Linda & Lew
02-25-07, 05:07 PM
We store our Tandem in one of our spare bedrooms. Is this normal? Where do you store yours?
Tandem Cycling - storing our tandem
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TandemGeek
02-25-07, 06:20 PM
More details here: http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=3028410&postcount=9
zonatandem
02-25-07, 07:26 PM
Garage works fine for us!
Bedroom works for you!
Bedroom works for you!
Linda & Lew
02-25-07, 07:31 PM
I think I'll try the garage....have not done it there yet (the more room the better)!
JanMM
02-25-07, 09:52 PM
Ours hangs by the back wheel from a hook screwed into a ceiling joist in our garage. Should I rotate back to front to back wheel?
TandemGeek
02-25-07, 10:05 PM
Should I rotate back to front to back wheel?
No. A wheel's spoke network distributes the bike's weight evenly around the wheel when it's hanging from a hook in much the same way as it does when its sitting on the ground with the full weight of the bike plus the riders. I'm sure if you left a bike hanging long enough -- as in several decades -- the wheel might go out of round.
No. A wheel's spoke network distributes the bike's weight evenly around the wheel when it's hanging from a hook in much the same way as it does when its sitting on the ground with the full weight of the bike plus the riders. I'm sure if you left a bike hanging long enough -- as in several decades -- the wheel might go out of round.
Fenlason
02-26-07, 05:23 AM
if you live in a colder humid climate.. especially where temps vary a lot during the winter...moisture will build up in the frame... if the bike is hanging from the rear wheel... this moisture will all run to your headset. Depending on what a bike has for drain holes.. IMHO it is better to hang it from the front wheel or horizontally upright.
glenn
glenn
woog
02-26-07, 06:03 AM
I've got five singles in my spare bedroom. The tandem is too long to get around all the corners though, so I keep it in the dining room instead.
TandemGeek
02-26-07, 07:57 AM
if you live in a colder humid climate.. especially where temps vary a lot during the winter...moisture will build up in the frame... if the bike is hanging from the rear wheel... this moisture will all run to your headset. Depending on what a bike has for drain holes.. IMHO it is better to hang it from the front wheel or horizontally upright.
I can see how this would happen with a lugged frame, but I have a hard time invisioning that much condensation pooling around frame joints in TIG welded and fillet-brazed frames to the point where it would spill over through the small vent holes into the head tube. Moreover, regardless of how you hang the bike or when stored upright on its wheels, condensation will always collect at the bottom brackets.
I guess my underlying premise here would be that, unless you live in a dry and arid climate and never ride in the rain, your frame will most likely end up with moisture and perhaps even pools of water sitting in the frame and gravity will draw it down to the lowest possible point. Therefore, moisture from the rear of the tandem will have to flow past the vent holes at the stoker's seat tube and bottom bracket, and if your tandem doesn't used piereced seat tubes (e.g., Santana), moisture in the mid-tubes will need to pass through the vent holes in the captain's seat tube and bottom bracket, before migrating to to the joints at the head tube.
As to how you deal with that can come down to how much it concerns you and your ability / desire to work on your own bikes. About twice a year I disassemble the bikes in our fleet that get ridden in the rain to clean all the crud that collects in the head & seat tubes as well as the bottom brackets. For the two road tandems, if we get caught out riding in the rain I'll almost always pull the bottom brackets and fork once I'm back home as I know there will be water in the frames, particularly in the S&S tandem's boom tube. If we rode in very heavy or prolonged rain conditions I can usually hear water sloshing around in the wheels so I'll also take the tires off the wheels to get the water that's collected in the rims to drain through the valve stem hole.
Bottom Line: No matter how you store your tandem -- short of hanging it upside down with the stoker's seat post removed and the mast hole sitting as the lowest point of the frame, moisture is going to collect around and perhaps in your bottom brackets and perhaps even your head tube if you hang it upside down. I guess my only real take-away here is, even bikes with sealed bearings in the headsets and bottom brackets demand some level of maintenance if only because they conceal the places where moisture and even small pools of water can collect in a bicycle or tandem frame.
I can see how this would happen with a lugged frame, but I have a hard time invisioning that much condensation pooling around frame joints in TIG welded and fillet-brazed frames to the point where it would spill over through the small vent holes into the head tube. Moreover, regardless of how you hang the bike or when stored upright on its wheels, condensation will always collect at the bottom brackets.
I guess my underlying premise here would be that, unless you live in a dry and arid climate and never ride in the rain, your frame will most likely end up with moisture and perhaps even pools of water sitting in the frame and gravity will draw it down to the lowest possible point. Therefore, moisture from the rear of the tandem will have to flow past the vent holes at the stoker's seat tube and bottom bracket, and if your tandem doesn't used piereced seat tubes (e.g., Santana), moisture in the mid-tubes will need to pass through the vent holes in the captain's seat tube and bottom bracket, before migrating to to the joints at the head tube.
As to how you deal with that can come down to how much it concerns you and your ability / desire to work on your own bikes. About twice a year I disassemble the bikes in our fleet that get ridden in the rain to clean all the crud that collects in the head & seat tubes as well as the bottom brackets. For the two road tandems, if we get caught out riding in the rain I'll almost always pull the bottom brackets and fork once I'm back home as I know there will be water in the frames, particularly in the S&S tandem's boom tube. If we rode in very heavy or prolonged rain conditions I can usually hear water sloshing around in the wheels so I'll also take the tires off the wheels to get the water that's collected in the rims to drain through the valve stem hole.
Bottom Line: No matter how you store your tandem -- short of hanging it upside down with the stoker's seat post removed and the mast hole sitting as the lowest point of the frame, moisture is going to collect around and perhaps in your bottom brackets and perhaps even your head tube if you hang it upside down. I guess my only real take-away here is, even bikes with sealed bearings in the headsets and bottom brackets demand some level of maintenance if only because they conceal the places where moisture and even small pools of water can collect in a bicycle or tandem frame.
Fenlason
02-26-07, 12:55 PM
TG.. I guess I can't differentiate between what has been rain water... and condensation.... but I do not have to invision the scenario.. I have seen it first hand. Here in Maine our weather is very variable. We can go from quite cold.. below zero... to 40 and lots of humity and rain. Picture a very cold piece of metal... in a very humid place... you would be surprise how wet it will get. Right now on a daily basis we are going from the single numbers or colder at night..to upper thirties and fourties in the daytime.
While It is not good to have water anywhere in the frame.. I would rather have it collect in the bb ... than the head tube. Often there is a drain there... and it does have to build up a bit to get at the bearings. Again most people do not do as you and clean out their bikes after riding in the rain.
In more extreme situations..and granted I am sure it was not likely just from condensation... but up here it is not rare to see a frame tube burst open because of water freezing in it. [Most often of course they want it replaced under warranty :rolleyes: ]
glenn
While It is not good to have water anywhere in the frame.. I would rather have it collect in the bb ... than the head tube. Often there is a drain there... and it does have to build up a bit to get at the bearings. Again most people do not do as you and clean out their bikes after riding in the rain.
In more extreme situations..and granted I am sure it was not likely just from condensation... but up here it is not rare to see a frame tube burst open because of water freezing in it. [Most often of course they want it replaced under warranty :rolleyes: ]
glenn
Catherine+2
02-26-07, 01:46 PM
I have mine on the back porch, under a roof but otherwise covered only with a nylon bike bag. The single bikes and trailer bikes are hanging from hooks on the east end of the porch, and I have a bike lift to install to get the tandem up out of the way. We also have been able to ride the tandem about every other week, so I haven't let the air out of the tires or taken the seats inside, etc.
No garage here, but we live in an alpine desert climate, so moisture is not a big concern. We do have high winds in March and April, so I will take all the bikes down from their hooks and lay them down on the porch in a couple of weeks so we don't have blow-downs.
Catherine
No garage here, but we live in an alpine desert climate, so moisture is not a big concern. We do have high winds in March and April, so I will take all the bikes down from their hooks and lay them down on the porch in a couple of weeks so we don't have blow-downs.
Catherine
JanMM
02-26-07, 05:27 PM
"Should I rotate back to front to back wheel?" Gotta confess I was kidding in asking that.......................Anybody want to volunteer their tandem to hang untouched for several decades to see if the wheel goes out of round?
The moisture/temp discussion is interesting. Glad I don't live where tubes burst from water collecting and freezing. Amazing. I'd always thought the biggest problem with hanging by the rear wheel was that the blood would all run to the head tube. And the bike would get a head[tube]ache.
The moisture/temp discussion is interesting. Glad I don't live where tubes burst from water collecting and freezing. Amazing. I'd always thought the biggest problem with hanging by the rear wheel was that the blood would all run to the head tube. And the bike would get a head[tube]ache.
djembob02
02-26-07, 05:41 PM
Instead of "storage," I prefer to say that our triplet lives in our living room. We have no garage at our townhouse, therefor, its either bring it inside or leave outside (NO WAY). So I bring it in the back door, through the small kitchen and it lives in the living room until its next use. If cold, or rainy, we leave it in the same spot and put the rear wheel on the trainer and ride in front of the TV. When warm, no more than 2 days later, we take it out the front door and ride away. On the rare occassion that we have a social gathering at our house (eg. family for Christmas), I put the rear wheel in the corner and hook the front end up to the ceiling as shown below.
zonatandem
02-26-07, 09:56 PM
djembo: not too many folks can claim to have such an interesting piece of metal sculpture in their living room. No doubt, a real conversation piece!
mrfish
02-27-07, 06:13 AM
Re. water in frames, typically water gets into the frame from the seat tube clamp area I think. In a rainy classic race the seat post cutout will be sprayed with water for 7 hours, so no matter how much grease is on the seat post, some water will get through. Thus having an outlet will avoid a 1kg frame weighing 2kg by the end of the race. You occasionally see pictures of pro race bike bottom bracket shells with a single badly drilled hole in the bottom of the bottom bracket shell. Better steel frames often used to have cutout b/b shells which served the same purpose. Mavic and Shimano rims also have small holes to let the water out.
I'm surprised by TG's strategy - that's certainly what was needed in the bad old days of cup and cone bottom brackets, but in my view it's not necessary to take the bike to bits every time it gets wet. I personally don't bother as it's far too time consuming - in the UK in winter it rains (or seems to at the moment) on about 30-50% of my rides, so I would be spannering as much as I ride. Secondly taking apart a perfectly well functioning b/b both increases the chance of the crank working loose or the whole thing unscrewing when miles away from home so I don't touch it. My strategy is to buy low maintenance components with cartridge bearings so that I can leave them until the bearings get rough and then just swap the bearings.
I'm surprised by TG's strategy - that's certainly what was needed in the bad old days of cup and cone bottom brackets, but in my view it's not necessary to take the bike to bits every time it gets wet. I personally don't bother as it's far too time consuming - in the UK in winter it rains (or seems to at the moment) on about 30-50% of my rides, so I would be spannering as much as I ride. Secondly taking apart a perfectly well functioning b/b both increases the chance of the crank working loose or the whole thing unscrewing when miles away from home so I don't touch it. My strategy is to buy low maintenance components with cartridge bearings so that I can leave them until the bearings get rough and then just swap the bearings.
mrfish
02-27-07, 06:17 AM
Re. storage we used to live in a one-bedroom flat. We had 3 bikes on hooks in the bedroom. It worked well - no strange stares either as we had a pine screen to cover it up.
If considering this, I highly recommend laminate wood flooring though as any oil or mucky bike droppings can easily be wiped of with a scoosh of GT85 or similar aerosol lube. Carpet is not a good idea IMO.
If considering this, I highly recommend laminate wood flooring though as any oil or mucky bike droppings can easily be wiped of with a scoosh of GT85 or similar aerosol lube. Carpet is not a good idea IMO.
TandemGeek
02-27-07, 08:32 AM
I'm surprised by TG's strategy - that's certainly what was needed in the bad old days of cup and cone bottom brackets, but in my view it's not necessary to take the bike to bits every time it gets wet. I personally don't bother as it's far too time consuming...
- Bear in mind, our road tandems are somewhat expensive, one-of-a-kind custom steel-framed tandems.
- Getting "wet" doesn't qualify: it's after the hours-long, soaked-to-the-bone rides where experience tells me that special attention is required. If someone has never bothered to pull their bottom brackets or headset then they're just assuming everything's OK. Having checked those nether-regions on all of my bikes, I know now that when ridden in the rain for prolonged periods of time, water will collect in the rear bottom brackets of our tandem's frames. I also know that there will be a large pool of water in the boom tube of our S&S tandem, which necessitates its disassembly. The eccentrics used on all of our tandems have openings and cavities that allow water to pool so it's actually the eccentric that gets pulled and not the bottom bracket from the eccentric. Chris King headset bearings are sealed, but the headsets themselves aren't... so while our carbon steerers don't rust, it doesn't bode well to have water sitting inside of a steel headtube.
- As for the time required, pulling the chains (done by hand), three cranks (with self-extracting bolts), the rear bottom bracket, the eccentric, and fork takes a little under 10 minutes, with reinstallation after air-drying for a day taking another 10 minutes: YRMV. Breaking the travel tandem down does take an extra few minutes since three couplers must be unscrewed. If we rode our tandems in the rain on a regular basis I would do what I've done to address the water and grime issue with my single bikes: I'd build up a non-coupled titanium "mud bike" for use on cruddy days.
Sorry if I wasn't clear and, yes, this may still seem like a bit of excessive maintenance to a lot of folks. However, I guess it's like many things with bicycling... to each their own. I have no plans to replace our two road tandems for the forseeable future so an ounce of prevention... don't you know.
- Bear in mind, our road tandems are somewhat expensive, one-of-a-kind custom steel-framed tandems.
- Getting "wet" doesn't qualify: it's after the hours-long, soaked-to-the-bone rides where experience tells me that special attention is required. If someone has never bothered to pull their bottom brackets or headset then they're just assuming everything's OK. Having checked those nether-regions on all of my bikes, I know now that when ridden in the rain for prolonged periods of time, water will collect in the rear bottom brackets of our tandem's frames. I also know that there will be a large pool of water in the boom tube of our S&S tandem, which necessitates its disassembly. The eccentrics used on all of our tandems have openings and cavities that allow water to pool so it's actually the eccentric that gets pulled and not the bottom bracket from the eccentric. Chris King headset bearings are sealed, but the headsets themselves aren't... so while our carbon steerers don't rust, it doesn't bode well to have water sitting inside of a steel headtube.
- As for the time required, pulling the chains (done by hand), three cranks (with self-extracting bolts), the rear bottom bracket, the eccentric, and fork takes a little under 10 minutes, with reinstallation after air-drying for a day taking another 10 minutes: YRMV. Breaking the travel tandem down does take an extra few minutes since three couplers must be unscrewed. If we rode our tandems in the rain on a regular basis I would do what I've done to address the water and grime issue with my single bikes: I'd build up a non-coupled titanium "mud bike" for use on cruddy days.
Sorry if I wasn't clear and, yes, this may still seem like a bit of excessive maintenance to a lot of folks. However, I guess it's like many things with bicycling... to each their own. I have no plans to replace our two road tandems for the forseeable future so an ounce of prevention... don't you know.
zonatandem
02-27-07, 04:20 PM
Remember living/riding a 100 miler in Michigan and battling rain . . . worms hanging from the cables that were guided under the boob tube . . . along with mudstreaked clothes and water in the tubes.
Another good reason why we live in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona and ride a cabon fiber 'no rust' tandem!
Another good reason why we live in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona and ride a cabon fiber 'no rust' tandem!
mlwschultz
02-28-07, 11:29 AM
In the off-season, we keep our tandem on a rack in the basement, rest of the year it's on a rack mounted to the wall in the garage.
Catherine+2
02-28-07, 01:49 PM
Let's see, cost of tandem ($) + cost of new van to carry the tandem ($$) + cost of a house WITH garage to store tandem AND new van ($$$)
Gee, I thought I was introducing my kids to a AFFORDABLE passtime. LOL
Catherine
Gee, I thought I was introducing my kids to a AFFORDABLE passtime. LOL
Catherine
DBC Steve
02-28-07, 01:58 PM
Let's see, cost of tandem ($) + cost of new van to carry the tandem ($$) + cost of a house WITH garage to store tandem AND new van ($$$)
Gee, I thought I was introducing my kids to a AFFORDABLE passtime. LOL
Catherine
Yep -- just like the $30,000 chain saw and $500,000 horse. In our case, however, the hay barn provides more than enough storage for our bikes including the tandem.
Gee, I thought I was introducing my kids to a AFFORDABLE passtime. LOL
Catherine
Yep -- just like the $30,000 chain saw and $500,000 horse. In our case, however, the hay barn provides more than enough storage for our bikes including the tandem.
Linda & Lew
02-28-07, 06:47 PM
Thanks for all the info on storage of our Tandem....
I just picked my single up yesterday from a friend at work that suggested that I not be storing my bike with the chain on for long periods.......(who is a perfectionist I might add). The first thing I thought about was our tandem......should we have taken the chain off for winter? I just want to do this right.
I just picked my single up yesterday from a friend at work that suggested that I not be storing my bike with the chain on for long periods.......(who is a perfectionist I might add). The first thing I thought about was our tandem......should we have taken the chain off for winter? I just want to do this right.
zonatandem
02-28-07, 09:33 PM
Linda and Lew:
Don't mess with the chains . . . leave 'em on the bike!
Don't mess with the chains . . . leave 'em on the bike!
mrfish
03-01-07, 06:20 AM
All clear TG - I am sure you will be riding the same bikes in 30 years, whereas I probably won't be. Kudos for taking the time to do it properly.
a friend at work that suggested that I not be storing my bike with the chain on for long periods
That is a new one. Did your friends come up with a convincing science-based reason why, or was it just something a 'guru' mentioned to them?
Some other myths for your amusement:
My triathlete friend advised me to park my bike in the smallest sprocket and cogs. Why? To avoid the derailleur springs stretching.
Bike shops used to say that steel frames 'go soft' or 'lose their spring' after a few years.
By buying a frame made from Steel / Aluminum alloy X you get a much stiffer frame than Steel / Aluminum alloy Y
Airline staff who say you need to deflate your tyres to avoid them exploding in an airliner hold
a friend at work that suggested that I not be storing my bike with the chain on for long periods
That is a new one. Did your friends come up with a convincing science-based reason why, or was it just something a 'guru' mentioned to them?
Some other myths for your amusement:
My triathlete friend advised me to park my bike in the smallest sprocket and cogs. Why? To avoid the derailleur springs stretching.
Bike shops used to say that steel frames 'go soft' or 'lose their spring' after a few years.
By buying a frame made from Steel / Aluminum alloy X you get a much stiffer frame than Steel / Aluminum alloy Y
Airline staff who say you need to deflate your tyres to avoid them exploding in an airliner hold
TandemGeek
03-01-07, 08:12 AM
... a friend at work that suggested that I not be storing my bike with the chain on for long periods.
This probably goes back to the same rationale behind Fenlason's commentary on storing bikes in cold / high humidity locales where condensation can develop on bikes stored in unheated spaces due to rapid changes in temperature.
If you did in fact live in such a location and stored you bikes in an unheated garage, shed, or basement, removing the chains "could" mitigate the potential formation of rust or corrosion any where that moisture becomes suspended between the chains and sprockets.
This probably goes back to the same rationale behind Fenlason's commentary on storing bikes in cold / high humidity locales where condensation can develop on bikes stored in unheated spaces due to rapid changes in temperature.
If you did in fact live in such a location and stored you bikes in an unheated garage, shed, or basement, removing the chains "could" mitigate the potential formation of rust or corrosion any where that moisture becomes suspended between the chains and sprockets.
tadley62
03-01-07, 02:19 PM
Hang ours upright from the ceiling in the garage using a pully system bike rack. Our garage ceiling is 12 feet high so there's lots of room up there and the pully system is so easy to use my wife can hoist it up or down.
Fenlason
03-01-07, 02:54 PM
I myself have never heard of storing a bike with the chain off.. and am not sure why one would. I guess the timing chain on a tandem there is some tension on the bb bearings... but even for picky people... I can not see that as an issue.
A clean oiled chain should not be a problem even in our climate.
I Idea of storing a bike without tension on the deraileur springs.. is valid to me. Over time the springs can weaken.
Rudy while I can not argue about living in Southern Az. :) [although personally I would miss the sea]
The carbon frame does not make much difference..in what we were discussing... Rusting of a steel frame... is a minimal problem. hmm in 25 years I have only seen two frames I would consider not safe to ride. We were talking bearings.. and I believe you use the same as the rest of us. You would have the same potential problems there.. and a frozen carbon frame full of water would still burst. Ahh but with carbon you might have less condensation build up compared to steel. I can honestly say I have not "measured" that. :)
glenn
A clean oiled chain should not be a problem even in our climate.
I Idea of storing a bike without tension on the deraileur springs.. is valid to me. Over time the springs can weaken.
Rudy while I can not argue about living in Southern Az. :) [although personally I would miss the sea]
The carbon frame does not make much difference..in what we were discussing... Rusting of a steel frame... is a minimal problem. hmm in 25 years I have only seen two frames I would consider not safe to ride. We were talking bearings.. and I believe you use the same as the rest of us. You would have the same potential problems there.. and a frozen carbon frame full of water would still burst. Ahh but with carbon you might have less condensation build up compared to steel. I can honestly say I have not "measured" that. :)
glenn
zonatandem
03-01-07, 04:57 PM
Fenlason:
Keeping bearings water free is a bit better/easier with most sealed bearings; but it does not hurt to check things out after a super long and very wet ride.
Have seen a steel stoker seat tube rust from the inside-out near the bottom bracket . . . but it was due to having some chroming done, and tubes were not properly flushed out by the chromer. Seat tube was replaced.
Likelihood of bursting due to cold/moisture is minimal on any tubing material, but possible.
While Maine and Arizona are both great places for almost 3 seasons, we're willing to swap you some of your winter 'cool' for some of our summer 'warmth.'
Keeping bearings water free is a bit better/easier with most sealed bearings; but it does not hurt to check things out after a super long and very wet ride.
Have seen a steel stoker seat tube rust from the inside-out near the bottom bracket . . . but it was due to having some chroming done, and tubes were not properly flushed out by the chromer. Seat tube was replaced.
Likelihood of bursting due to cold/moisture is minimal on any tubing material, but possible.
While Maine and Arizona are both great places for almost 3 seasons, we're willing to swap you some of your winter 'cool' for some of our summer 'warmth.'
Thigh Master
03-05-07, 02:45 AM
... fills the front hall for now - greeted by it everyday - we pass through the kitchen to go from front door to living room.
Fenlason
03-05-07, 01:09 PM
My bikes are all stored out in the... barn. [It's a big wooden structure I have built..with additions added over time.] There are different areas in it. For example I have a separate closed in room for my Motorcycle. I have a seperate bike storage area. Some bikes are hanging vertically, the tandems are hung horizontally on the walls. Right now lesser used bike bikes are upstairs in another area.
Rudy: while I can't say there are not times I would not trade some of our Maine cold for some of your Az. warmth. I really really like our 4 seasons here. I think many Mainers do. There were some recent threads about people out riding... putting in lots of miles in nice warm tempts... and I was somewhat jealous. Yet on those days I did some wonderful cross country skiing. Right out the door... to our back 40.... well actually more acurately stated, the back of our 40. We own 40 acres...and I have my own network of trails... for skiing, snowshoeing, running and moutain biking. There are trails here that connect out to snowmoble trails if I want more. On those trails I can go all the way to Canada.. a few hundred miles in the direction they go. [if we go northwest.. it is only a little over a 100 miles to the border]
It is hilly interesting terrain.. with lots of wildlife.. deer.. rabit..coyote..patridge... lots of wild turkeys.. this year bobcat tracks all over... an ocational bear... Moose tracks.. [yet I have yet to see one hear on the property].Yesterday morning stepping out onto the deck to open the shutters.. I had a juvie eagle fly by... right at tree top level. close enough I could count it's feathers..
Yes I sometimes get jealous when I hear of people out on the road... in shirtsleeves.... but by the time that weather comes for us... we will really really appreciate it.
Now blackfly season... perhaps that I would trade.. :)
glenn
Rudy: while I can't say there are not times I would not trade some of our Maine cold for some of your Az. warmth. I really really like our 4 seasons here. I think many Mainers do. There were some recent threads about people out riding... putting in lots of miles in nice warm tempts... and I was somewhat jealous. Yet on those days I did some wonderful cross country skiing. Right out the door... to our back 40.... well actually more acurately stated, the back of our 40. We own 40 acres...and I have my own network of trails... for skiing, snowshoeing, running and moutain biking. There are trails here that connect out to snowmoble trails if I want more. On those trails I can go all the way to Canada.. a few hundred miles in the direction they go. [if we go northwest.. it is only a little over a 100 miles to the border]
It is hilly interesting terrain.. with lots of wildlife.. deer.. rabit..coyote..patridge... lots of wild turkeys.. this year bobcat tracks all over... an ocational bear... Moose tracks.. [yet I have yet to see one hear on the property].Yesterday morning stepping out onto the deck to open the shutters.. I had a juvie eagle fly by... right at tree top level. close enough I could count it's feathers..
Yes I sometimes get jealous when I hear of people out on the road... in shirtsleeves.... but by the time that weather comes for us... we will really really appreciate it.
Now blackfly season... perhaps that I would trade.. :)
glenn
Linda & Lew
03-05-07, 03:08 PM
with where I store my stuff now....one of the spare bedrooms.....of course they are heated and that makes
for a great place for our bikes.
As for Maine....I live in Lancaster Pa....pretty close to Floyd Landis's home.....We love visiting Maine and
have always said we could live there...especially the Bar Harbor area....I'm not certain what your state
bird is but my guess is it's the Mosquitoe :D
Getting older has change my whole perspective on where I want to retire......I think going
south is the smart thing for the body.....Too many of my younger years were spent in the coal mines
of western PA. It takes a toll on ya. Thanks and stay warm!
Lew
for a great place for our bikes.
As for Maine....I live in Lancaster Pa....pretty close to Floyd Landis's home.....We love visiting Maine and
have always said we could live there...especially the Bar Harbor area....I'm not certain what your state
bird is but my guess is it's the Mosquitoe :D
Getting older has change my whole perspective on where I want to retire......I think going
south is the smart thing for the body.....Too many of my younger years were spent in the coal mines
of western PA. It takes a toll on ya. Thanks and stay warm!
Lew
Artmo
03-05-07, 06:17 PM
<< We store our Tandem in one of our spare bedrooms. Is this normal? Where do you store yours?>>
This thread has become a bit anal IMHO. I have a Maclean solo I had built in England in 1957. It's Accles and Pollock chrome/moly, similar to Renolds 531 frame, Campag record, TA chainset etc. In the UK I rode it thousands of miles in sunshine, torrential rain, snow and floods up to the wheel bearings, only overhauled it once per year and never found corrosion. I still have it (in pieces at the moment) and there is rust only where the paint has been chipped. Ther was no moisture in the BB or headset when I took it apart and this is in coastal FL.
When I did find corrosion in a bike was some couple of years after the wind blew my son's Peugeot into the the boat dock here in Florida. I washed it thoroughly, sprayed WD40 into every orifice and then hung it up in the garage. It was probably a couple years later when I caught hold of the top tube to lift it down and my fingers went through the tube!! So, if you are riding along the beach frequently, at the water's edge, make sure you dismantle everything on a regular basis, clean it and oil and grease it.:)
This thread has become a bit anal IMHO. I have a Maclean solo I had built in England in 1957. It's Accles and Pollock chrome/moly, similar to Renolds 531 frame, Campag record, TA chainset etc. In the UK I rode it thousands of miles in sunshine, torrential rain, snow and floods up to the wheel bearings, only overhauled it once per year and never found corrosion. I still have it (in pieces at the moment) and there is rust only where the paint has been chipped. Ther was no moisture in the BB or headset when I took it apart and this is in coastal FL.
When I did find corrosion in a bike was some couple of years after the wind blew my son's Peugeot into the the boat dock here in Florida. I washed it thoroughly, sprayed WD40 into every orifice and then hung it up in the garage. It was probably a couple years later when I caught hold of the top tube to lift it down and my fingers went through the tube!! So, if you are riding along the beach frequently, at the water's edge, make sure you dismantle everything on a regular basis, clean it and oil and grease it.:)
Nachoman
03-14-07, 09:31 PM
I store mine in the garage, next to the pinball machines!
zonatandem
03-14-07, 09:52 PM
Another problem of living in a coastal area is the salt air . . . after a couple years it can do a number on metal.
Our Sonoran desert poses some problems also . . . ever been caught in a dustdevil/storm? If you have a 'wet' lubricated chain . . . it's like a dust/dirt magnet!
Yes, our older bones react a little kinder in the low humidty and 'dry' heat . . . one of the reasons we moved to AZ some 28 years ago! Used to X-country ski when in MI, but riding year 'round isn't too bad.
Storing one's tandem inside somewhere to get it out of the elements is a good idea: garage, barn, foyer, bedroom, living room, kitchen or wherever it's handy.
Spring is in the air . . . going up to 90 degrees this weekend.
Our Sonoran desert poses some problems also . . . ever been caught in a dustdevil/storm? If you have a 'wet' lubricated chain . . . it's like a dust/dirt magnet!
Yes, our older bones react a little kinder in the low humidty and 'dry' heat . . . one of the reasons we moved to AZ some 28 years ago! Used to X-country ski when in MI, but riding year 'round isn't too bad.
Storing one's tandem inside somewhere to get it out of the elements is a good idea: garage, barn, foyer, bedroom, living room, kitchen or wherever it's handy.
Spring is in the air . . . going up to 90 degrees this weekend.