Boat Bikes -- Some Observations

[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 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. 140 is a challenge to do it without bouncing on fixed gear.

[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 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. 140 is a challenge to do it without bouncing on fixed gear.

[estarzinger]

Originally Posted by Chris 249

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.

Interesting. So the riders are not really doing much of the tactical thinking? The coverage is suggesting, that the basic rider input to the process is how "heavy" their legs are.

I fascinated by the total dramatic differences between how bike and sail racing are managed (in all regards, from equipment to safety, and on).

Crashed this morning - rear tire slid out. Broke my handle bars. Will have big leg bruises tomorrow

[estarzinger]

BTW, I'v had carbon wheels for a week now and

They really add noticeable extra snap to the acceleration and hill climbing, and they are aero-ish shape so help on the flat also.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by estarzinger

BTW, I'v had carbon wheels for a week now and

They really add noticeable extra snap to the acceleration and hill climbing, and they are aero-ish shape so help on the flat also.

Be careful, it's addictive.

[Cherod]

Mmmmm , loverlly

[estarzinger]

^^ Back from my vermont riding week.

yea, mine is a road bike, so not quite that sexy, but still . . .



pretty nice handle bars for a road bike


and brakes nicely fared in. These are middle of the road depth wheels for the road - I tried deeper (more areo ones) but they were not so great in a cross wind - these are a good compromise.

[SecondBase]

Originally Posted by Chris 249

After that brief diversion - to repeat the question someone else asked, what can one do to stop a bike corroding? I've got no interest in a heavy e-bike and surely even a 20" folder is going to suffer the same corrosion issues as a 700mm bike packed into a bag?

If it wasn't already said- mask off the gearing and anything you touch. Then spray 1-2 cans of wd40 on every inch of what is left except tire rubber. That coating helps a lot.

Or buy a Mariner 7 but that's a folding I think 19" ebike made for the environment...

[geobill]

you have good tastes in both bikes and boats - both are fast and sexy - well done!

-geobill

[Kenomac]

A boat bike doing what a boat bike is supposed to do. Dinghy to shore, dropped off wife at bus station who also road her boat bike. Trailered wife's boat bike while covering 10 miles looking around Split, Croatia for some replacement marine diesel exhaust tubing, then hunted down a couple of watermaker pre-filters. Pizza and beer for lunch then returned to the mothership and replaced the exhaust tubing.

[jkindredpdx]

Now that's my kind of Bike ride... curb hopping and beer drinking while running errands. Besides that, I can't afford those expensive road bike all y'all are talking about... I need all my money for my boat

[Cherod]

I wouldn't think you would be doing much curb hopping on either the Brompton or the neat road bike unless you want to be repairing punctures all day long !!

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Cherod

I wouldn't think you would be doing much curb hopping on either the Brompton or the neat road bike unless you want to be repairing punctures all day long !!

I guess that would depend on who's doing the curb hopping and how it's being done.

[estarzinger]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

A boat bike doing what a boat bike is supposed to do.

The trailer is brilliant. I could have used that many many times of our voyaging. What is it's effective/practical weight limit - could it carry say four 5 gal fuel jugs?

The boat bike - ok I guess, but does not get me excited. Think I would prefer a full size mountain bike (we were in a lot of places where even the town streets were often not so good).

----------------------------------------------------

BTW, on previous debated topics . . . . I'm now doing 40-45miles/day (at about 16-17mph door to door average including a few hills and stop lights). It has taken me 2 1/2 months, biking every day it does not rain, often doing two-a-days, to work up to that from basically a standing start (eg no biking and pretty average sailing physical conditioning - meaning quite poor by athletic standards). 50 miles is still a significant ride.

On cadence - my available range of cadence has increased dramatically with both the increased conditioning and the better tuned bike fit. I can effectively and comfortably run from say 70 to 110, and can pick the best spot depending on the particular conditions. But interestingly my 'natural'/'self-selected' max-endurance cadence has not changed very much, still in the high 70's. Good science on this is surprisingly thin on the ground, but what is available seems to show that (1) 'self selected' cadence is usually better (more efficient) than some general purpose target (like the often quoted 90-110), (2) that the most effective cadence for an individual will vary based on their power output at that moment, (3) that the top tour riders tend to be self-selected toward body types that favor high cadence but that does not mean that high cadence is necessarily best for the rest of us (that conclusion confuses the cause and effect).

[Kenomac]

The Burley Travoy trailer is rated for up to 80 pounds or 35kgs I believe. I've carried fuel jugs back to the boat on it.