Best bike for surviving homeless conditions?
05-11-18, 08:43 AM
#76
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oil ratio is extremely critical. The quality control is terrible, none of the cast parts are finished, so in your breaking in period you're sanding off visible seams and imperfections. Manufacturer's recommended ratio for the first two tanks is 16:1, which is absurdly high and causes it's own problems. Once you've ran it a couple times the crankcase gets full of stale crap and you have to pump it out by pedaling further each time before it actually catches. It's quite a weird experience when it gets like that; there's no moment where it suddenly runs, instead it gradually goes from turning over with no ignition, to needing pedal assistance to keep going, then after that enough to pull the bike like a rocket.
The electrical is terrible, CDIs break all the time and have bad timing. The port timing is all strange and their shape doesn't match the exhaust or intake. They were a 50cc Soviet disc valve design that the chinese pumped up to 66cc and cheapened by piston porting, so the vibration is off the scale. I really don't recommend them as practical transport when there's so many four stroke kits, unless you're willing to pay for one that's been remanufactured or do it yourself.
The electrical is terrible, CDIs break all the time and have bad timing. The port timing is all strange and their shape doesn't match the exhaust or intake. They were a 50cc Soviet disc valve design that the chinese pumped up to 66cc and cheapened by piston porting, so the vibration is off the scale. I really don't recommend them as practical transport when there's so many four stroke kits, unless you're willing to pay for one that's been remanufactured or do it yourself.
05-11-18, 08:12 PM
#78
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If you're building up a bicycle in preparation to be unhoused, my recommendations would be a steel frame (can be welded if damaged), a three speed internal with drums or coasters front and rear (discs make a bike look too gaudy, and rim brakes are not all-weather), a hub generator with head/tail lights (less likely to be removed from bike, as they are useless without generator), Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tour tires combined with tire liners (basically flatproof, and very long lasting), some Wald baskets (panniers too easy to steal), and a good lock. A trailer might also be nice, depending upon your situation.
05-12-18, 05:17 AM
#80
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Since this thread, I've been paying more attention to what the homeless are riding (and trying to remember what I've seen them on before).
Here in the suburbs/small towns northeast of San Antonio, the men (2 recently and 3 from memory) I've seen are on big-box mountain bikes and 3 had kid's trailers loaded down with their belongings. These are all "regulars" so pretty certain none were touring. All white guys in their late 40s to 60s.
In San Antonio itself, I haven't seen anyone with a trailer recently. The homeless population is more diverse and their bikes are also - cruisers, mountain bikes, hybrids, and even a BMX. I see abandoned bikes quite a bit in one area that the homeless frequent near downtown SA.
Anecdotal evidence, based purely on my observations of those who appear homeless. But as might be guessed, most homeless cyclists ride whatever they can find and have little knowledge of maintaining a bike. I tried to respond to a CL ad from a homeless man looking for a bike (I have a couple of freebie big box bikes I snagged that are now in ride-able condition) but haven't been able to meet up with him - he would have been happy with either the hybrid or the mountain bike, and I don't think he knew enough about bikes to know the difference.
travelinhobo's story indicates that there are probably cyclists that I've seen who are homeless but don't appear to be. There's also the men I see in my own area that I assume have some maintenance skills since they ride longer distances. So even if my observations are valid, there are a lot of outliers.
On several occasions, I have picked up hitchhikers that were homeless "winter Texans" for lack of a better term. They hitchhiked across the US, trying to be in Texas or Florida for the winters, took odd jobs along the way, etc. Apparently, there is still a remnant of the old hobo culture. They might not have chosen to be homeless but they've chosen to stay that way because of the freedom they have.
I wonder if there are cyclists that are part of this subculture,. Travelinhobo?
Here in the suburbs/small towns northeast of San Antonio, the men (2 recently and 3 from memory) I've seen are on big-box mountain bikes and 3 had kid's trailers loaded down with their belongings. These are all "regulars" so pretty certain none were touring. All white guys in their late 40s to 60s.
In San Antonio itself, I haven't seen anyone with a trailer recently. The homeless population is more diverse and their bikes are also - cruisers, mountain bikes, hybrids, and even a BMX. I see abandoned bikes quite a bit in one area that the homeless frequent near downtown SA.
Anecdotal evidence, based purely on my observations of those who appear homeless. But as might be guessed, most homeless cyclists ride whatever they can find and have little knowledge of maintaining a bike. I tried to respond to a CL ad from a homeless man looking for a bike (I have a couple of freebie big box bikes I snagged that are now in ride-able condition) but haven't been able to meet up with him - he would have been happy with either the hybrid or the mountain bike, and I don't think he knew enough about bikes to know the difference.
travelinhobo's story indicates that there are probably cyclists that I've seen who are homeless but don't appear to be. There's also the men I see in my own area that I assume have some maintenance skills since they ride longer distances. So even if my observations are valid, there are a lot of outliers.
On several occasions, I have picked up hitchhikers that were homeless "winter Texans" for lack of a better term. They hitchhiked across the US, trying to be in Texas or Florida for the winters, took odd jobs along the way, etc. Apparently, there is still a remnant of the old hobo culture. They might not have chosen to be homeless but they've chosen to stay that way because of the freedom they have.
I wonder if there are cyclists that are part of this subculture,. Travelinhobo?
