A couple of questions from a newbie

[Chris L]

For reasons too boring to go into I spent the first four months of this year settling on a plan to do a big, multi-day, solo ride next year.  And having been 'bent-curious for a few years, combining it with learning to ride a new type of bike seemed like it'd give me something to scratch for the next twleve months.  So, reading, reading and reading I get to the decision that what I'd really like is a Grasshopper.  Plan A was research market over summer, buy bike in September, learn to ride in the run-up to Christmas, get 1,000+ miles under my belt Jan-May, do big ride in June.  Plan B is bike becomes immediately available in the exact spec I want, buy bike -1 week, learn to ride bike starting now, see how it goes.

So I had my inaugral wobble in Richmond Park on Sunday morning.  Fell off once on the RAB near Robin Hood gate, and headed over the grass a couple of times following wobbly starts.  Anyway, I think I got the hang of starting.  Stopping's a bit undignified at the mo, but hopefully next Sunday'll sort me out.

I'm surprised:
1. How bloody hard it is control
2. That it's not knife-through-the-air fast
3. How little clearance there is (knees/bars)
4. How sore I was on Sunday afternoon
5. How chilled I felt afterwards
6. How cool my kids think I am
6. How keen I am to get back on it in view of points 1-4

In any case, not wanting to shoulder my way into your club, I have a couple of questions that I hope more experienced riders might be able to help with.

The rubber tube that connects the two halfs of the upper chain tube (this is the folding version, so it needs this rubbery bit to allow the fold) is split, which allows the front half to travel forwards and venture round the chain ring.  Not much - it happened once in my 10 mile trial and it was easily sorted.  Do I have to buy a manufactured part to replce it, or will anything that looks like it fits OK do?

The chain jumps a bit.  I tried tightening/loosening the cable in case it was actually the chain trying to change up or down, which had little effect.  The bike's done 2,500 miles and the chain looks in good(-ish) condition as do the sprockets.  Any other avanues of investiagtion I could try?  I'd have throught that the chain would wear a lot slower than a chain on a DF bike simply because it's so long.  Is that right?

And finally, how many miles/hours before you felt ready for not-too-busy roads in London?  Is there a skill (setting off in a big gear, riding clipless for 100 miles without falling off, etc) that I ought to have licked before I attempt this?

Thanks for reading, and maybe answering.

[clarion]

This mean your Shrubb is going begging?

[arvid]

The chain jumps a bit.  I tried tightening/loosening the cable in case it was actually the chain trying to change up or down, which had little effect.  The bike's done 2,500 miles and the chain looks in good(-ish) condition as do the sprockets.  Any other avanues of investiagtion I could try?  I'd have throught that the chain would wear a lot slower than a chain on a DF bike simply because it's so long.  Is that right?

I'm currently on the first chain (an expensive single speed one, KMC X1 iirc) that happily lasts more than 5000km. The ones before that were 4000, 4000, 2000, 1000 and 1000km(SRAM 890 and KMC 8 speed(Z and X8). So YMMV.

[Feline]

If your chain jumps and you don't think it's the indexing it might be worth checking for stiff links (I had this problem on my daughter's bike, wasn't a 'bent though).
Welcome to YACF by the way

[Tim]

Chain protector - bit of bodge tape will probably cover it but won't look as neat as a proper bit. Probably more aesthetics to concern yourself with assuming you can achieve the functionality with the contents of the bodging shelf. Caveat I'm not familiar with the grasshopper fold.

Chain life should be about the same - it's still going to spend half of its time in tension stretching it. Check for all the normal wear issues, check for lateral play as the fold will probably apply torsion.

Riding in traffic - should largely be down to confidence, probably mostly bolstered by setting off confidently without significant wobble. Bit of practice learning to push cleanly on the starting pedal and brace for the steering effect while you get your other foot up to the pedal.

[Biggsy]

You have better chainlines (angles) on a bent, so the chain should last a bit longer.

[henshaw11]

Starting - get in a sensible gear to allow the first push to get you moving, too high or too low is going to make things harder initially (ie a slow takeoff), likewise with hillstarts. In both cases, get used to being in the correct gear as you're preparing to stop. Once you're used to the balance of the thing, needing initial momentum isn't such an issue, and you can pull away quite slowly - which is handy for hillstarts (or if you do wind up stopping in the wrong gear) - I think that's probably the best confidence aid for riding in heavier traffic - ie not feeling flustered pulling away. I guess it was a year before I ventured into heavier traffic, but mainly due to not riding enough.

Prepare a little earlier to stop - a last moment brake/foot down can make it a bit jerky (on my speed machine the functional but basic front suspension unloads which doesn't help).

The shifting on mine is a little finely-tuned - despite some adjustments, just wiping off any build-up and relubing/rewiping sorted it..I even bought a hanger alingment tool to check it, but haven't got around to it.

Knife-through-the-air-fast...err, probably not - you'll get faster with more miles (and effort over them), but they're not generally light bikes*, and even if your DF-fit, it doesn't seem to translate awfully well - you'll get some aches in different spots. Hills are less fun (IMO) on a bent, on short/sharp or rolling ones it helps if you get a decent speed into them, and try not to lose too much of it. One route I do is Egham>Woking which has some rolling bits to it - makes a big difference keeping a decent cruising speed on the bent, vs a slower approach on the mtb. Otherwise it's just get into the right gear and keep spinning..

Knee clearance ?...well, mines USS   - easier to get my addled brain around, too !

[Tim]

And for swiftly gliding along with minimal effort the grass-hopper is essentially the equivalent of a DF touring bike and it may well slice through air faster than an equivalent DF bike, but to compare it against a racing DF would not be a fair comparison.

[Chris L]

Thank you, thank you!

Clarion: yeah, right!  I was just about to start lavishing money on it as a late birthday present, but it'll have to wait till Christmas now given my finite financial resources.

Arvid: that's reassuring.  As I say, the chain looks to be in pretty good nick.

Feline: I think you're right.  When I shortened the chain I noticed that the links didn't move terribly freely.  The previous owner had apparently been very careful about using the right dry lube.  Maybe a new tin and a liberal squirting will sort it out.  Oh and thanks for your welcome (I'm new to 'bents, not the forum).

Tim:  think I'll do as you say and go for the bodge in the short term.  It'll need a bit of care as the rubber has to flex.  Hmmmm.

I thought that 'chain stretch' was due  to the chain going round the corners (of the chain ring and sprockets) that wore the chain since any elongation isn't due to the links stretching but rather the links wearing deeper grooves in the rollers.

Henshaw11: ta for advice re starting.  I'm blessed with a hub gear to replace the front 3 ring set up, so I can make some adjustment to gearing while stationary, but as you say, this is definitely one to practice.

Thanks again.

[slowfen]

Still new to darkside myself, Bacchetta corsa 650c

After 500 miles, speed is definately increasing, now less effort to maitain higher speed, but no sprint capability yet. Still on LSD as can't maintain cruising HR yet. Different thigh muscles hurt, really doesn't mix with pilates on same day.

Starting off is still worrying at times, esp up hill(with or with out corner) I always need to remember to have pedal at about 10 o'clock to solve this.

KKnees/Bars, I've found that I am now straightening the leg on the inside of the corner to allow the handle bars to move more

I have spent time, and need to spend more, just starting stopping and turnining, but its too much fun getting it going on the open road.

[Tim]

KKnees/Bars, I've found that I am now straightening the leg on the inside of the corner to allow the handle bars to move more

I have very clear memories of taking a Corsa for a spin and Kevin (of dTek fame) being rather explicit about not putting my knee on the wrong side of the bars as I went around corners...

[slowfen]

Its remembering not to pedal on the mid-speed corners otherwise it gets interesting

[Quint]

I found chain life on my (old) Q-NT varied with lube and make, KMC chains with Finish Line Teflon Lube was the longest life, the shortest being the wax dry lube, quite surprised me.
      Barbaras new (cheers Kevin) ICE trike is running on Purple Extreme which seemed to be good on her old crap trike (oops sorry, meant catrike).
      I might change to it and see how it goes as I have a higher milage
                                                   

[Chris L]

Its remembering not to pedal on the mid-speed corners otherwise it gets interesting

Just run that one by me again.  Keep the leg on the inside of the corner straight (and by implication the one on the outside bent), right?  I haven't really tried corners yet (apart from the RAB where I dropped it), so it'd be good to cover this now, if I can further impose on your patience.

[Tim]

The grasshopper isn't going to suffer that problem you can just ride around corners pedalling. There is a clearance issue on the corsa (depending on which bars you use), as your legs fit within the drop of the bars as they come over the top of a pedal stroke. When cornering if you keep pedalling you may find that the inside leg comes up on the outside of the bars thus stopping you from straightening up as you come up of the corner. Hilarity ensues.

Consider it the equivalent of toe overlap on a DF of heel overlap on certain other 'bents.

[Chris L]

<Googles Bacchetta corsa 650c>

Oh yeah.

Thank you all for your comments.  A fettling/lubricating/wobbling weekend beckons.

[clarion]

Clarion: yeah, right!  I was just about to start lavishing money on it as a late birthday present, but it'll have to wait till Christmas now given my finite financial resources.

*sigh*  Oh never mind.  I can wait

Sounds like the Grasshopper will be fun.  Just stick with it.

[slowfen]

Until the penny dropped, I did, some how, manage to get the back of the knee oner the end of the handlebar  . Penny dropped very quickly

[BBJ]

Slowfen, maybe you have worked this out, but in case you have not; right turn, uphill T junction, in the last few yards, oops, meters, if it looks like you have to come to a halt, position yourself, so that you are setting off with bike pointing part way into the turn. Traffic allowing, I find I can have made a useful amont of the turn, before needing to set off again; Minimises heel strike!

After a few hundred miles, I'm relieved that heel strike is a distant interesting memory.

Have fun!

[Jon P]

Re handling etc, in time you'll be able to ride it along the white lines in the road and approach red lights at 2mph.  They are also significantly less tiring on long rides, esp in bad weather.  Re speed they are reckoned to be about 5% quicker than an upwrong, but not quite as aero as riders in a peloton.  I used to boast I'd never been overtaken by an upwrong except on hills, but the week after I last did that the leader in a race did just that going towards Bromsgrove - only the leader, though, and I'd done about 50 miles up till there!  Have fun!

[Chris L]

That's reassuring.  Last Sunday I felt stability/handling/control building with every pedal stroke, so I'm optimistic about progress.

The other thing I noticed was steaming eyes, despite non-cycling sunnies.  I attributed this to new head position and airflow being directly in-yer-face as opposed to flowing top to bottom over the face on a DF.

OT @clarion: since I've been riding around on my Shrubb, I've had 3 or 4 people approach me to tell me about theirs, all of which have been stripped-down and in the garage, or on the turbo trainer.  In other words, they're under-utilised and so could be for sale.  Only problem is that owners get a bit watery eyed about them, so you'd have to pick your moment.  I'm afraid I've promised mine to my 9 year old son.  (My daughter's put her name on the Grasshopper.)

[clarion]

I don't think I could resort to infanticide, even for a Shrubb...

Beautiful bike, though.

I suffer from steaming eyes.  If I stop at lights, my shades steam up quickly, which is a PITA if I'm squinting up into a bright sky to see a craply-placed traffic light.  Also affected my eye tests at the Hopticians.

[slowfen]

Slowfen, maybe you have worked this out, but in case you have not; right turn, uphill T junction, in the last few yards, oops, meters, if it looks like you have to come to a halt, position yourself, so that you are setting off with bike pointing part way into the turn. Traffic allowing, I find I can have made a useful amont of the turn, before needing to set off again; Minimises heel strike!

After a few hundred miles, I'm relieved that heel strike is a distant interesting memory.

Have fun!

Yep have worked that out, but thanks, just need to remember every time

[Chris L]

Attempt #2 on Saturday with junior escort yielded spectacular results, viz:
- One lap of Richmond Park (minus Broomfield Hill) completed
- No chain jumping after liberal application of Profi dry lube (Feline wins Online Bike Whisperer Of The Month)
- Legs in good nick
- Plenty of waving from passing traffic and wassatthen chats in car parks
- No chain tube movement after zip tie bodge (thank you Tim)

Hopped straight on my MTB for a lap on the track after the 'bent lap and had the first mile feeling like I was tipping over the bars.  How weird is that?

Anyway, onwards and upwards for next w/e.  Thank you all once again.

[Kim]

Hopped straight on my MTB for a lap on the track after the 'bent lap and had the first mile feeling like I was tipping over the bars.  How weird is that?

No, that's perfectly normal.  The weird thing is that people think that riding bikes where you're about to tip over the bars is a good idea