What Do You Do During The Lockdown?

[GypsyTreker]

Reading, music, researching box van conversions and staying away from the "news". We have not been able to ride since self quareteening upon our return to western NC. We are planning a ride next Monday since Sunday is day 14 and final day of our isolation.

 

[Cowlitz]

I located the kitty. I found him on a lost and found pets facebook page and also found out my wireless easily runs my internet at my neighbor's house. Unfortunately, I was not a member so could not message the finder, but they listed the street they lived on. So, we went to that street and went door to door. It's a small, mostly friendly town and finally, a door I knocked on knew all about the kitty and where the house was. The kitty had been up a tree and was brought down. The woman who posted the facebook blurb, with pictures, was allergic to cats so had called a cat foster place and they had him.

I assume the kitty is home now and might have to go back to the vet as he tore out a couple of stitches on his walk about. He had surgery last week for a broken hip. We do not know what happened to cause that. He often went flying by a window as he jumped off the garage roof onto concrete instead of going back down the tree, but I would think that shoulder problems would be more likely to occur, not hip.

Cat hunting was a welcome distraction.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

On one of my last trips, my Lovelec Diadem fell while left on the kickstand in the marketplace of Grójec. That made the display mount break. I admit the Chinese manufacturer concept was good. It was the second display-mount break on that e-bike and in both cases the display survived at the cost of the $4 mount. I must note that the first break happened when I fell with the bike at 19 mph.

So I have replaced the display-mount. Next thing to do will be replacing the kickstand. I've bought Hebie 605, which is a German bipod kickstand. I cannot let my bike fall just because the original kickstand is a rubbish.

The German Hebie 605 steel bipod-kickstand is a marvel.

 

[Cowlitz]

Stefan, how hard was that kickstand to install? Did you need the help of your brother? It looks like it would be good for holding the bike up while lubing the chain, and maybe even for fixing a flat tire. Do you think it would mount on a mid drive bike?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Hi Cowlitz,

Installing the kickstand was about one of the easiest things I have ever done (there is no instruction manual even!). The kickstand is attached to the plate welded into the horizontal triangle of chain-stays behind the bottom bracket. You just pass a large bolt through a hole in the plate and fasten it to the kickstand with the Allen key size 6. For bikes with no plate welded, the kickstand includes an additional tapered plate made of thick aluminium.

That would certainly not fit in the Vado: the chain-stay triangle behind the BB is almost nonexistent there. Look at the picture how it is done on a traditional bike (the silver part at the top is the additional plate of theirs):

 

[PDXzap]

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Playing a sort of game?

 

[E-Wheels]

View attachment 50311

Looks like some sort of virtual drinking game without any drinks in the holders

 

[PDXzap]

Playing a sort of game?

Yep, exactly!

I'm a little hooked on Space Pirate Trainer. It's a little like Galaga or Galaxian, arcade games from long ago. My wife loves Beat Saber.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

That's fantastic, @PDXzap! Don't let me go into it!

 

[PatriciaK]

I'm riding this classic little acoustic 1974 Raleigh (made in England!) 3-speed beast (as far as my knees are concerned) that one of our neighbors gave us around the bike trails in Greensboro, NC. Husband ordered a new sprocket that might make it a bit easier - we shall see. It's better than nothing, I keep telling my poor little knees, and, someday, I'll go home to my La Free
!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Patricia, please share the experience from your rides! I understand it is a steel un-suspended fixie. Does it feel heavy? How do you feel in rough terrain? I simply forgot how it is to ride such a classic bike long time ago...

 

[indianajo]

Do please report PN & source of sprocket PatriciaK. I've a 3 speed Austrian copy, that has 3 speeds, high, rediculous, and you're really using this as a brake, right? a 42 or 38 sprocket would be great, but those obsolete cranks don't have a name as far as I know.
Weight is not an issue, I weigh 4x what the bike weighs.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Weight is not an issue, I weigh 4x what the bike weighs.

You don't need to lift yourself

 

[PatriciaK]

It's got skinny tires - being what used to be known as an English Racer, so I'm not riding any terrain rougher than roots lifting up pavement (there's quite a bit of that). When that happens, it feels quite stiff!

The bike is light weight - much lighter than my La Free. It is a real beast to pedal, though - even in the easiest gear, any incline stops it in its tracks! The sprocket should change the ratio - I'll let you all know how it works out.

One interesting thing is, it's internally geared! I was wondering if switching to a traditional derailer with more rear gears (only one gear on the front) would make it easier to pedal?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

One interesting thing is, it's internally geared! I was wondering if switching to a traditional derailer with more rear gears (only one gear on the front) would make it easier to pedal?

Yes it should, if you could fit the derailleur (I guess you would need a modern wheel with the proper hub to be able to do it). The Shimano Megarange 8-gear cassette is cheap and indeed has a large gear ratio.

 

[Sierratim]

I've a 3 speed Austrian copy, that has 3 speeds, high, rediculous, and you're really using this as a brake, right? a 42 or 38 sprocket would be great, but those obsolete cranks don't have a name as far as I know.

PatricaK's classic bike has what are commonly called cottered cranks. Sheldon Brown posted a good article about these some years ago here; https://www.sheldonbrown.com/cotters.html .

I had one of these bikes in school and had the priviledge of working on several of these during my years volunteering at the local 'bicycle kitchen'. The mechanic even showed now to rebuild the 3 speed hub, though I'm sure I couldn't do it now.

Interestingly, you can still buy the crank cotter pins here; https://www.harriscyclery.net/product/generic-9.5-mm-crank-cotter-pin-english-size-each-1584.htm . I suppose that's a testament to the popularity of these classic bikes.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

PatricaK's classic bike has what are commonly called cottered cranks.

I hated them. The cotters were coming loose too easy, or, on contrary, those could not be removed from the cranks.

 

[Sierratim]

I hated them. The cotters were coming loose too easy, or, on contrary, those could not be removed from the cranks.

Getting the cotters out was usually a challenge, but necessary to service the bottom bracket bearings. Once the bike was left out in the weather the cotters tended to sieze. Park Tool, and others, make a tool that will press these out, if a sharp blow to the partially loosened nut doesn't work.

The rim sizes were also uniquely British. I learned the hard way that American sized tires and tubes would not fit, at least not reliably. Yea for a trained mechanic that could explain away my frustration with this.

 

[indianajo]

One interesting thing is, it's internally geared! I was wondering if switching to a traditional derailer with more rear gears (only one gear on the front) would make it easier to pedal?

The front sprocket is sized for 1/4" wide chain. that has been obsolete since 1985? When I wore out my 1982 5 speed rear sprocket fitting 1/4" chain, nobody ever had another one that I could buy. The 6 speed rear sprocket is 3/32" chain and not compatible with the front sprocket. Parked that 1982 bike & bought a 18 speed (3x6) which before a year broke the rear axle. Don't buy one of those. The 21 speed bikes(3x7) have a thicker rear axle, but the cheap shimanos tend to come unscrewed and drop the balls. I was only 5 miles from home when it happened, fortunately.
The Sturmey Archer 3 speed is 1.0, 1.5:1 and 2.0:1 ratios. Useful for 42 or 36 front sprocket, but the bikes were always sold with 52. I can stand on the pedal 3rd gear and the bike won't move.
If you keep riding the Sturmey Archer hub, put a drop of oil in the hole annually. I did, and my 1966 model was still working fine in 1985 when it was stolen.