joninkrakow

This week, I had some new toys ... err.. lights.... added to my bike. My dynamo has died on me, and my battery lights also seem to have kicked the bucket. Since I also was hearing a weird sound from my bottom bracket, I decided a trip to my local store was in order. I found the Shimano hub dynamo in stock for about $25, so I picked out a nice headlight and taillight, and had the whole bit installed while the bike was being worked on. they found my rear rim was both impacted and cracked, so I had that replaced as well. Here are the results. The headlight may seem something special, but it burn brightly at low speed. The taillight has a capacitor and burns for a while after the dynamo stops providing power. Nice for stopping at lights and crossings. :-) I know it's nothing special, but I'm happy. :-)

I have to admit frustration reading all the threads on this forum, regarding various equipment. None of the stuff that gets raved about seems to be available here in Krakow, so I have buy "blind". I'm just glad I have a genuine bike devotee as a local shop owner. He rides a home-made recumbent. :-D Oh, and gives the best advice. The Marathons you see on my bike were his idea.
-Jon

P.S. I thought about posting this in the commuter bikes thread, but I've already posted there. :-)

beatnik0422

That's a good looking bike. I just recently bought a Trek 7100 hybrid, and while it is comfortable--and easily the best bike I've ever owned--I find myself wanting a road bike more and more.

Caleab

+5
Mine is a Trek 7200. Pretty sure there's a 2008 7.3FX in my near future. That will at least get me started down the right track. I think I'm gonna stick with a straight type bar until Spring 09

ok_commuter

Sweet. Nice bike - the light looks like a Schmidt E6? $25 is a great deal on a new Shimano dynamo BTW.

How long can you lock that thing up on the streets of Krakow and expect it to be there when you get back?

joninkrakow

This bike actually came with straight bars. I tried riding it like that at first, but my hands just couldn't take it--even adjusting angles, height, etc. Also, my brain just couldn't do it. I've always ridden with drop bars, and just couldn't adjust to straight bars, so I found a cheap pair of bars on our local auction web site that came with brake levers, and found the bar-end on eBay UK (just one). I love drops, dearly appreciating the multiple hand positions, narrowness (somehow, I feel I have more control with drops than with straight bars) and just plain more comfortable, long-term. :-)

Schmidt E6? Now I gotta go look! Hold on.... Hm. It just says "Smart Halogen" on it. It has a grey on/off switch. I need to look this up... Can't find anything. It's a simple lamp, but has an on/off, as I said, and seems to have some voltage regulator that keeps it from being overdriven by the dynamo and popping. It also goes fully bright at very slow speeds. Nothing special, but nice enough. ;-)

Now, as to being stolen.... hm. Much nicer bikes than mine. It actually looks quite ugly, IMO. Between the odd things on it (the poor bike shop guy couldn't even _find_ the shift lever--he'd never seen bar-ends in person before!), the duct tape, rust, and jacked up seat--oh, and the road bars, it's highly unlikely it would be stolen. ;-) For reasons I fail to understand, mountain bikes are all the rage here--you know, the heavy ones with heavy, useless shocks, and big, knobby tires that suck all your effort out of you, just to move forward. I'll never understand--ok, so the sidewalks are made out of small square slabs of concrete, and the roads are not the best--but I do just fine with my bike--no need for those nasty mountain things. Other popular bikes are those Dutch bikes, and next, folding bikes (most people live in tiny flats). My bike is most certainly unique in Krakow. ;-) But I don't think it's very desirable for thieves...

-Jon