Cyclists... where to put the bike?

[forsailbyowner]

Kim and I partially disassemble ours and they fit on a shelf in the setee. Our morgan 33 outislander is pretty roomy inside. the wheels and tires go into a hanging locker. I have a 27"fuji racer and she has a schwinn aluminum frame bike with similiar size tires in metric. Hers is better suited as it came with stainless spokes and very little ferrous metal. I made some nice backpacks with plenty of reflective tape. We often travel over a hundred miles a week as this is our only land based transport.The hardest part is the dingy ride ashore with them but Im working on a rack that doesnt interfere with the dingies rig. Now I lay them across the bow and only use the main when sailing in dingy with bikes. The rack will extend off stern behind boom.

[sluissa]

I remember reading something, possibly on here, or somewhere else, not sure. Anyway, that person bought a cheapo bike from a yard sale, for 20 bucks or so. Took a hacksaw to it and cut it in half. They then rigged something up so that they could refit the bike together with just a couple of locking pins or something of that sort. (sort of like those S&S threaded things someone mentioned earlier, but more Macguyverish) They said the thing broke apart after 6 months or a year of moderate use, but since the total cost was around 25 bucks they just bought another yard sale bike and did the same again.

[Zach]

Good idea that... My Bianchi however will remain un-chopped. (Grin)

I've got a welder, and machine shop up at work...

Wonder if the triton's engine compartment would hold a bike! (Did I really just say that?)

[roverhi]

If you are serious about riding, look at a Bike Friday <bikefriday.com>. They are small wheels but serious bicycles. Rims are 405 for the touring/offroad designs and 451 for the serious road types. All sorts of sophisticated treads are available for those wheels except sew-ups. They make a variety of designs from off-road, touring, road, suspension types, both on and off-road, tandem, tridem (2 adults and a kid) and recumbent. All fold up into a suitcase(s) that can be turned into a trailer and towed behind the bike. Bike will ship as luggage on the airlines with no sur-charge.

Technically, the bikes are not 'folders'. Some disassembly required to fit in the suitcase but it's very well thought out and can go from road to luggage in about 15 minutes. For the boat, they have a storage bag which requires little disassembly yet still folds to a pretty small package. The bag protects the bike from spray when rowing ashore and protects the boat when stowing on deck at anchor or in the forepeak underway.

I've got the NWT (touring model) and it rides just as well as my full sized road bike, actually a little more comfortable. About the only way you know it's got small wheels is it accelerates faster and handles a little quicker because of less inertia and gyro effect in the wheels. I've done a couple of 50+ mile rides and getting around when I'm on the boat. Seems to scoot along pretty well but I haven't been doing any serious conditioning to set any speed records. LeMond can feel safe in retirement.

They are basically a custom bike so can be ordered in all sorts of different configurations and groupo levels. They are regularly listed on Ebay if you want to save a little money but they seem to hold their value pretty well so still aren't cheap.

Aloha
Peter O.

[Pura Vida]

What is the latest on composit frames and other materials that might make much of the corrosion problem go away?

[Zach]

Originally Posted by Pura Vida

What is the latest on composit frames and other materials that might make much of the corrosion problem go away?

Carbon fiber, though all the threaded bits are aluminum sleeves.

Titanium would be the best bet.

I'm thinking a powdercoated steel frame with a bunch of oil running around inside might be a solution.

[S/V Antares]

Wow, the tube connectors are very nice.

Anyone out there ever use a Segway? Know how they really hold up? I rented one in seattle and did not want to give it back. You could put it in a plastic trash bag. It would be fun and stow well but they are very pricey. $4K

[Ativa]

We are living on the water now and have our bikes. Before we go underway we coat the exposed metal with a wax like coca butter then lash the bikes down to the deck. (be careful as they like to grab anything that gets close to them from a luffing sail to your ankles)
We have the Walmart inexpensive bikes, and only wish we would have opted for a stainless chain as the chain rusts up really badly when chained to the bike stand. We started out with folding bikes but they were simply too heavy and rusted even worse. These cheap bikes are very light and as someone said "disposable" The bike is not lashed in this photo
as somone said disposable.

[jscott]

I am an avid cyclist, 8000 km/y.

My bike frame is entirely aluminum, the rims and spokes are aluminuim, the bearings are sealed cartridge bearings 316 SS with ceramic balls.

Stepping through all the parts, all are corrosion resistant, except for.

The chain, I am quite sure that slathering some vasoline on it would work, I would just remove the chain, and seat and store them below. I do have a 100% titanium chain but that ain't staying outside anyway.

I think for a 7 day sail I would remove the wheels, and store in a locker, I have wheel bags.

I would get a couple of quick release clamps and attach these to the outer hull, then I would clamp the bike on and go.

For an ocean passage I would get a bike case, and store in a locker.

The bike transport cases are for airplanes, these cost about $150 I think and are robust plastic cases, that have fittings for all the wheels etc inside. See JensonUSA.

Lastly there is a Lapierre Mountain bike that is designed to fold into a case, This bike is a very good bike, not to be compared with the classic foldable bike.

I have not done this as yet because all of my sailing vacations have been very sail oriented, and all of my bike vacations have been very bike oriented, and neither have been for very long times. (I guess I am a little too focused at times)

[ssullivan]

Did I hear mention of a SparkBook notebook?? Wow! I never even knew those existed! I was on SparcStations at the time, but I had never seen a portable version. Neat.

(Sorry for the thread drift.)

[Pura Vida]

Check this out...
http://www.cncpolymers.com/?gclid=CK...FRceYQod_37vTA

I may see if I can find one to fit my folder.

[44'cruisingcat]

Room for two bikes and plenty more in here..

[ssullivan]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Room for two bikes and plenty more in here..

It's a nice boat, but hauling bikes in and out of an area below decks like that would get tiring very quickly. It's enough work just loading them into the dinghy and bringing them ashore. Getting them in and out of that bow locker would be back breaking.

[Microship]

Originally Posted by ssullivan

Did I hear mention of a SparkBook notebook?? Wow! I never even knew those existed! I was on SparcStations at the time, but I had never seen a portable version. Neat.

(Sorry for the thread drift.)

No thread drift at all, actually... I was riding a unixcycle! The aluminum case behind the seat had a custom repackaged SPARCstation with a prototype color LCD driver, and the Tadpole SPARCbook is sitting on the solar panels in the photo below, showing the BEHEMOTH in its final form, circa 1991... pretty much at the end of the journey. There's a quick list of components over yonder; going into too much detail would count as thread drift!

The bike now resides at the Computer History Museum... it probably wouldn't fit on my boat anyway (13 feet long, including trailer). But maybe with those folding couplers........

Cheers!
Steve

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by ssullivan

It's a nice boat, but hauling bikes in and out of an area below decks like that would get tiring very quickly. It's enough work just loading them into the dinghy and bringing them ashore. Getting them in and out of that bow locker would be back breaking.

It's easy. Maybe our bikes are light, (I doubt it, they are not alloy framed or anything) but it's no trouble at all. I take the front wheel off (quick release) and I can easily lift them in and out with one hand.