Bus racks

AMuzi wrote:
:On 9/10/2018 11:25 PM, John B. Slocomb wrote:
: On Mon, 10 Sep 2018 22:37:31 -0400, Frank Krygowski
: wrote:
:
: On 9/10/2018 4:43 PM, Joerg wrote:
: On 2018-09-10 13:26, jbeattie wrote:
: On Monday, September 10, 2018 at 11:49:20 AM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
: On 2018-09-09 08:33, Frank Krygowski wrote:
: On 9/9/2018 10:44 AM, Joerg wrote:
: On 2018-09-08 17:27, jbeattie wrote:
:
:
: [...]
:
: I bet I haul more stuff out of my yard on a more regular basis than
: you haul wood pellets and fire wood. I hauled off an entire 40' blue
: spruce and an equally tall fir, both of which I cut with a chainsaw
: here in suburbia. I hauled that off with a Subaru wagon and a utility
: trailer. Another good part about having a utility trailer is that you
: can fill it up and leave it, unlike a pick-up. I filled mine up again
: this weekend.
:
:
: No space for a utility trailer. Sez SWMBO :-)
:
: Your wife married a wimp. And/or someone who is insufficiently ingenious.
:
: My utility trailer takes up about four square feet of floor space.
: That's because it's stored on its tail in a far corner of the garage. My
: wife likes that, and thinks its clever. However, she never complained
: when it was stored conventionally parked in front of a car.
:
: We both know who wears the pants in this family.
:
:
: The main issue though is a lower back problem because a lot of
: lifting while bent is required, something that can really ruin
: my day.
:
: You have to pick up a bike to put it in a pick-up truck, unless you
: have a ramp, and then you have to pick up the ramp.
:
:
: Ramps are easy. That is exactly one of the tools one uses when there are
: lower back issues.
:
: OK, show us, please. One of my very good friends is a lady even more
: elderly than I am. She's an avid cyclist despite significant health
: issues. She's thought hard about getting an ebike, but says its weight
: would make it impractical for her to get it into the bed of her pickup.
: Her tailgate is something like three feet above the ground. How should
: she push a heavy bike up a ramp and into the bed? Where would she stand
: to do this? How would she keep the bike balanced on the ramp - and would
: she be able to do that as she climbed up into the bed to roll the bike
: all the way into the bed?
:
: I'm not saying it's impossible, but it seems tricky at best. Got a video
: or photos of how you do it?
:
: What you do is lean a plank on the pickup bed and ride up. And of
: course back down when you get where you are going :-)
:
: And before anyone says it is impossible I have done it (once). I rode
: a 74 cu.in. Harley up a 12 inch plank to load it into a furniture van
: to haul it, and me, from Valdosta, Georgia to Hendersonville N.
: Carolina and when we got there I rode it back down.
:
: My only excuse is that I was young and foolish and it was terrible
: cold to a bloke from south Florida, in a pair of levis and a flannel
: shirt.
:
:
:
:
:
: And how is it that you're hauling loads of fire wood with a bad back?
: Are you bringing it in one stick at a time? One pellet at a time?
: If you need a big bad pick-up truck for all the gnarly stuff you do
: in Cameron Park (way out in the country, five minutes from the
: nearest SuperCuts), you must be awesome rugged, a big strong bear of
: a man -- certainly manly enough to pick up a bike. How do you put
: your bike on the inadequate municipal bus racks?
:
:
: Anyone with lower back issues who wants to stay active develops the
: requisite tricks how to lift. Never ever bent over, like you have to do
: when stacking bikes inside a station wagon or SUV.
:
: I don't believe lifting a bike two feet to hang it on a car's rear rack
: is any different than lifting a bike two feet to place it in a bus front
: rack.
:
: For heavy stuff such as large oak or pine rounds I carry a board upon
: which I roll them up into the SUV.
:
: OK...and you roll it up the ramp while never bending over?
:
: Inrerestingly, my back spasm bouts or pain where I couldn't even get up
: from bed have dropped to almost zero since I started mountain biking a
: few years ago. I guess that is because more core muscle develops.
:
:
: Cars are far superior to pick-ups unless you use your pick-up to
: pick-up things every day. As actually used, pick-ups are just
: passenger cars with ****ty interior storage capacity and bad gas
: mileage. I see the suburban cowboys out in Clackamas County with the
: spotless, giant, chrome festooned F-five-zillion trucks with duals
: and naked lady mud flaps -- driving around and puking diesel smoke
: for nothing but show. They're driving to the local supermarket. And
: with mini trucks, you don't have any interior room for anything. The
: cargo goes into the bed to get blown around, rained on, bounced
: around, etc. And when it snows, you end up hauling snow.
:
: We think differently about pickup trucks here.
:
: You probably use more chrome plating. When cruising the Cameron Park
: shopping plaza, you want lots of shine! ;-)
:
: Frank: My SUV gets 25mpg with California gas, 28mpg with gas from Nevada
: or Oregon.
:
: So I beat you by over 40%. Brag on, Joerg.

:My hat's off to you. Being young once myself, I reasoned
:that since riding a 4" highway stripe is no big deal, a 6"
:steel beam should be much the same. I have a stainless elbow
:as a reminder of that adventure.

The college I went to had a back woods, which featured several sewage
pipes running across ravines, serving as bridges of sorts. The
biggest was a 36" diameter pipe, with a fall of about 15 feet or so.
The only time I tried to ride acrosss it, I fortunately fell before
it was fully out of the ground. Other people rode across it
regularly. (this one:
https://epress.earlham.edu/sustainab...igh-pipe-2.jpg
didn't always have water under it. There are some smaller pipes that
are higher, too.).



--
sig 88

On 2018-09-10 19:37, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 9/10/2018 4:43 PM, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-09-10 13:26, jbeattie wrote:
On Monday, September 10, 2018 at 11:49:20 AM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-09-09 08:33, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 9/9/2018 10:44 AM, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-09-08 17:27, jbeattie wrote:


[...]

I bet I haul more stuff out of my yard on a more regular basis than
you haul wood pellets and fire wood. I hauled off an entire 40' blue
spruce and an equally tall fir, both of which I cut with a chainsaw
here in suburbia. I hauled that off with a Subaru wagon and a utility
trailer. Another good part about having a utility trailer is that you
can fill it up and leave it, unlike a pick-up. I filled mine up again
this weekend.


No space for a utility trailer. Sez SWMBO :-)

Your wife married a wimp. And/or someone who is insufficiently ingenious.

My utility trailer takes up about four square feet of floor space.
That's because it's stored on its tail in a far corner of the garage. My
wife likes that, and thinks its clever. However, she never complained
when it was stored conventionally parked in front of a car.

We both know who wears the pants in this family.


We live differently. In contrast to you I do not lord it over my wife
but consider her as equal in "rank".

There is zero space left in the garage because of all _my_ toys. Tools,
work bench, cabinet for metal supplies and the remaining wall is where
.... drum roll ... my bicycles are parked. I could store it on its tail
on the outside of the garage but that would look yucky or rednecky.


The main issue though is a lower back problem because a lot of
lifting while bent is required, something that can really ruin
my day.

You have to pick up a bike to put it in a pick-up truck, unless you
have a ramp, and then you have to pick up the ramp.


Ramps are easy. That is exactly one of the tools one uses when there
are lower back issues.

OK, show us, please.


What is there to show? It is a simple plank of wood. That goes in the
SUV every time I pick up large rounds of wood somewhere. When someone
says "We just have a tree cut down. Do you want the wood?".


... One of my very good friends is a lady even more
elderly than I am. She's an avid cyclist despite significant health
issues. She's thought hard about getting an ebike, but says its weight
would make it impractical for her to get it into the bed of her pickup.
Her tailgate is something like three feet above the ground. How should
she push a heavy bike up a ramp and into the bed?


Make the ramp shallow enough, then guide the bike by grabbing its frame
parts. It's simple. Hint: You can steer a bike via the fork.


... Where would she stand
to do this?


On the pavement.


... How would she keep the bike balanced on the ramp - and would
she be able to do that as she climbed up into the bed to roll the bike
all the way into the bed?

I'm not saying it's impossible, but it seems tricky at best. Got a video
or photos of how you do it?


sigh

Looks like you need a really slow and detailed explanation. So here goes.

Drop the tail gate. Lift bike onto that. Do not bend over while doing it
if lower back issues are present. Roll the bike into place grabbing the
frame and steering via fork grab. Lean it against the driver side bed
wall. Lay thick cardboard on right of bike. Rinse, lather, repeat until
all bikes are in.

If she can't lift it just use a plank as a ramp. Nail quarter rounds to
that if afraid to veer off. Roll bike as described above until at
desired location. For the next bike move the ramp so it'll roll straight
into the next slot without steering. If unable to keep it going straight
load rear wheel first.

Cinch straps over the bikes, lift tail gate back up, everyone hops into
the truck, insert key into ignition, turn the key ...




And how is it that you're hauling loads of fire wood with a bad back?
Are you bringing it in one stick at a time? One pellet at a time?
If you need a big bad pick-up truck for all the gnarly stuff you do
in Cameron Park (way out in the country, five minutes from the
nearest SuperCuts), you must be awesome rugged, a big strong bear of
a man -- certainly manly enough to pick up a bike. How do you put
your bike on the inadequate municipal bus racks?


Anyone with lower back issues who wants to stay active develops the
requisite tricks how to lift. Never ever bent over, like you have to
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
do when stacking bikes inside a station wagon or SUV.

I don't believe lifting a bike two feet to hang it on a car's rear rack
is any different than lifting a bike two feet to place it in a bus front
rack.


I have underlined it again. Lifting a 2nd bike _into_ a car required a
bit of bent lifting.


For heavy stuff such as large oak or pine rounds I carry a board upon
which I roll them up into the SUV.

OK...and you roll it up the ramp while never bending over?


Correct, I don't bend, I lean into it. The other trick is that I am
pushing, not lifting. Huge difference.

[...]


Frank: My SUV gets 25mpg with California gas, 28mpg with gas from
Nevada or Oregon.

So I beat you by over 40%. Brag on, Joerg.


Doesn't matter. I buy gas 3-4 times a year. Total mileage per year is
around 1000mi. Your numbers?

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On Tue, 11 Sep 2018 16:49:41 -0700, Joerg
wrote:

On 2018-09-10 19:37, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 9/10/2018 4:43 PM, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-09-10 13:26, jbeattie wrote:
On Monday, September 10, 2018 at 11:49:20 AM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-09-09 08:33, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 9/9/2018 10:44 AM, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-09-08 17:27, jbeattie wrote:


[...]

I bet I haul more stuff out of my yard on a more regular basis than
you haul wood pellets and fire wood. I hauled off an entire 40' blue
spruce and an equally tall fir, both of which I cut with a chainsaw
here in suburbia. I hauled that off with a Subaru wagon and a utility
trailer. Another good part about having a utility trailer is that you
can fill it up and leave it, unlike a pick-up. I filled mine up again
this weekend.


No space for a utility trailer. Sez SWMBO :-)

Your wife married a wimp. And/or someone who is insufficiently ingenious.

My utility trailer takes up about four square feet of floor space.
That's because it's stored on its tail in a far corner of the garage. My
wife likes that, and thinks its clever. However, she never complained
when it was stored conventionally parked in front of a car.

We both know who wears the pants in this family.


We live differently. In contrast to you I do not lord it over my wife
but consider her as equal in "rank".

There is zero space left in the garage because of all _my_ toys. Tools,
work bench, cabinet for metal supplies and the remaining wall is where
... drum roll ... my bicycles are parked. I could store it on its tail
on the outside of the garage but that would look yucky or rednecky.

Good Lord, but you can't figure anything out. Just park the car(s) in
the yard. It increases the available space in the garage tremendously.


The main issue though is a lower back problem because a lot of
lifting while bent is required, something that can really ruin
my day.


I assume that you are aware that much of the "lower back problems" are
the result of weak back muscles and an exercise program aimed at
strengthening the muscles will cure it.... but of course that requires
a certain amount of effort and willpower.

For those with structural problems quite frequently surgery will cure
it.


You have to pick up a bike to put it in a pick-up truck, unless you
have a ramp, and then you have to pick up the ramp.


Ramps are easy. That is exactly one of the tools one uses when there
are lower back issues.

OK, show us, please.


What is there to show? It is a simple plank of wood. That goes in the
SUV every time I pick up large rounds of wood somewhere. When someone
says "We just have a tree cut down. Do you want the wood?".


... One of my very good friends is a lady even more
elderly than I am. She's an avid cyclist despite significant health
issues. She's thought hard about getting an ebike, but says its weight
would make it impractical for her to get it into the bed of her pickup.
Her tailgate is something like three feet above the ground. How should
she push a heavy bike up a ramp and into the bed?


Make the ramp shallow enough, then guide the bike by grabbing its frame
parts. It's simple. Hint: You can steer a bike via the fork.


... Where would she stand
to do this?


On the pavement.


... How would she keep the bike balanced on the ramp - and would
she be able to do that as she climbed up into the bed to roll the bike
all the way into the bed?

I'm not saying it's impossible, but it seems tricky at best. Got a video
or photos of how you do it?


sigh

Looks like you need a really slow and detailed explanation. So here goes.

Drop the tail gate. Lift bike onto that. Do not bend over while doing it
if lower back issues are present. Roll the bike into place grabbing the
frame and steering via fork grab. Lean it against the driver side bed
wall. Lay thick cardboard on right of bike. Rinse, lather, repeat until
all bikes are in.

If she can't lift it just use a plank as a ramp. Nail quarter rounds to
that if afraid to veer off. Roll bike as described above until at
desired location. For the next bike move the ramp so it'll roll straight
into the next slot without steering. If unable to keep it going straight
load rear wheel first.

Cinch straps over the bikes, lift tail gate back up, everyone hops into
the truck, insert key into ignition, turn the key ...




And how is it that you're hauling loads of fire wood with a bad back?
Are you bringing it in one stick at a time? One pellet at a time?
If you need a big bad pick-up truck for all the gnarly stuff you do
in Cameron Park (way out in the country, five minutes from the
nearest SuperCuts), you must be awesome rugged, a big strong bear of
a man -- certainly manly enough to pick up a bike. How do you put
your bike on the inadequate municipal bus racks?


Anyone with lower back issues who wants to stay active develops the
requisite tricks how to lift. Never ever bent over, like you have to
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
do when stacking bikes inside a station wagon or SUV.

I don't believe lifting a bike two feet to hang it on a car's rear rack
is any different than lifting a bike two feet to place it in a bus front
rack.


I have underlined it again. Lifting a 2nd bike _into_ a car required a
bit of bent lifting.


For heavy stuff such as large oak or pine rounds I carry a board upon
which I roll them up into the SUV.

OK...and you roll it up the ramp while never bending over?


Correct, I don't bend, I lean into it. The other trick is that I am
pushing, not lifting. Huge difference.

[...]


Frank: My SUV gets 25mpg with California gas, 28mpg with gas from
Nevada or Oregon.

So I beat you by over 40%. Brag on, Joerg.


Doesn't matter. I buy gas 3-4 times a year. Total mileage per year is
around 1000mi. Your numbers?

If you use an auto so infrequently one can only speculate on why you
own one.

On Tuesday, September 11, 2018 at 4:49:39 PM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-09-10 19:37, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 9/10/2018 4:43 PM, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-09-10 13:26, jbeattie wrote:
On Monday, September 10, 2018 at 11:49:20 AM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-09-09 08:33, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 9/9/2018 10:44 AM, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-09-08 17:27, jbeattie wrote:


[...]

I bet I haul more stuff out of my yard on a more regular basis than
you haul wood pellets and fire wood. I hauled off an entire 40' blue
spruce and an equally tall fir, both of which I cut with a chainsaw
here in suburbia. I hauled that off with a Subaru wagon and a utility
trailer. Another good part about having a utility trailer is that you
can fill it up and leave it, unlike a pick-up. I filled mine up again
this weekend.


No space for a utility trailer. Sez SWMBO :-)

Your wife married a wimp. And/or someone who is insufficiently ingenious.

My utility trailer takes up about four square feet of floor space.
That's because it's stored on its tail in a far corner of the garage. My
wife likes that, and thinks its clever. However, she never complained
when it was stored conventionally parked in front of a car.

We both know who wears the pants in this family.


We live differently. In contrast to you I do not lord it over my wife
but consider her as equal in "rank".

There is zero space left in the garage because of all _my_ toys. Tools,
work bench, cabinet for metal supplies and the remaining wall is where
... drum roll ... my bicycles are parked. I could store it on its tail
on the outside of the garage but that would look yucky or rednecky.


The main issue though is a lower back problem because a lot of
lifting while bent is required, something that can really ruin
my day.

You have to pick up a bike to put it in a pick-up truck, unless you
have a ramp, and then you have to pick up the ramp.


Ramps are easy. That is exactly one of the tools one uses when there
are lower back issues.

OK, show us, please.


What is there to show? It is a simple plank of wood. That goes in the
SUV every time I pick up large rounds of wood somewhere. When someone
says "We just have a tree cut down. Do you want the wood?".


... One of my very good friends is a lady even more
elderly than I am. She's an avid cyclist despite significant health
issues. She's thought hard about getting an ebike, but says its weight
would make it impractical for her to get it into the bed of her pickup.
Her tailgate is something like three feet above the ground. How should
she push a heavy bike up a ramp and into the bed?


Make the ramp shallow enough, then guide the bike by grabbing its frame
parts. It's simple. Hint: You can steer a bike via the fork.


... Where would she stand
to do this?


On the pavement.


... How would she keep the bike balanced on the ramp - and would
she be able to do that as she climbed up into the bed to roll the bike
all the way into the bed?

I'm not saying it's impossible, but it seems tricky at best. Got a video
or photos of how you do it?


sigh

Looks like you need a really slow and detailed explanation. So here goes.

Drop the tail gate. Lift bike onto that. Do not bend over while doing it
if lower back issues are present. Roll the bike into place grabbing the
frame and steering via fork grab. Lean it against the driver side bed
wall. Lay thick cardboard on right of bike. Rinse, lather, repeat until
all bikes are in.

If she can't lift it just use a plank as a ramp. Nail quarter rounds to
that if afraid to veer off. Roll bike as described above until at
desired location. For the next bike move the ramp so it'll roll straight
into the next slot without steering. If unable to keep it going straight
load rear wheel first.

Cinch straps over the bikes, lift tail gate back up, everyone hops into
the truck, insert key into ignition, turn the key ...




And how is it that you're hauling loads of fire wood with a bad back?
Are you bringing it in one stick at a time? One pellet at a time?
If you need a big bad pick-up truck for all the gnarly stuff you do
in Cameron Park (way out in the country, five minutes from the
nearest SuperCuts), you must be awesome rugged, a big strong bear of
a man -- certainly manly enough to pick up a bike. How do you put
your bike on the inadequate municipal bus racks?


Anyone with lower back issues who wants to stay active develops the
requisite tricks how to lift. Never ever bent over, like you have to
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
do when stacking bikes inside a station wagon or SUV.

I don't believe lifting a bike two feet to hang it on a car's rear rack
is any different than lifting a bike two feet to place it in a bus front
rack.


I have underlined it again. Lifting a 2nd bike _into_ a car required a
bit of bent lifting.


For heavy stuff such as large oak or pine rounds I carry a board upon
which I roll them up into the SUV.

OK...and you roll it up the ramp while never bending over?


Correct, I don't bend, I lean into it. The other trick is that I am
pushing, not lifting. Huge difference.

[...]


Frank: My SUV gets 25mpg with California gas, 28mpg with gas from
Nevada or Oregon.

So I beat you by over 40%. Brag on, Joerg.


Doesn't matter. I buy gas 3-4 times a year. Total mileage per year is
around 1000mi. Your numbers?

Then why on earth do you need a pick-up? On those rare occasions that you need a truck, you can rent one from U-Haul or Home Depot for $19 per day. It's cheaper than renting an aerator or rototiller. Save all that money and buy a hitch rack for the bikes. One word: Yakima. But if you can't afford one of those, there are others on the market.

-- Jay Beattie.

I find that if I absent-mindedly bend over, I'll usually get away with
it if I bend my knees before straightening up.

But today, I got such a sharp twinge while setting a mug on a low cart
that bystanders were concerned. (I was unloading the bike at
Goodwill.)

On the other hand, three stops later, I discovered that the ballerina
trick still works:

On the way out of Aldi, I paused at the bagging counter to put my
receipt and debit card into my wallet, and dropped the receipt. I
thought about clearing a space to squat in, then put my left hand on
the counter and rotated about my right hip joint, keeping my left leg
stiff so that it stuck out behind as a counterweight. I easily picked
up the receipt and straightened up again.

--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at comcast dot net


---
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
https://www.avg.com

On 2018-09-11 19:42, jbeattie wrote:
On Tuesday, September 11, 2018 at 4:49:39 PM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-09-10 19:37, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 9/10/2018 4:43 PM, Joerg wrote:

[...]


Frank: My SUV gets 25mpg with California gas, 28mpg with gas
from Nevada or Oregon.

So I beat you by over 40%. Brag on, Joerg.


Doesn't matter. I buy gas 3-4 times a year. Total mileage per year
is around 1000mi. Your numbers?

Then why on earth do you need a pick-up? On those rare occasions
that you need a truck, you can rent one from U-Haul or Home Depot for
$19 per day. It's cheaper than renting an aerator or rototiller. Save
all that money and buy a hitch rack for the bikes. One word: Yakima.
But if you can't afford one of those, there are others on the
market.


As I wrote I don't have a pickup truck, a friend has. I have an SUV into
which I can easily load the MTB or the road bike. It has no receiver for
a trailer hitch, would have to install one.

So the solution is simple: If I go alone I use my SUV. If I go with my
mountain biking friend we use his pickup truck.

I was hoping to use our buses but because of their sub-par racks that
isn't going to happen with the MTB. With the road bike we'll see, I am
going to try that later this week.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On 2018-09-11 17:46, John B. Slocomb wrote:
On Tue, 11 Sep 2018 16:49:41 -0700, Joerg
wrote:

On 2018-09-10 19:37, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 9/10/2018 4:43 PM, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-09-10 13:26, jbeattie wrote:
On Monday, September 10, 2018 at 11:49:20 AM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-09-09 08:33, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 9/9/2018 10:44 AM, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-09-08 17:27, jbeattie wrote:


[...]

I bet I haul more stuff out of my yard on a more regular basis than
you haul wood pellets and fire wood. I hauled off an entire 40' blue
spruce and an equally tall fir, both of which I cut with a chainsaw
here in suburbia. I hauled that off with a Subaru wagon and a utility
trailer. Another good part about having a utility trailer is that you
can fill it up and leave it, unlike a pick-up. I filled mine up again
this weekend.


No space for a utility trailer. Sez SWMBO :-)

Your wife married a wimp. And/or someone who is insufficiently ingenious.

My utility trailer takes up about four square feet of floor space.
That's because it's stored on its tail in a far corner of the garage. My
wife likes that, and thinks its clever. However, she never complained
when it was stored conventionally parked in front of a car.

We both know who wears the pants in this family.


We live differently. In contrast to you I do not lord it over my wife
but consider her as equal in "rank".

There is zero space left in the garage because of all _my_ toys. Tools,
work bench, cabinet for metal supplies and the remaining wall is where
... drum roll ... my bicycles are parked. I could store it on its tail
on the outside of the garage but that would look yucky or rednecky.

Good Lord, but you can't figure anything out. Just park the car(s) in
the yard. It increases the available space in the garage tremendously.


Your crystal ball needs a serious tune-up.

1. Our yard is very rocky so the only thing you can possible move in and
out there would be a Rubicon-class truck with monster tires.

2. The driveway is out as well because that would block it for other
vehicles.

3. The road isn't safe and technically illegal here for longterm parking.


The main issue though is a lower back problem because a lot of
lifting while bent is required, something that can really ruin
my day.


I assume that you are aware that much of the "lower back problems" are
the result of weak back muscles and an exercise program aimed at
strengthening the muscles will cure it.... but of course that requires
a certain amount of effort and willpower.


I had mentioned that.


For those with structural problems quite frequently surgery will cure
it.


Out of three opinions one said no surgery, two said surgery but it would
be risky. So I put it off. For now, knocking on wood.

[...]


Frank: My SUV gets 25mpg with California gas, 28mpg with gas from
Nevada or Oregon.

So I beat you by over 40%. Brag on, Joerg.


Doesn't matter. I buy gas 3-4 times a year. Total mileage per year is
around 1000mi. Your numbers?

If you use an auto so infrequently one can only speculate on why you
own one.


It's simple. I bought it because I had to initially commute to work and
also haul lots of stuff. I needed a vehicle that is rugged, dependable,
fuel efficient and can carry half a ton. Which is why I have an SUV with
a classic small truck frame and a comparably weak engine (it has the
engine of a tiny sports car). Now it is over 20 years old, low mileage
but the re-sale value would be low. The only cost I have is registration
and insurance which due to our clean driving records is low in cost.

Secondly, I am self-employed so need to go to clients once in a while.
That means a trip to the airport or, like the last few days, three 5mi
round-trips to a local client with the SUV with lots of gear in the
back. Renting a vehicle every single time would cost me valuable time
and greatly exceed the cost I have now. So selling the SUV would not be
a smart decision.

Lastly, this SUV has a high and flat cargo space floor. That allows me
to load and unload without bending over much.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On Wednesday, September 12, 2018 at 7:21:57 AM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-09-11 19:42, jbeattie wrote:
On Tuesday, September 11, 2018 at 4:49:39 PM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-09-10 19:37, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 9/10/2018 4:43 PM, Joerg wrote:

[...]


Frank: My SUV gets 25mpg with California gas, 28mpg with gas
from Nevada or Oregon.

So I beat you by over 40%. Brag on, Joerg.


Doesn't matter. I buy gas 3-4 times a year. Total mileage per year
is around 1000mi. Your numbers?

Then why on earth do you need a pick-up? On those rare occasions
that you need a truck, you can rent one from U-Haul or Home Depot for
$19 per day. It's cheaper than renting an aerator or rototiller. Save
all that money and buy a hitch rack for the bikes. One word: Yakima.
But if you can't afford one of those, there are others on the
market.


As I wrote I don't have a pickup truck, a friend has. I have an SUV into
which I can easily load the MTB or the road bike. It has no receiver for
a trailer hitch, would have to install one.

I thought your back prevented you from loading a MTB into the SUV.


So the solution is simple: If I go alone I use my SUV. If I go with my
mountain biking friend we use his pickup truck.

I was hoping to use our buses but because of their sub-par racks that
isn't going to happen with the MTB. With the road bike we'll see, I am
going to try that later this week.

I thought you were talking about buying a pick-up. No?

-- Jay Beattie.

On 2018-09-12 09:15, jbeattie wrote:
On Wednesday, September 12, 2018 at 7:21:57 AM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-09-11 19:42, jbeattie wrote:
On Tuesday, September 11, 2018 at 4:49:39 PM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-09-10 19:37, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 9/10/2018 4:43 PM, Joerg wrote:

[...]


Frank: My SUV gets 25mpg with California gas, 28mpg with gas
from Nevada or Oregon.

So I beat you by over 40%. Brag on, Joerg.


Doesn't matter. I buy gas 3-4 times a year. Total mileage per year
is around 1000mi. Your numbers?

Then why on earth do you need a pick-up? On those rare occasions
that you need a truck, you can rent one from U-Haul or Home Depot for
$19 per day. It's cheaper than renting an aerator or rototiller. Save
all that money and buy a hitch rack for the bikes. One word: Yakima.
But if you can't afford one of those, there are others on the
market.


As I wrote I don't have a pickup truck, a friend has. I have an SUV into
which I can easily load the MTB or the road bike. It has no receiver for
a trailer hitch, would have to install one.

I thought your back prevented you from loading a MTB into the SUV.


No, it prevents me from stacking another bike on top. Loading just one
bike into the SUV is easy, I just roll it in backwards at a shallow angle.



So the solution is simple: If I go alone I use my SUV. If I go with my
mountain biking friend we use his pickup truck.

I was hoping to use our buses but because of their sub-par racks that
isn't going to happen with the MTB. With the road bike we'll see, I am
going to try that later this week.

I thought you were talking about buying a pick-up. No?


I was talking about using a pickup truck, not buying one. We will
continue to use it because the bus racks are unfit to hold contemporary
MTB. If they corrected that (and maybe they will) we could leave my
friend's pickup truck at home for some rides. The agency said they are
contemplating a switch to 3-slot racks and this time they will hopefully
test them more thoroughly. It's easy enough to do.

If I had to buy a vehicle today I might choose a pickup but then an
older one with less or preferably no electronics in it. And I say that
as a guy who designs electronics.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

Joerg wrote:
On 2018-09-11 19:42, jbeattie wrote:
On Tuesday, September 11, 2018 at 4:49:39 PM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-09-10 19:37, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 9/10/2018 4:43 PM, Joerg wrote:

[...]


Frank: My SUV gets 25mpg with California gas, 28mpg with gas
from Nevada or Oregon.

So I beat you by over 40%. Brag on, Joerg.


Doesn't matter. I buy gas 3-4 times a year. Total mileage per year
is around 1000mi. Your numbers?

Then why on earth do you need a pick-up? On those rare occasions
that you need a truck, you can rent one from U-Haul or Home Depot for
$19 per day. It's cheaper than renting an aerator or rototiller. Save
all that money and buy a hitch rack for the bikes. One word: Yakima.
But if you can't afford one of those, there are others on the
market.


As I wrote I don't have a pickup truck, a friend has. I have an SUV into
which I can easily load the MTB or the road bike. It has no receiver for
a trailer hitch, would have to install one.

So the solution is simple: If I go alone I use my SUV. If I go with my
mountain biking friend we use his pickup truck.

I was hoping to use our buses but because of their sub-par racks that
isn't going to happen with the MTB. With the road bike we'll see, I am
going to try that later this week.


Seems like you have it all sussed out then. So why this interminable
thread?

--
duane