Boat Bikes -- Some Observations

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Yes, but you will never get speed, before perfecting your cadence. Speed is just the product of strength applied via perfect cadence and motion.

But AFAIK you are or were a pro or semi-pro bicycle racer (track, right?), so who am I telling.

But... nobody ever won a race with a perfect cadence. Power, speed, smarts and lots of willpower wins.

The bike actually doesn't even make that much of a difference either, but showing up with a $15,000 bike and wearing $1,000 in clothing sure intimidates... especially if you got the legs to back it up.

I used a set of Powercranks for years during the off season for cadence work. Here's a video by some other guy on Powercranks:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VSQeQJ2Sc00

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

All decent cyclists watch cadence, not speed


Contrary to what you write, it does not inherently take more energy on a 20" bike. Rolling resistance is slightly higher, but air resistance is slightly lower, and on balance, the advantage may actually be with smaller wheel bikes -- note the Moulton speed record setters. You will be able to corner somewhat better on a large wheel bike, for a given tire width, because of the longer contact patch. You will have better ride compliance with bigger wheels, but I have a full suspension to make up for that . The suspension, with air springs and adjustable rebound damping, gives the lushest, most gorgeous ride I ever had on any bicycle.

The main issue with folding bikes is the COCKPIT. Most of them don't have good geometry, and usually the cockpit is too short. But folding bikes made for serious riding, like mine, or like Birdies, etc., have perfectly reasonable cockpits which are just like those of good road bikes.

If you want to believe that small folding bikes are as good as a well fitting road bike that's nice but try going on a fast ride (50-60 miles) with triathletes or bike racers on one where sometimes the cruising speed in the peloton is around 32 mph for a few miles

Then there are the hills.

My bike (old school and heavy) weights in at a little under 16 lbs and it fits me perfectly. The fit is one of the most important things for the bike and the bike rider maybe the most important

I'm just not seeing folding bikes doing the job.

When I start seeing folding bikes in some of the tour races I' ll become a believer.

Btw, speaking of cadence, I try and cruise near 90 rpm on the flats and 85 in the hills unless I get tired and am in the peloton. If I'm tired and in a peloton, I'll use big gears and low rpm cadence while getting very close to the bike in front of me and "rest."

I've gone up to 110 plus with cadence but not for long because I don't want to "blow the engine!"

Speaking of the tour, this trailer is great especially Lance Armstrong's part:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNUwVcp5iUY

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Btw, speaking of cadence, I try and cruise near 90 rpm on the flats and 85 in the hills unless I get tired and am in the peloton. If I'm tired and in a peloton, I'll use big gears and low rpm cadence while getting very close to the bike in front of me and "rest."

I've gone up to 110 plus with cadence but not for long because I don't want to "blow the engine!"
]

I seem to do just fine riding a folding bike 6 months per year then full size track, road or TT bike the other six months. 85-90rpm. Worried about "Blowing the engine" at 110...

Best not to try this:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8OnApCF_FDE

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

I seem to do just fine riding a folding bike 6 months per year then full size track, road or TT bike the other six months. 85-90rpm. Worried about "Blowing the engine" at 110...

Best not to try this:

Looks fun especially on a smooth indoor track without wind, traffic, etc

When I said blow the engine at around 110 rpm or so I meant I didn't want to wear myself down overreving. I sometimes go to high rpms on the steeper hills but not for too long especially if there's another 40 miles or so to go on the ride.

Don't forget to shift up!

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Looks fun especially on a smooth indoor track without wind, traffic, etc

When I said blow the engine at around 110 rpm or so I meant I didn't want to wear myself down overreving. I sometimes go to high rpms on the steeper hills but not for too long especially if there's another 40 miles or so to go on the ride.

Don't forget to shift up!

Thomm,

When you're pedaling 35-40 mph on an indoor track, you're heading into 35-40mph of wind. The air stands still, but you still need to pedal through it. Unlike on the road where half the time the wind is pushing you from behind or propelling you from the side (like on a sailboat). If you don't believe me, stick your head out of your car window on a calm day whilst driving 40mph.

There's no shifting up because we're on fixed gears, all you can do is pedal faster or stop and change out your cog or chainring.

Traffic? Sometimes we're stacked up four riders side by side on the turns at a 47 degree angle like shelves.

I think you mean "don't forget to downshift." You should only upshift to regain lost speed/momentum on an uphill grade in order to reset cadence.

[fxykty]

Isn't the basic question, which hasn't been answered yet, is how to care for your boat bike so that it doesn't become a rusted mess during ocean passages and living aboard?

After almost any passage with any wind we have salt crystals up to our spreaders. Even when anchored or at a marina, it's still a salt-infused environment.

I'm thinking of a soft case and a passive dehumidifier inside the case with the bike. What do others do to preserve their bike?

[toddster8]

Dunno... For long-term/passage timescales, I have some vague, not-yet-executed plan to "harden" the samsonite bike case with gaskets & tape or maybe an over-pack plastic bag. That wouldn't be practical for in-shore cruising, when you might need the bike every day or two, because considerable disassembly is required to get the bike into the case.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Thomm,

When you're pedaling 35-40 mph on an indoor track, you're heading into 35-40mph of wind. The air stands still, but you still need to pedal through it. Unlike on the road where half the time the wind is pushing you from behind or propelling you from the side (like on a sailboat). If you don't believe me, stick your head out of your car window on a calm day whilst driving 40mph.

There's no shifting up because we're on fixed gears, all you can do is pedal faster or stop and change out your cog or chainring.

Traffic? Sometimes we're stacked up four riders side by side on the turns at a 47 degree angle like shelves.

I think you mean "don't forget to downshift." You should only upshift to regain lost speed/momentum on an uphill grade in order to reset cadence.

Whatever!

It doesn't matter.

If you are born with the right attributes, you'll be good.

I started riding with the racer guys when I was 52 and usually always rode at the front or competed for it.

It's not about money, the bike, or necessarily the technique. It's what you are born with and some of us were built to work in a field for 12 hours a day or ride a bike at high speed for 100 plus miles a few times/week

If you have the genes, you'll be fine

Plus I smoked for 25-30 years before I quit. Marlboro Reds etc

But bike fit is important for all of us

Here's a good bike fit website. Check out the number of measurements in their fit system

https://www.wrenchscience.com/Login....%2fHeight.aspx

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Whatever!

It doesn't matter.

If you are born with the right attributes, you'll be good.

I started riding with the racer guys when I was 52 and usually always rode at the front or competed for it.

It's not about money, the bike, or necessarily the technique. It's what you are born with and some of us were built to work in a field for 12 hours a day or ride a bike at high speed for 100 plus miles a few times/week

If you have the genes, you'll be fine

Plus I smoked for 25-30 years before I quit. Marlboro Reds etc

But bike fit is important for all of us

Here's a good bike fit website

https://www.wrenchscience.com/Login....%2fHeight.aspx

Smoking clears your lungs.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Smoking clears your lungs.

Yeah, I have an awesome magazine of the tour back in the day.

I think it's on the boat though but they showed pictures of the guys with their spare tires over their shoulders, stopping to take a swim, and stopping for soup and coffee during the race


https://www.google.com/search?q=earl...=1498772449097

https://www.google.com/search?q=earl...=1498772189047

https://www.google.com/search?q=earl...=1498772189056

[SecondBase]

Originally Posted by fxykty

Isn't the basic question, which hasn't been answered yet, is how to care for your boat bike so that it doesn't become a rusted mess during ocean passages and living aboard?
...

What do others do to preserve their bike?

Put the preservation work back on the manufacturer. Buy a Prodeco Mariner. It is made to endure the salt life environment. Month after month, uncovered and chained to a dock power box on a salty inlet floating dock and the only spec of rust you can find is on after market accessories.

They stand behind their product 100%.

PRODECO can't recommend it highly enough !!

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by SecondBase

Put the preservation work back on the manufacturer. Buy a Prodeco Mariner. It is made to endure the salt life environment. Month after month, uncovered and chained to a dock power box on a salty inlet floating dock and the only spec of rust you can find is on after market accessories.

They stand behind their product 100%.

PRODECO can't recommend it highly enough !!

That actually looks like a pretty nice bike!

It has an electric hub drive like I saw all over China when I was there in the winter. It looks like it has a really good folding hinge similar to the one on my bike.

Only killer is the weight -- 48 pounds! Yowza! Fully double the weight of my bike. Does a lithium battery and electric drive hub really add that much weight? I really don't think I would want to wrestle with that beast in my dinghy.

[SecondBase]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

That actually looks like a pretty nice bike!



It has an electric hub drive like I saw all over China when I was there in the winter. It looks like it has a really good folding hinge similar to the one on my bike.



Only killer is the weight -- 48 pounds! Yowza! Fully double the weight of my bike. Does a lithium battery and electric drive hub really add that much weight? I really don't think I would want to wrestle with that beast in my dinghy.

The weight comes from the high-end build quality and I wouldn't change a bit of the design except add a built in head-light. I kept it on the floating dock and so only folded and loaded it every few months.

Coffee runs, groceries, hills --and most of all parking in the most popular venues-- all become a pleasure. It easily extends your range to a 15 or 20 mile radius around the boat.

For me, the performance makes up for the weight.

Max out your visibility gear and take some time to really learn how to safely fly this airframe on public roads.

[estarzinger]

yesterday I 'readjusted' my bike inventory . . . . going to make the (current) bike I have been on more 'all weather' (for the wet days and for biking thu the winter). It already had disk brakes, which are terrific for wet control. I'm putting more knobby tires on it for 3 season wet use, and knobby studded for winter use (thanks for folks above mentioning those were available).

Then I am getting a new 'very sexy' (according to Beth ) 'dry day' road bike with the new electric shift dura-ace (which has some really interesting capabilities). More 'aero' in design than my current one. It's a trek custom order - they need 19 days to build it. The technical options were easy to select - hardest decision was what color lol.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by estarzinger

yesterday I 'readjusted' my bike inventory . . . . going to make the (current) bike I have been on more 'all weather' (for the wet days and for biking thu the winter). It already had disk brakes, which are terrific for wet control. I'm putting more knobby tires on it for 3 season wet use, and knobby studded for winter use (thanks for folks above mentioning those were available).

Then I am getting a new 'very sexy' (according to Beth ) 'dry day' road bike with the new electric shift dura-ace (which has some really interesting capabilities). More 'aero' in design than my current one. It's a trek custom order - they need 19 days to build it. The technical options were easy to select - hardest decision was what color lol.

Congrats!

New bike is almost as much fun (or even more fun) than a new car.