older guy with 3-speed retro bike issues

My pedals have a bit of play; are they supposed to? I can pedal in
all three gears without causing play as long as I’m propelling
forward. It doesn’t really bother me too much although it did when I
started. I’m wondering: should I try to fix the play in the pedals or
leave well-enough alone?

Is it more efficient to pedal faster in a lower gear or to work harder
in a higher gear? I can see where I might be further along in
distance with using the high gears, but my goal right now is to
exercise, and not necessarily to get places faster.

My handlebars seem awkward. I can’t as yet take my left hand off the
handlebars to signal and wave and stuff. I remember when I was a kid,
handlebars seemed a little shorter and a little less curved toward the
grips. Maybe I ought to look at other sized handlebars.

In case you’re interested: Along with my retro bike I went back to
retro sneakers like US Keds. I find it easier to pedal with those
than with today’s running sneakers. I’m looking forward to doing
things on the bike I could do as a kid. I.e, mount by kicking right
leg up over the seat; stand up to pedal for some oomph. Using the
pannier baskets the way I did with my paper route. I could add to
this some bike riding joys such as the running kick mount, and of
course the “no hands” stunt as we were egged on by early TV
commercials.

One thing is a lot different than the old days. I definitely do NOT
want to repeat some of the wrecks I had as a kid. I put much more
value nowadays on my equipment, both human and bike. Thanks for
listening. Riding is great.

Bob

On Jun 12, 10:19 pm, bob syr wrote:
My pedals have a bit of play; are they supposed to? I can pedal in
all three gears without causing play as long as I’m propelling
forward. It doesn’t really bother me too much although it did when I
started. I’m wondering: should I try to fix the play in the pedals or
leave well-enough alone?

Is it more efficient to pedal faster in a lower gear or to work harder
in a higher gear? I can see where I might be further along in
distance with using the high gears, but my goal right now is to
exercise, and not necessarily to get places faster.

My handlebars seem awkward. I can’t as yet take my left hand off the
handlebars to signal and wave and stuff. I remember when I was a kid,
handlebars seemed a little shorter and a little less curved toward the
grips. Maybe I ought to look at other sized handlebars.

Pedals don't have much to get "play" in, so unless they're falling
apart, I think you may mean that when you coast a bit, then pedal,
there's some slack in the system before you can apply force. Is that
right? It could mean there's a stuck clutch dog in the hub. Perhaps a
flush and lube (or whatever, for an internal gear hub) is called for.

Pedaling faster in a lower gear (but not too low) is better for your
body, especially your knees. It's considered normal to want to keep
your pedaling cadence up around 80-90 rpm (adjust for age, etc.)

Bars of all shapes are available today, though if your bike is
"experienced" rather than just looking retro, it might not be easy to
find one that fit your stem, brakes, and shifter - newer ones are
fatter. Check your local bike shop(s).

Good luck, and keep riding!

On Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:19:40 -0700 (PDT), bob syr
eventually got to the point:
/
Riding is great.

Amen and welcome back.
Your pedal play sounds to me like the normal kind of slack in a
coaster brake. hub.

More efficiency? You're looking to lose weight. Efficiency be damned
unless you're talking about burning fat. LSD (long slow distance) is
the formula for burning fat. Use all the gears it takes.

For riding longer distances and getting more efficiency you might
want to look at shoes with a stiffer sole than US Keds. A proper
walking shoe or bike shoe are an improvement over gym shoes.

Swapping around handlebars can get costly when you're having to
replace cables and controls. Basically decide if your wrists are more
comfortable with your thumbs pointed forward or towards the center.

Prevent chaffing, heat exhaustion, sun stroke and dehydration.

bon route.
--
zk

"Brian Huntley" wrote in message
...
It's considered normal to want to keep
your pedaling cadence up around 80-90 rpm (adjust for age, etc.)


50-70rpm is probably a more reasonable expectation for someone in street
clothes using flats on a cruiser with a 3 speed hub to go to the shops and
back. An 80+ cadence without clips or cleats runs a fairly high risk of
slipping off the pedal and is getting more into the sports or performance
category of cycling I think.

--
www.ozcableguy.com
www.oztechnologies.com