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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS);faqs.168 Because brake cables transmit force rather than position, SIS cable, even if safe, would have no benefit. In contrast, with handlebar controls to give precise shift positioning, SIS housing can offer some advantage since the cable must move though steering angles. SIS housing has no benefit for downtube attached shifters because the cable bends do not change. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Terminology (David Keppel pardo@cs.washington.edu) (Charles Tryon bilbo@bisco.kodak.com) Ashtabula Crank A one-piece crank -- the crank arm starts on one side of the bike, bends to go through the bottom bracket, and bends again on the other side to go down to the other pedal. Typically heavy, cheap, and robust. See ``cottered crank'' and ``cotterless crank''. Ashtabula is the name of the original manufacturer, I think. Biopace Chainring Chainrings that are more oval rather than round. The idea was to redistribute the forces of pedaling to different points as your feet go around, due to the fact that there are "dead spots" in the stroke. The concensus is pretty much that they work ok for novices, but get in the way for more experienced riders. Cassette Freewheel A cassette freewheel is used with a freehub. The part of a normal freewheel that contains the pawls that transfer chain motion to the wheel (or allows the wheel to spin while the chain doesn't move) is part of the wheel hub. The cassette is the cogs, usually held together with small screws. Cleat A cleat attaches to the bottom of a cycling shoe. Older style cleats have a slot that fits over the back of the pedal, and in conjunction with toe clips and straps, hold your foot on the pedal. New "clipless" pedals have a specially designed cleat that locks into the pedal, sometimes with some ability to move side-to-side so as not to stress knees. Cottered Crank A three-piece crank with two arms and an axle. The arms each have a hole that fits over the end of the axle and a second hole that runs tangential to the first. The crank axle has a tangential notch at each end. A *cotter* is a tapered and rounded bar of metal that is inserted in the tangential hole in the crank arm and presses against the tangential notch in the crank axle. The cotter is held in place by a nut screwed on at the thin end of the cotter. Ideally, the cotter is removed with a special tool. Often, however, it is removed by banging on it with a hammer. If you do the latter (gads!) be sure (a) to unscrew the nut until the end of the cotter is nearly flush, but leave it on so that it will straighten the threads when you unscrew it farther and (b) brace the other side of the crank with something very solid (the weight of the bike should be resting on that `something') so that the force of the banging is not transmitted through the bottom bracket bearings. Cotterless Crank A three-piece crank with two arms and an axle. Currently (1991) the most common kind of crank. The crank axle has tapered square ends, the crank arms have mating tapered square ends. The crank arm is pressed on and the taper ensures a snug fit. The crank arm is drawn on and held in place with either nuts (low cost, ``nutted'' cotterless cranks) or with bolts. A special tool is required to remove a cotterless crank. Crank Axle The axle about which the crank arms and pedals revolve. May be integrated with the cranks (Ashtabula) or a separate piece (cottered and cotterless). Fender Also called a ``mudguard''. Looked down upon by tweak cyclists, but used widely in the Pacific Northwest and many non-US parts of the world. Helps keep the rider cleaner and drier. Compare to ``rooster tail''. Frame Table A big strong table that Will Not Flex and which has anchors at critical places -- dropouts, bottom bracket, seat, head. It also has places to attach accurate measuring instruments like dial gauges, scratch needles, etc. The frame is clamped to the table and out-of-line parts are yielded into alignment. High-Wheeler A bicycle with one large wheel and one small wheel. The commonest are large front/small rear. A small number are small front/large rear. See ``ordinary'' or ``penny-farthing'' and contrast to ``safety''. Hyperglide Freewheel Freewheel cogs with small "ramps" cut into the sides of the cogs which tend to pull the chain more quickly to the next larger cog when shifting. Ordinary See ``penny-farthing''. Penny-Farthing An old-fashioned ``high wheeler'' bicycle with a large (60", 150cm) front wheel and a much smaller rear wheel, the rider sits astride the front wheel and the pedals are connected directly to the front wheel like on many children's tricycles. Also called ``ordinary'', and distinguished from either a small front/large rear high wheeler or a ``safety'' bicycle. Rooster Tail A spray of water flung off the back wheel as the bicycle rolls through water. Particularly pronounced on bikes without fenders. See also ``fender''. Safety Named after the ``Rover Safety'' bicycle, the contemporary layout of equal-sized wheels with rear chain drive. Compare to ``ordinary''. Spindle See ``crank axle''. Three-Piece Crank A cottered or cotterless crank; compare to Ashtabula. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maps (Jim Carson carson@rice.edu) BikeCentennial maps are not free, but you can get them without joining. To order stuff with Mastercard or Visa, you can call 1-800-933-1116 (24 hr). Maps are currently (May 1991) $6.95 each to "non-members," $4.95 each to "members." There are also small discounts for sets of maps and members in the continental US don't have to pay for surface shipping and handling. Scale of the maps is generally 1" = 4mi/6.4km. Certain areas are more detailed when necessary. I like the maps because they have lots of interesting features labeled (campgrounds, grocery stores, major changes in elevation, historical info about the region,...), they're printed on a water-resistant paper, and they fit nicely into a handlebar bag map case. As of May '91, there are two and a half transcontinental (W-E) routes an east coast (N-S) route, a west coast route (N-S), and numerous routes among the various parks in the western U.S. and Canada. [I say "2 1/2 transcontinental routes" because the southern portion of the transcontinental route from TX to FL is not in print though the maps are "done."] Membership is $22/annually, and they have a lifetime membership available. Members get copies of BikeCentennial's magazine, _BikeReport_, published 9 times annually, a list of tours run by BikeCentennial, and the annual _The Cyclists' Yellow Pages_. _The Cyclists' Yellow Pages_ provides *LOTS* of interesting information on touring and points of contact for more information about cycling and touring all over the world. (For example, they have an arrangement with The Netherlands Service Center for Tourism whereby you can purchase full-color, 21" x 38", 1:100k scale, Dutch-language maps.) BikeCentennial's address and phone: BikeCentennial (800) 933-1116, (406) 721-8719 PO Box 8308 Missoula, MT 59807-9988 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Women's Saddles (Pamela Blalock pamela@keps.kodak.com) Many women who cycle have experienced frustration with trying to find a comfortable saddle. It is amazing how many times I have found myself standing around after a ride talking with other women about saddles. This article came from those discussions and an informal survey of woman's saddle preferences. This is a dynamic article and changes on occassion, so if you have comments please contact me (pamela@keps.kodak.com) and I will incorporate your comments. 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. While this is 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. First, insure 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. 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. 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! In addition to being more comfortable, a bike that really fits will also handle better than one that is improperly sized. Most production bikes are built proportionally for the average man. 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. 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 special 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. It is important to RIDE your bike and possibly make more 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. 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. One option is to simply select a bike with a shorter seat tube, combined with a longer seatpost, to get a shorter top tube length. This will work for taller women, but there is a limit of how short you can make a top tube with two 700C wheels. Several manufacturers have started building bikes proportionally sized for women to specifically address our needs. For small women, these bikes may have a smaller front wheel to get the shorter top tube, but not all women's bikes have a 24" front wheel. Some have two 26" or 700C wheels, depending on size and geometry. 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. Of course, as I said earlier, we are all different and many women may not need any special adjustments made to their non-custom off-the-shelf bikes. 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 some 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 ba able to feel your sit bones. This is what you want supported by your bike saddle. Avocet used to (and maybe still does) run a great ad showing a hip bone sitting on a saddle. With a saddle that's too narrow, a woman may find herself straddling it, or slipping off of one side and pinching nerves - which may eventually cause the legs or feet to go numb. Of course, a saddle that's too wide may 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. I have quite a few retired women's saddles with depressed gel indicating exactly where I my bones are, which for me is close to the edge. Actually, looking at 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. Remember, we are all different. Unfortunately no one manufacturer makes different sized women's saddles - but the 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. There are several women's saddles on the market, many of which are made 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). 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 including the Brooks leather. One rider pointed out that having a seatpost with infinitely adjustable angles, like the American Classic, will help one to find the perfect angle. With the rachet 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. Two new saddles were introduced recently which specifically address this issue, the Terry Women's and the Miyata Pavea. Both are shorter and wider than the typical man's saddle and both have a hole in the nose 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 have used both the Terry and the Miyata. 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 :) :) :) I recently completed a 750 mile ride on the back of a tandem in 85.5 hours. 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 minutes later with this wonderful saddle with an exposed hole. He had found the Miyata. The difference was immediately noticeable. 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. Of course the saddle is different looking and draws lots of comments and sexual innuendos, but it saved my ride. My male tandem partner is now looking into making a similar type modification to his saddle before our next really long event. 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. Terry has announced a racing version of their saddle, which has a narrower nose. This saddle was supposed to be available in June, 1992, but a manufacturing problem has delayed its delivery to customers. I will update this article as soon as I get to test ride one. Someday, maybe we will see women's saddles in various widths. We must create the demand though. Other suggestions for improved saddle comfort including trying different shorts. Shorts that bunch up in front may cause discomfort. Shorts fit differently in and out of the saddle, so look down while you are on the bike. Sprinkling powder in the shorts may help keep you dry and saddle sore free on a warm day. A little vasoline may also help with prevention or treatment of saddles sores. 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 *Pamela* 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 Miyata Pavea WaveFlo Avocet Women's Racing saddle Viscount saddle San Marco Regal women's Selle Italia Turbo Brook's B-17 Brook's Pro (Of course some women hated saddles that others raved about! Did I mention that we are all DIFFERENT) Specialty women's products are available through The Womyn's Wheel, 540 Lafayette Rd, Suite 7, Hampton, NH, 03842-3344, phone 603-926-4939, or hopefully at your local bike shop - just keep asking them!! Xref: bloom-picayune.mit.edu rec.bicycles.misc:1369 news.answers:4254 Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!enterpoop.mit.edu!usc!news.service.uci.edu!nntpsrv From: iglesias@draco.acs.uci.edu (Mike Iglesias) Subject: Rec.Bicycles Frequently Asked Questions Posting Part 2/4 Nntp-Posting-Host: draco.acs.uci.edu Expires: 15 Jan 93 00:00:00 GMT Message-ID: <rec-bicycles-faq-2_921129@draco.acs.uci.edu> Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.misc,news.answers Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu Organization: University of California, Irvine Lines: 1330 Supersedes: <rec-bicycles-faq-2_921018@draco.acs.uci.edu> References: <rec-bicycles-faq-1_9211290@draco.acs.uci.edu> Date: 30 Nov 92 06:22:04 GMT Followup-To: rec.bicycles.misc Archive-name: bicycles-faq/part2 [Note: The complete FAQ is available via anonymous ftp from draco.acs.uci.edu (128.200.34.12), in pub/rec.bicycles.] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Women's Bikes (Lynn Karamanos karamano@esd.dl.nec.com) 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bike Rentals (Various people) Lincoln Guide Service Lincoln Center Lincoln, MA (617) 259-9204 Rents mountain, road, kids bikes, and trailers. About 30 min west of Boston. Team Bicycle Rentals 508 Main Huntington Beach, CA (714) 969-5480 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 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 -- 461-6903 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bike Lockers (David H. Wolfskill david@dhw68k.cts.com) Many thanks to all who mailed or posted an interest in my quest for information regarding bike locker vendors; I apologize for the delay in posting this summary. My colleague -- thanks to some of that information -- was able to locate a sufficiently nearby vendor... one of the requirements of which I had not been aware was that the vendor must be fairly close (to Orange County, CA) -- to minimize shipping charges. (I apologize for failing to determine this issue before posting, and hope that some of the information about other vendors may be of value to others.) I figured it would be more useful for me to organize the information, so I have done so -- at the expense of making an attempt to give credit for the sources at the point the information is quoted. (I include a list of sources at the end of the article.) First, I received a few pointers to one Ellen Fletcher, such as: >For a comprehensive treatment of the bicycle parking subject, >along with a list of vendors & prices, contact Ellen Fletcher >at cdp!scvba@labrea.stanford.edu (put "ATTN ELLEN" in your >"To" line. [I requested clarification regarding addressing a note to Ms. Fletcher, but have yet to receive it.] >... Ellen Fletcher, 777-108 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto, CA >94303-4826, 415-495-8943. Fortunately, someone sent a list of products & manufacturers, apparently originally compiled by Ms. Fletcher. I have taken the liberty of using that list as a "base document" and have augmented it with other information I received; entries are alphabetically by munufacturer's name, since I don't always have product names: (Manufacturer, {Product Name(s)}, Address, Contact Person, Phone, FAX [comments]) American Bicycle Security Co., {BIKE SAFE}, PO Box 7359 Ventura, CA 93006, Thomas E. Volk, 805-933-3688 & 800-BIKESAF, 805-933-1865. Bike Lockers Company, {BikeLokr}, PO Box 445 W. Sacramento, CA 95691,, 916-372-6620, 916-372-3616 [approx. $300/locker, small quantities]. Bike-Lokr Mfg. Co., {?}, PO Box 123, Joplin, MO 64802, Jim Snyder, 417-673-1960/800-462-4049, 417-673-3642 [approx $450/locker, which holds 2 bikes; seem to be the lockers used by the Washington, DC Metro system] Bike Security Racks Co., {?}, PO Box 371, Cambridge, MA 02140,, 617-547-5755, - Bike Stable Co., Inc., {?}, PO 1402, South Bend, Indiana 46624,, 219-233-7060, - Cycle-Safe Inc., 2772-5 Woodlake Rd. SW Wyoming, MI 49509,, (616)538-0079 - David O'Keefe Company, {Super Secure Bike Stor}, P.O. Box 4457, Alamo, CA 94507, Thomas & David O'Keefe, 415-637-4440, 415-837-6234. General Machine company, {Bicycle Locker}, PO Box 405 Vacaville, CA 95696, Vitto Accardi, 707-446-2761, - J.G.Wilson Corp, {Park'n'Lock Bike Garage}, PO Box 599, Norfolk, VA 23501-0599, J.L.Bevan, 804-545-8341, 804-543-3249. Sunshine U-LOK Corp., {Secura Bike Locker}, 31316 Via Colinas Suite 102, Westlake Village, CA 91362, Doug Devine, 818-707-0110. [Specific information near the end of the article -- dhw.] Turtle Storage Ltd., {?}, P. O. Box 7359, Ventura, CA 93006,,, - [Ed. note: The complete posting is available in the archives on draco.acs.uci.edu.] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 C-10 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 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 C-10 Vetta Two Y Vetta Wireless Y --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Avoiding Dogs (Arnie Berger arnie@hp-lsd.COL.HP.COM) There are varying degrees of defense against dogs. 1- Shout "NO!" as loud and authoritatively as you can. That works more than half the time against most dogs that consider chasing you just good sport. 2- Get away from their territory as fast as you can. 3- A water bottle squirt sometimes startles them. 4- If you're willing to sacifice your pump, whump'em on the head when they come in range. If they're waiting for you in the road and all you can see are teeth then you in a heap o' trouble. In those situations, I've turned around, slowly, not staring at the dog, and rode away. When I have been in a stand off situation, I keep the bike between me and the dog.