So we bought the tandem

In article XaFjc.33319$cF6.1542662@attbi_s04,
"Claire Petersky" wrote:


I get a call today, Tuesday, from Jim, the guy who I know and trust, who has
done a lot of work for me. Jim says that he had a chance to look at the
bike. No, it doesn't need the drive train replaced. Yeah, the chain is a
little worn, as is the cassette, but it's really not that bad. The pulleys
definitely need to be replaced, which he did. Then the whole thing just
needed a bit of adjustment. It won't shift like a dream, but it isn't so
bad. Also, he said that the cones were in bad shape, and so he replaced
those, and repacked the hubs. I can pick up the bike today.

I come to the shop after work. Jim's already left for the day. I stand
around and yak with the bike shop people for a bit -- Tom, who is a floor
salesman, suggests I look at some new Fuji (which they don't carry), because
he thinks the women-specific design would fit me. We talk about the recent
issue of Bicycling, and the merits of The shop slip shows the following
work: the handlebar tape replacement, the cable replacement, and some very
minimal labor charge. Total cost: about $23, including $9 in handlebar tape.
The pulleys, the cones, etc. not mentioned. The old cones are in a little
baggie, hanging from the handlebars, I guess so I can see how they were
messed up and required replacement.

Yeah, that's a shop you want to hold on to, that one.


--
Ryan Cousineau, http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine/wiredcola/
President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

David Kerber wrote:

In article , says...

The stoker's handlebars are much closer to the centre of the bicycle
than the captain's, however. Doesn't the bike get held up by the
handlebars, at least in part, while the other rider is mounting? Again,
I've never tried it myself, but I would have expected it to be *easier*
for the stoker to hold up the bike for this reason.

It's much easier to keep the bike stable if you can control the front
wheel (keep it from flopping).

Surely most captains, even the weaker ones, have enough arm strength to
keep the wheel from flopping? ;P

--
Benjamin Lewis

Anthony's Law of Force:
Don't force it; get a larger hammer.

Cathy Kearns wrote:

Even if the seat was all the way to the frame I would not be able
to reach the pedals or the handle bars in the front. It would require
a new frame. Stock frames tend to be large/medium medium/medium
medium/small, and rarely, large/small. Ours is a large/small. If you
had a medium/medium and it fit your team you could change around.

Ah; I didn't realize they made tandem frames with variable front/rear
sizing ratios, but I guess it makes sense.

--
Benjamin Lewis

Anthony's Law of Force:
Don't force it; get a larger hammer.

Mark Hickey wrote:

There is NO comparison between the upper body strength required to
captain a tandem and to ride a "half-bike". Just riding along taking
corners at an easy pace, the difference doesn't matter much.

But climb out of the saddle or get into a situation where you really
have to move the bike around and it can be surprising how much upper
body is involved. When climbing out of the saddle at a good pace the
front tire feels like it wants to scrub sideways - odd until you get
used to it... and it take a fair amount of strength to keep the thing
pointed forward.

.... and Frank Krygowski wrote:

I've needed some strength under two circumstances: when stopped, or when
doing tight maneuvering at very low speeds.

We've had a few times when I've come to a stop unexpectedly and suddenly
had to put the "wrong" foot down. In that case, it can require a bit of
muscle to keep the tandem from tipping. (You don't want to have this
happen more than once every couple years, or your stoker won't trust
you.)

Ah; these are the sorts of answers I was hoping to get.

In very slow speed maneuvering, you sometimes have to work the handlebars
a bit. In fact, on our tandem, I've never broken a back spoke (48 spoke
wheel) but I've broken two or three _front_ spokes, each time in slow
parking lot maneuvers. I think this indicates that you sometimes exert
significant forces on those bars.

Why do broken spokes indicate force on the bars? I was given to understand
that spokes break from fatigue, and it's hard to see how the two are
related.

--
Benjamin Lewis

Anthony's Law of Force:
Don't force it; get a larger hammer.

In article usFjc.33560$YP5.2716031@attbi_s02,
"Claire Petersky" wrote:

[that wasn't supposed to be sent yet, sorry -- just a couple more things I
wanted to add]

No prob. Except I responded to the original in another thread.

Someone, I know, is going to reply to this saying that I should do my own
work. My response: you don't have to take up gynacology to enjoy sex, and
you don't have to take up wrenching to enjoy bicycling. It's not something I
enjoy. Let someone who does enjoy it, who has the skill and knowledge (like
Jim) do that. I like riding the bike -- messing with its mechanism is
b-o-r-i-n-g.

Horses for courses

I have a little listing on my whiteboard beside the computer right now,
detailing plans for bike mods. Having turned my Pinarello into a race
bike, my Bianchi into a commuter, and my mountain bike into, um, a
mountain bike with a working fork, better brakes, and new wheels...where
was I? Oh yes. I've moved onto harder things:

Item 3 is a shifter upgrade for Rebecca's bike-path bike. It's getting
6-speed indexing.

Item 2 is a now-delayed plan to turn an innocent Auto-Mini into a really
fast folding bike with 7-speed gearhub.

Item 1, though, that's the one I'm proud of: a 7-speed MTB drivetrain
will be mounted on a BMX bike. A 64t ring from my collection will
provide a perfect range.

The hard stuff rules,

--
Ryan Cousineau, http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine/wiredcola/
President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

In article usFjc.33560$YP5.2716031@attbi_s02,
"Claire Petersky" writes:

I like riding the bike -- messing with its mechanism is
b-o-r-i-n-g.

It can also be icky when you'd rather have clean hands.
And as soon as ya get bike goop on your hands, the phone
rings.


- Tom

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Tue, 27 Apr 2004 22:54:40 -0700, ,
(Tom Keats) wrote:

In article usFjc.33560$YP5.2716031@attbi_s02,
"Claire Petersky" writes:

I like riding the bike -- messing with its mechanism is
b-o-r-i-n-g.

It can also be icky when you'd rather have clean hands.
And as soon as ya get bike goop on your hands, the phone
rings.

Pick it up with a rag, paper towel, hunk of junk mail, etc.

I discovered that using a couple squirts of that green BioCycle
cleaner from MEC on my hands and then working it in until it's dry
_before I start working_ makes for an easy quick clean up with water.
--
zk

Claire Petersky wrote:

o I'm close enough to him to *smell* him. And this was on only a 15 mile
thing largely in the late afternoon shade. Makes me wonder if we'll really
do the Flying Wheels Century together on that thing. He'll be pretty ripe on
a summer's day after a hundred miles.

Hang a couple of those automobile air fresheners people hang on
their mirrors down the back of his jersey and shorts. Pine scent
ought to do nicely. ;-)


-=Dave=-

"Claire Petersky" wrote in message news:usFjc.33560$YP5.2716031@attbi_s02...
[that wasn't supposed to be sent yet, sorry -- just a couple more things I
wanted to add]

S N I P

Claire,

I've enjoyed your unique posts for quite some time ... but the line "
you don't have to take up gynacology to enjoy sex, and you don't have
to take up wrenching to enjoy bicycling " is soooo good that is has
been enshrined in my compendium of memorable witicisms, right up there
with " Fighting for Peace is like Screwing for Virginity " and " Vah!
Denuone Latine loquebar? Me ineptum. Interdum modo elabitur. "

Speaking as an ex-wrench, it sounds like you have a Guardian Angel
looking out for you in the LBS ... cherish and nurture the
relationship ... cookies are good, good beer has been proven to be a
better lubricant than Pro Gold!

Keep em spinning.....

In article XaFjc.33319$cF6.1542662@attbi_s04, cpetersky@mouse-
potato.com says...

....

asked when the work would be completed. Thursday, late, because they don't
have a Shimano 105 derailler in the shop (!!! such an exotic part !!!) and

I actually tried to buy one of these to replace the Deore on my bike
(put on a smaller cassette), but neither of the shops near me had one in
stock either.

....

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