|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
This bike shouldn't be slow
Commuting to work regularly for about a year now on my Schwinn Crisscross
(hybrid); it's worked fine for me, really well actually. I make it to work in about 30 minutes - 7-8 miles depending on my route. I think I'm in pretty good shape. Recently, a coworker came across an old Peugeot 12 speed (I think a PG10) with 501 Reynolds tubing and gave it to me. The bike was in the police impound forever supposedly and although it was covered in a thick layer of dust, after cleaning it up, the gears & brakes worked beautifully - no adjusting needed. I had to replace the tires that dry-rotted. I had the wheels trued at the LBS. It is very lightweight compared to the Schwinn and so I thought "man, I'm gonna FLY on this bike." Well, I was wrong. I rode it once on a 15 miler from my house to the lake and it was awful. Just sluggish and I was truly struggling. It was windy that day and I attributed the ride that was supposed to be fun and wasn't to that (although it didn't make sense at the time that it was rough both ways). A couple of days later I suited up and decided to make the 7 mile commute to work on it. "I'm gonna FLY!" Again, just awful. I was huffing the entire way - 48 minutes, what the ?? At one point I thought I was going to have to get off and walk the bike. What is the deal!? It does not coast very far when I stop pedalling, hardly at all compared to my Schwinn. I tossed it off as a couple of bad riding days and went back to the Schwinn...nope, no problem. I tried it one more time, same thing. I've never owned more than one bike at a time. Is it just me adjusting to a new bike or is there a mechanical problem underlying this? The brake pads are not rubbing, the chain looks fine. What should I be looking for!? Cheers! Duke |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
On Fri, 01 Apr 2005 09:09:47 -0600, Dukester wrote:
decided to make the 7 mile commute to work on it. "I'm gonna FLY!" Again, just awful. I was huffing the entire way - 48 minutes, what the ?? At one point I thought I was going to have to get off and walk the bike. What is the deal!? It does not coast very far when I stop pedalling, hardly at all compared to my Schwinn. I tossed it off as a couple of bad riding days and went back to the Schwinn...nope, no problem. I tried it one more time, same thing. I've never owned more than one bike at a time. Is it just me adjusting to a new bike or is there a mechanical problem underlying this? The brake pads are not rubbing, the chain looks fine. What should I be looking for!? When you pick the bike up and spin a wheel with your hand, what happens? Does the wheel quickly stop? If so, then the bearings are all gummed up and need re-packing. But I can't imagine the guy at the LBS would not point that out to you. How about the cranks; do they rotate freely? If not, same thing. A bike that has been sitting for years would need to have all the bearings re-packed. Grease does not evaporate away quickly, but eventually it will become a hard blob. Are you sure nothing is rubbing? Those old brakes tend to have a habit of being inconsistent. Sometimes they will center properly, and other times they won't. -- David L. Johnson __o | You will say Christ saith this and the apostles say this; but _`\(,_ | what canst thou say? -- George Fox. (_)/ (_) | |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Dukester wrote:
Commuting to work regularly for about a year now on my Schwinn Crisscross (hybrid); it's worked fine for me, really well actually. I make it to work in about 30 minutes - 7-8 miles depending on my route. I think I'm in pretty good shape. Recently, a coworker came across an old Peugeot 12 speed (I think a PG10) with 501 Reynolds tubing and gave it to me. The bike was in the police impound forever supposedly and although it was covered in a thick layer of dust, after cleaning it up, the gears & brakes worked beautifully - no adjusting needed. I had to replace the tires that dry-rotted. I had the wheels trued at the LBS. It is very lightweight compared to the Schwinn and so I thought "man, I'm gonna FLY on this bike." Well, I was wrong. I rode it once on a 15 miler from my house to the lake and it was awful. Just sluggish and I was truly struggling. It was windy that day and I attributed the ride that was supposed to be fun and wasn't to that (although it didn't make sense at the time that it was rough both ways). A couple of days later I suited up and decided to make the 7 mile commute to work on it. "I'm gonna FLY!" Again, just awful. I was huffing the entire way - 48 minutes, what the ?? At one point I thought I was going to have to get off and walk the bike. What is the deal!? It does not coast very far when I stop pedalling, hardly at all compared to my Schwinn. I tossed it off as a couple of bad riding days and went back to the Schwinn...nope, no problem. I tried it one more time, same thing. I would say not coasting very far is a clue, something is not running smooth, flip the bike over or mount it in a stand, and try hand turning the wheels, to see if they are running smooth, maybe a bad or dry bearing or hub...... W |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Dukester wrote:
Commuting to work regularly for about a year now on my Schwinn Crisscross (hybrid); it's worked fine for me, really well actually. I make it to work in about 30 minutes - 7-8 miles depending on my route. I think I'm in pretty good shape. Recently, a coworker came across an old Peugeot 12 speed (I think a PG10) with 501 Reynolds tubing and gave it to me. The bike was in the police impound forever supposedly and although it was covered in a thick layer of dust, after cleaning it up, the gears & brakes worked beautifully - no adjusting needed. I had to replace the tires that dry-rotted. I had the wheels trued at the LBS. It is very lightweight compared to the Schwinn and so I thought "man, I'm gonna FLY on this bike." Well, I was wrong. I rode it once on a 15 miler from my house to the lake and it was awful. Just sluggish and I was truly struggling. It was windy that day and I attributed the ride that was supposed to be fun and wasn't to that (although it didn't make sense at the time that it was rough both ways). A couple of days later I suited up and decided to make the 7 mile commute to work on it. "I'm gonna FLY!" Again, just awful. I was huffing the entire way - 48 minutes, what the ?? At one point I thought I was going to have to get off and walk the bike. What is the deal!? It does not coast very far when I stop pedalling, hardly at all compared to my Schwinn. I tossed it off as a couple of bad riding days and went back to the Schwinn...nope, no problem. I tried it one more time, same thing. I've never owned more than one bike at a time. Is it just me adjusting to a new bike or is there a mechanical problem underlying this? The brake pads are not rubbing, the chain looks fine. What should I be looking for!? Bad hub, bub. (Fun to say; sad to ride.) (Looks good; feels bad.) |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Yeah, I would guess one or both of the hubs are shot. While you're at
it, you should probably check the bottom bracket and the cranks and pedals, etc. -Bill H. |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Dukester wrote:
I rode it once on a 15 miler from my house to the lake and it was awful. Just sluggish and I was truly struggling. In addition to what the others have said regarding hubs, note that perception can really fool you. Are both bikes equipped with speedometers or are you otherwise carefully tracking your time vs distance? RFM |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
"Fritz M" wrote: (clip) note that perception can really fool you. (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Very good point. A friend of mine recently upgraded to a better wood lathe. He complained that the new lathe lacked power--turned out that it was quieter. |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Fritz M wrote:
Dukester wrote: I rode it once on a 15 miler from my house to the lake and it was awful. Just sluggish and I was truly struggling. In addition to what the others have said regarding hubs, note that perception can really fool you. Are both bikes equipped with speedometers or are you otherwise carefully tracking your time vs distance? RFM Note OP's commute times. 30 minutes on hybrid vs 48 minutes on Peugeot. That seems pretty empirical to me. I'd go with hub/bb/brake diagnosis first. Tom |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
On Fri, 1 Apr 2005 09:09:47 -0600, Dukester wrote:
It is very lightweight compared to the Schwinn and so I thought "man, I'm gonna FLY on this bike." Well, I was wrong. Course it's slower - it's much cheaper :-) -- bpo gallery at http://www4.tpgi.com.au/users/mvw1/bpo |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
"Dukester" wrote in
: Recently, a coworker came across an old Peugeot 12 speed (I think a PG10) with 501 Reynolds tubing and gave it to me. (brevity snips) I've never owned more than one bike at a time. Is it just me adjusting to a new bike or is there a mechanical problem underlying this? The brake pads are not rubbing, the chain looks fine. What should I be looking for!? Cheers! Duke Others have covered hubs etc... Does the Pugeot fit? You're used to the Schwinn. That's what feels right to you. A rough way to gauge differences in dimensions would be to stand both bikes side by side. Look at wheel base, reach, and stand over height. Try to replicate your old setup on the new bike as much as possible. Same reach, same saddle height. Saddle height and attitude are easiest to tweak. If reach is the problem then you can modify it with a different stem. Stem length and angle are the attributes you want to pay attention to. Crank length can also have a noticable effect on ride. French parts can be a pain to find in the USA, UK may be better. Good luck, Mike ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
if you wanted maximum braking, where would you sit? | wle | Techniques | 133 | November 18th 15 02:10 AM |
19 Days to go: NBG Mayors' Ride Excitement #5 | Cycle America | Recumbent Biking | 0 | March 30th 05 07:32 PM |
Trips for Kids 13th Annual Bike Swap & Sale | Marilyn Price | Social Issues | 0 | June 1st 04 04:53 AM |
Trips for Kids 13th Annual Bike Swap & Sale | Marilyn Price | Recumbent Biking | 0 | June 1st 04 04:49 AM |
Who is going to Interbike? | Bruce Gilbert | Techniques | 2 | October 10th 03 09:26 PM |