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  #1  
Old February 24th 04, 10:25 AM
kingsley
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default aus.bicycle FAQ (Monthly(ish) Posting)


I'm still unable to post the FAQ to the group.
It hit a low point when the support from my ISP asked
"what is the IP Address of aus.bicycle"... *sigh*

So, once again, here's some links:
Text http://maddogsbreakfast.com.au/ABFAQ...icycle.FAQ.txt
HTML http://maddogsbreakfast.com.au/ABFAQ...cycle.FAQ.html

If someone (not connected via Dart Internet / Connect.com)
would like to have a go at posting the text version of the
FAQ that would be good.

cheers,
-kt
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  #2  
Old February 24th 04, 11:14 AM
hippy
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Default aus.bicycle FAQ (Monthly(ish) Posting)

aus.bicycle FAQ
Last updated 23-FEB-2004

Welcome to the aus.bicycle FAQ

This is a compendium of Frequently Asked Questions from the
newsgroup
aus.bicycle, some of them even have answers. The lastest
version is
always available from:

Text
http://maddogsbreakfast.com.au/ABFAQ...icycle.FAQ.txt
HTML
http://maddogsbreakfast.com.au/ABFAQ...cycle.FAQ.html

This document is Copyright (c) 2004 Kingsley Turner.
Permission is
granted to distribute this document on the criteria that it
is remains
unmodified, and it is not sold for profit.

1 - Bicycling Resources & Propaganda
1.1 What other bicycle newsgroups are there?
1.2 What are some good cycling websites?
1.3 What are some good mailing lists?
1.4 What are some good cycling (paper) publications?

2 - Riding

2.1 Miscellany
2.1.1 What do I do about this f@#$%^ing Magpie?
2.1.2 Why do you shave your legs?

2.2 Kids
2.2.1 What are the options for carrying (non-riding)
children by bike?
2.2.2 Which is better: child seat or trailer?

2.3 Touring

2.4 Organised Rides

2.4.1 Miscellany
2.4.1.1 What are the major events on
the Australian Cycling
Calendar?
2.4.1.2 What is Critical Mass?

2.4.2 Clubs & BUGs

2.4.3 Polaris

2.4.4 Road Racing
2.4.4.1 The TdF: What do the coloured
jerseys mean?

2.4.5 Couriers

2.5 Laws, Accidents & Road Rage
2.5.1 I've been involved in an accident, what do I
do?
2.5.2 I've been a victim of road rage, what do I do?

2.6 Training, Fitness & Weight
2.6.1 Reducing Body Fat
2.6.2 How do I calculate my BMR (Basil Metabolic
Rate)?

3 - Gear

3.1 Miscellany
3.1.1 What does bike insurance cover?

3.2 Shopping
3.2.1 What online bike stores are there?
3.2.2 Can I save money by importing gear myself?
3.2.3 Where can I buy a 2nd-hand bike?

3.3 Custom Built
3.3.1 Does anyone know a good frame builder?
3.3.2 Does anyone know a good wheel builder?

3.4 Parts & Maintenance

3.4.1 Miscellany
3.4.1.1 When should I use the yellow
lenses with my glasses?

3.4.2 Lights
3.4.2.1 Where can I get a cheap
Vistalite Nightstick
battery?
3.4.2.2 Can someone recommend a smart
charger?

3.4.3 Brakes
3.4.3.1 My brakes are squealing!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------

1 Bicycling Resources & Propaganda:

1.1 What other bicycle newsgroups are there?
* aus.bicycle
* uk.rec.cycling - Much like aus.bicycle
* rec.bicycles.marketplace - Bike stuff for sale
* rec.bicycles.misc - General bike discussion
* rec.bicycles.off-road
* rec.bicycles.racing
* rec.bicycles.rides - About touring, but sometimes not
* rec.bicycles.soc - The social ascpects of cycling
* rec.bicycles.tech - Technical Q&A
* alt.collecting.bicycles
* alt.rec.bicycles.recumbent
* alt.mountain-bike

1.2 What are some good cycling websites?
* Cycling News: www.cyclingnews.com - Packed with news &
reports.
* Audax Australia: www.audax.org.au
* Bicycle Fish: users.chariot.net.au/~gloria - Australian
Bicycle Touring.
* Aussie Cycling: www.aussiecycling.com.au/cycling - Books,
links & for sale.
* Tandem Club of Australia: home.vicnet.net.au/~tandem/
* Biking Asia with Mr Pumpy: www.mrpumpy.net - Bicycle touring
South-east Asia.
* Bicycle Victoria: www.bv.com.au
* Bicycle NSW: www.bicyclensw.org.au
* Pedal Power ACT: www.pedalpower.org.au
* Bicycle SA: www.bikesa.asn.au
* Bicycle Tasmania: www.biketas.org.au
* OzHPV: sunsite.anu.edu.au/community/ozhpv/ (non-aussie
pages)
* MTB Review: www.mtbreview.com - User reviews of bike gear.
* Ken Kifer's Bike Pages: www.kenkifer.com/bikepages
* Sheldon Brown's: www.sheldonbrown.com - Bike gear and
repairs

1.3 What are some good cycling mail lists?
* Phreds Bicycle Touring:
www.phred.org/mailman/listinfo/touring - Bicycle Touring,
and sometimes unrelated topics (can be very high volume).
* Hobbes Tandem List:
www-acs.ucsd.edu/home-pages/wade/tandem.html - Tandem
Everything (moderate volume).

1.4 What are some good cycling (paper) publications?

Magazine What's it about
Australian Cyclist Bit of a mix: bike politics, touring, lists of
clubs and diary of club
rides, occasional gear review. Not usually any
road racing news. Six
issues a year, available at most newsagents and
bike shops.
RIDE Cycling Review Completely covers the bicycle racing scene,
including both road and track.
Has great gear reviews, although it does tend
towards the top-end stuff.
Six issues a year, available some newsagents, and
bike shops
Cycling Australia Covers racing, road & track. Always has reviews of
high-end bikes, the
occasional maintenance tip, and a bit of cycling
gossip. Published five
times a year
Mountain Biking Australia As above, but for mountain bikes.
Australian Mountain Bike Covers the mountain bike racing scene in detail,
usually has interviews
with Aussie riders, gear review, maintenance and
(technical) riding tips.
Six issues a year.
Velovision (UK) This is an exceedingly interesting magazine, it
focus is mainly bicycles
as transport (or maybe 'bikes as a part of life'),
with a heavy bent
towards recumbent and other non-mainstream
cycling. It does have a British
and European focus, but contains articles sourced
from all over the world.

Available (at least) at Cheeky Monkey in Sydney.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------

2.2 Riding: Kids

2.2.1 What are the options for carrying (non-riding) children by bike?

This mostly depends on your childs age and capability:

Child Seats:
There are two types of child carriers, the ubiquitous rear-rack
mounted seats, and the
seats that mount on the handlebars so that the child sits between
the arms of the
rider.

Trailer Bikes:
A trailer bike is basically the back-half of a diamond-frame
bike. There is no front
wheel, but a tow arm that commonly connects to the seatpost or
under the seat. These
require some bike riding skills and balance, but not steering.

Trailers:
These are usually tethered to the bike by a socket-jointed
tow-arm to the left
chainstay. They can hold one or two children, who are held in
with a seatbelt, but are
still requried to wear a helmet. It's common for trailers to come
with instructions
that specify the minimum child age of 1 year.

2.2.2 Which is better: child seat or trailer?

Kingsley Turner wrote in aus.bicycle:

Both of these have pros and cons:

Both:
* Child needs decent head control, approx 1 year old although
I read about someone
who strapped their car capsule into a trailer.
* Adds at least a little weight to the bike, effecting
handling.

Seats:
* Cheap - sub $100 for rear model, around $200 for a front.
* Back & front (Bobike mini) available
* Child is exposed to the elements
* Child goes over with the bike in a crash (seen this happen
twice)
* You can talk quite easily with your child
* Must be cautious that legs are properly strapped in (and not
near spokes/wheels)
* Loose usage/access to rear rack

Trailer:
* Expensive ($500-$1000)
* Can hold 2 kids (Trek models up to 45kg)
* Bike can stack, but trailer stays put
* Slim chance of rolling it if you clip a gutter in exactly
the wrong way at speed
* Difficult to talk to your kids, near impossible with the
plastic weather-shield
down
* Child is not exposed to the weather (don't forget hot sunny
days too) and is
toasty warm in winter/rain.
* Weighs about 10-12kg depending on the model
* Has plenty of 'boot' space for nappy bags, drinks, food,
spare change of clothes,
big doll, and the other doll.
* Food & drink tends to get trampled into the floor (but you
can just about hose it
out)
* High wind-resistance
* Makes your bike into a wide load, watch the bollards on bike
paths!
* Weight of children is not directly on the bike
* Can convert some trailers into a stroller (very important
for touring)

As you can probably guess most of my experience is with trailer.
We towed both the
brats 1200km touring last year (and many km since) When they
weren't being towed, they
were being parambulated with the stroller conversion kit engaged.

For quick trips, the seat is probably better/quicker but for
longer ones the trailer
is great.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------

2.1.1 Riding: Miscellany

2.2.1 What do I do about this f@#$%^ing Magpie?

(i) Ride fast, duck oppertunely!

2.2.2 Why do you shave your legs?

(i) It makes applying first-aid/bandages simpler.

(ii) It looks and feels good.

(iii) Andrew Morris wrote in aus.bicycle:

Have you ever had gravel nail brushed out of hairy legs???

(iv) Paul J wrote in aus.bicycle:

... Reasons include; it feels damn nice, it look's good (so I'm
told) and after a
120km ride the much needed massage afterward is so much better
and easier.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------

2.4.1 Riding: Organised Rides: Miscellany

2.4.1.1 What are the major events on the Australian Cycling Calendar?

What When Where
Audax Alpine Classic Australia Day See www.audax.org.au
weekend
Around the Bay in a Day ? Melbourne
Tour Down Under January Usually around Adelaide and
Adelaide Hills
Sydney to the 'Gong First Sunday in Two start locations, one in
Sydney, the other closer
November to Woolongong. See
www.msnsw.org.au/oe for further
information.
Cycle Sydney Late November A mass-ride through the
heart of Sydney See
www.bicyclensw.org.au for
further information.
RTA Big Ride: 8 days of Varies, but once per Changes each year, always
around New South Wales.
supported bicycle-touring. year

2.4.1.2 What is Critical Mass?

"Critical Mass is a monthly bicycle ride to celebrate cycling and
to assert cyclists'
right to the road."

Probably the most spectacular thing about this assertion is that
it happens during
peak-hour traffic.

For more information visit: www.criticalmass.org.au or
criticalmassrides.info

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-------------------

2.4.4 Riding: Organised Rides: Road Racing

2.4.4.1 The TdF: What do the coloured jerseys mean?
Yellow - The daily overall leader by general classification (time
minus bonuses).
Green - The sprint leader, by points awarded at specific
locations throughout the
stages.
Polka-dot - The 'King of the Mountains', by points are awarded
for each climb.
White - awarded to the fastest rider aged under 25.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------

2.5 Riding: Laws, Accidents & Road Rage

2.5.1 I've been a involved in an accident, what do I do?

You must call the police if anyone is injured. Whether or not you
must call them for
other circumstances varies from state to state. You may be
legally required to give
identification details to the other parties involved. You may
also have to report the
accident within 24 hours.

Get name, address, and licence (if a car) details from the other
party, you may also
want to collect details from a witness.

2.5.2 I've been a victim of road rage what do I do?

(i) Report it to the police, try to include details like the rego
number

(ii) Claire Petersky wrote in rec.bicycles.misc:

One car-full of passing geniuses suggested that I get off the

copulating road.
Only they didn't say copulating. I was a bit surprised that the

road could
do that -- that asphalt certainly doesn't look like it

reproduced that way.

No, no, you misunderstood their intentions. The road does not
copulate with itself.
Rather, it is *you* who is partnered with the road.

Have you not had a day, where you get out there on your bike, and
there is the road
before you, warm, inviting? It feels good, it smells good, it
almost seems to taste
good to be on it. Some days you start out eager, knowing what
lies ahead. Other days
you start out a little reluctantly -- surely you have better
things to do -- clean the
house, mow the lawn -- but here you are anyway, your bike and the
road together, and
after a little bit you know its going to be a good time.

There are days when you dominate the road. It does your bidding.
You groove on your
control. There are other days when the road is your master. You
submit to its demands.
You get a perverted pleasure from the pain of your burning legs,
your oxygen-starved
lungs screaming for air.

In any of these instances, though, you with your bike, and the
road, are lovers. The
term, "get off" as we all know, is a slang term that means to
"derive pleasure". Thus,
the encouraging, if crude, words, "Get off the ****ing road" can
be understood as
"Enjoy yourself as you and the road make beautiful love
together".

To take this a step further -- in many mystical traditions, the
physical act of love
is understood as a metaphor for the spiritual union of human with
the Divine. Can you
ride as if you and the Road are One?

The mudra of the single upraised digit is a reminder of this
oneness: unity in Christ
Consciousness, being at one with the Tao, La illaha Il' Allah,
Adonai Echad. Thus,
when someone makes this gesture at you, you should understand
that they are wishing
you the experience of this ecstatic union.

The horn that is honked as the mudra is made is a meditation
bell. Like a church bell,
like the call of the muezzin's voice, it calls you into this
sacred space of union, of
you, your bike, and the road, as One.

Thus, when the motorist honks his horn, raises the single digit,
and makes his sincere
invocation, you have but one response: to smile, to wave, and
return to the joy of
riding your bike.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------

2.6 Riding: Training, Fitness & Weight

2.6.1 Reducing Body Fat

(i) DMR wrote in aus.bicycles:

There's no way you can advise anyone on their recommended daily
fat consumption
without knowing enough about their physiology, lifestyle and
goals to properly
calculate their actual calorific consumption, their BMR and then
set their targets
accordingly.

I am currently reducing my body fat% and I'm eating accordingly -
yet my recommended
daily fat intake is (just checking the spreadsheet) 49.5grams.
And I've lost about
three kilos so far. The problem with the low fat message is that
it's bull**** and any
honest nutritionist will tell you the food pyramid we've grown up
with is just
accurate enough to be dangerous (there's a new one due out soon).
For the past twenty
to thirty years we've been steadily reducing our fat intake and
yet as a society we've
been getting steadily fatter. Think about it.

I don't advocate a full Atkins diet (too many saturated fats for
starters) but he was
right about one thing: if you want to lose body fat you need to
reduce your
*carbohydrate* consumption. Cutting your fats intake - and you
need the good fats, the
poly- and monounsaturated ones, plus Omega-3 etc. - without
cutting your *sugar*
intake (which, at the end of the day, is all carbohydrates are)
is a recipe for...
(wait for it)... GETTING FAT!

Broadly speaking the macronutritional breakdown for someone
exercising regularly
should be (in this order of importance):

Protein:
0.8g/lb Lean Body Mass (that's your weight minus
your fat).

Fats:
About 33% of your target calories, of which
saturated fats should be 33%
or less.

Carbohydrates:
Whatever is left.

The thing is this. Your body is incredibly good at keeping itself
alive and it will
use whatever it has to. Having said that, it prefers certain
energy sources to others,
and since losing or gaining weight is ultimately all about
manipulating energy levels
you can use that fact to your advantage. Roughly speaking your
body will use
carbohydrates, then fats and lastly proteins as sources of
energy. So, when you cut
back on the carbohydrates it will go for the fat stores next -
which is what you want.
However, don't cut your calorie intake too far below maintenance
or your body will
kick into starvation mode, and it will do everything it can to
avoid using its fat
stores, so it will start targetting your muscles. Breaking down
proteins to use as
energy is inefficient but in starvation mode it will do that
rather than use your fat
stores.

So, having calculated your BMR and your actual daily calorific
consumption, if you
want to lose weight healthily set a target daily calorific
consumption about 500
calories below maintenance, keep your protein and fat intake at
their correct levels,
drop your *carbohydrate* consumption heavily - and you'll see
your body fat% drop
slowly but steadily. There's roughly 3,500 calories per pound of
fat so this regime
should consume about one pound of fat per week, not including any
loss of weight due
to water loss.

(ii) Gags wrote in aus.bicycles:

The 65% to 85% max HR range is actually more like the range to
train in to increase
cardiovascular fitness (good for base training and general
fitness). Sure, you will
burn fat at these intensities but if fat loss is your main goal,
then you are actually
better off training at about 45% to 65% of max HR. The catch is
that this only rings
true if the distance is the same rather than the time (ie 1 hr @
45-65% will not burn
more fat than 1 hr @ 65% to 85%, but, 47km @ 45-65% will utilise
more fat than 47km @
65-85%). As with most things you have to compromise depending on
how much time you
have available and what your long term goals are.

[...] If you want to lose weight, you should concentrate on LSD
training (don't get
excited, it means Long, Slow, Distance). Basically you need to
have your body
utilising its aerobic energy systems and to do this you need to
exercise at a moderate
intensity for long periods of time. She is especially correct in
that what you eat
plays a big part in your results. As you have not said what your
current situation is
(could range from wanting to lose a couple of kg for summer to up
in the obese range),
it is hard to know what your final goals are.

2.6.2 How do I calculate my BMR (Basil Metabolic Rate)?

(i) Gags wrote in aus.bicycles:

BMR = 66 + (13.7 x weight(kg)) + (5 x height(cm)) - (6.8 x age)
kcal

(ii) DMR wrote in aus.bicycles:

I use the ISSA Basil Metabolic Rate (BMR) formula:
1. For Men: 1 x body weight (kg) x 24
For Women: 0.9 x body weight (kg) x 24

For you, that's 95 * 24 = 2280.

2. Factor in your body fat percentage. Multiply the result from
Step 1 by the
multiplier factor:

Men 10 to 14%, Women 14 to 18%: 1.0

Men 14 to 20%, Women 18 to 28%: 0.95

Men 20 to 28%, Women 28 to 38%: 0.90

Men over 28%, Women over 38%: 0.85

For the sake of illustration I'll assume you're in the
20-28% group, therefo

2280 * 0.90 = 2052 calories per day.

This is your BMR. It's your base rate.

3. Factor in your daily activity level. Multiply your BMR by
the daily activity
level multiplier factor:

The Average Couch Potato range:
1.30 (130%) = Very Light: Sitting, studying,
talking, little walking
or other activities through out the day
1.55 (155%) = Light: Typing, teaching, lab/shop
work, some walking
throughout the day

The Average Fitness Buff Range:
1.55 (155%) = Light: Typing, teaching, lab/shop
work, some walking
throughout the day
1.65 (165%) = Moderate: Walking, jogging,
gardening type job with
activities such as cycling, tennis, dancing,
skiing or weight
training 1-2 hours per day

The Average Athlete or Hard Daily Training Range:
1.80 (180%) = Heavy: Heavy manual labor such as
digging, tree
felling, climbing, with activities such as
football, soccer or body
building 2-4 hours per day
2.00 (200%) = Very Heavy: A combination of
moderate and heavy
activity 8 or more hours per day, plus 2-4
hours of intense training
per day

For the sake of illustration I'll put you in the moderate
group, therefo
Actual Daily Calories = 2052 * 1.65 = 3386 calories (* 4.18
= 14153 kiloJoules)
per day. This is how much you use every day on average. As a
general rule, if you
want to lose weight then consume fewer calories than this
every day (start at
-500 and see how you go), if you want to increase weight
consume more (start at
+500 and see how you go):

Target calories:

Maintenance: 3386 calories
Gain: 3886 calories (maintenance +500)
Loss: 2886 calories (maintenance -500).

4. (a) Protein:

0.8g/lb LBM. For the sake of illustration I'll assume your
body fat % is 20%.
Since your weight is 95kg (209lb) that would give you a LBM
of 76kg (167.2lb) and
therefore your protein intake should be 0.8 * 167.2 = 134
grams = 536 calories.

(b) Fats:

Roughly (Target calories * 1/3). Since we're assuming weight
loss that would be
(2886 * 0.3) = 866 calories = 96 grams. No more than (96/3
=) 32 grams of that
should be saturated fats, preferably less. Rule of thumb:
poly and
mono-unsaturated fats and Omega3 fatty acids good, saturated
fats not so good,
trans fats bad.

(c) Carbs:

Whatever is left. 2886 - 536 - 866 = 1484 calories = 371
grams.

There's a bit of flexibility in these targets but as long as
you're fairly close
over the long haul they'll work for sustainable weight loss.
The same would go
for maintenance or weight gain.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------

3.1 Gear: Miscellany

3.1.1 What does bicycle insurance cover?

The general answer is it depends.

Things like insurance policies are in a
constant state of flux -
(did you notice that standard exclusions now
include "Terrorist
Attack"), so any information presented here
should be taken as a
rough-guide only. You will really have to do
the research yourself,
particularly with respect to different premmium
providers.

Membership of your state bicycle body (e.g.:
BNSW/BVIC) often
includes 3rd-party style insurance, some
offering insurance for the
rider for an extra premium.

General household policies usually cover the
bike at home, but
perhaps only to a certain value. Check with
your insurance provider
to find out if/what that value is, and if the
bike needs to be
specifically mentioned in the policy. Be
careful about exclusions on
"Sporting Goods", even if you never ride your
bike as sport.

Travel Insurance will readily cover a bicycle
(obviously only during
travel), but only to a certain value, and can
be very expensive.
Usually the bike is not covered for damage
during use.

It is possible to get general bicycle
insurance, even with
extensions for overseas travel. It will have
conditions like "bike
only covered for theft if securely locked to an
immovable object",
and you may have to get a written valuation
from your LBS. The best
bet for finding out who supplies this sort of
cover in your state is
to contact your state bicycling body.

Reported policy costs (per annum) have been
around 10% bike value.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------

3.2 : Gear: Shopping

3.2.1 What online bike stores are there?

Limited to web sites where you can actually
complete a purchase
online:

* Phantom Cycles - www.phantomcycles.com.au
* Dean Woods Direct - www.deanwoods.com.au
* Cecil Walker - www.cecilwalker.com.au
* VicMtb - www.vicmtb.com.au
* Wooly's Wheels - www.woolyswheels.com.au
* Ferntree Gully Cycles -
www.ferntreegullycycles.com.au
* Bicycling Direct - www.bicyclingdirect.com
* Netti - www.netti.com.au

3.2.2 Can I save money by importing gear myself?

Well, sometimes yes.

Local stores must charge you GST, and have
already paid most of the
shipping. Depending on the value of what you
import, you will be
charged GST by customs and perhaps duty too.

Before you buy, ensure sizing and
specifications are absolutely
correct, and for electrical equipment (e.g.
battery chargers) are
compatible with the local system. Also work out
what will happen for
warranty returns.

So factor in shipping, GST, possible customs
duty, currency
conversion charges (especially with credit card
transactions),
compatibility and then compare the cost. Less
calcuable costs are
warranty return problems, and discounts you
might accrue via shop
loyalty. Certain shops will also give a
significant percentage
discount to state-bicycle-body members, for
example: BNSW card
holders can get 5-10% off gear most places.

(i) ftf wrote in aus.bicycle:

If you get it delivered through a courier
expect to pay all the fees
(tax, duty, processing fee) and if through the
post you will most
likely pay none (if the total order is less
than $500 AUD).

3.2.3 Where can I buy a 2nd-hand bike?
* The Trading Post newspaper /
www.tradingpost.com.au.
* Bicycling Australia classifides:

www.bicyclingaustralia.com.au/ba/classifides.
* Mountain Bike Australia (MTBA):
www.mtba.asn.au/buy_sell.
* EBay www.ebay.com.au - know your prices
though.
* Victoria:
* Bicycle Recycle - South Rd, Oakleigh
* Freedom Machine - Prahran
* Cecil Walker - Melbourne

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------

3.3 Gear: Custom Built

3.3.1 Does anyone know a good frame builder?

* Paconi in Melbourne
* JB Cycles in Sydney

3.3.2 Does anyone know a good wheel builder?

* Adam at Cheeky Monkey Bicycle Company,
Sydney.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------

3.4 Gear: Parts & Maintenance

3.4.1 Gear: Parts & Maintenance: Miscellany

3.4.1.1 When should I use the yellow
lenses with my glasses?

John Retchford wrote in
aus.bicycle:

Light is scattered by particles,
water vapour, droplets
and the atmosphere itself. The
shorter wavelengths
(blue end) is scattered through
greater angles than the
longer wavelengths (red end). This
is why the sky looks
blue away from the sun. More blue
light is scattered
back to the eye from rays that
would not otherwise
reach you. Yellow lenses cut the
blue end of the
spectrum and thus the more highly
scattered light,
leaving a higher proportion of the
direct light. This
has the effect of increasing
contrast, especially in
conditions of flat light due to
light cloud, mist or
fog. This is why fog lights are
usually yellow.

Try the yellow lenses in low, flat
light and save the
clear lenses for darkness, where
you want the maximum
light transmission and where
scattering is not much of
a problem.

3.4.2 Gear: Parts & Maintenance: Lights

3.4.2.1 Where can I get a cheap Vistalite
Nightstick battery?

Nick Payne wrote in aus.bicycle:

I made my own stick batteries. It
cost about $55 for 10
2.9Ah NiMH sub-C cells with solder
tags from Jaycar -
enough for two sticks. I used
garden irrigation pipe
and endcaps to make the stick. I
already had the pipe
etc lying around from having
installed an irrigation
system in my garden, but they're
not expensive items. I
also needed a couple of sockets to
fit the plugs on the
Vistalite cables. So total cost
was around $70 plus a
few hours of time.

3.4.2.1 Can someone recommend a smart
charger?

Nick Payne wrote in aus.bicycle:

See
www.angelfire.com/electronic/hayles/charge1.html.
I built a couple of these, with
the addition of a
switch to toggle a resistor so
that I can charge either
6v or 12v. They work fine with
bottle batteries and
stick batteries.

3.4.3 Gear: Parts & Maintenance: Brakes

3.4.3.1 My brakes are squealing!

(i) Joesph wrote in aus.bicycle:

If I haven't used my bike for a
week or so I find that
the brakes sometimes squeak. My
solution last time was
to check the toe in (this didn't
help). Then I cleaned
the rims with methylated spirits
and I also rubbed down
the rims with a soft brass
bristles brush. This stopped
the squeak and now everything is
quiet.

(ii) Kingsley wrote in
aus.bicycle:

You could try some more up-market
brake pads.
Supposedly Kool-Stop 'Salmon'
brake pads are good at
stopping brake squeal.

(iii) stu wrote in aus.bicycle:

Toe in to reduce squeal, but not
too much or the brakes
will become too spongy. It will
also wear a curve into
the front of the pad. Greasing the
pivots can help too.

(iv) tony R wrote in
uk.rec.cycling:

My current pads of choice (with
V-brakes on the
commuter), Clarkes red coloured
ones, always squeal
when new or when the rim has just
been cleaned. I
presume the latter is because I
carelessly leave some
soap or whatever on the rims
(although I always finish
up with a rub down with meths -
for the rims that is).
However as the noise disappears
after a few miles once
some crap from the road is picked
up, I'm not too
bothered. Maybe you've got some
unwanted residue on
your front rim?

(v) Zog The Undeniable wrote in
uk.rec.cycling:

[...] "Parallel push" V-brakes can
suffer from this
when the pivots wear a bit.

(iv) Pete Biggs wrote in
uk.rec.cycling:

This can be really tricky to solve
sometimes. You do
everything right and the brakes
STILL squeal like a
massivley amplified goose :-(
Change of pads is your
best bet - after making sure
there's no grease on the
rim. Toe-in doesn't always help.
Flex in the
brake/forke can be a factor, but a
brake booster (on
v-brakes) can sometimes make the
problem worse.

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owners


  #3  
Old February 24th 04, 11:16 AM
hippy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default aus.bicycle FAQ (Monthly(ish) Posting)

"kingsley" wrote in message
Text http://maddogsbreakfast.com.au/ABFAQ...icycle.FAQ.txt
HTML http://maddogsbreakfast.com.au/ABFAQ...cycle.FAQ.html

If someone (not connected via Dart Internet / Connect.com)
would like to have a go at posting the text version of the
FAQ that would be good.


Well, it posted fine from netspace except for the dodgy
fomatting changes that Outlook probably made.. grrr!

hippy


  #4  
Old February 24th 04, 09:44 PM
John Doe
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default aus.bicycle FAQ (Monthly(ish) Posting)


I'm still unable to post the FAQ to the group.
It hit a low point when the support from my ISP asked
"what is the IP Address of aus.bicycle"... *sigh*


lol. now I would think that is a high point. I think I would have had to
laugh at them for a while.


How do the other groups do it? They seem to be automated.

Peter


 




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