Reducing bicycle chain service to zero

On Thu, 16 Jun 2016 15:35:14 -0400, Radey Shouman
wrote:

AMuzi writes:

On 6/15/2016 10:33 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Thu, 16 Jun 2016 08:36:06 +0700, John B.
wrote:

I think, if as Jeff says, it is also a dog repellent then perhaps that
is a positive trade off. Or at least I would rather fight off a
squirrel than a Doberman.

You might want to reconsider your last statement:
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/attachments/lounge/108337d1423059472-giant-squirrels-giant-squirrel.gif
http://user.xmission.com/~red/giant-squirrelA.jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/48/77/fb/4877fb067b34bb8f9659e9eecb66456d.jpg
http://reginiek.deviantart.com/art/THE-ATTACK-OF-THE-GIANT-SQUIRREL-398777004
https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6125/5943497699_44a89496f0.jpg
http://s27.photobucket.com/user/youragoat/media/squirrel_with_machine_gun.jpg.html
http://www.freakingnews.com/pictures/89000/Washington-Overrun-by-Giant-Squirrels--89328.jpg



We needn't descend into photoshop, the risk is real:

http://www.yellowjersey.org/photosfr...t/squirrel.jpg

I'll shake the hand of any doberman that can do that.

My God! Do you know how savage these creatures are? Why, there are
over 4 million dog bites reported annually and there are recorded
instances of dogs killing humans dating back to 1887.
--
cheers,

John B.

On Thu, 16 Jun 2016 18:58:43 -0400, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 6/16/2016 6:15 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Thu, 16 Jun 2016 08:01:06 -0500, AMuzi wrote:

We needn't descend into photoshop, the risk is real:
http://www.yellowjersey.org/photosfr...t/squirrel.jpg

Not a problem. Just switch to sharpened aero spokes, which should
slice the squirrel into bite size chunks (shashlik) ready to make
shish kebob. If front disc brakes are available, the disc edge should
also be sharpened.

But only on the front edge! We've seen what can happen when someone
crashes into the rear edge of a disc. ;-)

That could be difficult to do. However, there are aftermarket disc
brake guards available (useful for bicycle polo and bicycle demolition
derby):
https://www.google.com/search?q=bicycle+disc+brake+guard&tbm=isch
https://www.pinterest.com/jm3251/rotor-caliper-guards-bike-polo/
Just remove the forward facing part of the guard, so that it will
properly slice squirrels, and leave the rear facing guard in place for
tailgaters practicing drafting.

Note: The correct strategy when approaching a squirrel is steer
directly at the squirrel. This may seem counter-intuitive, but does
work. Squirrels are incapable of running in a straight line for more
than about a meter. As you approach, they have the irritating habit
of crossing the road perpendicular to your line of travel. They
invariably reverse direction at the last possible moment, even when
they are safely across the road. This unpredictable behavior is the
origin of the term "sqirrelly". The only certainty is that when
approaching a squirrel, it will NOT remain in its initial location for
very long. Therefore, the best way to not hit a squirrel is to aim
directly at it.


--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On 6/16/2016 10:39 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Thu, 16 Jun 2016 18:58:43 -0400, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 6/16/2016 6:15 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Thu, 16 Jun 2016 08:01:06 -0500, AMuzi wrote:

We needn't descend into photoshop, the risk is real:
http://www.yellowjersey.org/photosfr...t/squirrel.jpg

Not a problem. Just switch to sharpened aero spokes, which should
slice the squirrel into bite size chunks (shashlik) ready to make
shish kebob. If front disc brakes are available, the disc edge should
also be sharpened.

But only on the front edge! We've seen what can happen when someone
crashes into the rear edge of a disc. ;-)

That could be difficult to do.

We could turn the project over to Joerg. He always has interesting
solutions in mind.

Note: The correct strategy when approaching a squirrel is steer
directly at the squirrel. This may seem counter-intuitive, but does
work. Squirrels are incapable of running in a straight line for more
than about a meter. As you approach, they have the irritating habit
of crossing the road perpendicular to your line of travel. They
invariably reverse direction at the last possible moment, even when
they are safely across the road. This unpredictable behavior is the
origin of the term "sqirrelly". The only certainty is that when
approaching a squirrel, it will NOT remain in its initial location for
very long. Therefore, the best way to not hit a squirrel is to aim
directly at it.

More seriously, regarding squirrels: I'm pretty sure their behavior is
intended as defense against what's probably their prime predators, which
are birds of prey. When a hawk is on final, fast approach, talons out,
it can't change direction very quickly.

An interesting detail is that squirrels usually throw their tails up
over their backs at that last second. I suspect the large fluffy tail
is intended as a decoy of sorts, in hopes that the hawk will try to
grasp it instead of the squirrel's body. If the hawk strikes high, he
can't hold the tail and the squirrel escapes.

None of this works against low spoke count wheels, though.



--
- Frank Krygowski

On Thu, 16 Jun 2016 19:39:16 -0700, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

On Thu, 16 Jun 2016 18:58:43 -0400, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 6/16/2016 6:15 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Thu, 16 Jun 2016 08:01:06 -0500, AMuzi wrote:

We needn't descend into photoshop, the risk is real:
http://www.yellowjersey.org/photosfr...t/squirrel.jpg

Not a problem. Just switch to sharpened aero spokes, which should
slice the squirrel into bite size chunks (shashlik) ready to make
shish kebob. If front disc brakes are available, the disc edge should
also be sharpened.

But only on the front edge! We've seen what can happen when someone
crashes into the rear edge of a disc. ;-)

That could be difficult to do. However, there are aftermarket disc
brake guards available (useful for bicycle polo and bicycle demolition
derby):
https://www.google.com/search?q=bicycle+disc+brake+guard&tbm=isch
https://www.pinterest.com/jm3251/rotor-caliper-guards-bike-polo/
Just remove the forward facing part of the guard, so that it will
properly slice squirrels, and leave the rear facing guard in place for
tailgaters practicing drafting.

Note: The correct strategy when approaching a squirrel is steer
directly at the squirrel. This may seem counter-intuitive, but does
work. Squirrels are incapable of running in a straight line for more
than about a meter.

It must be them 'merican" squirrels as I frequently see a red
squirrel, that apparently lives across the street, running along on a
telephone cable between light posts and the posts must be 50 feet
(15.24 M) apart.


As you approach, they have the irritating habit
of crossing the road perpendicular to your line of travel. They
invariably reverse direction at the last possible moment, even when
they are safely across the road. This unpredictable behavior is the
origin of the term "sqirrelly". The only certainty is that when
approaching a squirrel, it will NOT remain in its initial location for
very long. Therefore, the best way to not hit a squirrel is to aim
directly at it.
--
cheers,

John B.

On Thu, 16 Jun 2016 22:54:14 -0400, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 6/16/2016 10:39 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Thu, 16 Jun 2016 18:58:43 -0400, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 6/16/2016 6:15 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Thu, 16 Jun 2016 08:01:06 -0500, AMuzi wrote:

We needn't descend into photoshop, the risk is real:
http://www.yellowjersey.org/photosfr...t/squirrel.jpg

Not a problem. Just switch to sharpened aero spokes, which should
slice the squirrel into bite size chunks (shashlik) ready to make
shish kebob. If front disc brakes are available, the disc edge should
also be sharpened.

But only on the front edge! We've seen what can happen when someone
crashes into the rear edge of a disc. ;-)

That could be difficult to do.

We could turn the project over to Joerg. He always has interesting
solutions in mind.

Note: The correct strategy when approaching a squirrel is steer
directly at the squirrel. This may seem counter-intuitive, but does
work. Squirrels are incapable of running in a straight line for more
than about a meter. As you approach, they have the irritating habit
of crossing the road perpendicular to your line of travel. They
invariably reverse direction at the last possible moment, even when
they are safely across the road. This unpredictable behavior is the
origin of the term "sqirrelly". The only certainty is that when
approaching a squirrel, it will NOT remain in its initial location for
very long. Therefore, the best way to not hit a squirrel is to aim
directly at it.

More seriously, regarding squirrels: I'm pretty sure their behavior is
intended as defense against what's probably their prime predators, which
are birds of prey. When a hawk is on final, fast approach, talons out,
it can't change direction very quickly.

An interesting detail is that squirrels usually throw their tails up
over their backs at that last second. I suspect the large fluffy tail
is intended as a decoy of sorts, in hopes that the hawk will try to
grasp it instead of the squirrel's body. If the hawk strikes high, he
can't hold the tail and the squirrel escapes.

None of this works against low spoke count wheels, though.

Perhaps the solution is the scythed chariot. Think of it, swords
mounted on the wheels to masticate attacking squirrels. Why, they
might even have a secondary use to prevent those close passes that
some are mentioning.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scythed_chariot

It might also serve as a protection against marauding mountain lions.
--
cheers,

John B.

On Fri, 17 Jun 2016 10:25:15 +0700, John B.
wrote:

On Thu, 16 Jun 2016 19:39:16 -0700, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:
Note: The correct strategy when approaching a squirrel is steer
directly at the squirrel. This may seem counter-intuitive, but does
work. Squirrels are incapable of running in a straight line for more
than about a meter.

It must be them 'merican" squirrels as I frequently see a red
squirrel, that apparently lives across the street, running along on a
telephone cable between light posts and the posts must be 50 feet
(15.24 M) apart.

If you're planning to chase squirrels on telephone cables with your
bicycle, methinks some practice might be a good idea. You can add the
squirrel later:
https://www.google.com/search?q=bicycle+on+tightrope&tbm=isch
Hint: Remove the tubes and tires. Ride on the rims.

I live on the side of hill which puts the power and phone lines at the
same elevation as my desk. Watching the antics of the local squirrels
is a regular pastime. Mostly, I'm interested in the regularly
scheduled cat versus squirrel versus Steller's jay competition. When
there's danger on the ground, the squirrels will traverse the area
using the power and phone lines. You're correct that they do travel
in a straight line as the phone and power lines offer no other
alternative. However, they never go very far at one time or at a
constant speed. There's no continuous rush, but rather a series of
short sprints. When on the ground, they do much the same thing, but
with the addition of sprints in random directions.

Incidentally, we have gray, brown, and black tree squirrels. They
look much the same, but tend to act somewhat differently. For
example, the gray squirrels are fairly wild, while the brown squirrels
are quite friendly. No clue on the black as they tend to be rare. We
also have gray and brown ground squirrels. A true American squirrel
would be red, white, and blue. I haven't seen any of those.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/59/58/86/595886a3cc7d9a6729c098c678e36ea4.jpg

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Thu, 16 Jun 2016 22:20:20 -0700, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

On Fri, 17 Jun 2016 10:25:15 +0700, John B.
wrote:

On Thu, 16 Jun 2016 19:39:16 -0700, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:
Note: The correct strategy when approaching a squirrel is steer
directly at the squirrel. This may seem counter-intuitive, but does
work. Squirrels are incapable of running in a straight line for more
than about a meter.

It must be them 'merican" squirrels as I frequently see a red
squirrel, that apparently lives across the street, running along on a
telephone cable between light posts and the posts must be 50 feet
(15.24 M) apart.

If you're planning to chase squirrels on telephone cables with your
bicycle, methinks some practice might be a good idea. You can add the
squirrel later:
https://www.google.com/search?q=bicycle+on+tightrope&tbm=isch
Hint: Remove the tubes and tires. Ride on the rims.

The comment was in reference to squirrels only being unable to run
more then a meter. Thai squirrels can run at least 15 meters.

I live on the side of hill which puts the power and phone lines at the
same elevation as my desk. Watching the antics of the local squirrels
is a regular pastime. Mostly, I'm interested in the regularly
scheduled cat versus squirrel versus Steller's jay competition. When
there's danger on the ground, the squirrels will traverse the area
using the power and phone lines. You're correct that they do travel
in a straight line as the phone and power lines offer no other
alternative. However, they never go very far at one time or at a
constant speed. There's no continuous rush, but rather a series of
short sprints. When on the ground, they do much the same thing, but
with the addition of sprints in random directions.

I suspect when one is "prey" one is not genetically engineered to run
long distances in a straight line. I think Darwin's theory will
suggest that those who run in predictable paths may, very rapidly, be
eliminated from the gene pool.

The cockroach tribe, that apparently has existed for 320 million years
always run about in short bursts.... and (bicycle content) always stay
close to the outside edge and never, never "take the lane".


Incidentally, we have gray, brown, and black tree squirrels. They
look much the same, but tend to act somewhat differently. For
example, the gray squirrels are fairly wild, while the brown squirrels
are quite friendly. No clue on the black as they tend to be rare. We
also have gray and brown ground squirrels. A true American squirrel
would be red, white, and blue. I haven't seen any of those.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/59/58/86/595886a3cc7d9a6729c098c678e36ea4.jpg

From what I read the brown squirrels are likely to be "fox" squirrels
and the black is referred to as an a melanistic subgroup of the gray.
(one can only speculate whether "melanistic man" is a politically
correct term ;-)

And according to the Wiki, Red squirrels, which I thought I used to
shoot as a kid, are a Eurasian creature, not an American, and what I
used to shoot were likely fox squirrels :-)
(proof positive that anecdotal information is worthless ;-)
--
cheers,

John B.

On 6/16/2016 11:25 PM, John B. wrote:
On Thu, 16 Jun 2016 19:39:16 -0700, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

On Thu, 16 Jun 2016 18:58:43 -0400, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 6/16/2016 6:15 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Thu, 16 Jun 2016 08:01:06 -0500, AMuzi wrote:

We needn't descend into photoshop, the risk is real:
http://www.yellowjersey.org/photosfr...t/squirrel.jpg

Not a problem. Just switch to sharpened aero spokes, which should
slice the squirrel into bite size chunks (shashlik) ready to make
shish kebob. If front disc brakes are available, the disc edge should
also be sharpened.

But only on the front edge! We've seen what can happen when someone
crashes into the rear edge of a disc. ;-)

That could be difficult to do. However, there are aftermarket disc
brake guards available (useful for bicycle polo and bicycle demolition
derby):
https://www.google.com/search?q=bicycle+disc+brake+guard&tbm=isch
https://www.pinterest.com/jm3251/rotor-caliper-guards-bike-polo/
Just remove the forward facing part of the guard, so that it will
properly slice squirrels, and leave the rear facing guard in place for
tailgaters practicing drafting.

Note: The correct strategy when approaching a squirrel is steer
directly at the squirrel. This may seem counter-intuitive, but does
work. Squirrels are incapable of running in a straight line for more
than about a meter.

It must be them 'merican" squirrels as I frequently see a red
squirrel, that apparently lives across the street, running along on a
telephone cable between light posts and the posts must be 50 feet
(15.24 M) apart.

Well, sure, they can run straight on a wire, but that's cheating. I
know some squirrelly cyclists, but they could probably ride straight if
you put them on a railbike.

http://rrbike.freeservers.com/

--
- Frank Krygowski