Author Topic: It's dark in here... (Read 4325 times)

Marco Stefano · « **on:** 04 January, 2015, 09:06:00 am »

... but I have an SP dynamo to help me see where I am going on my new (to me) Fuego.

A long day yesterday with a lot of driving, some wobbly riding up and down a small road, and lots more driving home with a car full of bike. It's a 2 year-old Fuego built more for day rides & touring than outright speed (32 spoke wheels, dynamo and B&M lights, etc.) but with some lightweight bits (carbon seat) to try and lighten the load.

It is this very one: http://mccraw.co.uk/richard-quinceys-nazca-fuego/

I do need to learn how to ride again as the tiller steering seems to be significantly more sensitive than my (very limited) experience of open cockpit steering on a Bacchetta. It can't be more difficult than propelling, balancing & steering a 12"-wide boat backwards, and I can manage that. I think once I adjust the bike to suit me a little better I might find it a little easier. It would be better if the temperature were forecast to be more than 2°C today (don't think I will be out on it on frosty roads), but that means more time for cleaning, polishing & fiddling in a cold garage.

RichForrest · « **Reply #1 on:** 04 January, 2015, 11:18:30 am »

Nice

You'll soon adapt to the steering, I went the other way from tiller to open cockpit.
This thread needs more pictures

Wobbly John · « **Reply #2 on:** 04 January, 2015, 02:02:04 pm »

Welcome to the Darkside, Marco.

When do you start growing a beard?

Kim · « **Reply #3 on:** 04 January, 2015, 02:31:08 pm »

Beards are not compulsory.

Tigerbiten · « **Reply #4 on:** 04 January, 2015, 04:14:21 pm »

But sandals are ...............

SlowCoach · « **Reply #5 on:** 04 January, 2015, 05:34:52 pm »

I was very wobbly starting off on my Fuego when I got it a few months ago (I'm still wobbly when I'm tired and had major problems on the York to Whitby Goth Nightride earlier in the year when trying to move off uphill at some ridiculous hour of the morning).

However, I have to say that it's FUN (even when Deano and Tiermat lead me astray down paths with head height strewn nettles...).

Enjoy it.

Nethypete · « **Reply #6 on:** 04 January, 2015, 06:08:29 pm »

Best advice I got was don't worry too much about anything until you've got 1000 miles under your bent by which time you'll be moving toward being 'unconsciously competent', or at worst 'unconsciously incompetent'...either way you'll stop worrying.

And avoid ice.....my downfall on more than one occasion.

I'm still not quite used to the attention it attracts - almost all positive. This specific aspect of my life is even considered cool by my daughters, 13 and 16.

Enjoy - recumbents are smile machines.

Marco Stefano · « **Reply #7 on:** 11 January, 2015, 12:17:42 pm »

Well, one week on and I have finally ridden the Fuego this morning; I was thwarted during the week by cold, wedding celebrations, work, hospital visiting duties, post-wedding celebrations and some nasty wind (the westerly kind, not mine).

First impressions are that it is pretty easy to ride (at least slowly), and that relaxing comes quite quickly. I rode around quiet residential roads in Ely with many speed bumps, then pushed it over the bypass (discretion being the better part of valour) and rode to Coveney and back on a bumpy fen road, possibly reaching the dizzy heights of about 16mph with a tailwind (computer not yet fitted). I found the most difficult part was finding the balance between steering and lean when going round tighter corners, like mini roundabouts, but was better at the end with more confidence that I would not fall off on the inside and that I could pick the bike up a little with pedal force. Any corner needed a lot of thought, but intuition will come; taking a long view through the corner helped a lot and prevented target fixation on drain covers & looming kerbs. Coasting seemed more wobbly than pedalling, but that may be just me at the moment.

Some adjustments needed, as I am sitting a little lower and need to drop its ICE headrest (I wore a helmet on the basis that I was more likely to need it, but thankfully I did not). The boom also might be a little short, but I will leave that for a few weeks along with the flat pedals until I gain more confidence. I adjusted the seat to be as upright as possible and wound the stem adjuster in so the bars were about 3-4" from my chest to give more room for steering, both of which helped with making the first launches easier. SRAM X9 grip shifters are on the chunky side of positive, but work really well. No extra transmission noise noticeable to me compared to a DF bike.

The view was great.

I wore a Buff but needed to have it over my chin, which led into the wind; either that or grow a beard. I was only out for an hour and may have just covered 10 miles; frequent, shorter rides are the order of the day at the moment, I think, so will try and go out in the evenings if the weather allows.

Thanks for the welcome and snippets of advice; my face as I rolled up outside the house looked like this:

cycleman · « **Reply #8 on:** 11 January, 2015, 03:17:16 pm »

beards are very effective and can be trimmed for speed

Marco Stefano · « **Reply #9 on:** 15 February, 2015, 08:34:53 pm »

After three sessions with flat pedals left me feeling tired and achey all over, I bit the bullet and went clipless today. Off to Cambridge with a view to seeing rowing races on the Cam, but happy to bail out if I felt not quite right.

Well, much easier to relax without trying to keep one's feet on the pedals, so an improvement all round. No real problems, although junctions are still thoughtful and careful events. About 40 - 45 miles all in, what with the circuitous route to avoid the A10 and some bumbling up and down the towpath practicing low speed handling. I am also getting better at ignoring small weaves as I am more confident of correcting them. Not fast at all, but quite comfy.

Plenty of comment: 'Awesome bike!' from a men's crew, 'Nice bike - I want one of those!' from a J14 girls quad, and 'Lazy Sunday...' from a large bloke with a grin. Oh, and the sun came out.

Then I came near home, stopped, launched as usual and... crack - whirr... chain gone - both side plates snapped on one link around both pins (which were still very tight). I walked it home about half a mile but didn't manage to keep the chain on and in the tubes. Cue some pushing chain uphill through tubes to mend with a SRAM quick link, which seems fine.

Tigerrr · « **Reply #10 on:** 15 February, 2015, 09:38:01 pm »

I have broken chains on recumbents several times - never on a road bike. No idea why.

Kim · « **Reply #11 on:** 15 February, 2015, 10:01:37 pm »

You've got a seat to push against on a 'bent, rather than just bodyweight + however much you can pull up on the bars, but I don't think I've ever actually broken a chain (I did have an incompetent use of a Powerlink incident one time on a DF bike).

Nethypete · « **Reply #12 on:** 15 February, 2015, 10:19:57 pm »

Quote from: Marco Stefano on 15 February, 2015, 08:34:53 pm

.

Plenty of comment: 'Awesome bike!' from a men's crew, 'Nice bike - I want one of those!' from a J14 girls quad, and 'Lazy Sunday...' from a large bloke with a grin. Oh, and the sun came out.

This never ends. On a three day tour last summer a friend got seriously miffed, 'but I want someone to like my bike'. Like there's anything interesting about an Eastway

.

Tigerbiten · « **Reply #13 on:** 15 February, 2015, 11:00:16 pm »

Quote from: Tigerrr on 15 February, 2015, 09:38:01 pm

I have broken chains on recumbents several times - never on a road bike. No idea why.

I broke the chain when I had the Q but I've never broken the chain on my sprint.
I put it down to the fact that the Q had a derailleur while the sprint has an IHG.
I think on a bent you change gear more often and through a greater range than you do on an upwrong.
You use a lower gear uphill and a higher gear down.
This puts more sideways stress/strain on the chain and any weak link eventually ends up snapping.
The IHG removes this sideways stress/strain.

jsabine · « **Reply #14 on:** 15 February, 2015, 11:14:02 pm »

Quote from: Tigerbiten on 15 February, 2015, 11:00:16 pm

This puts more sideways stress/strain on the chain

Surely the sheer length means you've got an effectively straight chainline though (or at least that the cassette's worth of deflection is spread over three or four times as much length of chain as on a DF bike)?

Kim · « **Reply #15 on:** 15 February, 2015, 11:21:15 pm »

Quote from: jsabine on 15 February, 2015, 11:14:02 pm

Quote from: Tigerbiten on 15 February, 2015, 11:00:16 pm
This puts more sideways stress/strain on the chain

Surely the sheer length means you've got an effectively straight chainline though (or at least that the cassette's worth of deflection is spread over three or four times as much length of chain as on a DF bike)?

Depends on how the idler(s) work - some constrain the chain horizontally (to a central position, so still an improvement), some don't. The chain's usually about 2.5 chain's worth, more for a long boom and convoluted lowracer chainlines.

I agree that 'bents mean you change gear a lot. If nothing else, because you need to use the gears to start off. I reckon it's the cables that really suffer, though.

jsabine · « **Reply #16 on:** 15 February, 2015, 11:31:10 pm »

Aye, I thought about idlers shortly after I'd hit Post. A floating one would seem obvious in some ways, but no doubt the advantages are not clear-cut against the compromises needed for float.

Kim · « **Reply #17 on:** 15 February, 2015, 11:35:45 pm »

Indeed. The Streetmachine uses a floating idler (well, it's actually just a wide smooth pulley that the chain is free to move across horizontally). While that's probably less efficient than a toothed idler, the small amount of deflection required by the bike's geometry means that in some gears it doesn't actually need to engage at all.

Tigerbiten · « **Reply #18 on:** 16 February, 2015, 12:21:38 am »

It's not the deflection of chain going over the idlers where the trouble is.
It's the top derailleur pulley to sprocket where the maximum sideways force is as you change gear.
Especially if you miss a sprocket or two out as you climb/drop the gears as quick as possible due to a sudden change in slope of the road.
I'm sure thats what killed the chain on the Q.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #19 on:** 16 February, 2015, 09:56:47 am »

I once had the forward-facing end of a side plate come off the pin and attempt to pass the wrong side of the front derailleur cage. With hilarious consequences. Much rolling on the floor with a chain tool and swearing got the chain back together but the front mech needed added fingerpoken to work and wouldn't go onto the big ring at all. Just over a third of the way round a 300

Nethypete · « **Reply #20 on:** 16 February, 2015, 04:46:04 pm »

Quote from: Mr Larrington on 16 February, 2015, 09:56:47 am

I once had the forward-facing end of a side plate come off

The people of Mortagne au Perche have Jean Claude Lenoir for mayor of the municipality of Mortagne au Perche http://www.conseil-general.com/en/local/french-cities-towns-villages/city-mortagne-au-perche-61400.htm - how can we trust what you write

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #21 on:** 16 February, 2015, 05:58:19 pm »

He's an impostor, obv.

ElyDave · « **Reply #22 on:** 06 March, 2015, 10:45:04 am »

Quote from: Marco Stefano on 11 January, 2015, 12:17:42 pm

Well, one week on and I have finally ridden the Fuego this morning; I was thwarted during the week by cold, wedding celebrations, work, hospital visiting duties, post-wedding celebrations and some nasty wind (the westerly kind, not mine).

First impressions are that it is pretty easy to ride (at least slowly), and that relaxing comes quite quickly. I rode around quiet residential roads in Ely with many speed bumps, then pushed it over the bypass (discretion being the better part of valour) and rode to Coveney and back on a bumpy fen road, possibly reaching the dizzy heights of about 16mph with a tailwind (computer not yet fitted). I found the most difficult part was finding the balance between steering and lean when going round tighter corners, like mini roundabouts, but was better at the end with more confidence that I would not fall off on the inside and that I could pick the bike up a little with pedal force. Any corner needed a lot of thought, but intuition will come; taking a long view through the corner helped a lot and prevented target fixation on drain covers & looming kerbs. Coasting seemed more wobbly than pedalling, but that may be just me at the moment.

Some adjustments needed, as I am sitting a little lower and need to drop its ICE headrest (I wore a helmet on the basis that I was more likely to need it, but thankfully I did not). The boom also might be a little short, but I will leave that for a few weeks along with the flat pedals until I gain more confidence. I adjusted the seat to be as upright as possible and wound the stem adjuster in so the bars were about 3-4" from my chest to give more room for steering, both of which helped with making the first launches easier. SRAM X9 grip shifters are on the chunky side of positive, but work really well. No extra transmission noise noticeable to me compared to a DF bike.

The view was great. I wore a Buff but needed to have it over my chin, which led into the wind; either that or grow a beard. I was only out for an hour and may have just covered 10 miles; frequent, shorter rides are the order of the day at the moment, I think, so will try and go out in the evenings if the weather allows.

Thanks for the welcome and snippets of advice; my face as I rolled up outside the house looked like this:

I think I may have seen you about Marco, last time coming out of Little Dowham, I was in a LR Discovery and gave you a big thumbs up.

I'm just about to join the murky world of recumbents myself having tested a few at D-Tek in Little Thetford.

If you're up for it we could head out for a ride sometime, I'm in Little Downham.

Wobbly John · « **Reply #23 on:** 06 March, 2015, 11:03:09 am »

Hi ElyDave. Another sometimes-recumbent rider here from Littleport.

I'm off the bike for a couple of months, having had surgery yesterday, but I hope we could have an Ely Darkside ride in the summer.

ElyDave · « **Reply #24 on:** 06 March, 2015, 11:04:48 am »

John,
I think we've ridden together before with Ely club. The more the merrier.

Hope you have a swift recovery