Grocery Bike

On 2/3/2019 6:30 PM, John B. Slocomb wrote:
On Sun, 03 Feb 2019 19:11:38 -0500, Joy Beeson
wrote:

On Sun, 03 Feb 2019 11:02:50 +0700, John B. Slocomb
wrote:

As shown in your reference the seat post/seat junction doesn't look
remarkable far back, it appears to be located about half way from the
bottom bracket to the rear axle. I checked one of my road bikes and
the seat post/seat junction seems about the same.

The cranks on a crank-forward bike are at an awkward distance: far
enough forward that I can't stand on a pedal to get steerage way, but
not far enough forward that I can pedal comfortably without setting
the seat too high to get both feet firmly flat on the ground.

The so called "correct" height of the saddle is so that with the leg
extended and the pedal at the bottom of its' arc the leg will be
straight with the heel on the peddle.

If the saddle is low enough so that the feet reach the ground then the
knees bend more then necessary when the pedal is at its highest point.
My experience has been that if the saddle is too low then it takes
more energy to ride at any given speed. On the other hand if riding in
traffic being able to put your foot on the ground while sitting on the
seat may be more comfortable (or maybe comforting :-)


But I can ride it on the days I can't walk. Those were so close
together last year that I got used to having a basket to carry things
in, and didn't walk on my good days. (I also got bored with coming
home by way of Grace College as a partial make-up for the missed
walk.)

Today one of the church ladies asked whether I was still riding my
bike in this weather. I just said "No, I walk" without going into
details.

I didn't get my slippers wet until I was three steps from my door. I
guess I got over-confident. Wet slippers for three steps beats
wearing the stiff boots I wore last Sunday for two half miles.

Perhaps I should put my feet into newspaper sleeves next Sunday. Then
I might remember to take the thick-soled sandals off when I take off
my coat.

But today I didn't wear a coat. Last Sunday it took me half an hour
to wrap myself up.

The prediction for next Sunday strongly suggests that I'll wear my
thin-soled sandals.


Mr Slocomb-
I think you haven't actually ridden one:
http://www.bike123.com/crank%20forward.htm

There's probably something nice which could be said about
them but it escapes me.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Sun, 03 Feb 2019 19:07:18 -0500,
Joy Beeson wrote:
On Sun, 3 Feb 2019 18:36:47 -0000 (UTC), Duane wrote:

But I use my road bike with a backpack.

I rode with a backpack exactly once. Panniers rule!

I'm with Joy; hate backpacks for cycling.

--
Ted Heise West Lafayette, IN, USA

On Sunday, February 3, 2019 at 6:37:25 PM UTC-8, Theodore Heise wrote:
On Sun, 03 Feb 2019 19:07:18 -0500,
Joy Beeson wrote:
On Sun, 3 Feb 2019 18:36:47 -0000 (UTC), Duane wrote:

But I use my road bike with a backpack.

I rode with a backpack exactly once. Panniers rule!

I'm with Joy; hate backpacks for cycling.


I ride with a backpack every work day, but not a heavy one. Very convenient.

-- Jay Beattie.

Joy Beeson wrote:
On Sun, 3 Feb 2019 18:36:47 -0000 (UTC), Duane wrote:

But I use my road bike with a backpack.

I rode with a backpack exactly once. Panniers rule!


I can’t mount them on my current bike but I tried them on my Volpe a couple
of times. Didn’t like the way they caught the cross winds. I don’t lie
the sweat with a back pack but I can leave the back pack in my locker
sometime on the way home and it’s not that hot in the morning.

I have several friends that use panniers and swear by them. To each
his/her own.



--
duane

On Sun, 03 Feb 2019 18:41:15 -0600, AMuzi wrote:

On 2/3/2019 6:30 PM, John B. Slocomb wrote:
On Sun, 03 Feb 2019 19:11:38 -0500, Joy Beeson
wrote:

On Sun, 03 Feb 2019 11:02:50 +0700, John B. Slocomb
wrote:

As shown in your reference the seat post/seat junction doesn't look
remarkable far back, it appears to be located about half way from the
bottom bracket to the rear axle. I checked one of my road bikes and
the seat post/seat junction seems about the same.

The cranks on a crank-forward bike are at an awkward distance: far
enough forward that I can't stand on a pedal to get steerage way, but
not far enough forward that I can pedal comfortably without setting
the seat too high to get both feet firmly flat on the ground.

The so called "correct" height of the saddle is so that with the leg
extended and the pedal at the bottom of its' arc the leg will be
straight with the heel on the peddle.

If the saddle is low enough so that the feet reach the ground then the
knees bend more then necessary when the pedal is at its highest point.
My experience has been that if the saddle is too low then it takes
more energy to ride at any given speed. On the other hand if riding in
traffic being able to put your foot on the ground while sitting on the
seat may be more comfortable (or maybe comforting :-)


But I can ride it on the days I can't walk. Those were so close
together last year that I got used to having a basket to carry things
in, and didn't walk on my good days. (I also got bored with coming
home by way of Grace College as a partial make-up for the missed
walk.)

Today one of the church ladies asked whether I was still riding my
bike in this weather. I just said "No, I walk" without going into
details.

I didn't get my slippers wet until I was three steps from my door. I
guess I got over-confident. Wet slippers for three steps beats
wearing the stiff boots I wore last Sunday for two half miles.

Perhaps I should put my feet into newspaper sleeves next Sunday. Then
I might remember to take the thick-soled sandals off when I take off
my coat.

But today I didn't wear a coat. Last Sunday it took me half an hour
to wrap myself up.

The prediction for next Sunday strongly suggests that I'll wear my
thin-soled sandals.


Mr Slocomb-
I think you haven't actually ridden one:
http://www.bike123.com/crank%20forward.htm

There's probably something nice which could be said about
them but it escapes me.

Probably not, but the photo she referenced appeared to me, looking at
the photo, as a normal "girls bike". Not an extreme saddle/pedal
position at all.

--
Cheers,
John B.

On Monday, February 4, 2019 at 6:15:34 AM UTC-5, Duane wrote:
Joy Beeson wrote:
On Sun, 3 Feb 2019 18:36:47 -0000 (UTC), Duane wrote:

But I use my road bike with a backpack.

I rode with a backpack exactly once. Panniers rule!


I can’t mount them on my current bike but I tried them on my Volpe a couple
of times. Didn’t like the way they caught the cross winds. I don’t lie
the sweat with a back pack but I can leave the back pack in my locker
sometime on the way home and it’s not that hot in the morning.

I have several friends that use panniers and swear by them. To each
his/her own.



--
duane

Exactly! Some people prefer panniers and others prefer a backpack. Some others will use a backpack at times and use panniers at other times. I like backpack for certain times when I just want to jump off the bicycle, do whatever business I rode to do and then hop back on a gain without having to load the panniers. However, I don't use the backpack if my load is going to be very heavy. Another thing. I use a toestrap as a chest strap on my backpack to keep the backpack straps from separating far enough to slip off my shoulder(s) when riding hard or maneuvering.

There are advantages and disadvantages to either backpacks or panniers and it's the individual's needs/wants that will dictate their choice.

Cheers

On 04/02/2019 7:21 a.m., Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Monday, February 4, 2019 at 6:15:34 AM UTC-5, Duane wrote:
Joy Beeson wrote:
On Sun, 3 Feb 2019 18:36:47 -0000 (UTC), Duane wrote:

But I use my road bike with a backpack.

I rode with a backpack exactly once. Panniers rule!


I can’t mount them on my current bike but I tried them on my Volpe a couple
of times. Didn’t like the way they caught the cross winds. I don’t lie
the sweat with a back pack but I can leave the back pack in my locker
sometime on the way home and it’s not that hot in the morning.

I have several friends that use panniers and swear by them. To each
his/her own.



--
duane

Exactly! Some people prefer panniers and others prefer a backpack. Some others will use a backpack at times and use panniers at other times. I like backpack for certain times when I just want to jump off the bicycle, do whatever business I rode to do and then hop back on a gain without having to load the panniers. However, I don't use the backpack if my load is going to be very heavy. Another thing. I use a toestrap as a chest strap on my backpack to keep the backpack straps from separating far enough to slip off my shoulder(s) when riding hard or maneuvering.

There are advantages and disadvantages to either backpacks or panniers and it's the individual's needs/wants that will dictate their choice.

Cheers


I use my backpack for commuting and I have a locker and shower at work.
I don't do groceries on my bike. It's not a question of whether I can
carry things or not for me but a question of locking my bike up outside.
I don't leave my bike outside unattended.

On 2/4/2019 8:46 AM, Duane wrote:


There are advantages and disadvantages to either backpacks or panniers
and it's the individual's needs/wants that will dictate their choice.

I agree. And the purpose of a discussion group like this is to discuss
those advantages and disadvantages.


I use my backpack for commuting and I have a locker and shower at work.
I don't do groceries on my bike.Â* It's not a question of whether I can
carry things or not for me but a question of locking my bike up outside.
I don't leave my bike outside unattended.

One reason for a grocery bike is to have something to park that doesn't
look like it's worth thousands of dollars, or like it's super-fashionable.

Also, it's worth thinking about where you're parking your bike. At our
usual grocery, I park my bike at the exit where it's visible only to
grocery patrons entering and leaving. At the other, I roll my bike
inside and lean it on the wall near the door.

I don't bother to lock my bike at either place. Security is just a
little wedge thing jammed into my brake lever, to hold my front brake on
tightly.

--
- Frank Krygowski

On Sunday, February 3, 2019 at 7:12:58 PM UTC-8, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, February 3, 2019 at 6:37:25 PM UTC-8, Theodore Heise wrote:
On Sun, 03 Feb 2019 19:07:18 -0500,
Joy Beeson wrote:
On Sun, 3 Feb 2019 18:36:47 -0000 (UTC), Duane wrote:

But I use my road bike with a backpack.

I rode with a backpack exactly once. Panniers rule!

I'm with Joy; hate backpacks for cycling.


I ride with a backpack every work day, but not a heavy one. Very convenient.

-- Jay Beattie.

I agree that for things that don't excessively load a backpack that it is definitely the way to carry things over loading things into a saddle bag or bike rack of any sort.

On Monday, February 4, 2019 at 11:28:16 AM UTC-5, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 2/4/2019 8:46 AM, Duane wrote:


There are advantages and disadvantages to either backpacks or panniers
and it's the individual's needs/wants that will dictate their choice.

I agree. And the purpose of a discussion group like this is to discuss
those advantages and disadvantages.


I use my backpack for commuting and I have a locker and shower at work.
I don't do groceries on my bike.Â* It's not a question of whether I can
carry things or not for me but a question of locking my bike up outside..
I don't leave my bike outside unattended.

One reason for a grocery bike is to have something to park that doesn't
look like it's worth thousands of dollars, or like it's super-fashionable..

Also, it's worth thinking about where you're parking your bike. At our
usual grocery, I park my bike at the exit where it's visible only to
grocery patrons entering and leaving. At the other, I roll my bike
inside and lean it on the wall near the door.

I don't bother to lock my bike at either place. Security is just a
little wedge thing jammed into my brake lever, to hold my front brake on
tightly.

--
- Frank Krygowski

"Lock it or lose it" is often touted hereabouts. There was a guy bicycling across Canada a couple of years ago. He was headed East from British Columbia and he stopped at a store in Montreal, Quebec. When he came out his bike and all his gear was gone. I don't know what happened after that. I loaned a friend of mine a very nice Fiori Modena 14 gears road bike. He phoned me new years eve to tell me that he stopped at a coffee shop and forgot to lock the bike. It was raining then. When he came out the bike was gone. All it takes is someone to see an unlocked bike and grab it. They usually only ride to near their destination and then dump it. Whatever, the chance of getting a stolen bike back these days is pretty slim.

I hope your luck holds for you when you leave your bike unlocked. Heck even if you see someone stealing your bike when you're in a store, by the time you run out of the store your bike is long gone.

Cheers