Boat Bikes -- Some Observations

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by PuttingDoctor

Newhaul, I hear ya. But as others have mentioned BIKE FIT is important for knee pressure AND as a former slower cadence rider let me say try it.

Find a level ride and make a pass with the same effort you normally do. Now come about and drop a gear and spin. It takes some getting used to but the effort is actually lower in higher cadences. Your knees may thank you.

That said you don't have to spin like you're riding in a race. Just lighten the load on your knees and translate it to the cardio system. You might be somewhat surprised as was I years ago when I made the switch.

I have tried to get a higher cadence up to about 70 but the brace on my knees wont really let me do even that so I slow down to whats comfortable for me and my brace. But thats just me. Higher cadences likely would be beneficial for people that have not been so hard on their joints as I have.

[geobill]

Hi All,
So far nobody has mentioned Ritchey Break Apart bikes. They make a Road, Cross and even a Tandem! I picked up the basic steel break apart road bike and used it for a little biking around Sicily and quite a bit of biking in the mountains of Alberta and British Columbia. It is an awesome bike, quite capable at all speeds - up and down. It takes a bit of practice to pull it apart and put back together but it fits inside a nice suitcase slightly larger than the wheel diameter. At 19lbs is reasonably light (carbon wheels and lighter components would reduce that but - $$$). I bought it for my boat but have not tried it on her yet.

https://ritcheylogic.com/frames/road

Cheers,
Bill

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by geobill

Hi All,
So far nobody has mentioned Ritchey Break Apart bikes. They make a Road, Cross and even a Tandem! I picked up the basic steel break apart road bike and used it for a little biking around Sicily and quite a bit of biking in the mountains of Alberta and British Columbia. It is an awesome bike, quite capable at all speeds - up and down. It takes a bit of practice to pull it apart and put back together but it fits inside a nice suitcase slightly larger than the wheel diameter. At 19lbs is reasonably light (carbon wheels and lighter components would reduce that but - $$$). I bought it for my boat but have not tried it on her yet.

https://ritcheylogic.com/frames/road

How do they work? I haven't found anything obvious on their website illustrating how/where the parts come apart...

On our bikes, most of the rusty bits are the bolt-on ancillary parts... plus the parts that control the folding mechanisms...

-Chris

[geobill]

It is quite ingenious how they do it. The top of the frame is cut at the top tube and seat tube and by inserting the seat this connects that top. The down tube is cut just above the bottom bracket and is connected with a clamp. The cables have quick disconnect parts and the handlebar and fork and simply disconnected and reconnected through the head tube.

https://ritcheylogic.com/wp/wp-conte...ssem_instr.pdf

installation video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obrc22abQEk

One ride I had forgotten to really tighten the bottom clamp and it rode surprisingly well until I thought better of it and tightened it.

-bill

[Kenomac]

Cadence is over-rated, power is everything.

Wandering through town on my Brompton three speed on walking streets, my cadence is often below 10. Think "track stand" at times, but that's the beauty in these folding bikes with dinky wheels for cruisers.... being able to ride unbelievably slow. Usually, I can stop without putting a foot down and read a restaurant menu or ride through a crowded bazaar. I even rode it down a hiking trail the other day, but that was a significant challenge. The little wheels don't like crushed stone or sand.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by geobill

It is quite ingenious how they do it. The top of the frame is cut at the top tube and seat tube and by inserting the seat this connects that top. The down tube is cut just above the bottom bracket and is connected with a clamp. The cables have quick disconnect parts and the handlebar and fork and simply disconnected and reconnected through the head tube.

https://ritcheylogic.com/wp/wp-conte...ssem_instr.pdf

installation video:

One ride I had forgotten to really tighten the bottom clamp and it rode surprisingly well until I thought better of it and tightened it.

-bill

Good Lord, that's ridiculous. I'd already be ashore, at my destination and maybe finished shopping by the time you get the handlebars attached.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kV32HQqPYsM

[geobill]

Your destination and my destination are probably not the same.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Cadence is over-rated, power is everything.

Wandering through town on my Brompton three speed on walking streets, my cadence is often below 10. Think "track stand" at times, but that's the beauty in these folding bikes with dinky wheels for cruisers.... being able to ride unbelievably slow. Usually, I can stop without putting a foot down and read a restaurant menu or ride through a crowded bazaar. I even rode it down a hiking trail the other day, but that was a significant challenge. The little wheels don't like crushed stone or sand.

Cadence vs power .... it all depends on the rider and his build.

And what the bike is being used for.

I've gotten overly tired after taking my pull on the front of a peloton at over 30 mph doing a cadence of 92 or so (depending on the headwind) and almost got dropped a few times hooking back on to the back after rotating out.

I then would go to a low cadence to "rest" once I hooked back up. I would shift up and go as low as 50-70 rpms while riding at 30-34 mph back there. Of course, I was getting the benefit of the draft saving maybe 26% power output since I was really tucked in tight to the bikes ahead and getting max draft even if I had to ride in echelon a bit to stay totally out of the wind

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by geobill

It is quite ingenious how they do it. The top of the frame is cut at the top tube and seat tube and by inserting the seat this connects that top. The down tube is cut just above the bottom bracket and is connected with a clamp. The cables have quick disconnect parts and the handlebar and fork and simply disconnected and reconnected through the head tube.

Hmmm... thanks...

-Chris

[Blue Crab]

Wouldn't work for traveling everyday but 19# sounds mighty good.

[jheldatksuedu]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Good Lord, that's ridiculous. I'd already be ashore, at my destination and maybe finished shopping by the time you get the handlebars attached.

That's rather similar to my frame, but my frame pieces hinge at the crank bearings, my seat post holds all the upper frame parts all together. The main difference is my wheels can come apart and can pack away much smaller during storage for ocean crossings.

[estarzinger]

Quick TdF question

What kind of "outside assistance" can the riders get?

Some of them appear to have cell phone ear sets - could there be someone off the course giving them tactical advice (like "attack now", or "get train together and ready")?

They can of course get new equipment and food/water.

they can not hold or draft the cars - is there any assistance limitation beyond that?

[CarinaPDX]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Cadence is over-rated, power is everything.

Wandering through town on my Brompton three speed on walking streets, my cadence is often below 10.

Just because you have a S-A 3 speed or similar doesn't mean you have to be over-geared. If you invested in a Swiss Mountain Drive you would have those lower gears and be able to up the cadence. It really helps on a Brompton. The 250% reduction makes for 6 evenly spaced gear ratios.

Greg

[Chris 249]

Originally Posted by estarzinger

Quick TdF question

What kind of "outside assistance" can the riders get?

Some of them appear to have cell phone ear sets - could there be someone off the course giving them tactical advice (like "attack now", or "get train together and ready")?

They can of course get new equipment and food/water.

they can not hold or draft the cars - is there any assistance limitation beyond that?

Radios are universal. The directeur sportifs (sp) are in cars behind the pack (or in the middle of groups when the race splits up) calling tactical shots and watching the race on TV while they drive.

The teams also have a road captain who is an experienced cyclist who calls some shots; Nicho Roche is the one for Sky, for example.

There are restrictions on getting water and food handed up late in the stage, incidentally. Riders cannot get some assistance (such as being given a wheel)
from a rider from another team. In the early days most assistance was verboten - famously one rider was penalised when someone else blew the bellows on a forge he was using to repair his broken front fork.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by CarinaPDX

Just because you have a S-A 3 speed or similar doesn't mean you have to be over-geared. If you invested in a Swiss Mountain Drive you would have those lower gears and be able to up the cadence. It really helps on a Brompton. The 250% reduction makes for 6 evenly spaced gear ratios.

Greg

I purchased the Brompton 6 speed upgrade last summer, just haven't needed it yet, still in the package. Cadence is over-rated, usually an excuse often used by people unable to pedal hard enough. One should be able to pedal hard while standing and be able to sustain a 140 cadence, otherwise... forget track cycling.