When Should I Give Up?

After only two months in my employment, Behemoth, my luxurious new Dutch
bike, is off sick with a flat rear tire. Thus my recently upgraded
French supermarket bike, Myrtille, returns to active service.

Although I try to be persistent and keep up a brave face, it is becoming
harder and harder to deny the evidence. Despite her humble origins,
Myrtille is far more comfortable and easier to ride than Behemoth. At
least 6 lb lighter, she is also perceptibly faster. She covers the 1.5
km between my work and home in 16 minutes with traffic lights, wheras
Behemoth rarely makes it in less than 18 minutes.

This greater comfort makes for greater safety. So long as I am in the
right gear, I have no trouble starting Myrtille. With Behemoth, starting
is a major issue. She fails me often. Once, she failed me at a busy
intersection. It was impossible to get back into the stream of traffic
after the light and I had to wheel her home. Because of this, I am far
more reluctant to stop when riding Behemoth than Myrtille. Traffic
lights have me swearing; and though I have always observed them up to
now, the temptation not to is much stronger.

With Myrtille, I can more or less cleave to a cycling lane at the right
side of the road. Behemoth's steering is so erratic that she must take
the middle of the lane, to the annoyance of traffic behind me. Her sway
can extend to two meters in either direction, especially the vertiginous
leftward flop at startup. Myrtille can coast downhill on automatic
pilot. With Behemoth, I must continually be minding the handlebars and
the pressure on my wrists gets very painful very quickly. Behemoth
routinely fails even simple corner turning. If it weren't for her
excellent brakes, I would already have crashed into a wall or two.

Behemoth is not without her advantages. The Nexus gear shifter is a
treasure. I never have to worry about what gear I'm in, and there is no
need to go extra route just to get into the right gear. Now that
Myrtille has an 8-speed derailleur rather than the 5-speed she was born
with, shifting is even more confusing than it used to be. I realize I
arrived at work this morning in 5th when I was supposed to be in 2nd.
The back gate better be open this evening or I won't be able to start up
the hill from the front.

Behemoth's cleanliness is next to godliness. Her chain is fully covered,
her back wheel has a skirt guard as well as a mud guard. Myrtille tends
to put mucky stains on the back of my skirts. Often I don't notice these
until they have transferred themselves to the pale, expensive upholstery
of my living room. Then there is Myrtille's hem-ripping tendency, which
obliges me to hoik up my skirts in an inelegant and not always decent
manner. I must also praise the fact that Behemoth is almost completely
maintenance-free (unless this tire-blasting trick is going to become a
regular feature). Myrtille needs tending every fortnight or so.

Until her upgrade, Myrtille had non-existent cantilever brakes that
could not be relied on for downhill stints. Her new V-brakes seem
competitive with Behemoth's rollers, though they still sing in the rain.
She also liked to pop chain every time I went above 3rd gear. The
verdict is not yet in on her new derailleur, but the lower speeds seem
to be rather rheumy, with particular trouble in the most used first and
second gears.

As I was riding Myrtille for rather longer than Behemoth, I have held up
the hope that I would get used to Behemoth eventually. I have measured
the frame sizes . Myrtille is a tiny 46 cm, Behemoth is a medium 50 cm.
On paper at least, Myrtille is too small for me and Behemoth is correct,
but still on the small side. However, I realize I really am not happy
with Behemoth's 700mm wheels. Whereas, with Myrtille, I can have the
seat at the correct distance from the pedals and still put a foot on the
ground, this is not possible with Behemoth. You have pointed out in this
forum that it is not the practise for real cyclists to start seated, or
to remain seated at a standstill, but this does remain the preference
for many ordinary muggles who do not cycle much or who do not feel safe
if they cannot touch ground. Moreover, I am absolutely no nearer to a
standing start than I was a year ago. It is one of those things that I
have observed and studied intensely, but cannot even begin to understand
kinetically. I may get the hang of it someday, but if we recall that it
took me two and a half years of daily practise to learn how to ride a
kick-scooter, a skill which most people consider innate, there is no
guarantee that this will happen anytime soon.

So what do you think? How much longer should I go on indulging Behemoth?
If I'm not comfortable after two months, will I ever be? I have been
patient with her because she represents an investment of 900€ with all
her extras, and because in all fairness, it took me quite a while to get
used to Myrtille too (though admittedly she was the first bike I even
rode, and much of that was initial learning time). I am also indulgent
because there simply _is_ no other bike in town with all the features
for which I bought her. The French market does not support high-end city
bikes for women. So if I decided to divorce her, there is nothing I
could replace her with that would be surely better.

I was at the shop Bicloune about 10 days ago. This is a famous and
well-reputed shop, but for me it is in a very inaccessible neighborhood.
They had an assortment of new and used bikes, one of which caught my
interest. It was an unlabelled, new, Dutch-style city bike with 26"
wheels, like Myrtille. It had an internal hub shifter but with only 5
gears, V-brakes and a rim dynamo. It cost around 500€. When I asked
about its provenance, the man told me it had been made on the premises.
I did not try the bike because I did not have my helmet with me.
However, if he made that bike, I'm thinking it might be possible for him
to make one from my own specs - 26" wheels, 8-speed Nexus, roller
brakes, chain, skirt and mudguards, and no dynamos (hate 'em). Perhaps I
could trade in Behemoth for part of the price. What holds me back from
acting is that, even if I tested the bike he has there and found it OK,
I am not sure I can learn what I need to know from just a test ride.
When I rode Behemoth out of her shop in the 16th Arrondissement, I had
no idea how she would pan out two months later, when everything had been
adjusted and optimized. Nor could I tell, before the investment in the
additions and modifications had already been made, that she would be so
much heavier than in her raw state. I'm just not experienced enough to
tell.

Thanks for listening.

EFR
Ile de France

I think something is clearly wrong. Dutch bikes are known to be
heavy, but not to be unstable or difficullt to ride. It sounds like
Behemouth is either defective, much too big, or very badly set up. In
neither case will familiarity improve things.

The Germans make some very good commuting/trekking bikes, also
equipped with the Nexus or Rohloff. I have a Kettler; the more
expensive Utopia also comes to mind. Either one offers the same
durability and practicality of Dutch bikes but with much less weight.
The Utopia even has a chaincase.

Here in the States, local bike shops are often totally clueless when
it comes to bikes as transportation. They typically can't fathom why
anyone would find fenders and chainguards desirable. However, there
are some very good shops, and I'm sure there are good ones in France,
too.

I'd look for a shop that actually understands Dutch bikes and have
them but Behemouth to rights. Failing that, they should be able to
find you one that fits you.

Sidewall dynamos range from cheap and nasty to pretty good. They
require proper tires with a special sidewall track to work. Schwalbe
Marathon and Vredestein make the best dynamo tires, by far. I'm
converting to a front dynohub mostly for better results in snow and
mud, but the dynamo that came with my bike is OK if you don't have
those conditions.

As I see it, you have two bikes, neither one of which fits your needs.
Keeping one as a backup in case of a flat makes sense to me.

Paul

"Elisa Francesca Roselli" wrote ...

snip comparison between Behemoth and Myrtille


I was at the shop Bicloune about 10 days ago. This is a famous and
well-reputed shop, but for me it is in a very inaccessible neighborhood.
They had an assortment of new and used bikes, one of which caught my
interest. It was an unlabelled, new, Dutch-style city bike with 26"
wheels, like Myrtille. It had an internal hub shifter but with only 5
gears, V-brakes and a rim dynamo. It cost around 500?. When I asked
about its provenance, the man told me it had been made on the premises.
I did not try the bike because I did not have my helmet with me.
However, if he made that bike, I'm thinking it might be possible for him
to make one from my own specs - 26" wheels, 8-speed Nexus, roller
brakes, chain, skirt and mudguards, and no dynamos (hate 'em). Perhaps I
could trade in Behemoth for part of the price. What holds me back from
acting is that, even if I tested the bike he has there and found it OK,
I am not sure I can learn what I need to know from just a test ride.
When I rode Behemoth out of her shop in the 16th Arrondissement, I had
no idea how she would pan out two months later, when everything had been
adjusted and optimized. Nor could I tell, before the investment in the
additions and modifications had already been made, that she would be so
much heavier than in her raw state. I'm just not experienced enough to
tell.

Thanks for listening.

EFR
Ile de France

Bring you r helmet and test ride the bike at Bicloune. If you like it,
consider having the people at Bicloune build you a bike using as many
components from Behemoth as they are willing to use. Then keep Myrtille for
a spare bike.
--
mark

Elisa Francesca Roselli wrote:

snipped very interesting bicycle review

It sounds to me like you have pretty much answered your own questions. I
wouldn't say you are giving up but rather moving on and my guess is you'll
keep Myrtille as a backup and try to find something to replace Behemoth
with.

--
Perre

You have to be smarter than a robot to reply.

Elisa Francesca Roselli wrote in message ...
After only two months in my employment, Behemoth, my luxurious new Dutch
bike, is off sick with a flat rear tire. Thus my recently upgraded
French supermarket bike, Myrtille, returns to active service.

Although I try to be persistent and keep up a brave face, it is becoming
harder and harder to deny the evidence. Despite her humble origins,
Myrtille is far more comfortable and easier to ride than Behemoth. At
least 6 lb lighter, she is also perceptibly faster. She covers the 1.5
km between my work and home in 16 minutes with traffic lights, wheras
Behemoth rarely makes it in less than 18 minutes.

This is not surprising under the circumstances. But the other things
you describe suggest that something is very, very wrong.

This greater comfort makes for greater safety. So long as I am in the
right gear, I have no trouble starting Myrtille. With Behemoth, starting
is a major issue. She fails me often.

Describe "fail". If Behemoth were geared too high, such that you had
to push off with a mighty "Oomph!!", I would expect some major
wobbling, wheel flop, etc. But Behemoth has plenty low gears, so that
seems unlikely (are you using them?).

With Myrtille, I can more or less cleave to a cycling lane at the right
side of the road. Behemoth's steering is so erratic that she must take
the middle of the lane, to the annoyance of traffic behind me. Her sway
can extend to two meters in either direction, especially the vertiginous
leftward flop at startup.

Again, this is very abnormal (and dangerous!!). Given your history
with the kick scooter, I'd suggest that you have someone else try to
ride the bike -- perhaps someone from the bike shop. What you
describe may be a function of your own balance issues, but it could be
the case that the frame or fork was built crooked or was bent on the
way from factory to you. Let's at least rule that out.

Behemoth
routinely fails even simple corner turning. If it weren't for her
excellent brakes, I would already have crashed into a wall or two.

Again, what do you mean by "fail".

Now that
Myrtille has an 8-speed derailleur rather than the 5-speed she was born
with, shifting is even more confusing than it used to be. I realize I
arrived at work this morning in 5th when I was supposed to be in 2nd.

If you were able to pedal her at a comfortable cadence, so what? Cars
need to shift through the gears in order, but bikes do not. Don't
worry about this.

The back gate better be open this evening or I won't be able to start up
the hill from the front.

That's different. The ability to change gears while at a standstill
is a nice feature of hub gears.

As I was riding Myrtille for rather longer than Behemoth, I have held up
the hope that I would get used to Behemoth eventually. I have measured
the frame sizes . Myrtille is a tiny 46 cm, Behemoth is a medium 50 cm.
On paper at least, Myrtille is too small for me and Behemoth is correct,
but still on the small side. However, I realize I really am not happy
with Behemoth's 700mm wheels. Whereas, with Myrtille, I can have the
seat at the correct distance from the pedals and still put a foot on the
ground, this is not possible with Behemoth.

Compare the two riding positions. Does Behemoth cause your knee to
come up higher than Myrtille? Does Behemoth stretch you out more
towards the front than Myrtille? To confirm, measure the cranks on
both bikes. Also measure the distance from the bottom of the frame
(under the pedals) to the ground. Finally, meaure the distance from
the center of the saddle to the handgrips (with the handlebars
centered) on each bike. Given that you are setting your saddle height
by reference to the ground, rather than the pedals, an increase in
either of the first two measurements would imply that your knees are
coming up higher than they used to. The third is self-explanatory. A
riding position that does both at the same time can be expected to be
more wobbly.

You have pointed out in this
forum that it is not the practise for real cyclists to start seated, or
to remain seated at a standstill, but this does remain the preference
for many ordinary muggles who do not cycle much or who do not feel safe
if they cannot touch ground. Moreover, I am absolutely no nearer to a
standing start than I was a year ago. It is one of those things that I
have observed and studied intensely, but cannot even begin to understand
kinetically. I may get the hang of it someday, but if we recall that it
took me two and a half years of daily practise to learn how to ride a
kick-scooter, a skill which most people consider innate, there is no
guarantee that this will happen anytime soon.

I realize that this is unusually hard for you, but I'd encourage you
to keep at it. If you can achieve it, you will ride (1) faster, (2)
with less effort, (3) for longer distances and (4) (probably) more
safely.

So what do you think? How much longer should I go on indulging Behemoth?
If I'm not comfortable after two months, will I ever be?

Never say die! In any case, try to fix before abandoning.

I was at the shop Bicloune about 10 days ago. This is a famous and
well-reputed shop, but for me it is in a very inaccessible neighborhood.
They had an assortment of new and used bikes, one of which caught my
interest. It was an unlabelled, new, Dutch-style city bike with 26"
wheels, like Myrtille.

Probably a distraction. I very seriously doubt that wheel size is at
the heart of this, except to the (psychological) extent that smaller
wheels may make you feel that you are closer to the ground and
therefore safer. But you aren't closer to the ground --the seat is at
that same height that allows you to touch down while seated.

Perhaps I
could trade in Behemoth for part of the price. What holds me back from
acting is that, even if I tested the bike he has there and found it OK,
I am not sure I can learn what I need to know from just a test ride.
When I rode Behemoth out of her shop in the 16th Arrondissement, I had
no idea how she would pan out two months later, when everything had been
adjusted and optimized. Nor could I tell, before the investment in the
additions and modifications had already been made, that she would be so
much heavier than in her raw state.

What was "optimized"? Forgive me, the word hardly seems appropriate.
What were the additions and modifications? Perhaps a clue lies
therein.

Good luck, and keep us posted!!

Peter Storey

Paul Hamilton wrote:

I think something is clearly wrong. Dutch bikes are known to be
heavy, but not to be unstable or difficullt to ride. It sounds like
Behemouth is either defective, much too big, or very badly set up. In
neither case will familiarity improve things.

I have had her tested by a number of other riders. Two, so far, have found
her hard to steer, the others have said there was no problem. There seems
to be a ruling creed among cycling elitists of the John Forrester ilk that
upmarket bikes are "supposed" to be that way. They call it "Sensitive
Steering". I call it "Oversteering All the Time".

The Germans make some very good commuting/trekking bikes, also
equipped with the Nexus or Rohloff.

This whole problem originated in the fact that such bikes _cannot_ be
found here. The only way I can obtain one of these German bikes, or have a
better choice of Dutch bikes, is to travel to Germany or Holland and buy
one on location. This option is too expensive for me at the moment.
Moreover, judging from catalogue, very few bikes in this category have 26"
wheels, which I think may be one of my requirements.

I'd look for a shop that actually understands Dutch bikes and have
them but Behemouth to rights. Failing that, they should be able to
find you one that fits you.

There is _one_specialist in Paris who deals with this kind of bike -
Behemoth's own dealer. Now that I have Myrtille back, perhaps I will take
Behemoth back there to have her looked at. As this requires quite an
extensive ride through busy Paris streets, I will need a day off work,
good weather, and a functioning tire on Behemoth, currently being repaired
at the nearest LBS..

As I see it, you have two bikes, neither one of which fits your needs.
Keeping one as a backup in case of a flat makes sense to me.

Yes, when I got the bill for upgrading Myrtille I felt a little faint, but
now I see that it was well-spent money.

EFR

Paul Hamilton wrote:

The Germans make some very good commuting/trekking bikes, also
equipped with the Nexus or Rohloff. I have a Kettler; the more
expensive Utopia also comes to mind. Either one offers the same
durability and practicality of Dutch bikes but with much less weight.
The Utopia even has a chaincase.

I've had a look on the Utopia web-site at http://www.utopia-fahrrad.de/.
Some interesting items there indeed. One thing I don't understand though.
I gather the idea is to configure your own bike, with the shifter, brakes,
frame-size etc. that you want. Then they build it to your specs and ship
it to you.

But then I'm told that anyone who doesn't try before they buy is a cretin.
How on earth can you try a bike that isn't even built yet?

EFR
Ile de France

Elisa Francesca Roselli wrote lots about her new bike and her problems.

Peter Storey gave a response, which I generally agreed with. Here are a
few comments.

With Behemoth, starting
is a major issue. She fails me often. Once, she failed me at a busy
intersection. It was impossible to get back into the stream of traffic
after the light and I had to wheel her home.

This sounds _very_ unusual. Like Peter, I'm curious about exactly how
Behemoth "fails you often." What happens when you try to begin pedaling?

Behemoth's steering is so erratic that she must take
the middle of the lane, to the annoyance of traffic behind me. Her sway
can extend to two meters in either direction, especially the vertiginous
leftward flop at startup.

This is also _extremely_ unusual. A sway of two meters in either
direction should be impossible on a functional bicycle. (For
comparison, there was a somewhat famous article published in a journal
of physics many years ago, detailing a physicists efforts to build a
bicycle that couldn't be balanced. It was _extremely_ difficult to do
so!)

This leads me to wonder if there is something very seriously wrong with
the headset (i.e. steering mechanism) on the bike. Or perhaps the fork
or frame are bent?

Behemoth
routinely fails even simple corner turning. If it weren't for her
excellent brakes, I would already have crashed into a wall or two.

Again, this is astounding. It should not be.

In general, utility bikes are designed to be very stable. The ones I've
tried could be ridden no-hands much more easily than my "sportier" bikes.


Behemoth is not without her advantages. The Nexus gear shifter is a
treasure. I never have to worry about what gear I'm in, and there is no
need to go extra route just to get into the right gear. Now that
Myrtille has an 8-speed derailleur rather than the 5-speed she was born
with, shifting is even more confusing than it used to be. I realize I
arrived at work this morning in 5th when I was supposed to be in 2nd.
The back gate better be open this evening or I won't be able to start up
the hill from the front.

While hub gears certainly have advantages (and may be better for you) a
derailleur gear set should be very easy to use, as well. But it's true
that a derailleur is difficult to shift while stopped. Most people
learn to remember to shift derailleurs to a good "starting" gear before
coming to a stop; and when they forget, they find a way to fuss it into
gear, perhaps moving the shifter while holding the back of the bike off
the ground and kicking the pedals around. It's clumsy, but not
impossible. It may be worth it to have someone show you how.


Behemoth's cleanliness is next to godliness. Her chain is fully covered,
her back wheel has a skirt guard as well as a mud guard. Myrtille tends
to put mucky stains on the back of my skirts. Often I don't notice these
until they have transferred themselves to the pale, expensive upholstery
of my living room. Then there is Myrtille's hem-ripping tendency, which
obliges me to hoik up my skirts in an inelegant and not always decent
manner. I must also praise the fact that Behemoth is almost completely
maintenance-free (unless this tire-blasting trick is going to become a
regular feature). Myrtille needs tending every fortnight or so.

Hmmm. I wonder what "tending" is needed? But more on cleanliness, etc.
later.


I realize I really am not happy
with Behemoth's 700mm wheels. Whereas, with Myrtille, I can have the
seat at the correct distance from the pedals and still put a foot on the
ground, this is not possible with Behemoth.

Wheel size should not affect this. Here's why: First, the pedals must
clear the ground by a reasonable amount, or they will scrape on the
slightest turn. That determines the height of the cranks. Second, the
seat must be a certain distance above the pedals, or your knees will be
too bent for comfort and long-term health. The sum of those two
dimensions determines the height of the seat above the ground. (My
fonding bike, with approx. 16" wheels, has its seat at the same height
as my other bikes.)

There is an uncommon design of bike that puts the seat far behind the
pedals, hoping to give good leg extension while allowing one to reach
the ground easily. But I've never seen one of these in real life.

So I suspect the differences between the bikes are more related to
adjustment than to wheel size.

You have pointed out in this
forum that it is not the practise for real cyclists to start seated, or
to remain seated at a standstill, but this does remain the preference
for many ordinary muggles who do not cycle much or who do not feel safe
if they cannot touch ground. Moreover, I am absolutely no nearer to a
standing start than I was a year ago. It is one of those things that I
have observed and studied intensely, but cannot even begin to understand
kinetically. I may get the hang of it someday, but if we recall that it
took me two and a half years of daily practise to learn how to ride a
kick-scooter, a skill which most people consider innate, there is no
guarantee that this will happen anytime soon.

This, more than anything else, hints that the problem may not be so much
in the bike. No matter. If the bike doesn't work for you, you need to
find one that does!

I think I'd consider the following: I'd have some knowledgeable person
inspect the Behemoth very thoroughly, to be sure nothing is seriously
wrong. I'd also have them look at your fit on the bike, and see if any
adjustements are necessary and possible.

If they determine the bike is fine, then perhaps it's just not the bike
for you. I'd consider upgrading your favorite bike. By that, I mean:
if your skirts are getting dirt stripes, your fenders sound inadequate
(or missing). Have bigger ones intalled. Would you like a skirt guard?
Have a bike shop install one. Do you have a strong preference for a
hub gear? You can have that installed, too.

The fenders are cheap. The skirt guard may require some clever work by
an interested mechanic, but it's certainly possible. (I'd do it for
you, if you were in my neighborhood.) The hub gear is relatively
expensive, and it may pay to have someone show you tips on derailleurs
to be sure you really need to change. OTOH, hub gears can add greatly
to cleanliness.

Bikes are very versatile, and often (not always) one can be
"accessorized" to make it much more to your liking. If this works, it
can be a much less expensive way to get what you want.

Meanwhile, if you describe the failings of Behemoth in more detail
(expecially the stability problems) we may be able to take a guess at
what's happening.

But I wonder - have you discussed this with local cyclists? Actually
seeing the bike is a terrific advantage, you know!

--
Frank Krygowski [To reply, omit what's between "at" and "cc"]

"Paul Hamilton" wrote in message
om...

Here in the States, local bike shops are often totally clueless when
it comes to bikes as transportation. They typically can't fathom why
anyone would find fenders and chainguards desirable. However, there
are some very good shops, and I'm sure there are good ones in France,
too.

I saw a Breezer in my local shop (Amlings, Niles, Illinois).
http://www.breezerbikes.com/
It looked elegantly utilitarian: generator lights, rack, fenders,
chainguard, Nexus-type gears (don't know if they were that brand). So,
there are a few such bikes out there, even in the US.


Re the original poster's question: I can see a sale of Behemoth in the
offing. There's no point to a bike you don't like to ride, and a couple of
months should be sufficient time. It might just need some refitting
adjustments, though.

I was slightly puzzled by the thought that
Whereas, with Myrtille, I can have the
seat at the correct distance from the pedals and still put a foot on the
ground, this is not possible with Behemoth.

Elisa, it sounds like you are keeping one foot on the ground when stopped,
which is pretty standard among those who haven't mastered track stands,
which is about 95% of us. Of course, this is accomplished by leaning the
bike slightly over to one side.

I hope this meager contribution is helpful, not annoying. I remember
some of these issues from previous threads. Of course, Elisa can
respond for herself, but in the interest of having some answers
waiting when she reads these messages:

On Thu, 22 Jan 2004 21:36:59 -0500, "frkrygow"
wrote:
Elisa Francesca Roselli wrote lots about her new bike and her problems.

Behemoth:
http://www.bikkelbikes.com/neerhem7.htm

Her first thread about her teething troubles:
http://groups.google.com/groups?&thr...c-software.com

With Behemoth, starting
is a major issue. She fails me often. Once, she failed me at a busy
intersection. It was impossible to get back into the stream of traffic
after the light and I had to wheel her home.

This sounds _very_ unusual. Like Peter, I'm curious about exactly how
Behemoth "fails you often." What happens when you try to begin pedaling?

Here, she describes how she mounts:
http://groups.google.com/groups?&sel...c-software.com

for you. I'd consider upgrading your favorite bike. By that, I mean:
if your skirts are getting dirt stripes, your fenders sound inadequate
(or missing). Have bigger ones intalled. Would you like a skirt guard?
Have a bike shop install one. Do you have a strong preference for a
hub gear? You can have that installed, too.

The fenders are cheap. The skirt guard may require some clever work by
an interested mechanic, but it's certainly possible. (I'd do it for
you, if you were in my neighborhood.)

Elisa wrote:
:Everything about this
:bike was non-standard, so a standard chain-guard could not be
:retrofitted.
snip
:This obliged me to drop into my LBS every few weeks or so; but
:since they hadn't sold me Myrtille, and since they considered her trash,
:I had to face their irony all the time.

She is unable to find people willing to do the things you or I would
do for a bike. She can't even find reasonably nice people.

The hub gear is relatively
expensive, and it may pay to have someone show you tips on derailleurs
to be sure you really need to change. OTOH, hub gears can add greatly
to cleanliness.

Expense is easy enough to overcome -- the hub gear could be taken
from Behemoth.

Meanwhile, if you describe the failings of Behemoth in more detail
(expecially the stability problems) we may be able to take a guess at
what's happening.

She has in the past; hopefully, enough detail can be found in those
messages.

But I wonder - have you discussed this with local cyclists? Actually
seeing the bike is a terrific advantage, you know!

See the bike:
http://www.bikkelbikes.com/images/bi...em7H_popup.jpg

Quite an attractive bike, actually.

Of course, the resolution is a little bit short of 3d solid
holography, so we can't really examine it well...

I wonder if
http://www.bikkelbikes.com/images/bi...em7D_popup.jpg
would have been a better choice? Maybe easier to mount.
--
Rick Onanian