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From: [e-mail] (Mike Iglesias)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.misc,news.answers,rec.answers
Subject: Rec.Bicycles Frequently Asked Questions Posting  Part 2/5
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[Note:  The complete FAQ is available via anonymous ftp from
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------------------------------

Subject: 6.2  League of American Bicyclists
From:    Brewster Thackeray <[e-mail]>
Date:    Thu, 8 Apr 99 09:53:34 -0500
Orig-From: Erin O'Brien <[e-mail]>

The League of American Bicyclists, (founded as the League of American
Wheelmen) has been working to improve the quality of bicycling in America
almost as long as there have been bicycles.

In the 1870s the forefathers of bicycling banded together to lobby the
government for more paved roads and to put a stop to antagonistic acts from
other road-users.  United in 1880 as the League, their mission has carried
on throughout the history of bicycling.

Fashioned after "The Good Roads Movement" of the 1880's, our current agenda
is embodied by the L.A.W. Safe Roads Movement, a comprehensive program that
aims to reduce the number of injuries and deaths to cyclists.  Highlights
of this 10-pointaction plan include educating bicyclists and other road
users about thei rights and responsibilities to safely share the road, and
promoting the improvement of road design and maintenance to better
accommodate bicycles.

The League's Effective Cycling program is making great strides to advance
this agenda.  Taught by certified instructors, it is the only national
bicycling education program that combines the technical training needed to
safely negotiate any traffic situation, with the principles of safe,
responsible riding.

The League sponsors National Bike Month (May), which serves to promote the
various aspects of bicycling.

The League played an instrumental role in the passage of the Intermodal
Surface Transportation Equity Act of 1991 (ISTEA), federal legislation
allowing both for increased spending on bicycling improvements and for
bicyclists to participate in local transportation planning.

The League's national and regional rallies bring together members from all
over the U.S.A. and Canada for great riding and entertainment, daily
workshops include, advocacy, safety, club leadership, cycling techniques,
and more.

Six issues per year of Bicycle USA magazine keep members up to date on
League activities.  Regular features include effective cycling tips,
News from the States and League Notes columns, cycle news, and an event
calendar.  Special issues include an annual Almanac and Tourfinder.

League members can fly their bikes for free on numerous airlines when they
make their travel arrangements a League-affiliated travfel agent.

The League is a 501c-3 non-profit organization with membership of more than
35,000 bicyclists and 450 affiliated clubs and coalitions nationwide.
Individual membership costs $30/year or $45 for families.

To join the League of American Bicyclists send your membership contribution
to 1612 K Street, NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC 20006; phone [phone];
fax [phone]; e-mail [e-mail]; website www.bikeleague.org

------------------------------

Subject: 6.3  Rules for trail riding
From: Roland L. Behunin <[e-mail]>

The Salt Lake Ranger District of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest has
some guidelines for trail riding in their district.  Here they are:

1. Yield the right of way to other non-motorized recreationists.
People judge all cyclists by your actions.  Move off the trail to
allow horse to pass and stop to allow hikers adequate room to share
the trail.

2. Slow down and use caution when approaching another and make your
presence known well in advance.  Simply yelling bicycle is not
acceptable.

3. Maintain control of your speed at all times and approach turns
anticipation of someone around the bend. Be able to stop safely within
the distance you can see down the trail.

4. Stay on designated trails to avoid trampling native vegetation, and
minimize potential erosion by not using wet or muddy trails or
shortcutting switchbacks.  Avoid wheel lockup.  If a trail is steep
enough to require locking wheels and skidding, dismount and walk your
bike.  Locking brakes contributes to needless trail damage.  Do not
ride cross-country.  Water bars are placed across to direct water off
the trail and prevent erosion.  Ride directly over the top, or
dismount and walk your bike.

5. Do not disturb wildlife or livestock.

6. Do not litter.  Pack out what you pack in and carry out more than
your share whenever possible.

7.  Respect public and private property, including trail use signs, no
trespassing signs, and leave gates as you found them.  If your route
crosses private property, it is your responsibility to obtain
permission from the landowner.  Bicycles are excluded from designated
Wilderness Areas.

8.  Always be self sufficient.  Your destination and travel speed will
be determined by your ability, your equipment, the terrain, and the
present and potential weather conditions.

9.  Do not travel solo in remote areas.  Leave word of your destination
and when you plan to return.

10.  Observe the practice of minimum impact bicycling.  "Take only
pictures and leave only waffle prints."

11.  Always wear a helmet.

12.  If you abuse it-you lose it!.  Since mountain bikers are
newcomers to the forests, they must prove to be responsible trail
users.

From personal experience, you may also want to add the following
information:


13.  In National Parks and National Monuments bicycles are considered
vehicles and restricted to roads.


14.  On BLM land - ride only on roadways, trails, and slickrock.  The
desert crust (microbiotic crust) is fragile and takes up to 50 years
to recover from footprints, waffle tracks, etc.

15.  When camping out of improved campsites camp at least 500 feet
off the road or trail.  Try to leave no trace of your campsite.

16.  Toilets in unimproved areas - move off trail, and dig a 1 foot
deep pit, cover after use.

------------------------------

Subject: 6.4  Commuting - Is it possible for me to commute by bike?
From: [e-mail] (Royce Myers)

Not everyone can commute to work on a bicycle.  Some people can't cycle to
work in a reasonable time because of their fitness or because they live
too far away.  Other people need their cars for their jobs, or take
children to school.  Some employers frown on bicycle commuting, and don't
provide any facilities.  All these obstacles can be surmounted.

If you want to commute by bike, you will find a way to do it.

A few facilities at your workplace can make commuting easier.

Minimally there should be racks in a well trafficked area.  Some business
will let you park them in your cube, and others might provide a closet or
unused room to store them.  My company provides enclosed lockers.  If
theft is a significant danger, consider buying a second, inexpensive bike
to be used only for commuting.

If your commute is short, and the dress code where you work is relaxed,
you won't need to change or clean up after getting to work.  The rest of
us need to prepare for work.

Every workplace has a bathroom where a sponge bath and change is
possible.  If you're lucky (like me) there's showers and lockers.  If your
ride makes you sweat a lot, and there is no way to take a shower at work,
look around for a nearby gym.  Sometimes you can arrange to change and
shower there, then walk or ride slowly to work.   If you want to get a
workout, but there's nowhere to clean up at work, try getting your workout
on the way home, making little or no effort on the way to work.

If your ride is too long for a round trip, and there's no place to park,
put your bike in your car and drive to work on Monday.  Monday night, ride
home.  Tuesday morning ride to work and put your bike in the car.  If
you're tired Tuesday night, drive home.  If there is a vanpool to work,
get the vanpool driver to mount racks.  Then you can take the vanpool in
the morning and ride home in the afternoon.

Some people reduce the length of their commute by driving to a "park and
ride" area, then riding in from there.  Another way to solve a long
commute is to find out about bicycle accommodation on buses or other
public transportation.  Many people use a combination of bikes and buses,
subways, or trains to make a long commute possible.

Racks, bags and panniers: Some people drive in clothes once a week and buy
lunch at work so they don't need to carry much on their bikes.  Others
need something to carry paperwork, lunch and clothes.  A lot of commuters
use knapsacks rather than putting racks on a bike, but this raises their
center of gravity and increases wind resistance.  Racks can be put on any
bike, and they come in handy for running errands, touring and unsupported
rides.  If you're looking for a commuting bike, get one with rack eyelets
on the frame for convenience.  Another alternative are touring saddle
bags, which are hard to find but are very handy on bikes without racks.

Get your bike in shape.  Replace tires which have cracked sidewalls, or
worn casing.  Carry a flat kit, a spare tube and enough tools to fix a
flat.  If you're not mechanically inclined, have a bike shop tune up your
bike.  Check every part of the drivetrain for lubrication and wear.  Make
sure your wheels are true, and that the hubs are lubricated and adjusted
properly.

Contributors:
[I did not retain the mail address of contributors who posted to the group
without a sig; also, I may have missed some posts that weren't emailed to
me]

[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
"td"
"Robert"
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]

------------------------------

Subject: 6.5  Commuting - How do I choose a route?
From: [e-mail] (Royce Myers)

According to the U.S. Uniform Vehicle Code, drivers of bicycles have the
same rights, and the same responsibilities, as drivers of other vehicles.
This means that commuters may use any road, street or highway they want,
and that they must obey traffic laws.  Some states vary from the UVC, and
of course, some countries treat bicycles diffently than the US does.

John Forester, in his book Effective Cycling, suggests that all cyclists
use the following traffic principles:

"1.      Ride on the right-hand side of the road, not on the left and
never on the sidewalk.

[Note: this is specific to those countries which drive on the right hand
side of the road, like the US.  In countries like the UK, you should ride
on the left side of the road.]

2.      When approaching a road that is larger than the one you are on, or
has more or faster traffic, you must yield to traffic on that road.
Yielding means looking and waiting until you see that no traffic is
coming.

3.      When preparing to move laterally on a roadway, you must yield to
traffic in that line of travel. Yielding means looking forward and
backward to see that no traffic is in that line of travel.

4.      When approaching an intersection, you must choose your position
according to your destination. Right-turning drivers are at the curb, left
turning drivers are at the center, while straight-through drivers are
between them.

5.      Between intersections, you choose your position according to your
speed relative to other traffic. Parked ones are at the curb, medium-speed
drivers are next to them, while fastest drivers are near the center of the
road."

Transportational cyclists want to maximize safety and minimize time.
Usually the most direct route between the cyclist and work will be the
best choice, but other factors may come into play.

Facilities: Multi-use paths (trails shared with bicycles, pedestrians,
skaters and sometimes horses) are less safe than the road, according to a
recent study published in the Institute for Transportation Engineers
journal; this kind of facility is more likely to send cyclists to the
hospital than comparable streets.  Pedestrians, pets and skaters are
unpredictable and require more skill to pass safely.  Sidepath
intersections are very dangerous because motorists don't expect vehicular
cross traffic.

Roads with wide curb lanes are safer than narrow roads, but narrow roads
may be ridden safely by using an entire lane.  Bike lanes may be as safe
as the same width roads without lanes as long as the rider is competent to
avoid their dangers (e.g., they direct cyclists into right turn lanes,
when the cyclist should normally ride to the left of the right turn
lane).  In California, cyclists traveling at less than the speed of
traffic must remain in the bike lane unless preparing for a left turn or
avoiding a hazard, like parked cars, a slower cyclist, rough pavement or
debris.

Traffic: even though arterials usually faster and more convenient than
side streets, riding on side streets may be more enjoyable due to lower
traffic noise and better scenery.  Some cyclists are willing to ride the
Huntington Beach multi-use path during the summer even though the fastest
safe speed is 5mph.  The view is very nice.

The compromise among pleasure, safety and time is yours.

Once you set your priorities, scout a few routes.  Get the best street map
you can find and highlight streets that you like. US Geological Survey
maps (1:24000 scale) also show the hills, which is handy.  They're
beautiful maps, too.  They look nice on a wall.

Contributors:
[I did not retain the mail address of contributors who posted to the group
without a sig; also, I may have missed some posts that weren't emailed to
me]

[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
"td"
"Robert"
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]

------------------------------

Subject: 6.6  Commuting - Do I really need to look that goofy?
From: [e-mail] (Royce Myers)

Before I started cycling I had no idea why cyclists wore such silly
looking clothes.  Now I know why, but I still think we look silly.  The
value of using cycling clothes on a commute depends on the length of the
commute.  It is hardly worth it to ride 1 mile to work in cycling clothes
and then change to regular clothes at work, but 20 miles is a different
story.

How to dress for the road, from the ground up:

1. Shoes: if you have a short commute with little climbing, virtually any
kind of shoes and socks will do.  I have seen commuters wearing cowboy
boots moving at around 15 mph.  If you expect to exert yourself for any
length of time, some trade-offs should be considered.  Socks made of
cotton will retain moisture, while polyester type socks (e.g., Coolmax)
will wick moisture and encourage it to evaporate.  Cycling shoes are
stiffer than casual or dress shoes, so transmitting energy to the pedal is
more efficient.  On the other hand, they are not comfortable to wear off
the bike, so a change of shoes is necessary at work.  For most of us, this
is not a problem because shoes take up little space and can be left at the
office.  There are a range of options in cycling shoes, depending on your
pedal choice.

A note about pedals:

- Flat pedals allow easy on-off and may be used with any shoes.  If you
hit a bump your feet may leave the pedals, which can result in loss of
balance and a crash.

- Toe clips and straps keep your feet on the pedals.  They are designed to
be used with cycling shoes, either touring shoes, which have a sole
designed to hook onto a pedal, or racing shoes, which have cleats that
lock the cyclist to the pedal and improve efficiency.  Many people
consider clips and straps to be obsolete, but they are a low cost way to
improve your efficiency.  They will work adequately with street shoes and
hiking boots, which some people consider an advantage.

- Clipless pedals attach your shoes to the pedals similar to the way skis
attach to boots.  With practice you can step in and out of them as easily
as flat pedals, but they are more efficient than toe clips.  These pedals
require shoes that are compatible, and are much more expensive than toe
clips.  I use the SPD style of clipless pedals, which has a recessed cleat
allowing you to walk around off the bike.  I wouldn't recommend extensive
walking in these shoes, but they are perfect for what I need.

- Some pedals are flat on one side and clipless on the other, which allows
the rider to choose to wear cleated shoes for performance or regular shoes
for utility trips.

- An adapter is available for some clipless pedals that will turn them
into flat pedals with toe-clips.

2. Shorts: Casual cyclists ride at low speeds, at low RPMs, for short
distances so no special shorts are necessary.  If you ride for any
distance you will need to develop a high RPM (80 - 110) for efficiency.
When your legs are moving that fast, baggy clothes will chafe, as will the
the seams in ordinary underwear, so you'll need something clingy like
lycra.  And if you exert yourself, you will need to have some kind of
liner in these shorts to wick moisture from your privates.  Bicycle shorts
are meant to be worn with no underwear; they are usually made out of lycra
and are lined with wicking pads.  A good pair of bike shorts makes long
rides a pleasure; in fact, I never get on my bike without them.

3. Jerseys and shirts: Cotton retains moisture, so if you sweat, cotton
will keep it next to your skin, making you feel sticky and soggy.  Yecch.
Polyester fabrics are designed to wick moisture away from you and allow it
to evaporate quickly.  Bicycle jerseys are made out of polyester, and are
cut longer in the back because cyclists usually ride leaning forward to
reduce air resistance.  Also, jerseys normally have two or three pockets
in the back, handy for carrying a handkerchief, banana, etc.  When I take
my kids on rides I'll wear a tee shirt because I'm not going to sweat
much, but I always wear a jersey on my commute.  Some people like cotton
and other natural fibers because they don't retain odors as much as the
polyester fabrics.  In cool weather, wool is ideal.

4. Gloves: gloves will make your commute much more comfortable, and will
offer some protection in a crash.  Long fingered gloves really help you
stay warm when it's chilly.

5. Eyewear:  If you are commuting at dawn or dusk, you should consider
wearing clear glasses to protect your eyes from debris kicked up by cars
and wind.  In daylight, sunglasses are a necessity to protect against UV
as well as road hazards.

6. Helmet: A helmet offers some protection in a crash, but the best way to
survive a crash is to learn to avoid falling in the first place.  I wear
one, but I don't think it's some kind of magic talisman.

7. Other equipment: If there are unpredictable rains in your area, carry
rain gear.  The articles on riding in the winter are availble through ftp
from:

  ftp://draco.acs.uci.edu/pub/rec.bicycles/wintertips
  ftp://draco.acs.uci.edu/pub/rec.bicycles/wintertips.pam

If you might work late, carry a light.  Articles on lights are available
through ftp from:
  ftp://draco.acs.uci.edu/pub/rec.bicycles/arnie.light
  ftp://draco.acs.uci.edu/pub/rec.bicycles/lights
  ftp://draco.acs.uci.edu/pub/rec.bicycles/lights2

Contributors:
[I did not retain the mail address of contributors who posted to the group
without a sig; also, I may have missed some posts that weren't emailed to
me]

[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
"td"
"Robert"
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]

------------------------------

Subject: 6.7  Commuting - Do cyclists breathe more pollution than motorists?
From: [e-mail] (Royce Myers)

The sources for this information vary in credibility, but most of it comes
directly from published studies or other reputable sources like the
Berkeley Wellness letter.

1.  Exercise will extend your life by about the amount of time you spend
doing it.  So if you spend an hour on your bike, you've added an hour to
your life.

2.  Drivers of cars are exposed to up to eighteen times more pollution
than "ambient air", approximately 300 feet from the road.  Cyclists share
the road with cars, but they do not trap pollutants, and they take air in
at a much higher position than cars (assuming a diamond frame) so...

3.  Cyclists breathe approximately 1/2 as much pollution than cars (this
appears to be _per breath_).

4.  Over _time_, a cyclist will breathe much more than a sedentary driver,
since the cyclist is using more than twice as much air.  Athletes appear
to be very sensitive to foul air.

5.  In general, cycling takes longer than driving, so the bike commuter
may be exposed to pollution for longer periods of time.

6. A UK study found that cyclists had 1/2 the blood level of CO that
drivers did after traveling along a ten mile stretch of congested road.

7. CO blood levels may be less of a problem than inhaled particulates,
which are much harder to measure.  Masks make breathing difficult if they
are properly sealed, and are ineffective if they are not sealed.

As a result, the health advantages of commuting by bike depend on several
key factors:

1.  Would you exercise anyway? That is, would you drive to the gym and
ride a stationary bike in relatively clean air if you weren't commuting in
traffic.

2.  How hard do you ride? The harder you ride, the more air -- and
therefore pollution -- you take in.  But then the better the training
effect will be, so if you don't do any other exercise, this is a wash.

3.  How long is your drive compared to your ride? If it takes
significantly more time to ride, you may be exposed to more pollution.

4.  What kind of car? An open air Jeep would take in and trap less
pollution than a sedan.

The health effects of exercise far outweigh any additional health dangers
from pollution.  If you would exercise anyway, though, commuting may not
in your best interest.  If you commute on low volume side streets, or on
sidepaths, pollution might not get you, but other hazards might.

Here is a rationalization for those of us who want to believe that
cyclists get less pollution than motorists:

One thing I've noticed about my commute: when I drive, I am _always_
surrounded by traffic.  All us cars meet at the light and move from light
to light more or less together.  When I ride my bike, I meet cars at
lights, but I don't spend a lot of time around them when they're rushing
past me to get to the next light.  The vast majority of time is spent
between packs of cars, without much motor traffic.  Since I'm not around
cars very much I can believe:
- I am breathing more garbage than a motorist when I'm in traffic
- I am breathing less garbage than a motorist when I'm not in traffic
- I am not in traffic far more often

Therefore: I am probably getting less pollution on the bike than in my car!

Contributors:
[I did not retain the mail address of contributors who posted to the group
without a sig; also, I may have missed some posts that weren't emailed to
me]

[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
"td"
"Robert"
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]

------------------------------

Subject: 7  Marketplace

------------------------------

Subject: 7.1  Marketplace hints/guidelines
From: Jim Siler <[e-mail]>

: Are people really willing to pay 10% less for a "nearly new" MTB when
: they
:      a) often have no assurance that it really hasn't been used
:         (except of course someone's word)

:      b) may have to buy, unseen.

:      c) may not get a transferable waranty on the MTB

I think that in general, many people are acutely aware of what they
spent for a thing and are woefully unaware of how much value that thing
lost when they walked out of the store.  Let's assume for a moment
that I buy an XTR rear derailleur in my local shop (good practice,
worth some added cost) for $100.  I use it for a week, and trash my
frame and want to part it out.  Hmmm... this was $100 new and its only
a week old, virtually new.  Let's ask $90 o.b.o. and see what happens.

Now I change roles and become the buyer.

I go to my local bike shop, where I trust the owner and am willing
to pay a premium, but no XTR rear derailleur.  Next stop mail order.
Everyone but everyone has it for $80, plus shipping, but less tax.
They will take a credit card.  The unit is warrantied, in the box,
with instructions (the value of which should not be underesimated).

Given this I am unlikeley to even consider the used part.  But let's
suppose I offer $75, and send off my money order, sight unseen.
What can happen?

1 --    It never arrives.  After a number of hassles and excuses I
    realize that there is a major problem.  Email stops being
    returned.  I contact his sysadm, who can't do much.  I
    publicly flame him, starting one more interminable flame
    war.  Eventually I either get my $75 bucks back or not.
    Even if I get the derailleur (remeber, the original
    object was the derailleur) I have bought myself
    hundreds of dollars worth of aggravation.

2 --    It arrives and looks like hell.  C'est la vie.

3 --    I arrives and one week later it is obvious that something
    is seriously wrong.  No amount of adjustment will cause
    it to shift reliably for any length of time.  See 2, above.

4 --    While waiting for arrival i trash MY frame.  Derailleur
    arrives.  Sadly, I have nothing to hang it on.  See 2,
    above.

Let's run through the same scenarios having purchased through mail
order, using a credit card.

1 --    I don't pay.  If they get pissy about it I do too.  As most
    mail order houses have, at best,  a fragile relationship
    with Mastecard/Visa (it is VERY difficult to open a merchant
    account to accept credit cards over the phone for mail order,
    so difficult that many use their in store accounts, faking
    signatures) and are dependent on that relationship to stay
    in business, they tend to become most reasonable when you
    make real noise with the credit card company.

2 --    Unlikely, as goods should be new.  See 1, above.

3 --    Warranty problem.  If you have a good local dealer, you
    would have been better off there.  If you have a so-so
    dealer you may well be better off through mail order.
    Worse comes to worst, see 1, above.

4 --    Worst case, you eat a restocking fee.

In general, I would be hesitant to buy anything here for much more
than 60% of its mail order price, unless the product is exactly
what I want and all else is right.

I have bought two things this year through this group, a GT Zaskar LE
frame, new in the box with slight cosmetic ding for $350 (negotiated
from $375) and a Flashlite 2 tent with a tiny hole, professionally
repaired, for $100.  Both carried resonable prices in the original
post, offered to pay the shipping, and clearly spelled out the
possible problems with the product for sale.  Both sales were
satisfactory to all involved, and I am delighted with both.

I have seen many other Items for sale that I have wanted and bought
elsewhere because the posted prices were so ridiculous that I
had no basis for negotiation.  Typically, these are reposted with
sad wonderings as to why no one has responded.  C'est la vie.

In general, I think that anyone wanting to move something quickly
through posting should do the following:

    Be realistic with price.  Look at the true market value of
    your goods.  It is not what you paid.  You are going to take
    a loss.  If your fork, which was the hottest thing in July
    of this year, cost you $600 in a store is not any better
    than the new $375 fork that is available in December, its
    market value is certainly no more than $375, if it is new.
    Unless limited availability takes it out of the commodity
    realm (e.g., my Zaskar frame with blemish had only limited
    availibility) knock off 40% of the realistic market value.
    Our fork is now down to $225.  If this makes you too
    queasy, up it a bit and throw in shipping, say $275 with
    U.P.S. ground shipping, hmmm... not too bad.

    Clearly state everything of importance to the buyer, good
    and bad.  This will avoid later hassles, and greatly increase
    your trust factor.

    Don't initially offer at an inflated price, thinking to
    negotiate down (remember back to Onza Clipless Pedals for
    sale flame war).  It just makes it clear to an intellegent
    buyer that you are hoping to find a sucker, and will take
    whatever advantage you can.  This may not be true, but it
    will be clear, nonetheless.  Trust factor goes down the
    toilet.

    Make phone contact as soon as possible.  A human voice is
    often more comforting than an email address.

To anyoune who has read this far, thanks for putting up with my
rambling and opining.

------------------------------

Subject: 7.2  Bike Trailers

[Ed note:  The posting I saved on bike trailers is over 145k bytes, so
if you want a copy see the section on "Archives".]

------------------------------

Subject: 7.3  One Less Car T-Shirts
From: Alayne McGregor <[e-mail]>
                       (Ed Ravin  panix![e-mail])

The T-shirts are produced by Transportation Alternatives, a New York
City bicycle activist group. They're 100% cotton, have the TA logo
on the front, and ONE LESS CAR on the back.  Call TA for colors and
sizes currently in stock.  They're US$15 each.  No refunds or
exchanges.  Allow 6 weeks for delivery.  For people who have to
drive but feel guilty about it, they also have "I'm Polluting the
Atmosphere" bumper stickers at 3 for $5.

Send orders to:

Transportation Alternatives
92 Saint Marks Place
New York, NY 10009
USA
attn: One Less Car

I happen to have one of these shirts in my closet right now. Causes lots
of comments when my covivant and I ride our tandem with both us wearing
our shirts.

------------------------------

Subject: 7.4  Panniers and Racks
From: Sharon Pedersen <[e-mail]>

This is a condensed version of a longer article on panniers, low-rider
racks, loading and generators.    --Sharon   [e-mail]

                 --PANNIERS--
Price--cheaper may not be better, if they fall apart.  Commuting to
school entails stuffing sharp-cornered books into them thus making
sturdiness as important here as for touring.

Cut--an angled cut may make those books not fit so well.

Pockets--convenient for organization, but cuts down on versatile use
of space.  You can use stuff sacks for organization instead of pockets.
One big and one small pocket on each pannier is plenty.

Fastening--lots of options:  bungees and hooks, or fixed placement
hooks, or straps with buckles or cams.  Bungees and hooks have been
just fine in my own road experience, but for off-road riding, you will
want more security.  However, don't get a system with so many
attachments that you can't stand to take the panniers on/off.

Brands--the following is a by no means exhaustive list, with
telegraphic comments made in 1988.  Check local stores since features
may have changed since then.
  Eclipse--(no comment);  Kirtland--tourers like them;
  MPacks--panniers made by an actual bike tourer, Mike Center, in
    Santa Rosa, CA, [phone];
  Maddens--made in Boulder, "superior construction at better than
    average cost" yeah!  (I love mine, write for more glowing testimonials);
  Performance--low-cost, non-spring attachment;  Rhode Gear--expensive;
  Tailwind--aerodynamic, rigid attachment.

             --LOW-RIDER RACKS--
  Some manufacturers: Bruce Gordon, Blackburn, Vetta, Voyager.  The
Bruce Gordons are more expensive (~$70 in 1988) but are designed with
clearance for the quick-release skewer so you don't have to pry them
apart to take the front wheel off.

                --REAR RACKS--
  (No comment in the original article;  Blackburns seem to be the
standard and durable enough.)

                 --LOADING--
  Balance the load side-to-side and, if possible, fore-and-aft.
Keep heavier items low and towards the bottom bracket.  Rider, bike
and luggage together should have 55-60% of weight on rear wheel;
remainder on front.  Bike with front low-riders is quite stable.

                --GENERATORS--
  The usual location on the left seat-stay interferes with panniers.
Mount the generator on the right seat-stay facing the other way, and
it will work fine, despite rotating "backwards."  Or go with a
generator under the bottom bracket, which will have the advantage of
putting the wear on the tread rather than the sidewall of the tire.


------------------------------

Subject: 7.5  Clothing materials
From: Jim Carson <[e-mail]>

[Ed note: From a summary Jim posted]

Polarlite
  Fluffy, fleecy stuff also called Polarplus and Synchilla.  Comfortable.
  Incredibly warm, especially under something that breaks the wind.
  Doesn't wick moisture out very well.  Breathes very well.

Supplex (nylon)
  Comfortable.  It is breathable and water repellent (but NOT water proof).
  Seems to absorb a small amount of water if it is really getting drenched

Merino (wool)
  From a "breed of fine-wooled white sheep originating in Spain and producing
  a heavy fleece of exceptional quality."  I guess you could treat this as
  normal 100% wool.

Thermax
  An improvement on Polypro.  The big advantage is heat resistance so
  you can put it in the dryer.  Balance that against the extra cost.

CoolMax
  This stuff seems more like a plastic bag than the revolutionary wicking
  material it is advertised as.

Dacron
  Trademark name for Dupont polyester.  Woven fabric made from dacron is
  similar to nylon ripstop or taffeta, but not as stretchy.  Many of the
  better clothing insulations are made from dacron.  They are usually refered
  to by more specific trademark names, like quallofil, hollofil, polarguard,
  and dacron-88.

Lycra
  Used for its stretch, mostly a warm weather (>65 degrees) thing.

GoreTex
  A teflon based membrane with microscopic holes.  Gortex's claim to
  fame is that it will let water vapor (from perspiration) through, but
  not liquid water (rain).  It blocks wind fairly well too.  The
  membrane is delicate, so it always comes laminated between 2 layers of
  other material.  It does not breathe enough.  There are less expensive
  alternatives.

Polypropylene
  Does not wick very well.  Can be uncomfortable.  Troublesome to
  care for (e.g. can pill badly)  Will keep you fairly warm if soaked.
  Not very wind resistant.  Melts in the dryer.

Capilene
  Wicks moisture away.  Very comfortable.  Comes in different weights
  for more/less warmth.  [lots of favorable things about it... only
  really unfavorable thing is the co$t]

60/40 cloth -
  This is a cloth with nylon threads running one direction, cotton in
  the other. It was the standard wind parka material before Goretex came
  along, and is considerably less expensive.  Good wind resistance,
  fairly breathable.  Somewhat water resistant, especially if you spray
  it with Scotchguard, but won't hold up to a heavy rain.

------------------------------

Subject: 7.6  Seats

Seats are a very personal thing, for obvious reasons.  There are several
types of seats:

Leather
  Seats like the Brooks models.  Usually used by hard-core riders.  Requires
  breaking in before it's really comfortable.

Padded
  The usual bike seat, sometimes refered to as "anatomic".  Has padding
  where your "sit bones" (bottom of pelvis) supposed to rest.

Gel
  Like the padded seats, except they have a gel (e.g. Spenco Gel) in them
  for additional padding.  Reportedly, the gel can harden and/or shift,
  making the seat uncomfortable.

There are several types of seat pads (gel filled, containing an air bladder,
etc) that can be fitted over the seat to make it more comfortable.

If you are experiencing pain in delicate areas (especially you women readers)
you should make sure your seat is adjusted correctly (see the section on
seat adjustment).  Women may need a women's type seat, which is wider in
the back (women's sit bones are farther apart than men's).  Most pain
can be eliminated by a correctly adjusted seat, using a women's seat,
and riding so your body becomes used to it.

------------------------------

Subject: 7.7  Women's Saddles
From: Pamela Blalock <[e-mail]>

Many women who cycle have experienced frustration with trying to find
a comfortable saddle. It is amazing how many times I end up talking
with other women about saddles.  This article comes from those
discussions and an informal survey of woman's saddle preferences. This
is a dynamic article and changes on occasion, so if you have comments
please contact me ([e-mail]) and I will incorporate your
comments.

While this is intended to be an article on women's saddles, since so
many other things can contribute to potential saddle pain, it will
also address some of these issues as well.

Just as women are different from men, we are also different from each
other.  Since (fortunately) there is no mold into which we were all
poured, what works for one woman may not work for another.

First, be sure that your bike fits properly.  Many women end up with
overly padded shorts and a big fat thickly padded saddle instead of
with a bike that fits properly. No saddle will be comfortable if the
bike is too big, or set up incorrectly. It is important to find
someone who knows about fit and specifically about women's fit and get
the bike set up properly before making other changes. In addition to
being more comfortable, a bike that really fits will also handle
better than one that is improperly sized. It isn't always easy to find
someone willing to take the time, but when you find a shop that will,
give them lots of business and send your friends there! Go to shops
during non-prime hours for the best service. You won't get a salesman
to spend an hour letting you try different saddles on a Saturday
afternoon, but you might on a Tuesday morning.

[ See Section 7.8 for more information on bikes for women ]

Now to saddles. A woman's hip bones tend to be set farther apart than
a man's.  (This is a design feature to help with childbirth!)  Every
woman is different, and there are many women out there with narrower
hip bones. To determine where you sit bones are, sit on a low curb.
Sorry, a chair won't do! When you sit on the curb, you will be able to
feel your sit bones. This is what you want supported by your bike
saddle. Avocet used to run a great ad showing a hip bone sitting on a
saddle. (look in old copies of bike magazines). With a saddle that's
too narrow, a woman may find herself effectively straddling it with
her hip bones, or slipping off of one side and pinching nerves - which
may eventually cause the legs or feet to go numb. A saddle that's too
wide will also cause problems.

A saddle that's slightly wider in the back (than the man's saddle that
comes on most stock bikes) may offer better support for the sit bones.
BTW, I'm not talking about those foot wide saddles you see on exercise
bikes at the gym. These are too wide for anyone.

I have quite a few retired women's saddles with depressed gel
indicating exactly where my bones are. Actually, looking at and
feeling your old saddle will tell you a lot about where you do and do
not need support! It's important to try out several different saddles
to find one that fits.  Terry does produce a couple of different width
models but they are still somewhat limited.  Widths do vary from
manufacturer to manufacturer - so for example, if the Terry is too
wide or too narrow, try the Vetta or Avocet or some other brand. Ask
your local dealer to let you put your bike on a trainer in the shop
and try sitting on and riding a few of his saddles. Saddles are fairly
easy to change and a good shop should be willing to let you try this.
(But not on a busy Saturday afternoon!) Some shops now have a device
that makes this easier. It is a stationary bike with merry-go-round of
saddles. You can sit on the saddle, pedaling, and then dismount and
swing the next saddle to be tried in place. It isn't as good as trying
a saddle on your bike, but will tell you a lot more than holding a
saddle and poking it, which it seems it how most saddles are
purchased!

There are several women's saddles on the market, many of which are
padded with some form of gel. I have used (and retired) several of
these with no complaints. The gel does compress after a while
(regardless of sex), so these saddles do have to be replaced (for me
it's every 10,000 miles). Brooks also has several different models of
women's leather saddles, which some women swear by. I swar at them,
but that's me! (And there are women who swear at the saddles I swear
by!) And rather than needing to be replaced after 10,000 miles, the
Brooks is probably just getting broken in well at that point!

Many women who responded to my survey said that they have the nose of
their saddle tilted slightly forward to alleviate pressure on the soft
tissue. A large variety of saddles were used with this method. One
rider pointed out that having a seatpost with infinitely adjustable
angles, like the American Classic or Control Tech, will help one to
find the perfect angle. With the ratchet type adjustment of most, she
was never able to get the angle quite right. One problem with having
the saddle tilted too far forward is that you may end up with two much
weight/pressure on your wrists and hands. The result is numb hands and
pain in the lower back.

In John Forester's "Effective Cycling" book, he suggests getting a
cheap plastic saddle and carving out a depression in the area where
the labia would normally rest.  This would place the weight on the sit
bones where it belongs, and remove it from the genital area, where it
does not. A couple of women used this idea and modified saddle pads in
this way. I watched a Spenco pad slowly get modified in this way each
day throughout PAC Tour last year. One survey respondent cut up a
neoprene pad and put it under the covering of her Flite saddle.

There are a couple of women's saddles which specifically address this
issue, the Terry Sport and the (formerly) Miyata Pavea (see the end of
the article for more info on acquiring this saddle). Both are shorter
and wider than the typical man's saddle and both have a hole to
suspend soft tissue. These saddles should be comfortable when level.
The Miyata leaves the hole exposed, while the Terry is covered in an
open-cell low-density foam. I should also point out that with the
Terry, the hole is in the nose, while the Miyata saddle has the hole
in the middle, further back.

While like many women, I tend to bend more at the waist, I also roll
my hips forward on a saddle to get in a more comfortable (and aero
cycling position). This means that on a standard saddle I am pressing
directly on tender tissue. Since I've switched to a saddle with a hole
in it, I can without any saddle related discomfort roll my hips
forward, and strech out on the aero bars for hours!

I heard from Carol Grossman, an Australian rider praising another
saddle. She wrote , "I have a Selle Bassano modular seat, which may or
may not be available in the US ( I live in Australia now).  It has two
halves, with the split running nose-to-tail and a gap between them.
It joins together at the nose.  The width of the seat, and therefore
of the gap as well, is adjustable so you can set it to match the width
of your seatbones.  It has titanium rails, which give it a little bit
of spring.  I must say, though, that it is quite firm and if I have
not been riding much and go for a long ride I do get sore seatbones.
But I can live with sore seatbones!  Interestingly, the packaging
material said nothing about it being for women -- it was marketted as
a seat for men who suffered numbness."

My concern with this saddle is that as you make it wider in the back
to accommodate sit bones, you are also making the middle wider as
well. I have not personally triedon e of these yet.

T-Gear makes a leather saddle with a diamond shape cut in the middle.
The saddle is quite narrow and firm, and didn't fit me, but I've heard
some men rave about it. John, my SO found it too narrow in the back,
and too wide in the middle. Like the Selle Modular seat it is marketed
to men with numbness problems. (Mine is for sale!)

Another saddle I have tried very briefly is an Easy Seat. This is
actually two separate pieces, which rock independently. The only
points of contact are the hip bones - although the backs of my legs
rub the saddle. The two pieces can be adjusted for width and angle. I
know of a couple of women who used these saddles to salvage Race
Across America attempts, when saddle sores otherwise would have taken
them out of the race. I mounted this saddle on the bike on my indoor
trainer, but we had a wickedly mild winter, so I didn't use it this
year.

I have used both the Terry and the Miyata a lot. (These were the two
most popular saddles in the survey.) I've received lots of positive
comments from women (and men) about their experiences with these
saddles.  The men seem to notice the difference more after the ride
later in the evening :) when their partners weren't complaining about
saddle tenderness!

In 1992 I did BMB, a 750 mile ride in less than 4 days on the back of
a tandem.  That's a lot of time on a saddle. I'd been using the Terry
for over 6 months and it worked great on everything up to 200 miles.
But 400 miles into the trip, I was ready to rip the foam out of the
hole. Once the swelling started, the presence of the foam became
unbearable. Even though there was no plastic shell underneath, there
was still something! I asked our crew person to see if he could find
the Miyata saddle. It's often quite difficult to find women's
products, and I was almost shocked when he showed up 20 miles later
with this wonderful saddle with an exposed hole. He had found the
Miyata. The difference was immediately noticeable. In addition to the
missing foam, the hole was further back (more where I needed the
relief). I probably would have finished the ride without it, but I
wouldn't have been in a good mood for days! The Miyata is a little
harder under the sit bones than the Terry, but that's not where I was
experiencing pain, and as Carol said above, it was worth the
sacrifice.  Of course the saddle is different looking and draws lots
of comments and sexual innuendoes, but it saved my ride. Over three
years and 45,000 miles later, including 2 x-country rides and another
BMB, I still love my Miyata and won't ride anything else.

Not all women like the wider saddles. Some women find all women's
saddles too wide.  Several women responded to the survey saying they
prefer a man's saddle. Some of these even felt they had wide hip
bones.  For those who use a narrow saddle, finding one that was flat
on top seemed to help with the above mentioned problems.  Others who
liked various women's saddles still found them a little thick in the
middle, even if they were the right width in the back. Someday, maybe
we will see women's saddles in various widths. We must create the
demand though.

Terry does makes a men's version of their Sport saddle. It is narrower
and has a longer nose and hole than the women's model. It also doesn't
say Terry on it anywhere. Instead it is marketed under the initials
TFI. Both this saddle and new models of the Sport have a (politically
correct) simulated leather covering. I know of several men who really
like this saddle, especially when using aero-bars. Women who find the
Terry Sport too wide may want to check this one out.

I've seen Terry saddles change a bit over the past couple of years.
One change is from a lycra cover to a simulated leather cover. Some
women didn't like the feel of the lycra.  (I do.) Another women
noticed after replacing a stolen one with a new one that the foam in
the hole seems to be getting firmer, kind of negating the benefit of
the hole.  Terry does offer a 30 day money back guarantee on their
products, so you can *painlessly* decide if you'd like a Terry saddle
or not.

They have also produced a couple of racing saddles. The first was the
same width in the back as their Sport model, but narrower through the
middle and had titanium rails. I was one of the lucky few to get one
of these. They replaced it with a Flite lookalike with holes drilled
in the nose. I tried one of these and must say for me it was the most
uncomfortable thing I ever came into contact with. But if you prefer a
narrow saddle like a Flite, you'll probably like this one.

Speaking of which, many women do LIKE Flite and other really narrow
saddles. I know that at their cycling camps, Betsy King and Anna
Schwartz get many women on them. They stress the flexibility of the
saddle with it's titanium rails and thin shell. They are very good for
mountain biking where you want to slide off the back of the saddle for
balance where a wide saddle would get in the way. I even know of a few
women who use them for distance cycling. Two women used them on the
x-country ride I did in 93, but they had very narrow set hip bones.
The other 15 women had women's models of one type or another,
including Terry, Brooks and of course I had my beloved Miyata.

And I would be completely negligent if I didn't mention that one
respondent said that recumbents almost always solve the uncomfortable
saddle problem.  (Thanks to David Wittenberg for pointing this out.
His wife won't ride anything else.)

Other suggestions for improved saddle comfort included trying
different shorts. There are a lot of different shorts out there - far
more than saddles and just like saddles, they all fit differently. The
common theme from most women was to stay away from shorts with seams
in the center. This includes seams in the lycra as well as the chamois
(good luck!). On multiday rides, you may want to use different brands
of shorts, since having the seam in the same place day after day may
also cause irritation. Shorts that bunch up in front may cause also
discomfort.

Pearl Izumi and Urbanek make very nice women's shorts. And of course
Terry produces women's shorts. Some have fuller hips, longer legs,
wider elastic leg grippers, etc. I really prefer bib or one piece
suits, since there is no binding elastic at the waist. These are less
convenient for quick bathroom stops, but I prefer the added comfort.
Some women like longer legs, some shorter. Some prefer thick chamois,
some fake, some real. Try on as many different types as you can, until
you find one that fits you the best. Women are even more varied on
their opinions about shorts than on saddles, so just keep trying new
ones until you find the perfect pair for you.

(And while on the subject of saddle comfort, I use a combination of
Desitin (or some other diaper rash ointment) and powder sprinkled
liberally in my shorts to keep myself dry and rash-free.)

I can't stress enough that each woman is different and no one saddle
is perfect for all of us. Just because a local or national racer, or
your friend, or this author uses a particular type of saddle doesn't
mean that it will work for you. Don't let anyone intimidate you into
riding something that is uncomfortable, or changing the angle of your
saddle because it's different. Use the setup that's most comfortable
for you.

Among the saddles recommended by respondents were
Terry Women's (most popular of the survey)
Miyata Pavea (my favorite and a close second in the survey)
TFI (men's version of the Terry Sport)
women's Selle Italia Turbo
Avocet O2 (said to be as comfy as the above Turbo, but lighter)
WaveFlo Avocet Women's Racing saddle
Viscount saddle
San Marco Regal
Brooks B-17 and Brooks Pro
Flite
Terry Racing (like a Flite with holes drilled in the plastic)
Selle Bassano modular seat

(Of course some women swear at saddles that others swear by! Did I
mention that we are all DIFFERENT?)

Since Miyata no longer imports into the US, another source has been
found for the saddle with the hole in the middle. Tandems East is now
carrying this saddle (with their name imprinted on the back.) You can
contact Mel Kornbluh at Tandems East at [phone] or (609)
453-8626 FAX.

------------------------------

Subject: 7.8  Women's Bikes

This subject has been compiled from different sources.

   Part 1 is Lynn Karamanos' discussion from her questions about
   purchasing a Terry bike.

   Part 2 is the information from Pamela Blalock about the differences in
   fitting women's bikes and suggestions for what to look for.

   Part 3 was added by Marcy Stutzman and is a listing of different types
   of bikes that are either scaled down with smaller wheels or
   specifically designed for women.

Part 1

Lynn Karamanos <[e-mail]>

Here's a summary of the info I received on whether or not to purchase a
Terry bike.

1.) First, find a good bike shop, one that will try to find a bike that
fits you, not just sell you what they have in stock.

2.) Ride many different bikes to see what's best for you. You may be able
to find other bikes that fit just as well as a Terry once you've made some
adjustments/replacements (stem, crank arms, etc.).

3.) If you can't find any other bike to fit you, then a Terry's worth the
extra money.

4.) Except for about two people who sent me email, everyone who's ridden a
Terry has loved it. Even those two people said they knew others who loved
Terry bikes. Bottom line: the fit depends on your build. Women with long
legs/short torso seem to be the ones who like them, not necessarily just
short women.

5.) Also a few people mentioned that there are other road bikes that are
specifically "designed for women" or that fit women well. The names
mentioned: Fuji, Miyata, Bridgestone, Specialized (Sirrus). Also, someone
mentioned that the same production line in Japan that makes Terry
"proportioned" bikes also makes them under other labels. (Also one mountain
bike was named, Mongoose Hilltopper, and two hybred bikes, Univega Via
Activa and Giant Inova.)

6.) Something to keep in mind if you buy a Terry with a small front
wheel... replacement tubes and tires for smaller wheels could be more
difficult to find and/or more expensive.

7.) In case you're looking at older model Terry's, a few people mentioned
that until a couple years ago, some Terry bikes were $200-$300 less than
they are now.

Part 2

Pamela Blalock [e-mail]

Considerations for women buying bikes.

Most production bikes are built proportionally for the AVERAGE MAN.
But the average man tends to be taller than the average woman, so
women, especially smaller women, may have a much more difficult time
finding a bike that fits. Using the old guidelines of sizing a bike by
straddling the top tube may leave you a bike with a top tube that is
too long, since many of these smaller bikes have shorter seat tubes,
but the top tubes are left at the same length as larger bikes, so the
bike is no longer scaled proportionately. Of course this is not
strictly a woman's issue, but one that all smaller riders face.

Empirical evidence has come to suggest that many women are more
comfortable with a shorter top tube - stem combination than men.
Originally it was theorized that this was due to women having longer
legs and shorter torsos than men of the same height. Statistics have
proven otherwise. But despite the similar proportions, many women
still felt stretched out on bikes that men of the same size felt
comfortable on. There is no one definitive explanation for this. Some
have proposed that women may bend from the waist while men pivot more
at the hips, which would explain why two riders with identical torso
lengths might still want different top tube stem lengths. Georgena
Terry has observed that women tend to sit further back on their
saddles than men, which she believes is due to different distributions
in muscle mass. Again this could lead to that stretched out feeling.

I struggled for the longest time to get comfortable on a bike. I always
wanted to sit further back than I could. I finally found a gadget that
I could use to mount my saddle further back on the seat post. This
really helped. What helped even more was when I switched to a softride
bike. I switched for comfort, but discovered a very pleasant benefit,
that with the 5 inch range (fore/aft) of saddle adjustment along the
flat part of the beam, I could effectively choose any seat tube angle
I wanted. I could finally get my saddle far enough back.

A riding position that leaves the rider too stretched out can cause saddle
pain. It is not necessary to run out and buy a new bike right away if the
top tube on your current bike is too long. Using a shorter stem on a this
bike MAY give you a more comfortable reach. Very short stems, less than 40
mm, are available, but may have to be specially ordered.

Some shops use a fitting system called the Fit Kit. The numbers
generated from the Fit Kit are just guidelines and may not work for
everybody, especially women, since most of the original data was
collected for men. It is important to RIDE your bike and make
adjustments to achieve a perfect fit. Others may use an infinitely
adjustable stationary bike. One has been developed by Ben Serotta to
help choose the perfect size bike - whether it is a Serotta or not.
Adjustable stems are available to help you and the shop pick a perfect
length stem the first time, rather than the expensive trial and error
method of buying different length stems repeatedly until you find the
right size. Unless your current bike is a really, really poor fit, you
should be able to make a few relatively inexpensive changes to improve
the fit. Then when upgrading or buying a new bike, use what you have
learned to buy a bike that fits better.

Some builders tried to shorten the top tube by increasing the seat tube
angle, which then may place the rider uncomfortably far forward over the
pedals. This forces the rider to use an adapter in the seat post to get the
saddle back, which counteracts the *shorter* top tube. A steep seat tube
angle may be good for a time trial or triathlon, but is not comfortable for
longer distances, recreational riding or touring. And if it is true that
women tend to be more comfortable sitting further back, then this is really
counterproductive.

A sloping top tube has been used by many manufacturers to achieve a shorter
seat tube and more standover clearance, but this leaves the top tube length
the same as that for a larger bike, so the smaller rider still feels
streched out on a somewhat out of proportion bike..

Several manufacturers have started building bikes proportionally sized for
smaller riders to specifically address those needs. There are several
different ways of getting the smaller geometry. Some bikes have a small 24"
wheel in front and a 700C or 26" wheel in back, others have two 26"or 650C
wheels. To truly scale down a frame keeping it in proportion, it is
necessary to go with smaller wheels.

To avoid confusion, let me state that by 26", I am referring to 559mm bead
seat diameter. This size wheel is most commonly used in mountain biking.
Thanks to mountain bikers use of very narrow rims, and a few tire
manufacturers willingness to make narrow, slick tires for this size, these
wheels can be used to build smaller bikes with proper proportions. Several
manufacturers make 1.25 high pressure slicks which are very nice for loaded
touring or casual riding. Specialized has the ATB turbo, which they
advertise as 1 inch wide. I am currently using these on my commuter in good
weather. And I understand from recumbent riding friends that other 26X1"
tires are available through 'bent specialty shops. While the selection of
narrow tires is somewhat limited, it is growing. I understand there is more
variety in Germany, and soon both Ritchey and Continental will have narrow
tires available in the US market.

By 650C, I am referring to wheels with a bead seat diameter of 571mm. These
wheels have found their way onto many triathlon bikes. These wheels are
also occasionally referred to as 26" wheels, which is why the bead seat
diameter number is so important. Tires for these two different *26 inch*
wheel sizes are NOT interchangeable, and it is very important to know which
one you have. Currently there is a very narrow range of tires available for
this wheel size, and I mean narrow in more ways than one. In the US, the
widest available tire is a Continental 23 or Michelin 20. In my opinion,
neither of these tires is really wide enough for general purpose use on
rough roads, and definitely not quite up to touring standards. Of course I
live in New England where road surfaces are quite rough. I have used wheels
of this size on a softride equipped bike. I don't believe I could take the
shock from such a skinny tire on a non-suspended bike, at least not for
longer rides.

700C is of course ISO 622, and is the most common wheel size for road bikes
in the US today.

In addition to a shorter top tube, women's bikes may also have smaller
brake levers, narrower handlebars, shorter cranks and wider saddles.
Georgena Terry was the pioneer in this area, but many other manufacturers
now build women's bikes. They may cost a little more than a comparably
equipped man's bike, due to higher production costs for fewer number of
parts. But, I believe that the extra initial cost to get a properly fit
bike will pay off in the long run, since you will either stop riding an
uncomfortable or poorly fitting bike, or you will eventually replace the
poorly fitting parts at additional cost.

Part 3

Womens Bikes manufacturer list by Marcy Stuzman, [e-mail]

I have compiled a partial list of what bikes I have heard of that are
designed specifically for women or small people. I have only ridden one of
these bikes myself, so I really can't comment on any of them. I would like
any comments from owners about these mailed to me so that they can be
included in the future.

Marinoni manufacturers a small frame, but it is not featured in their
homepage. For a description of this bike, you can visit Wedgewood
Cycles home page which does give a description of this bike.

The Marinoni comes in sizes up to 52 cm and has 26 inch wheels, which
can use slick mountain bike tires.

Bianchi makes a version of their bike called the Eros that comes with
the smaller wheels, but their web page so far is only finished in
Italian, so I couldn't discern much about the bike.

Cannondale manufacturered two bikes last year with the compact frame
(R500 and R800), but for 1997 is offering only the R600 in the compact
size.

Rodrigues is manufacturing a small bike which was featured in the Jan
1997? issue of Bicycling magazine. One nice feature is that this bike
uses Dia Comp's small hands brake levers and bar end shifters, which
may be easier for women with small hands to use than the Ergo or STI
shifters that are popular.

Waterford makes a bike, but I have been unable to find much more
information on this manufacturer.

Performance made a bike in 1994 called the Expresso that used a scaled
down design and 650c tires, but this design has been discontinued.

Rivendell also designs 50 cm bikes the 26" mountain bike sized wheels
and offers shorter top tubes on their bikes if you need it.

Trek offers its 470 roadbike in sizes as as small as 43 cm with 700c
wheels.

Terry bikes have been discusses extensively earlier in this article
and they don't yet have a home page, so I will just refer you to the
discussions above. (e-mail: [e-mail])

It was brought to my attention that Bike Friday, a folding bike with
20" wheels, does come in very small frame sizes for short people. Many
different brands of mountain bikes come in smaller sizes, including
Bontranger, Fat Chance and Ibis, but small mountain bikes are somewhat
easier to find than small road bikes.

------------------------------

Subject: 7.9  Bike Rentals
From: Various <people>

Skate Escape   Ph. 404-892-1292
1086 Piedmont Ave. (Corner of 12th & Piedmont)
Atlanta, GA. 30332


Lincoln Guide Service
Lincoln Center
Lincoln, MA
[phone]
  Rents mountain, road, kids bikes, and trailers.  About 11 miles west of
  Boston, within sight of Lincoln Center commuter rail stop.


Team Bicycle Rentals
508 Main
Huntington Beach, CA
[phone]
  12spd $29/day, MTB $29/day, Santana tandem $69

Gregg's Greenlake
Seattle, WA


Second Gear
Seattle, WA


New York City Area:
All phone numbers are area code (212).

A West Side Bicycle Store -- 231 W 96th St -- 663 7531
Eddie's Bicycles Shop -- 490 Amsterdam Ave -- 580 2011
Country Cycling Tours -- 140 W 83rd St -- 874 5151
AAA Central Park Bicycle Rentals -- 72nd St/ Central Pk Boathouse -- 861 4137
Midtown Bicycles -- 360 W 47th St -- 581 4500
Sixth Avenue Bicycles -- 546 Avenue of the Americas -- 255 5100
Metro Bicycle -- 1311 Lexington Ave -- 427 4450
Larry and Jeff's Bicycles Plus -- 204 E 85th St -- 794 2201
Gene's 79th Street Discounted Bicycles -- 242 E 79th St -- 249 9218
Peddle Pusher Bicycle Shop -- 1306 2nd Ave -- 288 5594
A Bicycle Discount House -- 332 E 14th St -- 228 4344
City Cycles -- 659 Broadway -- 254 4457

San Francisco

Park Cyclery -- 1865 Haight street (at Stanyan) -- 751-RENT
Start to Finish -- 599 2nd Street at Brannan -- 861-4004

Pismo Beach, CA

Beach Cycle Rentals, 150 Hinds Avenue, Pismo Beach, CA  93449 [phone]
   http://www.fix.net/~pismobill/ or E-Mail [e-mail]

Marin County, CA

Caesars Cyclery -- 29 San Anselmo Ave San Anselmo -- 258-9920
Far-go bike Shop -- 194 Northgate #1 Shopping Center San Rafael -- 472-0253
Ken's Bike and Sport -- 94 Main Street (Downtown Tiburon) -- 435-1683
Wheel Escapes -- 1000 Magnolia Ave Larkspur -- 415-332-0218


Austin, TX area

[all stores rent ONLY mountain bikes]
Bicycle Sport Shop -- 1426 Toomey Road -- [phone]
University Schwinn -- 2901 N. Lamar Blvd -- [phone]
University Schwinn -- 1542 W. Anderson Ln -- [phone]
Velotex Inc -- 908-B W 12th St -- [phone]

Boulder, CO

Boulder Bikesmith, Arapahoe Village, Boulder, [phone]
Bike'n'Hike, 1136 Main St, Longmont, [phone]
High Wheeler, 1015 Pearl St., Boulder, [phone]
   (MTBs, Road and MTB tandems)
Lousiville Cyclery, 1032 S. Boulder Rd, Louisville, [phone]
Morgul-Bismark, 1221 Pennsylvania Ave, Boulder, [phone]
Doc's Ski and Sport, Table Mesa Center, Boulder, [phone]
University Bikes, 9th and Pearl, Boulder, [phone]
(MTBs and Tandems)
Full Cycle. 1211 13th St., Boulder, [phone]
High Gear, 1834 N. Main, Longmont, [phone]
Cutting Edge Sports, 1387 S. Boulder Rd., Louisville, [phone]

------------------------------

Subject: 7.10  Bike Lockers

This article has been removed due to out of date information.  If anyone
would like to redo this, please submit it as per the instructions at the
begining of this FAQ.

------------------------------

Subject: 7.11  Bike computer features

[This table was created from information contained in Performance and Nashbar
catalogs.  In the table below, 'Y' means that the computer has the feature,
'O' means it is an optional feature.]

                 Speed  Ave   Max  Total Trip  Elpsd Clock Auto  Count
                       Speed Speed Miles Miles Time        OnOff Down
Avocet 30          Y           Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Avocet 40          Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Avocet 50          Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Cateye Micro       Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Cateye Mity        Y           Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Cateye Mity 2      Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Cateye Wireless    Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Cateye Vectra      Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Cateye ATC         Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Ciclo 37           Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y           Y     Y
Ciclo IIA          Y     Y     Y     Y     Y                 Y     Y
Performance ITV    Y                 Y     Y     Y           Y     Y
Vetta Innovator    Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Vetta HR1000       Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Vetta C-10         Y           Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Vetta C-15         Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Vetta C-20         Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Vetta Two          Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Vetta Wireless     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Specialized        Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     S
   Speed Zone

                 Cadence Wireless Altitude Heart
                                           Rate
Avocet 30
Avocet 40
Avocet 50          O                 Y
Cateye Micro       Y
Cateye Mity
Cateye Mity 2
Cateye Wireless             Y
Cateye Vectra
Cateye ATC
Ciclo 37
Ciclo IIA          O                 O       O
Performance ITV
Vetta Innovator
Vetta HR1000                                 Y
Vetta C-10
Vetta C-15
Vetta C-20         Y
Vetta Two          Y
Vetta Wireless              Y
Specialized
   Speed Zone

------------------------------

Subject: 7.12  Recumbent Bike Info
From: David Wittenberg <[e-mail]>
                     (updated by Gary Walsh  [e-mail])

Here's my standard response to questions about recumbents.  I'd be
happy to answer more specific questions.


Here's some info I posted in the fall of 1990.  I think it's still pretty much
up to date.  Changes from the last posting are in []'s.

--David Wittenberg

A few words about recumbent design, and then I'll provide a much
larger list of recumbent manufacturers.

There are three main choices in designing (or buying) a recumbent.
Frame material -- all the ones I know of are either Alumninum or Steel.
Wheelbase --  The front wheel can either be in front of the bottom bracket
(long wheelbase) or behind it (short wheelbase).  You can't have a medium
wheelbase without a lot of extra work because the wheel and the bottom
bracket would interfere with each other.  Long wheelbase is reputed to
be a bit more stable, while short wheelbase machines are often easier to
fit into cars for transport.  Some long wheelbase recumbents fold in
neat ways to fit into a remarkably small space.
Handlebars -- under seat or in front of the rider.  Under seat is probably
a more comfortable position when you get used to it (your hands just hang
at your sides), and may be somewhat safer if you get thrown forward as
there is nothing in front of you.  High handlebars are somewhat faster
as your arms are in front of you instead of at your side, thus reducing
the frontal area.  Some people find them more natural.
[There are long wheelbase bikes with both high and low handlebars.  I don't
know of any short wheelbase, low handlebar recumbents, but there may
be some I don't know of.]

The following updated by Gary Walsh ([e-mail]) March 2000.

Recumbent Bicycle FAQs:

    http://www.ihpva.org/FAQ/
    http://www.recumbents.com/faq.htm

Recumbent Mailing Lists
    HPV mailing lists
    http://www.ihpva.org/mailing_lists/

    HPVSO mailing list
    http://www.hpv.on.ca/hpvso/maillist.htm

    W.H.I.R.L mailing list
    http://www.topica.com/lists/whirl/

    Linear mailing list
    http://www.linearrecumbents.com/LinearMailList.html


Recumbent Bicycle Organizations and Clubs

    The International Human Powered Vehicle Association:
    http://www.ihpva.org
    An association of national associations and organizations,
    dedicated to promoting improvement, innovation and creativity
    in the use of human power, especially in the design and
    development of     human-powered vehicles (not just bicycles).

    Human Powered Vehicles of Southern Ontario
    http://www.hpv.on.ca

    Washington's Happily Independent Recumbent Lovers (W.H.I.R.L)
    http://www.recumbents.com/whirl/Default.htm

    Recumbents.com's list of Recumbent and Human Powered Vehicle Clubs
    http://www.recumbents.com/clubs.htm


Recumbent Publications

    Recumbent Cyclist News
    http://www.recumbentcyclistnews.com
    The premier source of recumbent news and reviews of commercially
    available recumbents in North America.

    Human Power
    http://www.ihpva.org/pubs/human_power.htm
    The technical journal of the IHPVA

    HPV News
    http://www.ihpva.org/pubs/hpv_news.htm
    Newsletter of the Human Powered Vehicles Association.

    Recumbent UK
    http://www.btinternet.com/~laidback/recumbentuk/
    A British recumbent quarterly magazine.

    Bike Culture Quarterly
    http://bikeculture.com
    Published by Open Road in the UK. They also publish the yearly
    buyer's guide,  Encycleopedia.

    Bent Rider Online
    http://www.bentrideronline.com
    An e-mag that started with the January 2000 issue.

    E-Bent
    http://www.e-bent.com
    Another new (in 2000) e-mag.

Other Recumbent Links

    Recumbents.com
    http://www.recumbents.com/
    A good source of recumbent links and information.

    Bicycle HPV Recumbent Resources and Sources
    http://www.bikeroute.com/Recumbents/
    By Cycle America the National Bicycle Greenway in action.

Manufacturers and Dealers
    See lists at:
    The Human Power Source Guide -  http://www.ihpva.org/SourceGuide/
    http://www.bikeroute.com/Recumbents/
    http://www.recumbents.com/manufacturers.htm
    http://www.recumbentcyclistnews.com/pages/resources.html
    http://www.hpv.on.ca/hpvso/links.htm



[This has been copied from a flyer written by Robert Bryant of the
Recumbent Cyclist Magazine.  He has given me permission to submit
it for the FAQ. - GW July 1992]

          Have You Ever Considered a RECUMBENT BICYCLE?

WHY RECUMBENT BICYCLES?
     There are many reasons to consider a recumbent.  First and foremost
is comfort.  When you ride a recumbent bicycle you will no longer have
an aching back, stiff neck, numb wrists or a sore a sore bottom.  You
will sit in a relaxed easy-chair position.  You will be able to ride
longer with less fatigue and arrive at your destination feeling
refreshed.  The recumbent position offerd you a great view of the
countryside. While seated you will look straight ahead. This allows your
lungs and chest more open and free breathing.  Recumbents are very
versatile machines.  They can be used for a wide range of applications:
recreational/sport riding, for the daily commute, a fast double century
and they are great for long distance touring.

RECUMBENT PERFORMANCE
     Recumbents hold all of the human-powered speed records.  This is
because they are aerodynamically superior to conventional bicycles;
less frontal area means less wind resistance.  The Lightning F-40
currently holds the Race Across America speed record of five days and
one hour.  Gardner Martin's Easy Racer Gold Rush, ridden by Fast Freddie
Markham, was the winner of the Dupont Prize for breaking 65mph.  You
can currently buy production versions of these bicycles.  Fairings for
street use are common and optional equipment on most commercially built
models.  They protect you from rain, cold and wind, with up to a 30%
reduction in drag.  Commercially available recumbents are not always
faster than conventional bicycles.  It depends mainly on the individual
rider.  Your best bet is to do you homework and if your goal is
performance and speed, be sure that you look for a recumbent designed
for this purpose.

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT RECUMBENT BICYCLES
1) Do recumbents climb hills well?  Yes they do, although climbing on a
recumbent requires a different technique, you must gear down and spin.
Maintaining an efficient spin takes some practice & conditioning, once
mastered, it takes less physical effort to climb hills.  Depending on
your riding style, your speeds can range from slowwer to even faster
than on a conventional bicycle.
2) Can recumbents be seen in traffic?  Recumbents with a higher seating
position may be better suited for riding in traffic than some of the
low-slung designs.  The use of use of proper safety devices such as
safety flags and reflective devices is recommended.  Recumbent bicycles
are different, futuristic and they get noticed.  Many riders feel they
get more respect from motorists while on their recumbents.
3) Are they safe?  Recumbent's are safer than a conventional bicycle.
Due to the low centre of gravity, they stop faster.  Brakes can be
evenly applied to both wheels simultaneously providing more traction
without throwing the rider over the handlebars.  In crash situations,
the rider goes down to the side absorbing the impact with the hip and
leg rather than flying over the handlebars and absorbing the impact on
your head and shoulder.  Straight ahead vision is also better on a
recumbent, however, rear view mirrors are necessary for proper
rearward
vision.

RECUMBENT PAST HISTORY
     Why are recumbents such a rare sight?  Space age technology?  New
type of bicycle?  Not really, recumbent bicycles actually go back as
far as the mid to late 1800's with the Macmillan Velocopede and the
Challand Recumbent.  In the 1930's, a series of events took place that
changed bicycling history.  A French second category professional
track cyclist named Francois Faure rode the Velocar, a two wheeled
recumbent bicycle designed and built by Charles Mochet, to
record-shattering speeds, breaking both the mile and kilometre records
of the day.  This created a storm of controversy within the U.C.I.
(United Cycliste International), bicycle rating's governing body.  The
debate centred on whether the Velocar was a bicycle and were these
records legal?  In 1934 they ruled against the Mochet-Faure record,
banning recumbent bicycles and aerodynamic devices from racing.  Were
U.C.I. members worried that the recumbent bicycle would displace the
conventional design?  Did they realize this would freeze bicycle and
human-powered vehicle development for the next forty years?  This is
why bicycles of taday look very similar to the Starkey and Sutton
Safety (upright/conventional) of 1885.  Just think where bicycle
technology would be today if the U.C.I. decision had gone the opposite
way.

MODERN RECUMBENT HISTORY
     Recumbent development was fairly quiet until the late 1960's.  Dan
Henry received some media attention for his long wheelbase design in
1968.  In the early 1970's, the human-powered revolution was starting up
on both the U.S. east coast by David Gordon, designer of the Avatar, and
on the west coast by Chester Kyle.  These pioneers recognized the need
for further development of human-powered vehicles. In the late 1970's
and early 1980's, this lead to the first commercial recumbent bicycle
designs such as the Avatar, Easy Racer and Hypercycle.  In 1990, the
Recumbent Bicycle Club of America was founded by Dick Ryan who currently
manufactures the Ryan Vanguard and was also involved with the Avatar
project in the early 1980's.  In 1988 recumbent promoter Robert Bryant
got his start writing "Recumbent Ramblings," a column for "HPV News."
In the summer of 1990, Robert founded the "Recumbent Cyclist Magazine,"
and in a short two years, RCM has become the source for recumbent bicyle
information in the world today.

------------------------------

Subject: 7.13  Buying a Bike

One thing to decide before buying a bike is what type to buy.  Here's a
brief list:

  Road bike    Once known as a "ten-speed", most are now 12 or 14 (or even
               16) speed.  There are several sub-types: racing, sport,
               and touring, the difference mostly in frame geometry.

  ATB          All-terrain bike, also known as mountain bike.  Great for
               riding in the dirt, these bikes usually have fat, knobby
               tires for traction in dirt and gravel.

  Hybrid       A bike that borrows from road bikes and ATBs.  For example,
               they have the light frame and 700c wheels of road bikes and
               fat knobby tires, triple cranks, wide-range derailleurs,
               flat handlebars and cantilever brakes from mountain bikes.


Bike buying hints

When you're ready to buy a bike, you should first decide what you want
to use the bike for.  Do you want to race?  Do you want to pedal along
leisurely?  Do you want to ride in the dirt?

Next, you should decide on a price range.  Plan to spend at least
$350 for a decent quality bike.

Now find a good bike shop.  Ask friends who bike.  Ask us here on the
net.  Chances are, someone here lives in your area and can recommend
a shop.

Now that you are ready to look for a bike, visit the shop(s) you have
selected.  Test ride several bikes in your price range.  How does it
feel?  Does it fit you?  How does it shift?  Does it have the features
you are looking for?  How do the shop personnel treat you?  Remember
that the shop gets the bike disassembled and has to spend a couple of
hours putting it together and adjusting things, so look for sloppy
work (If you see some, you may want to try another shop).  You might
want to try a bike above your price range to see what the differences
are (ask the salesperson).

Ask lots of questions - pick the salesperson's brain.  If you don't
ask questions, they may recommend a bike that's not quite right
for you.  Ask about places to ride, clubs, how to take care of your
bike, warranties, etc.  Good shops will have knowledgable people
who can answer your questions.  Some shops have free or low-cost
classes on bike maintenance; go and learn about how to fix a flat,
adjust the brakes and derailleurs, overhaul your bike, etc.
Ask your questions here - there are lots of people here just waiting
for an excuse to post!

Make sure that the bike fits you.  If you don't, you may find that
you'll be sore in places you never knew could be so sore.  For road
bikes, you should be able to straddle the top tube with your feet flat
on the ground and still have about 1 inch of clearance.  For mountain
bikes, give yourself at least 2-3 inches of clearance.  You may need
a longer or shorter stem or cranks depending on your build - most
bikes are setup for "average" bodies.  The bike shop can help you
with adjustments to the handlebars and seat.

Now that you've decided on a bike, you need some accessories.  You
should consider buying

   a helmet
   a frame pump
   a tube repair kit
   tire levers (plastic)
   a pressure gauge
   a seat pack (for repair kit, wallet, keys, etc)
   gloves
   a water bottle and cage
   a lock

The shop can help you select these items and install them on your bike.

------------------------------

Subject: 7.14  Kid's Bike Clothes

There are several places selling shorts and jerseys for kids:

  Performance Bike Shop  (see listing in section 9.2)
  Nashbar                ( "" )
  Rad Rat Ragz
    303/247-4649 (CO)
  Freewheelers
    617/423-2944 (MA)
  Teri T's
    503/383-2243 (OR)

------------------------------

Subject: 7.15  Repair stands

The Bicycle Service Station WWW site is at:

    http://members.home.net/wwseb/bike.html

------------------------------

Subject: 7.16  Updated Bike Locker listing
From:    [e-mail] (Thompson, John C.)
Date:    Wed, 08 Apr 1998 00:28:59 -0400

Bicycle Lockers - a Survey on the Internet - by John Thompson

At the January, 1998 City of London, Ontario, Canada Bicycle Advisory
Committee meeting, engineering department staff mentioned that City Hall
would be implementing facilities to better store bicycles for employees
who bicycle to work.  I understand that the planned facility is to be a
fenced, locked compound with a method of providing keys to the shared
facility for users.

At that meeting, I agreed to do a survey of bicycle locker facilities on
the Internet, to add possible improved options for the City to consider.
 I had also been interested in bicycle lockers at my place of employment
for quite some time now.  I have had my bike vandalized at work more than
once.  Also I find it takes too much time each day to remove the "gear"
from my bike (such as lights, handlebar bag and pump,) so it doesn't get
stolen or vandalized.  I'm interested in acquiring a bicycle locker at
work.

Here are the results of my survey, done in March, 1998.  The first source
of information I came across was an excellent start, and I must give
credit to the author, David H. Wolfskill, e-mail <[e-mail]>.
 I found this material first at the rec.bicycles news group Frequently
Asked Questions, and the article is located at:
http://draco.acs.uci.edu/rbfaq/FAQ/7.16.html.  I also ran across many other
versions in my search.  This article seems to be the definitive material
on bicycle lockers to this point.

I took the 12 companies David posted, adding 4 new Internet accessible
vendors, for a total of 16 companies.  I also added the Internet address
for the companies that I found on the "net", also adding e-mail
addresses, and pricing where they existed.  I have not checked any of the
11 companies for which I could not find a web site.

 I have looked at the 5 Internet sites, and the products there offer a
reasonable range of capability.  I have summarized some of the
interesting points:  (This was formatted for a Word 6.0/95 document, and
didn't make it very well to the text version.)

                 Construction                 # bikes    Bike Position
 In use since Shape        Size
Bike Guard       Steel or Stainless Steel       1        standing
         1996?     Wedge        47.5" x 73" x 72" high
                                                         on rear wheel
Bike Lid         Polyethylene with steel base  1 or 2    Upright in
       1996      Form fitting 43" x 96" x approx 50" high
                                                         a wheel stand
Dura-Locker      fiberglass, molded HDPE,     1 or 2     Upright
            ?       Rectangle    40" x 75" x 51" high
                 powder-coated steel, and
                 stainless steel
Crankcase Class  Walls, top and door frames
  1 locker       of 14 gauge galvanized sheet
                 metal. Doors of 12 gauge
                 galvanized sheet metal         2        Upright
            ?       Rectangle    42" x 75" x 45" high
Guardian Bicycle Molded Polyethelyene           1        Standing
           ?       Wedge        (unknown, but looks a bit larger than a
Bike Guard)
 Locker                                                  on rear wheel

One of the key issues will be shipping cost, so I am investigating the
SPI Industries company because it is in Ontario, relatively close to our
London Location.  I included this information in my submission to the BAC
for its April, 1998 meeting as an FYI item.  I will also print some
copies of the web information and bring it to the meeting to hand out to
interested members.

 Here's the full updated Bike Locker company information:

Manufacturer: American Bicycle Security Co.
                Product: BIKE SAFE
                Address: PO Box 7359 Ventura, CA 93006
                Contact: Thomas E. Volk
                  Phone: [phone] & 800-BIKESAF
                    Fax: [phone]
               WEB_Site:
                Pricing:

           Manufacturer: Bike Gard
                Address: 8149 South 600 East, Rexburg ID 83440
                Product:
                Contact:
                  Phone: [phone]
                    Fax:
               WEB_Site: http://www.ida.net/users/bikegd
                Pricing:

           Manufacturer: Bike Lid
                Address: 322 W. 57th St., Suite 495, NY, NY 10019
                Product: Bike Lid
                Contact:
                  Phone: [phone]
                    Fax: [phone]
               WEB_Site: www.bikelid.com
                Pricing: $845US for one, plus shipping 15%

           Manufacturer: Bike Lockers Company
                Address: PO Box 445 W. Sacramento, CA 95691
                Product: BikeLokr
                Contact:
                  Phone: [phone]
                    Fax: [phone]
               WEB_Site:
                Pricing: approx. $300US/locker, small quantities

           Manufacturer: Bike Security Racks Co.
                Address: PO Box 371, Cambridge, MA 02140
                Product:  ?
                Contact:
                  Phone: [phone]
                    Fax:
               WEB_Site:
                Pricing:

           Manufacturer: Bike Stable Co., Inc.
                Address: PO 1402, South Bend, Indiana 46624
                Product:  ?
                Contact:
                  Phone: [phone]
                    Fax:
               WEB_Site:
                Pricing:

           Manufacturer: Bike-Lokr Mfg. Co.
                Address: PO Box 123, Joplin, MO 64802
                Product:  ?
                Contact:  Jim Snyder
                  Phone: [phone]
                    Fax: [phone]
               WEB_Site:
                Pricing: approx $450US/locker, which holds 2 bikes

           Manufacturer: Cycle-Safe Inc.
                Address: 2772-5 Woodlake Rd. SW Wyoming, MI 49509
                Product:
                Contact:
                  Phone: [phone]
                    Fax:
               WEB_Site:
                Pricing:

           Manufacturer: David O'Keefe Company
                Address: P.O. Box 4457, Alamo,CA 94507
                Product: Super Secure Bike Stor
                Contact: Thomas & David O'Keefe
                  Phone: [phone]
                    Fax: [phone]
               WEB_Site:
                Pricing:

           Manufacturer: General Machine company
                Address: PO Box 405 Vacaville, CA 95696
                Product: Bicycle Locker
                Contact: Vitto Accardi
                  Phone:  [phone]
                    Fax:
               WEB_Site:
                Pricing:

           Manufacturer: J.G.Wilson Corp
                Address: PO Box 599, Norfolk, VA 23501-0599
                Product: Park'n'Lock Bike Garage
                Contact: J.L.Bevan
                  Phone:  [phone]
                    Fax: [phone]
               WEB_Site:
                Pricing:

           Manufacturer: Madrax, A T.L. Graber Co.
                Address: 2210 Pinehurst Drive, Middleton, Wisconsin 53362
                Product: Dura-Locker
                Contact:
                  Phone: [phone] or 608-831-9040
                    Fax: [phone]
               WEB_Site: http://www.madrax.com/duralock.htm
                Pricing:

           Manufacturer: Palmer Group
                Address: 1072 Folsom, Suite 328, San Francisco, CA 94103
                Product: CrankCase
                Contact:
                  Phone:  [phone]
                    Fax:
               WEB_Site: http://www.bikeparking.com
                Pricing:

           Manufacturer: SPI Industries Inc.
                Address: Box 10, R.R. #2, Shallow Lake, Ontario, N0H 2K0
                Product: Guardian Bicycle Locker Systems
                Contact:
                  Phone: [phone] or 519-935-2211
                    Fax: [phone]
               WEB_Site: www.spiplastics.com/bike.htm
                Pricing: $841 CDN if you buy 1-10, $747 CDN for 11-70

           Manufacturer: Sunshine U-LOK Corp.
                Address: 31316 Via Colinas Suite 102, Westlake Village,
CA 91362
                Product: Secura Bike Locker
                Contact: Doug Devine
                  Phone: [phone]
                    Fax:
               WEB_Site:
                Pricing:

           Manufacturer: Turtle Storage Ltd.
                Address: P. O. Box 7359, Ventura, CA 93006
                Product: ?
                Contact:
                  Phone:
                    Fax:
               WEB_Site:
                Pricing:

------------------------------

Subject: 7.17  Electric Bikes
From:    [e-mail]
Date:    Mon, 23 Aug 1999 21:37:27 EDT

Practical transportation for errands and short commutes.

Electric bikes are everyday bicycles with an added battery-powered electric
motor.  The motor helps you pedal (a lot) whenever you want.  Enjoy that
cruising feeling all the time - even when you start from a stop, go uphill,
or buck a head wind.  Electric bikes make cycling quick, safe, and fun!

FLEXIBLE AND UTILITARIAN
You can be riding your first EV for under $1000.  Add a trailer and you've
got a small, easy-to-use vehicle capable of hauling 100 pounds of cargo over
five miles at 15+ mph.  Without the trailer and cargo, you and your e-bike
can easily cover 10 miles at nearly 20 mph.  For most of us, that's enough
for our local errands.  For some, it will get us to work faster than driving
- and with less stress.  E-bikes provide advantages of an extra car without
the burdensome costs.  In addition, electric bikes combine well with bus and
train for point-to-point transportation.  Multi-car households would do well
to consider replacing one car and sharing an e-bike.

All electric bikes give your pedaling an assist.  Although capable of pushing
you along without your help, electric bikes perform noticeably better when
you pedal.  The average "couch potato" who normally rides at 10 mph can do
15-20 mph with the same effort for a range of 10 miles before recharging.

Power is easily activated by a switch mounted on the handlebar - or in
response to your pedaling.  When activated, the bike immediately responds
with a nearly silent push.  When you release the switch (or stop pedaling),
the motor coasts - like "neutral" on a car.  Standard bicycle hand brakes and
gearing round out the controls.

TWO BASIC DESIGNS
Electric (or "electric-assist") bicycles come in two basic designs - adaptive
and purpose-built.  The adaptive type starts with a bicycle and adds a drive
system to it.  A purpose-built e-bike is a designed from the ground up.
Adaptives are less expensive, less stylish, and may require installation
(allow 3 hours if you're familiar with tools; otherwise your local bikeshop
mechanic will charge about $75).  Purpose-builts offer interesting designs
and features (like brake-activated tail lights).  Regardless which type you
use, you don't need a driver's license, vehicle registration, or insurance.
In California, an electric bike is legally a "bicycle" (CVC 406(b)).

Rechargeable batteries power the electric drive motors.  Charging requires
less than 5ó of electricity from a standard 110 VAC outlet.  Charging times
for different brands, however, vary widely.  (ZAPWORLD.COM's DX systems
recharge in less than three hours.) If you own a bike, you can motorize it
for as little as $400. Or buy a purpose-built type for up to $1500.

SAFETY
An electric bike, by California law, is limited to a top speed of 20 mph
(speed limits vary from state to state).  That speed limitation prevents
riders from over-riding their capabilities.  The improved acceleration
provides an extra margin of safety by helping a rider dodge traffic.  The
extra speed reduces the speed differential between you and cars, allowing
them more time to see you and adjust.  The extra speed also allows you to
crest hills sooner, so you spend less time at those vulnerable slow speeds.
This can be expecially important on freeway overpasses.  Finally, an e-bike's
large battery can power a big, bright headlight to warn oncoming traffic that
you're coming.

For more information and an overview of most e-bike offerings in the U. S.,
see www.electric-bikes.com/others.htm

Electric tricycles (adult three wheelers) are covered at
www.electric-bikes.com/trikes.htm

------------------------------

Subject: 7.18  Cycling loaded: bags, panniers, and trailers
From:    Mark Buell <[e-mail]>
Date:    Tue, 28 May 2002 20:52:00 -0500

A FAQ covering courier bags, backpacks, panniers, saddle bags, and
trailers.
There is an existing FAQ on panniers, but it doesn't cover courier bags,
etc. However, for more info on panniers, please refer to it.

Courier bags, backpacks, panniers, and trailers,
Which system is superior?

The real answer is  "None." But that's a little confusing, and not very
illuminating, eh? In this article I try to offer some of my experience,
that of other experienced cyclists I've known, and opinions that have
been found on rec.bicycles.misc from time to time.

Critical Questions To Answer.
1: Distance. How far are you traveling?
2: How much weight are you carrying?
3: What is YOUR sense of style?
4: What kind of cyclist are you, and what is your ability level?
5: How do you feel most comfortable dealing with traffic?
6: Traffic levels and roadway conditions, i.e. off-road, city, Mongolian
track or US highway?

Changing your answer to one of the above may well change your decision
about how to carry your cargo.
These questions are all important, but numbers 1 and 2 are at the top
because they are arguably the most
important.

Technical factors to consider:
Center of gravity.
Load stability.
Ease of access.
Comfort.
Personal style (again).

THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE.
There are a lot of options! You can get panniers, front and rear, in a
thousand different styles. Then there are handlebar packs, for which
every manufacturer has different mounting hardware. You can choose from
backpacks, fanny packs, courier bags, Carradice bags, and trailers! I've
used all of these at some time, and, I've worn out a few. In this article
I discuss backpacks, Carradice bags, courier bags, fanny packs, handlebar
bags, panniers, racks, underseat bags, and trailers.

CHARACTERISTICS RANKING
Following the description is a table showing how I rate the systems for
the characteristics above. A rating will vary, possibly a lot, due to
hardware particulars of a brand or design, how the hardware is packed,
and purely from subjective opinion. A user may find they prefer, say, the
ease of access of a set of panniers over that of a backpack.

LOAD CAPACITY
The bottom line is "Do you feel in control of your bike, and comfortable
with your choice?" The ratings in the descriptions are for a useable
range of load capacity. This is not a maximum capacity, nor a minimum.
This is what I have found to be a wise capacity in real life, used on a
bicycle. On one extreme, you can use touring panniers for a single jacket
and camera, but it would be total overkill to use a trailer for that same
load. Obviously, too, some people will safely use their system with
larger loads, and they will happily tell you so. But, the rider with the
100 pound touring rig knows how to pack those panniers - very well.
Larger loads increase the likelihood of problems. There is a lot of gray
area here. Higher quality equipment will enable larger loads, but the
principles still apply.

PRICE
One ng commentor wanted prices. I will say that this is the easiest thing
for the reader to find. Since the systems vary so widely it is a hard
question to answer here.
But some generalities may be useful. Quality costs more. Backpacks can be
real cheap, but the ones designed for cycling are only available at
medium backpack prices and above. Right now that means at least $50 to
$90. Courier bags, good ones, can be had for under $100. Panniers mean
you have to buy a rack too, so you're probably over $100 there, for
quality. Fanny packs can be cheap, or expensive. Trailers are easily over
$100, and most likely more; they are not a cheap solution. Carradice, or
saddle bags seem to be competitive with good backpacks and courier bags.

===================================================================
BACKPACKS
Backpacks are convenient, cheap, readily available, and the first thing
an Average Joe looks to for carrying a small load. They are also not
particularly well-suited to using with a bicycle. There are two reasons I

give them any positive thoughts at all. First is because masses of less-
experienced cyclists pick them up and use them simply because they are
the most convenient answer to carrying cargo. Second is because many
cyclists on rec.bicycles.misc use them and argue persuasively in their
favor. Those cyclists who do so universally note that they use one of the
backpacks designed specifically for use while cycling or other heavy
physical activity - they are designed for lateral stability and with
good back ventilation.
Most backpacks are directly next to the back, and thus have an instant
ventilation problem. A loosely fitting backpack carrying a few textbooks
can be a dangerous threat to your stability. Personally, I think the
stability problem here is a little less dangerous than instable panniers
or handlebar packs, because an inexperienced cyclist will readily feel
the instability of the backpack. Panniers and  handlebar packs can and
will go instable with little or no warning to an inexperienced or less-
skilled cyclist. But instability is easy to recognize in backpacks. There

is one circumstance where load instability will occur that may be less
readily recognized by the inexperienced: leaning in a turn. When this
happens the pack, or its contents, slides to one side of the body,
creating a situation where the pack changes the center of gravity - its
weight is then pulling to one side or the other. This is the worst
possible time for this to happen, with the cyclist already in a balancing

act.
Things to look for are back ventilation, and adequate suspension for the
load (waist straps for heavier loads).
Backpacks
    C. of G.     Very Poor-Poor
    Stability    Poor
    Ease of Access    Good
    Comfort    Very Poor-Good
    Typical usage: Short distance/around town, Commuting
    Weight carried: very light to medium (25 lbs.), more could be
carried, but would create extreme stability and control problems.


CARRADICE BAGS
Actually a brand name for saddlebags. They are convenient and simple. The
smaller ones don't require special
hardware (racks), and are pretty much out of the way for the cyclist -
off the body, and on the bike. They can also easily be unstable, and care

must be taken to avoid shifting loads. I would choose something like this

to carry those few extra items (eg. Camera, cell phone, etc.) on longer,
casual, day rides, century rides, and short tours. The larger seat bags
will usually require some sort of rack to keep the bag off the tire.
Like backpacks and handlebar bags, these are not my preference, but other

riders seem to like them. My use of one was quite a few years ago. They
have made quite a comeback in the marketplace since then, and the designs

today appear to me to be more advanced. They were ok at that time, and
then it seemed to me to be more a matter of preference. I thought
panniers were more convenient, and simpler to pack and fuss with.
However, the hardware for larger Carradice bags would be less in the way
of wheel maintenance than a rack. This is where a seatpost mounted rack
device would, in my opinion, be worth something. I will also say that I
might look at Carradice bags again in the future, as they might carry a
load while not creating a foot clearance problem, something that larger
panniers do.
Carradice bags
    C. of G.     Good
    Stability    Poor-Good
    Ease of Access    Poor
    Comfort    Very Good
    Typical usage: Short distance/around town, commuting, day
trip/century
    Weight capacity: Up to 25 lbs. would be typical.


COURIER BAGS
My favorite for around town shopping and shorter commutes, they are
generally stable, simple, and convenient. I find them only becoming less
comfortable at distances over 10 to 15 miles. In my opinion, for comfort
and convenience they are unmatched. They are easy to get into and out of.


They are completely unfussy as to how they are packed. You can toss in a
laptop or a briefcase - they will carry unweildy and oddball loads any
other system (except trailers, or baskets, which aren't covered here)
would choke on. They are readily available, relatively inexpensive, and
don't require hardware on your bike.
They are also easily misused and can easily be unstable. Stylish, look-
alike, copycat designs are often much less stable. However, if they are
unstable, in my experience, they do so in such a way that this can be
controlled by the rider. Example, if the load is going to shift on you,
it does so before you are all the way into a lean, and not when you are
already deep in a lean. You can easily compensate for such a shifting
load with a simple blocking move of your elbow.
Design features that make the courier bag stable (and convenient) are the

width of the bag, the width of the strap, and the addition of a chest or
waist strap. The courier bag design is wide. Chest straps have been added

in recent years for greater stability. The bag is worn low on the body,
putting the weight on the hips. This keeps it from being top-heavy. The
width of the bag also allows it to "wrap" around the hips; which helps
provide extra security against load shifting. A wide (2") shoulder strap
means it is comfortable on the shoulder, and also helps keep it from
shifting.  It is worth noting that a CHEST strap is preferred by most
couriers over a waist strap for stability. The reason for this is quite
simple: a waist strap allows the bag to rotate (load shift) around the
body, which is exactly how it wants to shift when it is unstable. So the
waist strap, for most, prevents nothing. On the other hand, the chest
strap triangulates the load security and greatly decreases the likelihood

of a shifting bag.
My first courier bag was made before there were chest straps, and I found

that I knew when it was unstable, and would ride accordingly. I pretty
much wore that bag out. My second and current bag has a chest strap.
And, last of all, there is the matter of style. I found when I commuted
and shopped with panniers I got more "odd looks". I have a certain level
of tolerance, but I generally don't like getting "odd looks". A courier
bag, on the other hand, is not out of place in an office today. The
grocery store clerk who looks at panniers with a completely bewildered
expression doesn't give my courier bag a second glance.
Final analysis: what else can I toss my laptop, a 6-pack, or a watermelon
into with equal ease?
Courier bags
    C. of G.     Poor-Very Good
    Stability    Good-Very Good
    Ease of Access    Very Good
    Comfort    Very Good
    Typical usage: Short distance/around town, commuting, light
shopping
    Weight capacity: Up to 35 lbs. would be typical.


FANNY PACKS
Convenient and simple for light and small loads. You can't get an easier
way to carry the camera and phone. But for heavier loads, and longer
rides, most people will prefer other systems. Larger fanny packs are
made, but for riding most people find they are less comfortable, due to
ventilation issues. Stability and control are generally not an issue. If
you can load it in the pack, you can probably safely carry it.
fanny packs
    C. of G.     Very Good
    Stability    Very Good
    Ease of Access    Very Good
    Comfort    Good
    Typical usage: Short distance/around town, commuting,     day
trip/century
    Weight capacity: Up to 5-7 lbs. would be typical.


HANDLEBAR BAGS
Handlebar packs or bags are a subset of panniers, but I treat them
separately because they have many avid proponents, and have enough
individual considerations that they need to be treated separately. And,
really, there are two types of handlebar bags or packs. There are bags,
which strap to the handlbars without the benefit of a frame, and packs,
which use an external rigid mounting frame or rack of some sort. I'm not
going to distinguish between them for this article, and I will use the
names interchangeably.
Handlebar bags have two distinct advantages: they can be used to carry a
map that is always visible, and they are highly accessible. They also
have distinct and potentially dangerous disadvantages. They are extremely

easy to overload. When they are overloaded they readily cause instability

and a steering effect on the handlebars that can be dangerous. Their
mounting systems tend to be less than ideally stable.
I have used them for their advantages, and I find that to be a small
advantage, indeed - too small for me to bother with. But, they have folks

who love them, and who really appreciate the advantages I mentioned. So
if you like the idea, I will say this: don't overload them. They are
suitable for a jacket or two, a camera, a cell phone, and a map, and
nothing more. They are not suitable for school books, laptops, or other
dense items. They have enough space to pack this way, an inexperienced
cyclist probably wouldn't even think about it, they would just toss in a
couple of textbooks because there's enough room for them. A couple of
textbooks can easily weigh 10 pounds, and this would be an overload!
As for me, I'll pass on looking at my map all the time. A fanny pack or
pockets will be fine. The one exception would again be long distance
self-contained touring. Long hours in the saddle would mean my comfort
level demands as little constraint on my body as possible. So, then,
combined with whatever else I used for the real load, there would be a
place on my bike for a handlebar bag.
Handlebar bags
    C. of G.     Very Poor
    Stability    Poor-Good
    Ease of Access    Very Good
    Comfort    Very Good
    Typical usage: Short distance/around town, commuting,     day
trip/century, touring (self-contained)
    Weight capacity: Up to 5-7 lbs. would be typical.


PANNIERS
Please note that there is a more complete coverage of panniers in a very
good seperate FAQ.
Handlebar packs actually fit in this category, but have enough individual
characteristics that I discuss them separately. Panniers are the original
champion load-carrier, but in my opinion they have been dethroned.
However, for long distance touring with load, they and trailers are still
the only reasonable choices. When I started looking around they were the
"only" choice for "cyclists". Carradice bags (large saddle bags) were
then almost extinct, known mostly as a throw-back to an earlier era of
riding. Trailers were rare and mostly handmade, although there were a
couple of brands just coming to market. Backpacks were pooh-poohed by
anyone serious about their riding (for which there were good reasons, as
we will see) Panniers are attached to the bike at multiple points; which,
when done properly, has several advantages. Properly loaded, panniers
have a low center of gravity, lower than any other system except a
trailer. Load stability can be high. They are not the best for ease of
access, although they can be good. Since the rider is unencumbered,
comfort is usually rated highly.
Things to watch for are: your racks, how the panniers mount to the racks,
and the pannier design. The racks should have multiple mounting points.
More mounting points mean greater stability. Stability is critical. A 3-
point mount can be fine for the lighter load generally associated with
commuting, but can fail under the higher pressure of loaded long-distance
touring. Quality is important. Unlike many other parts that, on failure,
will give you time to find a repair or replacement, a failing rack can
easily fall into the "catastrophic" failure class. A failed rack can drop
a rack leg into your spokes, or suddenly loose a loaded pannier
completely.
As for front low-rider racks, when they first came out they were a little
controversial. Now they have proved their point. I suppose somebody could
make an argument for the original front rack style, but I can find better
answers to any problems that might solve.
The pannier design should include a solid connection to the rack. A
pannier that is only held on by the spring pressure of a bungee-type cord
at the bottom and a hook at the top is not suitable for larger loads. Hit
a bump with a big load and you can loose your load. Bah-da-bing, that
fast. For lighter loads, though, they are ok. I may be dated, as I think
most panniers sold today have a firm connection at the top. Good thing!
Most people also want an "easy-on, easy-off" system. My first set of
panniers had a solid connection to the rack (they were strapped on with
nylon belting), but took several (irritating) minutes to get off. Pannier
manufacturers today do provide hardware systems that answer this
requirement.
On bag design: foot clearance is important with rear panniers. If you
have long feet, clearance can be a big problem. I could never use the
type of pannier that you can just drop a shopping bag in. If I fit them
to the bike so that they didn't interfere with my feet, they would be so
high as to be instable, or so far back that my front wheel would be in
the air. But, if they work for you, great!
Bag design greatly impacts ease of access. One of the biggest complaints
I have with panniers is that they have to be packed with the care one
reserves for packing a full backpack for self-contained hiking/camping.
In other words, carefully, and with attention to detail. This also means
that if you want to get at that heavy item you had to put on the bottom,
you have to unpack everything on top. Larger items are difficult to
manage, as are odd sizes and shapes (i.e. map tubes, or a light cardboard

box for shipping).
On the good side, you can drop considerable weight (a laptop, for
instance) in a pannier without noticing it much on your ride. A well-
designed system is easy to get on and off your bike. A well-designed and
properly packed system can carry very significant loads with relative
ease. If I were ever to do self-contained touring again I would elect to
do it only as a group of riders, with a combination of panniers for most
riders combined with a trailer for bulky and heavy items. If I had to go
solo, my decision would lean toward panniers, but only very slightly.
panniers
Final analysis: A must for self-contained touring, but it seems like a
different bag is required for each type of riding and load. In my opinion
they are best saved for serious loads.
    C. of G.     Poor-Very Good (only poor for odd shapes or poor
packing)
    Stability    Good-Very Good
    Ease of Access    Poor-Good
    Comfort    Very Good
    Typical usage: Short distance/around town, commuting,     day
trip/century, shopping, touring (self-contained)
    Weight capacity: Up to 50 lbs. More is possible, but I don't think
you'd want to peddle the bike with that.


RACKS and ATTACHMENTS
A word or two about racks and attachments. Stability and strength are
your prime considerations. I have had loads shift and break loose in a
number of ways. I have seen racks bend, break, and sway. A rack should
have a firm mount to the bicycle at as many points as is possible. It
should be of firm and rigid construction. Look for triangulation in the
legs - the struts should be mutually supporting. Quality 3-point mounted
racks are almost as good as quality 4-point mounts. Brazed-on 4-point
mounts are the ultimate.
Single point mounted racks and flimsy racks are only suitable for very
light loads. The only exception to this is using one of these racks to
keep a Carradice bag off the rear wheel.
Trailer attachments are either on the seat-post or the rear triangle.
Mine is on the seat-post, and I've never had any reason to be unhappy
with it. Mostly you want strength in this attachment.


UNDERSEAT BAGS
Available in a huge variety of sizes, of which the Carradice bag is a
premium version. Carradice is a brand name for saddle bags. They offer
models ranging from small up to pannier-competition.

The ordinary smaller versions are absolutely essential for the emergency
tools, spare tube and patch kit, or spare tire for the sewup set. They
are also very inexpensive. For larger loads and bags please see the
Carradice bags review.



TRAILERS
Trailers are the ultimate load machine. Giving up the car and going
grocery shopping? I guarantee you a trailer is the only way to go.
How else can you carry cases of soda on a bicycle? How about taking that
cooler on the bike club picnic? I've used mine to carry a side of beef
and many cases of soda. Want to go surfing, and ride your bike to the
beach? I remember as a teenager trying to carry a surfboard under my arm
while riding. Whew, talk about stability problems! Every little breeze
blew the board one way or another, and each way was in my way! The first
commercial bike trailer I ever saw was produced to tow a surfboard.
Towing children versus putting them in bike seats is a topic all its own,
with good points on both sides.
I won't get into the debate over attachment points. My trailer uses a
seatpost clamp, and I like it just fine.

So, when it comes to carrying loads, the trailer is king. It does
increase your riding width profile, and it slows you down, but trailers
are stable when riding, and it matters little how you pack them. Ease
of access is the best, once you've dismounted. Some trailer designs are a
bit problematic in parking stability, but to me, this is an inconvenience
issue, and not a safety item.

Trailers
    C. of G.     Very Good
    Stability    Very Good
    Ease of Access    Very Good
    Comfort    Very Good
    Load capacity: the only way to go for truly heavy loads. Two kids
could easily weigh 75 - 100 lbs. My trailer is rated up to 125 lbs.
Typical usage: for bringing the kids on a recreational ride! Also suited
to serious grocery shopping or self-contained touring. What else can you
use to carry your surfboard or cases of soda?

------------------------------

Subject: 8a  Tech General

------------------------------

Subject: 8a.1   Technical Support Numbers
From: Joshua Putnam <[e-mail]>

[This list is now in the ftp archives as it is too long to put here]

------------------------------

Subject: 8a.2   Using a Quick Release
From Mark Irving <[e-mail]>

The odd-looking thing which attaches most front wheels, many rear wheels
and some seatpins is not a sort of wingnut.  It is a quick release lever.
If it is not properly fastened, your wheels are loose.  If this description
isn't clear, go to any bike shop or find any local bikie person and get
them to show you.  It's hard to describe, not obvious until you've done it
yourself, and it is important to get right.  It's easy when you know how --
road racers can get their wheels changed in five seconds!

1.  Make sure the floppy lever is pushed over to its "OPEN" side. This
lever operates a cam to close up the 'skewer' later.

2.  Loosen off the little nut on the other end of the skewer just enough to
get the wheel into the dropouts in the frame.  Slide the wheel into the
frame, and balance it there while you do the next bits.

3.  With one hand, hold the operating lever straight out (parallel to the
axle), halfway between OPEN and CLOSED.  With the other hand, tighten the
nut opposite until you feel resistance.

4.  Push the operating lever over to CLOSED.  This should be a tough
operation, if you've got the nut adjusted right.  It should not hurt, but
it should leave a dent in the palm of your hand for ten to twenty seconds
afterwards!  If you have the tension right, the wheel is now very safely
and solidly held.

5.  If the lever really won't close all the way, open it (the full 180
degrees to OPEN), loosen the nut about 1/4 turn, and go back to step 4.  If
it closes all the way without much resistance, open it all the way, tighten
the nut 1/4 turn, and go back to step 4.

If your bike doesn't have the stupid bumps, clips and 'lawyer lips' often
added, you'll never need to adjust the nut again.  The only action needed
is to flip the lever between CLOSED and OPEN.

The subtle extra is to point the Q-R lever down, towards the ground, in its
CLOSED position, so that it doesn't get caught on anything solid when
you're riding.  This is infinitely less important than doing it up
properly.

------------------------------

Subject: 8a.3   Workstands

There are a variety of workstands available, from about $30 to over
$130.  Look at the mail order catalogs for photos showing the different
types.  The type with a clamp that holds one of the tubes on the bike
are the nicest and easy to use.  Park has a couple of models, and their
clamp is the lever type (pull the lever to lock the clamp).  Blackburn
and Performance have the screw type clamp (screw the clamp shut on the
tube.

If you have a low budget, you can use two pieces of rope hanging from
the ceiling with rubber coated hooks on the end - just hang the bike
by the top tube.  This is not as steady as a workstand, but will do
an adequate job.

------------------------------

Subject: 8a.4   Workstands 2
From: Douglas B. Meade <[e-mail]>

    >>>>>>>>>>      BICYCLE REPAIR STAND SUMMARY      <<<<<<<<<<

The Park PRS6 was recommended by several (>5) responders; all
other models were recommended by no more than one responder.

    Park PRS6
        PROS:    full 360\degree rotation
            spring-loaded clamp is adjustable
            very stable
        CONS:    not height adjustable
            not easy to transport
            clamp probably can't work with fat-tubed mtn bike
        COST:    ~$150
        SOURCE:    catalogs, local bike shops

    Park Consumer
        PROS:    foldable
            convenient
            portable
        CONS:    not as stable as PRS6
        COST:    ~$100
        SOURCE:    catalogs, local bike shops

    Park BenchMount
        PROS:    stronger, and more stable, than many floor models
        CONS:    must have a workbench with room to mount the stand
        COST:    $???
        SOURCE:    ???

    Blackburn
        PROS:    The stand folds flat and is portable.
            It has a 360 degree rotating clamp.
            It is relatively stable.
        CONS:    crank-down clamp does not seem to be durable
            crank bolt is not standard size; difficult to replace
            hard to get clamp tight enough for stable use
            clamp scratchs paint/finish
            problems getting rotating mechanism to work properly
        COST:    ~$100
        SOURCE:    catalogs, local bike shops

    Performance
        PROS:
        CONS:    not too stable

    Ultimate Repair Stand
        PROS:    excellent quality
            includes truing stand
            includes carrying bag
        CONS:
        COST:    ~$225
        SOURCE:    order through local bike shop
            the U.S. address for Ultimate Support Systems is :
                Ultimate Support Systems
                2506 Zurich Dr.
                P.O. Box 470
                Fort Collins, CO. 80522-4700
                Phone [phone]

I also received three homemade designs. The first is quite simple:

    hang the bike from coated screw hooks
        (available in a hardware store for less that $5/pair)

The others are more sophisticated. Here are the descriptions provided
by the designers of the systems.

Dan Dixon <[e-mail]> describes a modification
of the Yakima Quickstand attachment into a freestanding workstand

    I picked up the Yakama clamp and my local Bike shop for
    around $25.  What you get is the clamp and a long carraige
    bolt with a big (5") wing nut. This is meant to be attached
    to their floor stand or their roof racks. The roof rack
    attachment is ~$60; expensive, but great for road trips.

    I, instead, bought a longer carraige bolt, a piece of
    3/4" threaded lead pipe, two floor flanges, and some 2x4's.
    (about $10 worth of stuff).

    You say you want to attach it to a bench (which should be easy)

                                      pipe
                      +- clamp        |            wing nut
                      |               |            |
                      V               |      +--+  V
                 | |---------+        V      |  |   O
                 | |         | |\_________/| |  |  /
                 | |   -O-   |=| _________ |=|  |==I
                 | |         | |/         \| |  |  \
                 | |---------+               |  |   O
                                             |  |
                                /\       /\  |  |<-2x4
                                |         |  |  |
                       flanges--+---------+  |  |
                                             |  |

    Excuse the artwork, but it might give you and Idea about
    what I mean. You could just nail the 2x4 to the bench or
    something. I really like the clamp because it is totally
    adjustable for different size tubes.

Eric Schweitzer <[e-mail]> prefers the following
set-up to the Park `Professional' stands that he also has.

    My favorite 'stand', one I used for many years, one that I
    would use now if my choice of stand were mine, is made very
    cheaply from old seats and bicycle chain. Two seats (preferably
    cheap plastic shelled seats) (oh...they must have one wire
    bent around at the front to form the seat rails...most seats
    do) have the rails removed and bent to form 'hooks'. The
    'right' kind of hooks are placed in a good spot on the ceiling
    about 5 or 6 feet apart. (really, a bit longer than the length
    of a 'typical' bike from hub to hub. If you do a lot of tandems
    or LWB recombants, try longer :) Form a loop in one end of the
    chain by passing a thin bolt through the opening between 'outer'
    plates in two spots on the chain. (of course, this forms a loop
    in the chain, not the bolt). The same is done at the other end
    to form loops to hold the seat rail/hooks. First, form the hooks
    so they form a pair of Js, about 2 inch 'hook's The hook for the
    front of the bike is padded, the one for the rear looped through
    the chain, squeezed together to a single hook, and padded.

    To use, hook the rear hook under the seat, or at the seat stays.
    Hook the front with each arm on oposite sides of the stem. Can
    also hook to head tube (when doing forks). Either hook can grab
    a rim to hold a wheel in place while tightening a quick release
    skewer or axle bolt. There is no restricted access to the left
    side of the bike. I try to get the BB of a 'typical' frame about
    waist height.

In closing, here is a general statement that only makes my decision
more difficult:

    My best advice is to consider a workstand a long term durable good.
    Spend the money for solid construction. Good stands don't wear or
    break, and will always be good stands until the day you die, at
    which point they will be good stands for your children. Cheese will
    always be cheese until it breaks.

------------------------------

Subject: 8a.5   Working on a Bicycle Upside-down
From:  Jobst Brandt <[e-mail]>
Date:    Tue, 04 Nov 1997 14:33:14 PST

> Should I continue to turn my bicycle upside-down to fix a flat,
> the way I learned it as a youth?

Nothing can be done to a bicycle upside-down that cannot be done
better with it right-side-up, except to spin the rear wheel while hand
cranking the pedals.  In fact, that is what most children do when they
haven't anything better to do with their bicycles.  That is how I
discovered that a bicycle wheel is not well balanced, because the
bicycle began to hop when I cranked fast.  I also found that this wore
a hole in the saddle, and scratched the handlebars and grips to the
dismay of my parents.

Many riders who have taken up the sport after years off the bicycle,
recall only a few things from their earlier experience, and turning
the bicycle upside-down seems to be one of them.  I defy someone to
show me how they can change a rear wheel easily on an upturned
bicycle, be that with one speed or a derailleur.  Even chain removal
is more difficult on the inverted bicycle, but this should be apparent
because no bicycle shop works on upside-down bicycles.

Beside the inconvenience, damage to the saddles, handle bars, and
speedometers is expensive.  Warranty claims for damaged speedometers
with cracked LCD's and housings first brought this practice to my
attention, the failures being unexplainable under normal use.  The
solution was to reinforce the speedometer's case so it could support
the load of the bicycle.

The most common explanation for this practice is that there was no way
to keep the bicycle from falling over during a tire change.  Laying it
on its side somehow doesn't seem right, so the bicycle is turned on
its head.  It might not look fallen over, but it is worse off.

------------------------------

Subject: 8a.6   Where to buy tools

You can buy tools from many sources.  Some tools can be purchased at
your local hardware store (wrenches, socket sets, etc), while the
special bike tools can be purchased from your local bike store or
one of the mail order stores listed elsewhere.

You can buy every tool you think looks useful, or just buy the tools
you need for a particular repair job.  Buying the tools as you need
them will let you build up a nice tool set over time without having
to drop a lot of money at once.

Some common tools you will need are:

  Metric/SAE wrenches for nuts and bolts (or an assortment of adjustable
    wrenches).
  Screwdrivers, both flat and phillips.
  Metric allen wrenches.
  Pliers.
  Wood or rubber mallet for loosening bolts.

Special tools and their uses:

  Cone wrenches to adjust the hub cones.
  Chain tool to take the chain apart for cleaning and lubrication, and
    to put it back together.
  Tire irons for removing tires.
  Spoke wrenches for adjusting spokes.
  Cable cutters for cutting cables (don't use diagonal pliers!).
  Crankarm tools for removing crankarms.
  Bottom bracket tools for adjusting bottom brackets.
  Headset wrenches to adjust the large headset nut.

------------------------------

Subject: 8a.7   Common Torque Values
From: Mike Iglesias <[e-mail]>

These torque values are from the Third Hand catalog.  All values are in
inch pounds (in lbs); to convert to foot pounds (ft lbs), divide by 12.

Stem binder bolt              100-120   Brake levers to handlebars    75-95
Handlebar binder              145-200   Brake cable binders           55-75
Controls to frame              35-45    Straddle nut (yoke)           50-70
Front shifter to frame         25-45    Brake pads to brake           45-75
Front shifter to cable binder  25-45    Brake dome nut                50-80
Rear shifter to frame         120-145   Crank bolt                   250-300
Rear shifter cable binder      25-45    Chainring bolts              100-120
Jockey wheel bolt              25-45    Nutted front hub               180
Seat binder bolt               35-55    Nutted rear hub                300
Caliper brakes to frame       100-120   Waterbottle cage              25-35
Cantilever brake to frame      45-60    Fender to frame bolts         50-60
Cantilever brake link wire     35-45    Toeclips to pedals            25-45
Kickstand                       60

[Here is another list of torque values from Barnett Bicycle Institute
 sent in by Richard Ney <[e-mail]>.  All values are inch pounds.]

BMX handlebar binder bolts            240
BMX stem binder bolt                170-180
Bottom bracket fixed cup            240-300
Bottom bracket lockring                240-300
Brake levers on drop handlebars            60-72
Brake levers on MTB handlebars            36-60
Cable carrier pinch nut                48-72
Cantilever arm pinch nut/bolt            36-48
Cantilever brake caliper mounting nut        24
Cast-type BMX brake lever            36-60
Centerpull caliper mounting nut            12-36
Chainring bolts                    48-72
Clamp-mount shift lever bolt            24-30
Cotterless crank arms                300-360
Crank arm dust caps                48
Crank extractor into crank arm            180-240
Double bolt integral seat clamp bolts        72-96
Drop handlebar binder bolt            205-240
Drop bar stem binder bolt            145-170
Front axle nuts (wheel mounting)        180-240
Front derailleur cable pinch            36-48
Front derailleur mounting bolt            36-48
Handlebar end-mounted shifter            48
Headset locknut                    300 (minimum)
Hub locknuts                    175-220
Mounting nut on threaded stud brake shoes    48-60
MTB multiple handle binder bolt            60-84
MTB single handlebar binder bolt        175-240
MTB stem binder bolt                170-180
Nonintegral seat clamp nuts            130-170
One-piece bottom bracket fixed cone        300 (minimum)
One-piece bottom bracket lock nut        240
Pedal installation                350
Pedal locknuts                    100-125
Rear axle nuts (wheel mounting)            240-300
Rear derailleur cable pinch            36-48
Rear derailleur to hanger            72-84
Rollercam cam plate pinch nut            48-72
Rollercam roller locknut            36-48
Seat post binder bolt                72-96
Sidepull caliper cable pinch            48-72
Sidepull caliper mounting nut            72-84
Sidepull caliper pivot locknut            48-72
Single bolt integral seatclamp bolt        120-145
Stem mounted shift lever bolt            24-30
Thumb shifter mounting bolt            12-18

------------------------------

Subject: 8a.8   WD-40
From:    [e-mail] (Rich Gibbs)
Date:    Wed, 09 Sep 1998 04:03:00 GMT

There have been many opinions posted here on WD-40's composition, but
here is what the Material Safety Data Sheet [MSDS] says (it's from Oct
93, the latest I could find):

50%   Stoddard solvent (mineral spirits) [8052-41-3]
25%   Liquified petroleum gas (presumably as a propellant)
[68476-85-7]
15+%  Mineral Oil (light lubricating oil) [64742-65-0]
10-%   Inert ingredients

(The numbers in square brackets '[]' are the CAS numbers for the
ingredients, as  listed in the MSDS.)

Mostly, WD-40 is a solvent, with a bit of light oil mixed in.   It
doesn't contain wax (except incidentally, since it's not exactly a
reagent-grade product).

Personally, I use it sometimes for small cleaning jobs, but it's not a
particularly good lubricant for anything that I can think of, offhand.

------------------------------

Subject: 8a.9  Sheldon Brown's web pages
From: Mike Iglesias <[e-mail]>

Sheldon Brown has written many articles on cycling, repairs, maintenance,
etc., and put them up on his web site.  See the links below for more
information.

      http://sheldonbrown.com/glossary
      http://sheldonbrown.com/articles
      http://sheldonbrown.com/beginners
      http://sheldonbrown.com/brakes
      http://sheldonbrown.com/commute
      http://sheldonbrown.com/diy
      http://sheldonbrown.com/lights
      http://sheldonbrown.com/cyclecomputers
      http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed
      http://sheldonbrown.com/france
      http://sheldonbrown.com/gearing
      http://sheldonbrown.com/humor
      http://sheldonbrown.com/oldbikes
      http://sheldonbrown.com/repair
      http://sheldonbrown.com/tandem
      http://sheldonbrown.com/touring

------------------------------

Subject: 8b  Tech Tires

------------------------------

Subject: 8b.1   Patching Tubes
From:  Jobst Brandt <[e-mail]>

The question often arises whether tubes can be practically and safely
patched.  I suppose the question comes up because some people have had
leaky patches or they consider it an arcane exercise.  Either way, it
need not be difficult if simple rules are followed.

Mold release

Tubes are made in metal molds to which they would stick if mold
release were not sprayed into the mold.  The release agent is designed
to prevent adhesion and it will do the same for patches because it
remains on and in the surface of the tube.  To make a patch stick,
this material must be removed.  That means, the sand paper in the
patch kit is not to roughen the surface but to remove it.  Not
removing the 'skin' of the tube is a major reason for leaky patches.

Once the mold release has been removed, rubber solution can be applied
with the finger by wiping a thin film over the entire area that the
patch is to cover.  After the glue has dried so that no liquid or
jelly remains, leaving the area with a tacky sheen, the patch should
be pressed into place.  Patches can be made from tube material but
this must be done carefully following the same procedure as preparing
the tube.  The trouble is that butyl tube material, unlike patches, is
impervious to rubber cement solvents and will never cure if the glue
is not completely dry.  This presents a substantial problem.

Patches

Patches commonly have a metal foil cover on their sticky side and a
cellophane or impervious paper cover on the other.  The foil should be
pulled off to expose the adhesion surface and the patch pressed into
place.  The backing paper or cellophane often has perforations that
will break if the tube and patch are stretched.  This makes peeling
the cover from inside to outside of the patch possible and prevents
peeling a newly installed patch from its position.

REMA patches, the most commonly available in north American bicycle
shops, have a peculiarity that not all have.  Their black center
section exudes a brown gas that discolors light colored tire casings
in daylight.  This causes the brown blotches often seen on sidewalls
of light colored tires.

Leaky Patches

Assuming the patch was properly installed, it will still possibly leak
after a few miles, if used immediately after patching.  Because the
tube is generally smaller than the space inside the tire, to prevent
wrinkles on installation, it will stretch when inflated as does the
patch.  Although it stretches less than the rest of the tube by the
greater thickness, it resists stretch more than the tube alone.  Under
the patch, the stretched tube tends to shrink away from the patch, and
because there is no holding force from inflation pressure at the hole,
the tube can peel away from the patch that is held by air pressure.

If the puncture is a 'snake bite', the chances of a leak are even
greater.  Pinch flats from insufficient inflation or overload are
called snake bites because they usually causes a pair of holes that
roughly approximate the fang marks of a snake.  These holes are near
the rim where the contour of the tube is nearly a sharp fold.  This
location is especially susceptible to the tube separation at the hole
closest to the rim.

In a rolling tire, the patch and tube flex, shrink, and stretch making
it easier for the tube to separate from a partially cured patch.  To
test how fast patches cure, a patch can be pulled off easily shortly
after application, while it is practically impossible after a day or
so.  For best results, the freshly punctured tube should be patched
and put in reserve, while a reserve tube is installed.  This allows
a new patch more time to cure before it is put into service.

A tube can be folded into as small a package as when it was new and
practically airless, by sucking the air out while carefully using the
finger opposite the stem to prevent re-inflation.  This is not done by
inhaling but by puckering the cheeks.  Although the powders inside the
tube are not poisonous in the mouth, they are not good for the lungs,
but then that's obvious.

Minutia

The difficult part of loose patches is that separation always stops at
the edge of the patch because air pressure prevents further
separation.  The annoying intermittent slow leaks that occur, often
close when the tube is inflated outside a tire, so the offending patch
cannot be found.  Old tubes to be discarded often reveal partial
failures by cutting through the center of patches with shears.

Tires are less flexible at a patch and will wear slightly faster
there, but patches have no effect on dynamic balance since wheels are
so imbalanced that patches have no effect on the heaviest position of
the wheel.  Heat from braking can accelerate separation of a fresh
patch but this generally does not pose a sudden hazard because lifting
patches most often causes only a slow leak.

------------------------------

Subject: 8b.2   Mounting Tires
From: Douglas Gurr <[e-mail]>

A request comes in for tyre mounting tricks. I suspect that this ought to be
part of the FAQ list. However in lieu of this, I offer the way it was taught
to me. Apologies to those for whom this is old hat, and also for the paucity
of my verbal explanations. Pictures would help but, as always, the best bet
is to find someone to show you.

First of all, the easy bit:

1) Remove the outer tyre bead from the rim. Leave the inner bead.
   Handy hint. If after placing the first tyre lever you
   are unable to fit another in because the tension in the bead is too great
   then relax the first, slip the second in and use both together.
2) Pull out the tube finishing at the valve.
3) Inspect the tube, find the puncture and repair it.

Now an important bit:

4) Check tyre for thorns, bits of glass etc - especially at the point where
   the hole in the tube was found.

and now a clever bit:

5) Inflate the tube a _minimal_ amount, i.e. just sufficient for it to
   hold its shape. Too much inflation and it won't fit inside the tyre.
   Too little (including none at all) and you are likely to pinch it.

More important bits:

6) Fit the tube back inside the tyre. Many people like to cover the tube in
   copious quantities of talcum powder first. This helps to lubricate
   the tyre/tube interface as is of particular importance in high pressure
   tyres.
7) Seat the tyre and tube over the centre of the rim.
8) Begin replacing the outer bead by hand. Start about 90 degrees away from
   the valve and work towards it. After you have safely passed the valve,
   shove it into the tyre (away from the rim) to ensure that you have
   not trapped the tube around the valve beneath the tyre wall.

Finally the _really_ clever bit:

9) When you reach the point at which you can no longer proceed by hand,
   slightly _deflate_ the tube and try again. Repeat this process until
   either the tyre is completely on (in which case congratulations)
   or the tube is completely deflated. In the latter case, you will have
   to resort to using tyre levers and your mileage may vary. Take care.

and the last important check:

10) Go round the entire wheel, pinching the tyre in with your fingers
    to check that there is no tube trapped beneath the rim. If you
    have trapped the tube, deduct ten marks and go back to step one.
    Otherwise ....

11) Replace wheel and reinflate.