[andystow]

wtjs wrote:

An extreme ‘out there’ unbalanced setup. Why not make things better with a simple Carradice QR on the seat post to carry a Camper Longflap? OK, so these are annoying ‘cotton-duck’ instead of proper nylon with click-buckles, but they’re otherwise excellent. Mine is now completely knackered after 16 years, but I’ve had the replacement-in-waiting for a couple of years.

https://www.carradice.co.uk/bags/saddlebags/originals-camper-longflap-saddlebag

I have a couple of rear bag options (Saddle Sacks), but for this trip it gave me the lowest total weight like this. The bike handled perfectly fine and I have no complaints.

[andystow]

It always pays to check your

It always pays to check your chain checker against good chain checker checker before using it.

[andystow]

I had a touring load on once

I had a touring load on once that caused a nearly constant speed wobble. I nearly went straight back home. After a few minutes of practice, I found that I could stay light on the bars and stop it from happening. It was a little stressful, though. Luckily it was only an overnight trip, 40 miles each way.

It would be a bit harder to ride with my knees clamped on the top tube, though.

[andystow]

Bikepacking mode. Rode this

Bikepacking mode. Rode this way across the state of Missouri, mostly on the Katy Trail, some road sections. Two days were over 110 miles.

[andystow]

Thanks for the warning.

Thanks for the warning.

You can upload photos, one per comment, you just can’t have photos in the original post.

[andystow]

I understand how maintenance

I understand how maintenance can vastly improve bearing life, but how can maintenance prevent the sprockets from digging into the splines? I find it hard to imagine that any reasonable amount of torque on the locknut will create enough sprocket-to-sprocket friction to prevent this. You can produce at least 100 N-m torque on the sprocket when pedaling.

Better freehub bodies have at least one steel spline to prevent this. Apparently Hunt’s don’t.

On the other hand, I bought their Adventure Disc 650B wheelset last year, and it’s still going great after more than 6700 miles, including a real winter (midwest USA.) I’m still on my first cassette, so I’m hoping not to find mine looking like that when I go to replace it.

[andystow]

Rich_cb wrote:

Rich_cb wrote:

https://silca.cc/pages/silca-nastro-bar-tape-crash-replacement

Thanks! I seriously poked around for a few minutes and did not find that.

So, a $12 discount on $42-$50 tape. This tape had better be fantastic!

[andystow]

Image.

Image.

[andystow]

I believe that was in Chicago

I believe that was in Chicago.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/toddler-hurt-in-chicago-road-rage-shooting-breathing-on-his-own-out-of-icu/2490180/

[andystow]

What groupset is it? If it’s

What groupset is it? If it’s a BSO with a mech that just says “Shimano” on it, it’s below even Tourney and SIS. I volunteer at a Co-op and find a large proportion just can’t be made to shift properly at all. The best I can sometimes do is some gears get missed, but minimize the annoying ghost shifting.

If it’s Tourney, Acera, or above, then other ideas:

• Worn chain
• Bent link on the chain
• Does the mech move freely when the cable is disconnected and the wheel is off? The spring should snap it right to the outside.
• Does the cable move smoothly in the housing all the way to the mech?

[andystow]

I’m in the US. I see videos

I’m in the US. I see videos of people in the UK doing “gravel” riding (Francis Cade, David Noakes) and most of it is not at all what we mean. Some of our states have very low population density but lots of farm roads (e.g. Iowa), so no way could they afford to pave them all, but the gravel is a really nice, fast rolling surface with 42 mm or wider tyres.

Once I get out of town, on paved roads I may encounter a car every minute or so. On gravel roads, its a few per hour.

Here’s the good stuff.

[andystow]

Cycloid wrote:

In the UK we average about 100 fatalities per year

the US population is (very) approximately five times ours, but they have eight times more deaths.

You think things are bad here

Well, it was “only” 667 last year, so a bit closer to proportional. However, I bet the US is way worse on fatalities per million bicycle miles travelled. Look at the last two rows on this table. The US has half the rate of cycling and double the car (actually, SUV) miles travelled compared to the UK.

Transportation

I’ve heard that if you remove the cyclists who were riding in the dark, no lights, intoxicated, cycling is nearly as safe as driving, but the same is likely true in the UK. And of course, both would be waaay safer if the intoxicated drivers could be removed from the roads instead.

[andystow]

Here’s one from the US. The

Here’s one from the US. The video is pretty scary.

https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2021/05/24/east-garfield-park-madison-street-fiery-crash/

[andystow]

You might have trouble

You might have trouble getting new tape to stick if you wipe it down with GT85. I know I’ve seen some people start out with a full coverage overlapping wrap of electrical tape under the bar tape. I’d expect that should keep it dry. A good wipe down with solvent and a few coats of black spray paint might work also. Let it dry a few days at least before retaping.

[andystow]

Revocation of driving licence

Revocation of driving licence.

Sentence similar to doing the equivalent with any other implement. Careless driving ~ carelessly chucking bricks off your roof while remodeling. Dangerous driving ~ throwing bricks into a crowd (but not aiming at a particular person.) Momentary inattention ~ electrician gets distracted and kills a colleague with a mistake. Something like that.

Driving after licence is revoked, though… well, you’ve already demonstrated that’s no deterrent. Is there some way other than locking you up that society can prevent you from driving? Certainly crush the car unless you stole it.

[Author]

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