dry run to the markets

great bike paths. And also you can ride along the Erie Canal for
endless water-level miles, from what I hear. I think the pannier
baskets will interfere with loading on bus and car racks, but I won’t
know ‘til I try it.

I don't really get the bike-on-bus or bike-on-train idea. I mean, you
have a bike. What do you need with a bus or train? For now, bike where
you are, and go where you can on the bike.
David L. Johnson


Well, it's good to plan ahead. For example, if it rains while you're out,
you can take the bus home. Or what about if you're late? Take the bus!

Pat in TX

"Roger Zoul" wrote:
What about crank arms?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
You cannot put more moment on the crank arms than it takes to propel the
bike up the hill.

On Thu, 19 Jun 2008 20:00:25 -0700 (PDT), bob syr
wrote:
Bike: Sun Retro-Alloy Cruiser. It’s a 3-speed with coaster brakes.
Today I took a dry run to the grocers and mall where I'll do most of
my shopping. There is one hill of which I still can’t get to the
top. I’d like to stand up to pedal, but I’m still quite large and I’m
afraid my chain will break.

I don't know what your rear hub is, but I'd worry about the hub more
than the chain. I destroyed a Sturmey-Archer 3-speed hub some years
ago climbing steep hills, when I was much lighter. Never had a
problem with the chain.

Pat.
Email address works as is.

On Jun 24, 11:41*am, DennisTheBald wrote:
On Jun 20, 10:28 pm, bob syr wrote:

a used bike for exercise and fun riding. *I like the 3-speed but maybe
I’ll try a 5-speed to get used to the up-to-date bike gears.

Up-to-date?

Hey, that's what the salesman told me as he tried to sell me a 25-gear
$1,800 special today only.
You gotta get up to date.

I'm not sure that you need a new bike as much as a new salesman.
Me, I like having a wide range of gears. But I think I could get a
nice bike (with low gears for climbing with a load and big gears
deadheading) by spending a lot less than $1800.

$1800 seems pretty pricey for a commuter bike - that's the kind of
dough that them recreational weight weenies spend on their bikes. *It
may be a very good deal, but I suspect that it's something that the
store would like to get rid of rather than something that other
customers have been asking for and they are having trouble stocking
due to high demand.

Here is a bike sold by REI - who are generally NOT known as a discount
retailer - It may not be the bike of your dreams but it does seem to
have a wide range of gears (but still only 8 speeds) and luggage
carrying capabilities for about half the price you mentioned:http://www.rei.com/product/744803?cm...datafeed-_-pro...
Plus it comes with lights and a dyno-hub to generate juice for the
lights, a pretty utilitarian setup in my book. *If you have an REI
store near you it might behoove you to look at the plethora of bikes
there before you plunk down more than a grand.

Wow, that's pretty cool. If I wasn't so hooked on "drops" and making
the best time I can on the unloaded side of the trip I'd seriously
consider one. I just don't see myself being happy on a bike that
weighs 34lbs, though that is acceptable for what the bike is intended
as.

On Jun 25, 12:27 pm, " wrote:

Wow, that's pretty cool. If I wasn't so hooked on "drops" and making
the best time I can on the unloaded side of the trip I'd seriously
consider one. I just don't see myself being happy on a bike that
weighs 34lbs, though that is acceptable for what the bike is intended
as.

Yeah, well this is more of an upgrade path for Bob Syr than for
you...
and so we start with name calling - you sound like one of them weight
weenies that would spend $1800 on a bike that didn't even have
fenders.

In Bob's case neither the Novara nor the Kona is the low cost
provider... grab a mountain bike and add an extra cycle (http://
www.xtracycle.com/) to it. Use a trailer, even one that was designed
to haul a toddler... There are a number of options that allow us to
use our bikes for our regular errands.

But unless you like going shopping everyday, or every other day, a
pair of "townie" panniers on the luggage rack that is common to most
touring setups just won't hold enough to do a weeks worth of grocery
shopping. You're gonna have to get long, you will want at least two
of those townies on each side. (four bags of groceries, twice a week -
yeah, if you don't drink soda pop or beer - three times a week if you
do). Look at how the people that do all their hauling with a bike
load theirs up, them Dutch people ride some heavy bikes. If you're
just commuting you can get by with a regular touring setup or even
half that, but once you start hauling groceries home you need some
truckular wheels.

Bob Cranger wrote:
Cyclists -

Bike: Sun Retro-Alloy Cruiser. It’s a 3-speed with coaster brakes.
Today I took a dry run to the grocers and mall where I'll do most of
my shopping. There is one hill of which I still can’t get to the
top. I’d like to stand up to pedal, but I’m still quite large and I’m
afraid my chain will break.

Once I’m able to climb that hill, I’ll install my pannier baskets,
which weigh about 6 lbs and try a few more dry runs to the stores.
The baskets will be more or less permanently attached, so I might get
a used bike for exercise and fun riding. I like the 3-speed but maybe
I’ll try a 5-speed to get used to the up-to-date bike gears.

There’s another hill right by my house (at the top of the hill)
Lately I’ve been making it to the top of that one, but by then I’m in
the lowest gear and I’m almost to a full stop, not to mention out of
breath. I’d rather not get into that situation while away from
home.

Does the bicycle have a front brake or can one be fitted? A large rider,
cargo and a steep hill with just a coaster brake is a bad combination
for two reasons. The coaster brake can fade, and even an effective
coaster brake will result in much longer stopping distance than even a
mediocre front brake.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

But unless you like going shopping everyday, or every other day, a
pair of "townie" panniers on the luggage rack that is common to most
touring setups just won't hold enough to do a weeks worth of grocery
shopping. You're gonna have to get long, you will want at least two
of those townies on each side. (four bags of groceries, twice a week -
yeah, if you don't drink soda pop or beer - three times a week if you
do). Look at how the people that do all their hauling with a bike
load theirs up, them Dutch people ride some heavy bikes. If you're
just commuting you can get by with a regular touring setup or even
half that, but once you start hauling groceries home you need some
truckular wheels.

You do know "them Dutch people" ride their bikes on level ground, eh? No
hills, no service road ramps....just flat ground (and most of that without
traffic due to their extensive bike lane network).

Pat in TX

On Jun 26, 6:26*pm, DennisTheBald wrote:
On Jun 25, 12:27 pm, " wrote:



Wow, that's pretty cool. *If I wasn't so hooked on "drops" and making
the best time I can on the unloaded side of the trip I'd seriously
consider one. *I just don't see myself being happy on a bike that
weighs 34lbs, though that is acceptable for what the bike is intended
as.

Yeah, well this is more of an upgrade path for Bob Syr than for
you...

Agreed. Like I said, I find the bike very, very cool. It's just not
for me.


and so we start with name calling -

Why the name calling? Did I hurt your feelings by not rushing out to
buy one?


you sound like one of them weight
weenies that would spend $1800 on a bike that didn't even have
fenders.

Interesting ASSumption. The only bike I ride on the roads is a 1960s
rudge, converted to single speed. It cost me $250 years ago.
Fenders, lights etc. and it weighs in light enough for me. I've not
ridden it without fenders since I got them, shortly after I got the
bike. It's got a fixed/free rear hub, so in foul weather where brakes
may not work I can swing it around and use my legs to control
deceleration. I've been considering an internally geared rear hub,
but so far I've gotten by just fine with the single speed.


In Bob's case *neither the Novara nor the Kona is the low cost
provider... grab a mountain bike and add an extra cycle (http://www.xtracycle.com/) to it. *Use a trailer, even one that was designed
to haul a toddler... *There are a number of options that allow us to
use our bikes for our regular errands.

I manage to use mine just fine without an extracycle or a trailer. A
large-capacity backpack holds quite a bit. If I had children to feed
and more shopping to do I'd probably own a utility bike such as the
one mentioned earlier in this thread.


But unless you like going shopping everyday, or every other day, a
pair of "townie" panniers on the luggage rack that is common to most
touring setups just won't hold enough to do a weeks worth of grocery
shopping. *You're gonna have to get long, you will want at least two
of those townies on each side. (four bags of groceries, twice a week -
yeah, if you don't drink soda pop or beer - three times a week if you
do). *Look at how the people that do all their hauling with a bike
load theirs up, them Dutch people ride some heavy bikes. *If you're
just commuting you can get by with a regular touring setup or even
half that, but once you start hauling groceries home you need some
truckular wheels.

I don't do a weeks worth of shopping at a time. I'm out on the bike
all the time, I tend to shop for what I will need in the next day or
two and not much more. Further, there are far more hills in my area
than in the typical Dutch neighborhood.