Author Topic: A random thread for cycling things that don't really warrant their own thread  (Read 106148 times)

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
We don't seem to have one of these, strangely. So I'll start one...

Yesterday morning I saw a man on a fairly old but semi-decent, way too small - his thighs might reached horizontal at their lowest - red bike with a.... Ever Ready Night Rider front lamp! Remember those? I had one, with the super bright ultra-radium bulb, but this was the bog standard model - you can tell by the colour of the casing.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Funnily enough, you've just reminded me of driving past a young lady yesterday.  She was cycling (on the pavement) on what appeared to have been a decent bike at some stage in its dim and distant past.  Step-through frame, looked like a single-speed til I noticed a very odd-looking very retrofitted white cable going to the back hub-which was filthy and rusty. The frame said it was a Phillips, so that would confirm the "elderly" rating I gave it, having Googled it.



Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Ooooh, our elderly neighbour gave us a Phillips way back in the 80s. She'd had it since new in the 50s. It was a big chunky frame with bolted-on seat stays, black with red and yellow (could have been white?) lining on the tubes and mudguards. Single speed, rim brakes - very ineffective, big, shiny, "all-rounder" bars in one-piece with the stem, and even a wicker basket. Lovely, but not what I'd choose to ride on the edge of the Cotswolds - luckily I was young enough not to be bothered back then!
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

SoreTween

  • Most of me survived the Pennine Bridleway.
I recently built a new pair of wheels for my MTB as the rims on the old ones looked rather worn.  Having done so there's always the nagging doubt that there was nowt wrong with the old ones.  There's only one way to find out so it took a while to persuade myself to do it.  What does the panel think?


It is a smidge under 22mm at the widest point.
The replacement rear got some bedding in, the new front wheel was less than 24 hours old when it set out on a weeks thinning from Oxenholme to Berwick on Tweed.
2023 targets: Survive. Maybe.
There is only one infinite resource in this universe; human stupidity.

Gattopardo

  • Lord of the sith
  • Overseaing the building of the death star
Looks thin, but how much has been worn?

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Heard a new reason to always carry plenty of water on a bike recently. Someone told me they'd swallowed a bee while cycling. Riding along, summer, whizzing down a hill, then... "That wasn't a fly. It's furry. It's lodged in my throat and it's buzzing." So she drank, drank, swallowed, ate, gulped down water, anything to wash it down before it stung her inside her throat.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Heard a new reason to always carry plenty of water on a bike recently. Someone told me they'd swallowed a bee while cycling. Riding along, summer, whizzing down a hill, then... "That wasn't a fly. It's furry. It's lodged in my throat and it's buzzing." So she drank, drank, swallowed, ate, gulped down water, anything to wash it down before it stung her inside her throat.
As one who is firmly in the slack-jawed, mouth-breathing camp when it comes to cycling... that is utterly terrifying.

Ruthie

  • Her Majester
I ran into an old friend today.  He's a member of the Mighty VC167, only when I asked him about it he went into a massive rant about how long distance cycling is a total waste of time, and a stupid concept, and a good way to spoil a good sport!

He'd better not say that at the club night or they'll burn him at the stake  ;D
Milk please, no sugar.

Blimey, I haven't seen MSeries in aages.

Karla

  • car(e) free
    • Lost Byway - around the world by bike
Now there's a blast from the past!

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
He's on Twitter.

rower40

  • Not my boat. Now sold.
My Brompton's lights have a peculiar characteristic, because of the combination of components.
SON front hub
B&M Front light with an on-off switch, and a standlicht (pardon my German) capacitor
B&M Rear light with no switch, and a similar capacitor.

When I'm riding, with the switch set to "off", then both lights are out (assuming the capacitors are discharged).

If I switch the switch to "on", and then turn the front wheel, both lights come on.  When I stop, the lights stay on (although the front one dims noticeably) for some time due to the capacitors.  During this time, if I turn the switch to "off", the front light goes out, but the rear red light stays on until its capacitor is discharged.

Normally, this wouldn't be a problem.

But carrying a Brompton with a lit red light on a station platform is one of those things up with which I will not put.   (I got given a huge earful by a train guard on a Winter's evening in 1985 on Shenfield station, when my dynamo light lit up as I ran towards the guard's van, and the guard nearly mistook this for the platform dispatcher's hand-lamp.  The lesson has stayed with me.  Lights on Railway Premises are railway lights or none at all.  Helped by my busman's holiday job as a signalman on a heritage railway line.)

So Diver300 (otp) helped me to fit a "discharge" button to the rear light, that shorts out the capacitor.  If I press it, the light goes out.  If I hold it pressed for 15 seconds, then the light stays out when I let go.

I successfully used this "discharge" button this morning, after the 2-mile bike portion of my commute, before climbing the steps to Willington platform for the 10 minute train journey.  Willington was dark enough that a red light on the platform would have been a definite no-no.

Anyone else got lights they can't turn off?

Be Naughty; save Santa a trip

Yes, I've been known to solve the problem by covering the offending light with a glove or buff. On one occassion I dropped my brand new glove on the track as a result :facepalm: Fortunately it was still there next day and a member of staff retrieved it for me.  :)
Quote from: Kim
^ This woman knows what she's talking about.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
One of the reasons I got a B&M Toplight Line Plus is that it has a discharge button. It's a shame they're not fitted to all dynamo rear lights.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

An open letter to the twenty-something cyclist I was stopped beside on my way home tonight, I was skiving off early so I could ride in the sun.

I am very, very pleased you misheard me, which is obvious that you did. Because, after looking a little taken aback, you appeared very pleased and made a comment on how I was probably more suitably dressed for cycling.

What I had said was "Isn't it lovely" in an enthusiastic tone. Well, because it was a glorious afternoon and we were on bikes and we had smiled at each other.

After the trouble you had gone to matching the fabric flower in your hair to your flowery dress, you deserved to hear "You look lovely" which you did.

I may be finding the advantages of turning into an old fart. I hope it made your ride home that bit more cheerful, because it did mine.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
So Diver300 (otp) helped me to fit a "discharge" button to the rear light, that shorts out the capacitor.  If I press it, the light goes out.  If I hold it pressed for 15 seconds, then the light stays out when I let go.

I solved this particular problem with one of those ball-bearing-in-a-tube[1] tilt/vibration sensors (and a low-value shunt resistor).  With the Brompton unfolded, the light works as normal (transient contact due to road vibration isn't long enough to noticably affect performance), but the flip-the-wheel-under first stage of the fold discharges it in about 10 seconds.  Meant I didn't have to make any holes in anything, and I usually use the first-stage fold to stand the bike upright while I faff about removing gloves and digging for tickets.  The downside is a tiny rattling noise (it's a Brompton, it makes enough noise while riding that you only notice this one when carrying it up stairs) and that my standlight won't work reliably in zero-g conditions.

While I was hot-gluing the sensor at the appropriate angle, I took the opportunity to liberally embed the standlight capacitor in the stuff.  Mechanical failure of the legs seems to be a common failure mode of these lights.


[1] I've actually got a couple of mercury switches in my random components collection, which wouldn't rattle, but I've heard horror stories about mercury and aluminium.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
One of the reasons I got a B&M Toplight Line Plus is that it has a discharge button. It's a shame they're not fitted to all dynamo rear lights.

I've got one of those.  I actually used the discharge button once, too.  (The Red Baron isn't very train friendly, so hasn't spend much time on railway platforms.)  It's a good light.

(My other dyanamo-lit bikes have 4DToplight Multi rear lights, for hysterical raisins[1].  These have an AA-powered 'standlight', and a corresponding off switch.)


[1] At the time they were the best dynamo rear light for side visibility I could find.

[1] I've actually got a couple of mercury switches in my random components collection, which wouldn't rattle, but I've heard horror stories about mercury and aluminium.
Nothing horrific. The mercury merely penetrates the grain boundaries between the crystals of aluminium causing the latter to fall apart! (We covered that in my degree course, but I'd completely forgotten until now).
"No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everybody on the couch."

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.

Quote
An exciting new form of bike being tested in Birmingham, 1935. It did not catch on. Image: Hulton Archive/Getty.
From here.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Valiant, take note https://www.theguardian.com/cities/gallery/2017/nov/10/pump-up-velo-palermo-teenagers-bikes-stereos-in-pictures

Quote
'No one puts up with us, so what do we do?’ says one. ‘Let’s raise the volume’

clarion

  • Tyke
Thanks rower, for that helpful advice.  I also get annoyed by red lights on platforms, but have not had a dynamo powered one before.  Now I have.  It's a Secula, and this is, to my shame, something I had not considered.  I'm not even sure if it has its own Standlicht, or discharge button :-[
Getting there...

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Has anyone managed to get into a Secula without Undue Use of Force?  I'm not fond of the downward-facing holes the wires go into. Bunging them up with silicone is inelegant, and standard tags won't go through the wee plugs they derisively supply.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
The Secula has its own standlight but no means of discharging it. Not sure there's any way of getting into it either. If there is, maybe Kim would know...
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

I recently built a new pair of wheels for my MTB as the rims on the old ones looked rather worn.  Having done so there's always the nagging doubt that there was nowt wrong with the old ones.  There's only one way to find out so it took a while to persuade myself to do it.  What does the panel think?

[ Pics removed]

It is a smidge under 22mm at the widest point.
The replacement rear got some bedding in, the new front wheel was less than 24 hours old when it set out on a weeks thinning from Oxenholme to Berwick on Tweed.

I'd say you cut them up prematurely. There's still quite a bit of metal on the brake track there. The extra circle part looks like a part of a wear indicator, it's thinner than the main brake track area and the room looks like it has been designed to be structurally safe when the top section has worn away.

Here's a pic from cyclechat that shows when it would definitely have been time to change:



Not all rims are designed with extra structural safety like this so I use a rim gauge caliper (like this: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3b/25/94/3b25942d0e95d454c77d00b771a3882d.jpg) to check mine (mostly Mavic Open Pro rims).
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
The Secula has its own standlight but no means of discharging it. Not sure there's any way of getting into it either. If there is, maybe Kim would know...

No experience of the Secula.  It's a truism that with a Dremel and a flathead screwdriver, everything has user-servicable parts inside.  It's getting them back together again that's the tricky bit...