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Originally Posted by noglider
(Post 17207086)
Yesterday, I saw an unusually well outfitted bike commuter, and I noticed only because of this thread. I've been looking at cyclists differently now, imagining the video I'll probably never make. She had toe clips and various other accessories. Then I noticed her seat was too high. I wonder if that happens soon after you get "serious" about your bike. Too high is less common than too low.
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Originally Posted by velomoover
(Post 17203979)
OMG the rusty chain one really gets me. I will be on the opposite side of the street and I just stop and stare at these people, veering from left to right on some mountain bike or bicycle with a chain that has never seen oil in its lifetime.
The squeaking sound drives me nuts and causes ME to stop in my tracks ON THE OPPOSITE side of the street. So how in Gods name can the bicycle rider tolerate that sound? Just find a can of used motor oil or some soap or anything. Cooking oil, pam. Even a homeless person would be able to scrounge up something to put on a bike chain like that, so saying "oh its just a cheap bike, I dont have money for lube" is just an excuse.
Originally Posted by jwarner
(Post 17206792)
I think a lot of folks just don't know any better. Ironically, I think this is the beauty of a well-designed bicycle. They will take a lot of abuse and jury rigging, and just plain "who in the world would think to do that," and still get one from point A to B with a relative improvement in efficiency when compared to walking.
This being said, I probably hold the world's record in squeak rattle annoyance and unnecessary immediate roadside repairs. I've been known to stop and use chapstick on my chain to stop a random squeak, I still use leather fender and rack washers to eliminate rattle, and am not above stopping to check a non-essential bolt I suspect is coming loose despite the fact that I've loctited every fastener on my ride with the appropriate grade of loctite given the fastener's purpose. I probably put at least 200 miles a week year-round on whatever bike I'm riding at the time, which no-one ever believes despite the fact I show up everywhere without a car, because my rides are all clean, shiny, and mechanically sound. Glad I don't live in NYC, as cool as I think it could be. It looks like there are a lot of cyclists and drivers with a bad case of cranial rectosis, which always irks me. |
Well, I would call it higher than I would recommend.
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Originally Posted by I-Like-To-Bike
(Post 17207340)
"Too high" and "too low" are subjective terms and using those terms to describe other cyclists' setup could be a sign of being too "serious" about bicycling correctness. My wife insists on riding with a seat way too low for my taste but she won't ride any other way. Her seat height is "just right." :)
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Originally Posted by noglider
(Post 17207373)
Well, I would call it higher than I would recommend.
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Originally Posted by ThermionicScott
(Post 17207383)
I'm obviously not going to walk up and insist on fixing the bikes of people whose knees are practically hitting their chests if they seem content with it. :)
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Originally Posted by velomoover
(Post 17203979)
Just find a can of used motor oil or some soap or anything. Cooking oil, pam. Even a homeless person would be able to scrounge up something to put on a bike chain like that, so saying "oh its just a cheap bike, I dont have money for lube" is just an excuse.
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Forget about noisy chains...Some of you "sensitive types" should hear the noisy singlespeed freewheel on one of my bikes, I don't think I would ever be allowed on a group club ride:lol:... I constantly get other cyclists and some non-cyclists staring at me:).
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Originally Posted by Walter S
(Post 17208602)
Last year I went on an overnighter that included riding all day in pouring rain. When I broke camp the next morning I checked my chain and it was badly in need of oil. Just rotating the pedals a little bit sounded absolutely awful. I went to grab my lube and found NONE. I scratched my head a bit. Then used some olive oil. 100% better than nothing. In fact it seemed to work quite well.
"olive juice". and the vegan bicycle riders went crazy grab the dipstick of your car and use it as an oil applicator. |
Originally Posted by Walter S
(Post 17208602)
Then used some olive oil. 100% better than nothing. In fact it seemed to work quite well.
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Originally Posted by wolfchild
(Post 17209607)
If more people would only realize that a bicycle drivetrain is not some complex piece of machinery like car engine which requires special lubricant, any type of oil will work on a bicycle chain. No need to buy some overpriced chain oil sold at an LBS at an inflated prices.
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Originally Posted by I-Like-To-Bike
(Post 17208548)
I can buy into that. If I actually saw anybody riding in an urban environment with some of the commuting bikes displayed in the Commuter Bike Pics thread, I might have a hard time staying upright from uncontrollable laughing but I would stiffle any comments or recommendations to the rider. Especially giggle worthy are bikes with an extreme (to me) height difference between the high seat and ultra low dropped bars, double down guffaws are saved for those equipped with fixed single speeds with too high (for me) seats in combination with too low handlebar position.
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Most people have fond memories of bike riding as a child. However, if you were to slap an odometer on those bikes, we'd see that most kids just putz around their neighborhood and might ride a bike 500 miles before they outgrow or wreck it. They never develop any sense of maintaining their bike; they think a bike always belongs outside; they don't even realize tires naturally lose air. When these same people become adults and choose to take up the bike again, this is the experience they draw upon.
When I picked up bike commuting, none of my non-cyclist coworkers had ever heard of regularly oiling a chain before. |
Originally Posted by wolfchild
(Post 17208682)
Forget about noisy chains...Some of you "sensitive types" should hear the noisy singlespeed freewheel on one of my bikes, I don't think I would ever be allowed on a group club ride:lol:... I constantly get other cyclists and some non-cyclists staring at me:).
Originally Posted by mrleft2000
(Post 17210839)
Most people have fond memories of bike riding as a child. However, if you were to slap an odometer on those bikes, we'd see that most kids just putz around their neighborhood and might ride a bike 500 miles before they outgrow or wreck it. They never develop any sense of maintaining their bike; they think a bike always belongs outside; they don't even realize tires naturally lose air. When these same people become adults and choose to take up the bike again, this is the experience they draw upon.
When I picked up bike commuting, none of my non-cyclist coworkers had ever heard of regularly oiling a chain before. |
Work at a shop for a week and you'll see some stuff...
Girl came in for a helmet the other day and some air in her tires. She had ridden there at about 18 psi, chain the color of a beautiful sunset, when I grabbed her bike I thought the front hub was really loose until I realized the 17mm hardware store nuts on the axle weren't even finger tight, etc... Not sure how she rode the couple miles to the shop without dying, and here's the kicker: after applying lube to the chain, airing the tires, and securing the axle I bet she didn't even notice an improvement. |
I totally spaced taking pics on campus yesterday (midterms brain!), but on a cross section of bikes I spotted a cannondale black lightning, an early 80's centurion lemans, a utilitarian univega road bike I think from the late 80's, two brand new CF treks, and a plethora of x-mart cruisers, mtbs, fixies, etc.
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[MENTION=359043]AlTheKiller[/MENTION], she may not have noticed the difference tight axle nuts made, but I'm sure she felt the difference firm tires and a lubricated chain makes. Most do. The problem is at tires seep and chains dry out gradually. That's why people don't notice them. The improvements are substantial and sudden. Trust that she noticed them.
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Originally Posted by wolfchild
(Post 17208682)
Forget about noisy chains...Some of you "sensitive types" should hear the noisy singlespeed freewheel on one of my bikes, I don't think I would ever be allowed on a group club ride:lol:... I constantly get other cyclists and some non-cyclists staring at me:).
- Andy |
I used to think a robust WHIZZ was cool, and had a bit of freewheel-noise-envy. Then I had a wheel with a loud freewheel, and having to hear it all the time, it got real old, real fast (although, if I wasn't such a lazy rider, I wouldn't have had to hear it so much...)
On my daily commuter, my wheels have 105 hubs, and that's just fine. |
[MENTION=235305]RaleighSport[/MENTION], that's a fantastic signature quote, especially for the internets!
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I've got a pretty high tolerance of noise. I'm using a 9 year old shock seat post that squeaks when it's compressed and I don't think there's a way around it. As for my chain, I can't stand even seeing rust on it. When I see people riding piles of rust I wonder how they can get it to move at all and I toy with the idea of packing a tool kit with lube and fixing random people's bikes. Then I get the idea that some people would take offense at being helped and drop it. Still, low tires and 80% rusted chain drives me nuts.
BTW: It's always a name-brand bike I see like that! It seems people are more mindful of maintenance if they're under the conviction that they're riding a heap of junk. |
Originally Posted by RubeRad
(Post 17215899)
@RaleighSport, that's a fantastic signature quote, especially for the internets!
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