We should all live in fear and hide in our basements. Ohhh wait we cant do that because California says dirt causes cancer.

Should my toddler not be allowed in the child seat of a shopping cart when I go grocery shopping?


Seriously! how is comparing a bunch of idiot kids that were by your description auditioning for the Darwin award even remotely comparable to an adult taking his child to school other then a shopping cart was used in both instances?

Its stupid reactions like this that lead to stupid laws. Live by accepting "personal responsibility".

No offense taken! Take note: shopping carts in their natural form have small, hard rubber, swiveling wheels. This is the boxy part of a shopping cart mounted on leaf springs and twenty-inch bicycle wheels. Also, you can't see it, but the cart has seatbelts for kids in it. So I don't think it's appreciably more dangerous than having a kid on a rear, rack-mounted seat, in a towed kid trailer, or in a modern bakfiets. More ghetto? Definitely. Slower? For sure. But more dangerous? I don't think so.

I think that shopping karted trike is rad, very unique

The extra-bike will probably share duties with the U.A.V. for the winter... the IGH on the U.A.V. will be particularly welcome if I have to ride in sub -30C temps when free hubs can get a little cranky.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...erstretch2.JPG

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...tershasta1.JPG

And for those really nice days when the roads are de-iced and the temperatures are not insanely cold my studless Trek 7500 is a great winter ride.

So far the belt drive is holding up well. I did have problems with the aluminum rear cog and had to have it replaced. Gates has addressed the problem and new cogs are machined from steel, but are not yet available as replacement parts. I did find the belt drive a little squeaky at first but that seemed to go away after a while... break-in period, possibly? In any case maintaining proper tension and alignment it paramount to proper function, and now that I've learned how to dial it in the bike seems flawless. Learning to remove the rear wheel and how to adjust the Alfine hub also took some time, but I can now swap a tire almost as quickly as I can on a bike equipped with a derailleur drivetrain. Plus, adjustments to smoothen shifting are much quicker and far easier with the IGH. Best of all my hands don't get greasy!

We're finally getting some sub-freezing temps here and so far I have had zero issues with the cold as it pertains to the drivetrain.

I hope you're happy with your Kona. The Dr. Fine made my short list while shopping for my bike, but one ride on the Norco and I was hooked.

The Motobecane in it's current commuter form.

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/u...g?t=1291406876

It was just about a year ago when I converted it to fixed and since then it has seen a lot of small changes, even to the point that for a few weeks it was seeing duty as a SS cross bike. But now she's back to doing what she does best, being a reliable commuter and not looking too flashy.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=180828
Here's mine, possibly in the thread already somewhere, but in this picture it has super shiney new Schwalbe Snow Studs. No more bruises for me hopefully.

Here's is my new dry weather commuter in addition to my Dahon Helios. It is a Softride Classic.


http://i52.tinypic.com/2872fs5.jpg

http://i54.tinypic.com/2112mtg.jpg


I have a feeling the Dahon might start getting jealous now...

http://i36.tinypic.com/qp1ezn.jpg

Marc Nepo's Dodge Chopper

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5245/...84c82a1636.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5170/...7db079a130.jpg

Holy steer tube batman!!!

Best of luck with that.

The steerer tube doesn't fit conventional diamond frame expectations Deshi.

By the looks of it, I would say that much extra steerer tube is down right dangerous. What fork are you using on there?

^^^
Questioning from complete ignorance here, but how is too much steerer tube dangerous?

Newly Bought Giant FCR3100
 

Hi Guys,

New member here, recently just move to china and been lurking here for quite sometimes to gather info on a first "bike" for commuting.

I settled with Giant FCR3100 (still fresh out of box, not yet finish tightening all the screw :love:)

The micro floor pump is kinda cool..it's a floor pump but micro..duh :o I have read several thread about portable pump and this one will do the job just fine without killing the biceps.

Attachment 181029

The rest of the component I have no idea...I'm 175cm in height...the frame stated "M" Size for 170cm above.

Earlier, I was thinking to get a cheaper one, Forever C series..couldn't find anywhere here.

Attachment 181030

Can you provide a link that says that is dangerous or is that just "opinion" bassed largely on your visual preference and has no foundation with any verifiable enginnering proof behind your statement ?
I'm just not seeing that warning in the instructions of my Steel steer tube carbon fork I just installed.

Now a carbon steer tube I do know there is issues with putting spacers above the stem because they use an expanding plug in the tube and the stem is suppose to be lined up with that so the tube doesn't crush.
A mountain bike it may be a problem because of extra stress for that style of riding.

I just don't see it being an issue on that bike because the spacers become structural when using a top clamping headset that preloads the head set bearings. I suspect a LARGE part of that spacer is solid and it is not a stack of 10mm spacers but one spacer of about 120mm. The effective wall thickness is the thickenss of the spacer and the steer tube. The only down side I see is weight.
If you look at the design of those bikes it is a necessity to have a large spacer because of their floating beam design. You do know that beam that the seat is on is spring loaded don't you?

I asked the OP what fork he is using so that I may check manufactures specs. Most forks have a max height they recommend and deem safe. I am trying to figure out what that number is from the manufacture.

Also, you guys telling me that I am against that many spacers due to aesthetics is crap. I think that bike looks really nice actually. I am against that many spacers due to safety concerns.

Again, I am waiting on the OP now so I way due a little more research to see the manufactures recommendations. Who know's, that particular manufacture of that particular fork may deem that tall of a steerer tube safe.

That's the only Softride bike I've ever seen that has more than a couple centimeters of spacers.
http://www.google.com/images?client=...w=1187&bih=764

Soft rides are just odd and incomparable to anything else.

Your link does more to prove my point then disprove it as well as show what a weird bird softrides are

If you look you will see that most of the soft rides with threadless that are actually pictures from the owners either have a long head tube that is above the upper tube of the main frame or they are a different style frame then the Solo. There is a same model as his posted on what shows as the second page and it has an equally tall steer tube and spacer stack leading me to think it may have come factory like that.

More study of the softride pictures most of the ones set up for general riding with drop bars (not Crit or tri) have the quill stems extended as far as will go, some have dirt drop stems and almost all of the thread-less have the stem flipped for rise.

Another observation: A high percentage of the ones with little to no stacked spacers have bull horns not traditional drop bars and set were the bar height would be comparable to being in the drops.

Example http://www.kiwibikes.co.nz/road-bikes/jeffson-softride/ note how tall the head tube is.

Here is the Solo, like the posters, that has a long steer tube that they owner put and extension on and flipped the stem up. The bike already had a taller head tube making me believe that the steer tube is just as long as our posters. http://forums.mtbr.com/showpost.php?...7&postcount=19 Fact is that bike is too small if he needed to do that (add an extension) much to make it ridable.

Another with a lot of steer tube and bull horns. http://www.running-down.com/2009/09/...-bike-800.html

Look funny...yep, Dangerous as was claimed...I don't see it.

I would also agree that your steer tube looks a bit too long. As a technician in a bike shop, I've seen several failures occur due to too long of steer tubes. My recommendation would be to find out what the manufacturer's recommendation on length is and go from there.

The bike in the link you posted has no longer of total steerer length than the OP's bike. Also, making his bike to small for him.

Direct from Thomson.

http://bikethomson.com/category/blog/

I do agree that 30mm of spacers is very small number for a max height but I do not see how what looks to be 100mm of spacers on the OP's bike can be anywhere near safe. The leverage that has been created on the steerer tube now is quite a bit more than the steerer tube was intended to be. The spacers do very little in helping stop the flex.

Still waiting on the OP to chime in with the model of fork so that I may check with the manufacture as to the safe amount of stack on their steerer tubes.

30mm of carbon steertube is the limit.

I'm not sure about steel.

either way... i wouldn't ride it.

Yes I did read that and thats a common recommendation for carbon steer tubes. Steel, as I suspect that bike has, with a long one piece spacer I think is not a problem but I will tell you this. If you image search the "Solo" model...his is unusual to have that short head tube.

Wow such a hornet's nest of a discussion. I guess armchair quarterbacking must be fun.

- The steerer tube is steel. Where the stem clamps onto is an additional shim or collar.

- The frame size is XS resulting in the short headtube.

- A more informative comparison with DF bikes would be the saddle to tube drop. Comparing geometries with a conventional diamond frame design is fruitless. Might as well compare it with recumbents...

- If you look at the seat to saddle drop, it is setup similar to a touring bike. Mine is setup to commute 40 km a day. Therefore the setup is for comfort and not all out speed. I like touring setup for visibility as I ride in traffic.

- Deshi, I am somewhat irritated at your attitude which I think could have come across more helpful. Regardless of your intent, you come off as a component-safety enforcement officer instead of a friendly forum member. ;)

I think Grim and Griddlecakes understand the Softride's design well.

My initial quote said nothing about wha you doing was wrong. I Simply said "good luck with that". No where did I say you should change it. Hell, its your bike. I would not tell you what t do with your bike. I said that "It looks downright dangerous." as it does look that way to me. Would I ride it? Not a chance. It is not my bike however and im not the one to make the call on that. Everything I have said about your supersized steerer tube is what iv read. None of this has been "my opinion" so to say.

The bike looks good with the bars that high. It looks natural. It still seems sketchy to me personally. .

I would still like to know the manufacture of the fork if you would be so kind.

Edit: You say there is a shim where the stem bolts onto the steerer. Does that mean this is a 1" steerer tube?

bicycles are things we build
when we create things with our hands, we have literally made something
so we take comments personally

heck... the other day i was talking to a guy who rode a bike without brakes

My comment was no where near personal or a hit towards him. As I have stated multiple times already, The bike looks good. There is no doubt about that.

a couple of my commuters

Asana, Love the cargo bike. Another bike in my stable is a Brodie Force built with an Xtracycle. Seems I can't have a "normal" bicycle. LOL.

a bolt-on convert is not a solid one piece frame.
Surly did its homework on this one.

Yeah the Big Dummy is an excellent cargo bike. People don't believe how intuitive it is to ride a long tail cargo until they actually try it. I'm glad to see the proliferation of all kinds of cargo bikes from Bilenky to Madsen. Its good for the biking world to have more cargo bikes.