-handle phillips head screw driver yesterday. I left it for the next guy since I already have too many. Maybe Joerg has an eye for broken straps. _All_ my loading straps are bike ride finds. Except for the Arno straps I am going to buy. I have over a dozen which covers the various lengths ever needed so I leave them for the next rider now, like your screw driver. A sad find was a Leatherman tool where unfortunately a truck had run over it later and damaged it so badly that I couldn't restore it. We have essentially the same racks in Portland on TriMet buses and probably 100X more bikes than suburban Sacramento, and yet I don't see broken straps, ruined bikes or other rack-related mayhem. Maybe we have more skilled bike loaders. They can practice at various spots in PDX. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avQ6ZHKvNgI Pay attention to where the wheels sit in the slot at 0:53min. This is a short wheelbase city bike, piece of cake. Now try the same loading process with a 29er or 27-1/2" that has an L or XL frame. One of the wheels will ride up on rounded ends of the slot. With a 29er almost all the way up, meaning one wheel is by defualt out of the slot. I see lots of cargo bikes, although many have Bosch and other motors and are unlikely to be on the front of a bus, unless they're hit. It's an eye-opener to get passed on a climb by an e-cargo bike. It's like getting passed on a highway by a triple trailer. One of my riding buddies electrified two of his MTB and has now become the "stronger" rider. He and I tinker together at times trying to optimize the set-up. It is amazing how far a pack of around 100 Li-Ion batteries of the ordinary 18650 size can carry a rider up into the hills. Another riding buddy who is in his 70's and came with us on Thursday tried a mile or so on the Turner MTB which has become an an E-bike. It's like a drug with instant addiction effect and he is now almost ready to also step over to the dark side. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 28/08/18 00:35, Joerg wrote:
All_ my loading straps are bike ride finds. Ditto. I've also got a gallon(?) pickle jar off the various ends from snagged and broken cords. When I need more, a vist to the camping store provides the stretch cable to make up desired length & strength. |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 8/27/2018 10:35 AM, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-08-26 12:44, jbeattie wrote: On Sunday, August 26, 2018 at 10:44:41 AM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/26/2018 10:57 AM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-25 19:25, John B. Slocomb wrote: On Sat, 25 Aug 2018 21:31:19 -0400, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/25/2018 2:58 PM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-25 11:12, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/24/2018 2:17 PM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-24 10:11, Frank Krygowski wrote: As to your question: I wonder if a velcro strap with rectangular ring might work. They're fast to install and surprisingly strong. See, for example: https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Cabl...g=UTF8&s=a ht Thanks, but I do not trust plastic for this stuff. The Arno straps that Sir mentioned seem to be the ticket here. Of course, there remains the risk that a picky bus driver refuses to accept that mounting method and we'd be stranded. I do have some with steel loops, but that's OK. I should have known it wouldn't work for you.Â*Â* ;-) A certain guy I know well once had a habit of asking my advice. "Can you come over and look at this? You're an engineer."Â* So I'd visit and hear "The garage door track is coming loose" or "This table I'm building has wobbly legs" or "I need a way to carry this bag on the back of my bike" or a bunch of other things. In each case, the answer seemed obvious to me - as in "You need something to resist that bending moment, so if you add a brace here" or "... if you screw this in two places..." or whatever. Invariably, he'd say "That won't work, because..." and spout some nonsense. I still see the guy from time to time. When he asks me about problems now, I usually say things like "Yeah, I see why that bothers you. What do you think?" and later "Well, you could try that if you like." I would have assumed that you as a mechanical engineer would understand that plastic buckles will not be adequate for holding a bike wheel _on_ the slot (not _in_ the slot) at freeway speeds and when taking corners at a good clip. First, I ride my bikes. Sometimes I carry them on my car, so I've modified my own racks to work the way I wanted. I've never put them on a bus rack. A bus is environmentally more friendly than a car if used by enough riders. I also always hemmer up to Placerville on the singletrack but this time I rode with a much slower rider and we would have not made it back home in time without using the bus for one trip. But you've shown no image of your bike on the rack, just a small distant shot of a bike that fits. You said the big clamp bar worked on your rear wheel, so it's not clear how your bike could fall off. ... Not fall off but shoot out the side. Unless thoroughly strapped down which is why the bus driver (correctly) insisted that we cinched that as tight as we could. ... Was your front wheel only partially in the slot? Yes, like I wrote. It was almost completely riding on the round top tube of the rack rail (same as in the picture). ... If so, it's probably no big deal. Gravity is holding it down. Straps would mostly be insurance against jostling. The forces would be small. Until the bus driver makes a hard right turn in which case the bike would have flown out the rack to the left. You've given me no evidence that a plastic buckle is not sufficient. You've given only your assertion. I don't value your assertions. I do not care whether you value them. I rely on experience and to me experience matters the most. ... Andrew gave a link to the kind of strap on my roof rack. It's got a plastic buckle that's worked perfectly with singles and our tandem since 2004. If I wanted to use the design I linked and didn't trust plastic, I'd substitute a metal loop for the plastic one, either by purchase or by fabrication. Yes, I know, you don't have time to cut a piece of steel rod and bend it into a rectangle, but I would make the time to do that instead of type 18 discussion posts about how you're smarter than anyone who ever designed a bike rack. Six bucks buys two Arno straps. That makes a home-build silly, doesn't it? But if you want to use Arno straps, that's perfectly fine with me. Just remember, they're made of polyester. That's another word for [gasp!] plastic. Apparently plastic buckles are used on quite a few, what might be called "important" stuff: see https://bit.ly/2P2s4kf :-) I've had too many fail and I routinely see plastic-buckle straps on the side of the road during my rides where the buckle has snapped. The buckle has to be sturdy metal. Bull****, Joerg. Use whatever you want, BUT: The forces are small. It's just jostling, and buses have huge masses and soft springs. They don't corner at high lateral accelerations, so the accelerations (therefore forces) are small in all directions. If a bike did come off, it could be because of the remote possibility of a broken bus rack (see https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting...racks-wtf.html) but it's much more likely because you botched the mounting job. (Part of the job is to make sure the bus rack isn't broken.) If your bike is outside the norm, it's your job to deal with it. Other people do. Nonsense. OK, it's not your job to deal with it. Instead, society has to come up with the funds to re-design all the local bike racks to fit your bike, because you're just not clever enough. Wow. And don't tell me you routinely see broken plastic buckle straps on the side of the road. Yet that's how it is. Then it's really hard to explain our extreme shortage of broken plastic buckle bike straps on our roads. Someone must ship all of ours to your area and distribute them on your roads. _All_ my loading straps are bike ride finds. You load stuff on your bikes using straps with plastic buckles that have snapped? Remember, that was your claim. Keep digging, Joerg. -- - Frank Krygowski |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 2018-08-27 11:09, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 8/27/2018 10:35 AM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-26 12:44, jbeattie wrote: On Sunday, August 26, 2018 at 10:44:41 AM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/26/2018 10:57 AM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-25 19:25, John B. Slocomb wrote: On Sat, 25 Aug 2018 21:31:19 -0400, Frank Krygowski wrote: [...] ... Andrew gave a link to the kind of strap on my roof rack. It's got a plastic buckle that's worked perfectly with singles and our tandem since 2004. If I wanted to use the design I linked and didn't trust plastic, I'd substitute a metal loop for the plastic one, either by purchase or by fabrication. Yes, I know, you don't have time to cut a piece of steel rod and bend it into a rectangle, but I would make the time to do that instead of type 18 discussion posts about how you're smarter than anyone who ever designed a bike rack. Six bucks buys two Arno straps. That makes a home-build silly, doesn't it? But if you want to use Arno straps, that's perfectly fine with me. Just remember, they're made of polyester. That's another word for [gasp!] plastic. Apparently plastic buckles are used on quite a few, what might be called "important" stuff: see https://bit.ly/2P2s4kf :-) I've had too many fail and I routinely see plastic-buckle straps on the side of the road during my rides where the buckle has snapped. The buckle has to be sturdy metal. Bull****, Joerg. Use whatever you want, BUT: The forces are small. It's just jostling, and buses have huge masses and soft springs. They don't corner at high lateral accelerations, so the accelerations (therefore forces) are small in all directions. If a bike did come off, it could be because of the remote possibility of a broken bus rack (see https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting...racks-wtf.html) but it's much more likely because you botched the mounting job. (Part of the job is to make sure the bus rack isn't broken.) If your bike is outside the norm, it's your job to deal with it. Other people do. Nonsense. OK, it's not your job to deal with it. Instead, society has to come up with the funds to re-design all the local bike racks to fit your bike, because you're just not clever enough. Wow. Have you not noticed the vastly growing market share of 27-1/2" and 29" mountain bikes? Seriously? Have you never thought about the fact that in some areas of the country the MTB is the main kind of bicycle instead of a road bike? Wow. And don't tell me you routinely see broken plastic buckle straps on the side of the road. Yet that's how it is. Then it's really hard to explain our extreme shortage of broken plastic buckle bike straps on our roads. Someone must ship all of ours to your area and distribute them on your roads. _All_ my loading straps are bike ride finds. You load stuff on your bikes using straps with plastic buckles that have snapped? Remember, that was your claim. Baloney. Learn to read more carefully. Keep digging, Joerg. No, you just seem to have a tough time understanding. When I find broken straps with plastic buckles I either kick them to the side of the bike lane/shoulder or I pick them up to discard them into the next trash bin. Because I don't want other riders to hit them or animals to swallow that stuff. It that so difficult to understand? -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ |
Bus bike rack too short, how to strap in a bike quickly?
On 8/27/2018 1:59 PM, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-08-27 11:09, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/27/2018 10:35 AM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-26 12:44, jbeattie wrote: On Sunday, August 26, 2018 at 10:44:41 AM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote: On 8/26/2018 10:57 AM, Joerg wrote: On 2018-08-25 19:25, John B. Slocomb wrote: On Sat, 25 Aug 2018 21:31:19 -0400, Frank Krygowski wrote: [...] ... Andrew gave a link to the kind of strap on my roof rack. It's got a plastic buckle that's worked perfectly with singles and our tandem since 2004. If I wanted to use the design I linked and didn't trust plastic, I'd substitute a metal loop for the plastic one, either by purchase or by fabrication. Yes, I know, you don't have time to cut a piece of steel rod and bend it into a rectangle, but I would make the time to do that instead of type 18 discussion posts about how you're smarter than anyone who ever designed a bike rack. Six bucks buys two Arno straps. That makes a home-build silly, doesn't it? But if you want to use Arno straps, that's perfectly fine with me. Just remember, they're made of polyester. That's another word for [gasp!] plastic. Apparently plastic buckles are used on quite a few, what might be called "important" stuff: see https://bit.ly/2P2s4kf :-) I've had too many fail and I routinely see plastic-buckle straps on the side of the road during my rides where the buckle has snapped. The buckle has to be sturdy metal. Bull****, Joerg. Use whatever you want, BUT: The forces are small. It's just jostling, and buses have huge masses and soft springs. They don't corner at high lateral accelerations, so the accelerations (therefore forces) are small in all directions. If a bike did come off, it could be because of the remote possibility of a broken bus rack (see https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting...racks-wtf.html) but it's much more likely because you botched the mounting job. (Part of the job is to make sure the bus rack isn't broken.) If your bike is outside the norm, it's your job to deal with it. Other people do. Nonsense. OK, it's not your job to deal with it. Instead, society has to come up with the funds to re-design all the local bike racks to fit your bike, because you're just not clever enough. Wow. Have you not noticed the vastly growing market share of 27-1/2" and 29" mountain bikes? Seriously? Have you never thought about the fact that in some areas of the country the MTB is the main kind of bicycle instead of a road bike? Wow. And don't tell me you routinely see broken plastic buckle straps on the side of the road. Yet that's how it is. Then it's really hard to explain our extreme shortage of broken plastic buckle bike straps on our roads. Someone must ship all of ours to your area and distribute them on your roads. _All_ my loading straps are bike ride finds. You load stuff on your bikes using straps with plastic buckles that have snapped? Remember, that was your claim. Baloney. Learn to read more carefully. Keep digging, Joerg. No, you just seem to have a tough time understanding. When I find broken straps with plastic buckles I either kick them to the side of the bike lane/shoulder or I pick them up to discard them into the next trash bin. Because I don't want other riders to hit them or animals to swallow that stuff. It that so difficult to understand? Oh, sure you're all for more tax dollars to accommodate white people's various toys but what's the Cameron Park bus system doing for brown cyclists? http://www.yellowjersey.org/photosfr...t/ICECREAM.JPG -- Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org/ Open every day since 1 April, 1971 |
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