Author Topic: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike  (Read 14653 times)

Charlotte

  • Dissolute libertine
  • Here's to ol' D.H. Lawrence...
    • charlottebarnes.co.uk
How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« on: 08 August, 2015, 10:56:24 pm »


853 custom steel frame with sparkly bling paint job
10 speed Chorus with carbon levers
Handbuilt wheels on Open Pro rims
Carbon forks
Brooks saddle with Ti rails
Co Pilot Limo on hefty Blackburn rack
Baby squealing with laughter as we motor along at evens
Commercial, Editorial and PR Photographer - www.charlottebarnes.co.uk

Re: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« Reply #1 on: 08 August, 2015, 11:11:37 pm »
Yay, a happy sight!
Watch out as she grows, pulling shorts down becomes a good game when you're big enough to reach :)

(I always found the roadified mtb handled better than the audax bike with littles on the back.)

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« Reply #2 on: 09 August, 2015, 08:23:25 am »
A large HB bag with accessories will improve things no end.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

tiermat

  • According to Jane, I'm a Unisex SpaceAdmin
Re: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« Reply #3 on: 09 August, 2015, 09:57:10 am »
Oh fun! Just wait until you are going like the clappers and littly decides that is the best time to start dancing in her seat!
I feel like Captain Kirk, on a brand new planet every day, a little like King Kong on top of the Empire State

Re: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« Reply #4 on: 09 August, 2015, 12:01:41 pm »
 :D :D :D

I find that filling front panniers with baby kit massively improves the handling. You may need different forks...
Quote from: Kim
^ This woman knows what she's talking about.

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« Reply #5 on: 09 August, 2015, 12:09:07 pm »
Enjoy your new biking life! ;D
Getting there...

Re: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« Reply #6 on: 09 August, 2015, 07:00:32 pm »
That is great :thumbsup: . it will be great weight training for your next audux  :demon:
the slower you go the more you see

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« Reply #7 on: 09 August, 2015, 09:27:44 pm »
 :thumbsup:

Does nobody make a carbon fibre child seat?  Missed opportunity that...

Andrij

  • Андрій
  • Ερασιτεχνικός μισάνθρωπος
Re: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« Reply #8 on: 09 August, 2015, 09:38:50 pm »
For Guardian-reading West London mums?  Surely something made from hemp / bamboo ?
;D  Andrij.  I pronounce you Complete and Utter GIT   :thumbsup:

Charlotte

  • Dissolute libertine
  • Here's to ol' D.H. Lawrence...
    • charlottebarnes.co.uk
Re: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« Reply #9 on: 10 August, 2015, 12:56:02 pm »
Now if I could find a bamboo cup holder for my almond milk latte...
Commercial, Editorial and PR Photographer - www.charlottebarnes.co.uk

Andrij

  • Андрій
  • Ερασιτεχνικός μισάνθρωπος
Re: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« Reply #10 on: 10 August, 2015, 01:45:12 pm »
Now if I could find a bamboo cup holder for my almond milk latte...


Bamboo Cup Holder

You're welcome.  ;D
;D  Andrij.  I pronounce you Complete and Utter GIT   :thumbsup:

Charlotte

  • Dissolute libertine
  • Here's to ol' D.H. Lawrence...
    • charlottebarnes.co.uk
Re: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« Reply #11 on: 10 August, 2015, 02:12:49 pm »
:D
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Charlotte

  • Dissolute libertine
  • Here's to ol' D.H. Lawrence...
    • charlottebarnes.co.uk
Re: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« Reply #12 on: 15 August, 2015, 04:28:58 pm »
The tourer handles a bit better:

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clarion

  • Tyke
Re: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« Reply #13 on: 15 August, 2015, 05:26:15 pm »
Love this x a billion!
Getting there...

Julian

  • samoture
Re: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« Reply #14 on: 15 August, 2015, 05:49:17 pm »
She's really good with it! :D We got the child seat slightly earlier than we were planning to because the tube strike was on a day when Charlotte and I were both working and she was meant to be at nursery, which is near where I work so kinda hard to get to without the tube.  Ebay came up trumps, we had a half mile practice run the night before, and the first ride she did was on the back of my tourer, we got the overground to Paddington at sparrowfart before the bike restrictions came in, then rode from Paddington to Smithfield, in rush hour, on tube strike day.  The ride back in the evening wasn't so good (lots of grumpy traffic) but it was me that was stressed, she was asleep!

She still doesn't like the bumps (if she's awake) - any hints as to how to cushion them a bit, or do they just get used to it?

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« Reply #15 on: 15 August, 2015, 06:11:43 pm »
We found the Hamax seats to be better for that, as the two prongs (of which I was unjustly suspicious) form some kind of suspension.  But general tarmac bumpiness shouldn't be a problem in your sort of seat. It's not really as bad as you think it is, so long as you don't go hopping kerbs or rocketing over speedbumps.

She will probably get used to it.

I may be wrong.
Getting there...

Charlotte

  • Dissolute libertine
  • Here's to ol' D.H. Lawrence...
    • charlottebarnes.co.uk
Re: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« Reply #16 on: 15 August, 2015, 08:05:29 pm »
Yeah, I suspect the seats that attach with the prongs are a bit springier, but I love the way we can move the seat from bike to bike and still have a decent rack on there.  Downside is that you can't carry panniers.

35c M+ tyres seem to make life fairly comfy - she was so fast asleep this afternoon, I had to pull over a couple of times to check she was okay!
Commercial, Editorial and PR Photographer - www.charlottebarnes.co.uk

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« Reply #17 on: 15 August, 2015, 08:14:41 pm »
Does that baby of yours ever look anything but cheerful? I think she's the most obliging infant I have ever met.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Re: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« Reply #18 on: 15 August, 2015, 08:22:14 pm »
The tourer handles a bit better:



Lovely
 :thumbsup:
JB
xx

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« Reply #19 on: 15 August, 2015, 08:42:35 pm »
Yeah, I suspect the seats that attach with the prongs are a bit springier, but I love the way we can move the seat from bike to bike and still have a decent rack on there.  Downside is that you can't carry panniers.

35c M+ tyres seem to make life fairly comfy - she was so fast asleep this afternoon, I had to pull over a couple of times to check she was okay!
35s give plenty of spring. 

Ftr, we have brackets on a couple of bikes, and can swap The Duck between them (and carry panniers!)
Getting there...

Re: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« Reply #20 on: 15 August, 2015, 10:18:21 pm »
Forgot how small tehy are at first in the seats: She seems dwarfed by the chair. Ours did 2, and most of my pics are when they were a bit older and outgrowing the seat.  Enjoy.

Re: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« Reply #21 on: 15 August, 2015, 11:37:30 pm »
She still doesn't like the bumps (if she's awake) - any hints as to how to cushion them a bit, or do they just get used to it?

Are you and Charlotte being good pilots and calling out when there are bumps up ahead? It would have to be a signal that's age-appropriate, of course. I'm thinking a Gruffalo impression should do the trick.

Julian

  • samoture
Re: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« Reply #22 on: 16 August, 2015, 11:09:39 pm »
I just call bump. Maybe I should try a Gruffalo impression.

I can recite the entire Gruffalo's Child by heart. Perhaps a bit long winded for a single bump though. Or i could bastardise it to "aha! oho! a bump in the snow! Whose is this speed bump and where does it go?"

Julian

  • samoture
Re: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« Reply #23 on: 16 August, 2015, 11:10:05 pm »
I love that there exists in the world a forum where calling the bumps to a 9mo baby is not regarded as eccentric. :D

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: How to mess up the handling on your best Audax bike
« Reply #24 on: 16 August, 2015, 11:13:03 pm »
I love that there exists in the world a forum where calling the bumps to a 9mo baby is not regarded as eccentric. :D

Certainly no worse than calling the bumps to a 9wo kitten...