Spring is sprung

On Mar 24, 7:51*am, Patrick Turner wrote:

In the absense of much thought provoking posting about tube craft from
yourself, or anyone else, I would propose that all those present *remain
tolerant while some mention is made of the changes in weather and of
cycling expeditions on roads hopefully free of ice, or not so hot that
one tyres get stuck in the tar.

Spring is sprung,
The sun is riz,
I wonder where
de birdies iz.

Please come out of your hibernation and don't remain grumpy old bear
forever.

Patrick:

As it happens, I have been up to my elbows in solder and have the
flick-marks on the workbench to show for it. And I have no objections
to OT posts _AT ALL_ if they are marked as such, that is common
courtesy and etiquette, two conditions to which Andre has proven
entirely immune over the years.

As to your little poem, AKA the Brooklyn National Anthem - the full
text is:

“Spring is sprung,
The grass is riz,
I wonder where the flowers is.
The boid is on the wing --
Absoid!
Of course the wing is on the boid.”

Alternately:

Der spring is sprung
Der grass is riz
I wonder where dem boidies is?

Der little boids is on der wing.
Ain’t dat absoid?
Der little wings is on der boid!

As to tubecraft - not much I am doing is in the slightest way special
or different to anyone other than me. I am applying some of your
suggestions to a Dynaco ST70, and gradually progressing with my own
home-brew - and tweaking, cleaning, repairing, upgrading in
preparation for Kutztown in May. I have a Van-full to sell and in
these troubled times I expect that nothing much other than solid,
polite, clean equipment has much of a chance to sell, reasonable
prices or not.

The home-brew will be presented here (RAT - I will spare the bicycle
group) in good time - when complete and with provenance. But that
'good time' might be next month or next year - much to do in an old
house, old cars and with old bones (not really on the latter at a mere
57) - sweat-equity has become a meaningful term again - for what I
would have to pay others I can do 4 x as much with better-quality
materials and better results. It just takes 3 x as long.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

On Mar 25, 12:28*am, PeterD wrote:
On Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:43:25 -0700 (PDT), Andre Jute



wrote:
On Mar 24, 10:57*am, Patrick Turner wrote:

And I don't take a mobile phone with me on rides. I don't have a mobile
phone.

One of the most satisfying moments of my early cycling experience
involved a mobile phone. I had one of those early, huge, Motorolas
that later became notorious as the preferred instruments of GBH among
the club bouncers because they were so strongly attached to their
aerials -- and as long as they worked the police couldn't prove that
they were kept past their electronic utility simply as weapons. One
day I was out on my bike, riding the lanes when a NY lawyer who
represented me for technical books in the USA called me to tell me he
was running in Central Park and I should get off my ass and take some
exercise. Without first ringing off, I threw the whole wretched
contraption in the ditch, where it sparked as it hit the water and
sizzled most satisfactorily.

I now have a mobile phone again. It is carried on my bike in the
toolkit, switched off but fully charged. Its purpose is to call a taxi
to drive me and the bike home when I have a punctured tire. Though
I've never changed a Big Apple tyre, I understand they can be hell to
get off and on the rim. I had a very hard time getting the related
Marathon Plus on the rims when I was working on a table, so I don't
fancy my chances of getting a Big Apple off and then back onto the rim
when I'm working in the ditch beside a lane, quite aside from the the
problems of dismantling the superbly functional but complicated fully
enveloping chaincase on my Utopia before I can even think of getting
the wheel off. Just replacing the small parts I will lose in the ditch
will cost more to replace than several taxi rides. A mobile phone is a
good solution.

Andre Jute
Visit Jute on Bicycles at
http://www.audio-talk.co.uk/fiultra/...20CYCLING.html

Truth be told I carry my mobile with me when I bike... Simply put,
I've a heart condition that makes this a good idea. Hopefully I'll
have enough time to call my wife and say 'Goodbye' before I'm gone!
bg I doubt it would save me if it happened, but if I got hit by a
'hit and run' driver, it may prove useful (I may survive that!)

Ha! I take my nurse with me when I cycle. One of my pedalpals is an
extensively trained nurse, so she knows what to do and who to call if
I should keel over on the road, or be hit by a motor vehicle.

Andre Jute
Rage, rage against the dying of the light -- Dylan Thomas

On Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:30:07 -0700 (PDT), Andre Jute
wrote:

On Mar 25, 12:28*am, PeterD wrote:
On Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:43:25 -0700 (PDT), Andre Jute



wrote:
On Mar 24, 10:57*am, Patrick Turner wrote:

And I don't take a mobile phone with me on rides. I don't have a mobile
phone.

One of the most satisfying moments of my early cycling experience
involved a mobile phone. I had one of those early, huge, Motorolas
that later became notorious as the preferred instruments of GBH among
the club bouncers because they were so strongly attached to their
aerials -- and as long as they worked the police couldn't prove that
they were kept past their electronic utility simply as weapons. One
day I was out on my bike, riding the lanes when a NY lawyer who
represented me for technical books in the USA called me to tell me he
was running in Central Park and I should get off my ass and take some
exercise. Without first ringing off, I threw the whole wretched
contraption in the ditch, where it sparked as it hit the water and
sizzled most satisfactorily.

I now have a mobile phone again. It is carried on my bike in the
toolkit, switched off but fully charged. Its purpose is to call a taxi
to drive me and the bike home when I have a punctured tire. Though
I've never changed a Big Apple tyre, I understand they can be hell to
get off and on the rim. I had a very hard time getting the related
Marathon Plus on the rims when I was working on a table, so I don't
fancy my chances of getting a Big Apple off and then back onto the rim
when I'm working in the ditch beside a lane, quite aside from the the
problems of dismantling the superbly functional but complicated fully
enveloping chaincase on my Utopia before I can even think of getting
the wheel off. Just replacing the small parts I will lose in the ditch
will cost more to replace than several taxi rides. A mobile phone is a
good solution.

Andre Jute
Visit Jute on Bicycles at
http://www.audio-talk.co.uk/fiultra/...20CYCLING.html

Truth be told I carry my mobile with me when I bike... Simply put,
I've a heart condition that makes this a good idea. Hopefully I'll
have enough time to call my wife and say 'Goodbye' before I'm gone!
bg I doubt it would save me if it happened, but if I got hit by a
'hit and run' driver, it may prove useful (I may survive that!)

Ha! I take my nurse with me when I cycle. One of my pedalpals is an
extensively trained nurse, so she knows what to do and who to call if
I should keel over on the road, or be hit by a motor vehicle.

Andre Jute
Rage, rage against the dying of the light -- Dylan Thomas

Good idea, care to lend her out? bg

Jay Beattie wrote:
In PDX on Saturday it was oscillating between sun breaks and showers.
I was climbing around through the hills, sort of day dreaming up a two
or three mile climb when I was caught by a guy I used to race with
almost 20 years ago -- actually, he won all the local and regional
races for 35 years, and I just happened to be pack filler in the same
jersey from time to time. The guy is now 59 years old (seven years
older than me). We road together for maybe ten miles, including
another steep mile climb -- where he outsprinted me in the last 20
meters. Dropped by the first old dude of spring. Some things never
change. It was fun chatting about the old days, though. -- Jay
Beattie.

I FINALLY went on a non-utilitarian ride on Saturday: N. PDX - Pearl -
Thurman - Leif Erikson - Germantown - Willamette - N. PDX.

What a wonderful place I've moved to! Now I gotta get the road bike
assembled and find these climbs I keep hearing you talk about.
--
Paul M. Hobson
..:change the f to ph to reply:.

" wrote:

On Mar 24, 7:51 am, Patrick Turner wrote:

In the absense of much thought provoking posting about tube craft from
yourself, or anyone else, I would propose that all those present remain
tolerant while some mention is made of the changes in weather and of
cycling expeditions on roads hopefully free of ice, or not so hot that
one tyres get stuck in the tar.

Spring is sprung,
The sun is riz,
I wonder where
de birdies iz.

Please come out of your hibernation and don't remain grumpy old bear
forever.

Patrick:

As it happens, I have been up to my elbows in solder and have the
flick-marks on the workbench to show for it. And I have no objections
to OT posts _AT ALL_ if they are marked as such, that is common
courtesy and etiquette, two conditions to which Andre has proven
entirely immune over the years.

Perfection is such an elusive quality to be found on the Internet.

Don't worry, be happy.


As to your little poem, AKA the Brooklyn National Anthem - the full
text is:

“Spring is sprung,
The grass is riz,
I wonder where the flowers is.
The boid is on the wing --
Absoid!
Of course the wing is on the boid.”

Alternately:

Der spring is sprung
Der grass is riz
I wonder where dem boidies is?

Der little boids is on der wing.
Ain’t dat absoid?
Der little wings is on der boid!


; !



As to tubecraft - not much I am doing is in the slightest way special
or different to anyone other than me. I am applying some of your
suggestions to a Dynaco ST70, and gradually progressing with my own
home-brew - and tweaking, cleaning, repairing, upgrading in
preparation for Kutztown in May. I have a Van-full to sell and in
these troubled times I expect that nothing much other than solid,
polite, clean equipment has much of a chance to sell, reasonable
prices or not.

Hmm, great chance for ppl to replace their junk with other junk.


The home-brew will be presented here (RAT - I will spare the bicycle
group) in good time - when complete and with provenance. But that
'good time' might be next month or next year - much to do in an old
house, old cars and with old bones (not really on the latter at a mere
57) - sweat-equity has become a meaningful term again - for what I
would have to pay others I can do 4 x as much with better-quality
materials and better results. It just takes 3 x as long.

There is always a pile of things to do and a need for 480 hours in a
day. That's the trouble with living, you never get enough time to do
everything you think you ought to do.

Patrick Turner.


Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

On Mar 25, 11:24*am, Patrick Turner wrote:

There is always a pile of things to do and a need for 480 hours in a
day. That's the trouble with living, you never get enough time to do
everything you think you ought to do.

Patrick:

C.S. Lewis once defined Hell as that state in life when one realizes
too late that one did everything one 'ought' and nothing one desired.
I read this little gem while still in high school, and have taken it
to heart ever since.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

On Mar 25, 7:46*am, "Paul M. Hobson" wrote:
Jay Beattie wrote:
In PDX on Saturday it was oscillating between sun breaks and showers.
I was climbing around through the hills, sort of day dreaming up a two
or three mile climb when I was caught by a guy I used to race with
almost 20 years ago -- actually, he won all the local and regional
races for 35 years, and I just happened to be pack filler in the same
jersey from time to time. *The guy is now 59 years old (seven years
older than me). *We road together for maybe ten miles, including
another steep mile climb -- where he outsprinted me in the last 20
meters. *Dropped by the first old dude of spring. Some things never
change. *It was fun chatting about the old days, though. *-- Jay
Beattie.

I FINALLY went on a non-utilitarian ride on Saturday: N. PDX - Pearl -
Thurman - Leif Erikson - Germantown - Willamette - N. PDX.

What a wonderful place I've moved to! Now I gotta get the road bike
assembled and find these climbs I keep hearing you talk about.

You're in the right general area -- can't miss 'em. Just look for the
parade of colorful jerseys! The deal with the West Hills rides is
that you can loop them together and do as much mileage and climbing as
you want. Get tired and just go down on to HWY 30. Check this out.
http://tinyurl.com/ypkynp

For a really pretty ride, you should go out to the Gorge. HWY 14 east
on the Washington side past Bonneville Dam, over Bridge of the Gods
(don't look down through the metal deck, you'll get vertigo) and back
on the Scenic Highway past Multnomah Falls. This guy apparently feels
the same way about the metal deck as I do. http://hubpages.com/hub/Cycling-in-Portland-Journal
-- Jay Beattie.

Per bigwig:
I have
never had and never will have a bike that is so badly designed and
over priced that I need to show off about the fact my hands are too
weak to remove a tyre.

My experience has been that most wheel/tire combinations aren't
that hard to get tires on/off, but that some are really, really
tight.

My 55mm WTB Mutano Raptors practically fall off the Mavic 618
rims on my FS. No tire levers needed.

OTOH when I had to remove a pair 40mm Continental "Cross Country"
tires from those same rims, I needed (*really* needed... there
was no hope whatsoever without them) three tire levers. In the
process I almost broke one lever and pioneered a few new
profanities.
--
PeteCresswell

On Mar 25, 9:44*am, PeterD wrote:

Good idea, care to lend her out?

Um... no. She is a paid minder. Didn't you know that Andre is not
permitted outside the walls without such?

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

On Mar 24, 4:43*pm, Andre Jute wrote:

Though
I've never changed a Big Apple tyre, I understand they can be hell to
get off and on the rim. I had a very hard time getting the related
Marathon Plus on the rims when I was working on a table, so I don't
fancy my chances of getting a Big Apple off and then back onto the rim
when I'm working in the ditch beside a lane,
snip

Fear not about your ability to remove a Big Apple tire from any rim
that it fits on. The single most relevant factor in how easily a tire
off is how strongly it tends to flare its beads apart, and in this
regard the Big Apple is a pussycat.

In order to buy enough slack to lift a tire's bead up and over the rim
edge, some other portion of the bead must fall into the deep center of
the rim channel. The more of the bead can do this, the more slack you
get at the point where you are attempting to jump the rim edge.
Supple sidewalls help in this regard, and fat casings help too. So
the Big Apple (and I would guess the Lightskin version is even better)
is easy to dismount.

The Marathon Plus has a slab of rubber embedded between tread and
casing, and this tends to hold the beads wide apart even when you
might like to fetch them together into the bottom of the rim channel.
But if you insist with them, you'll discover that they're not
particularly tight, just particularly intractable. Schwalbe Marathon
Pluses were the only tires in my LBS that I could tease onto a
notoriously tight Torelli Master rim on my wife's bike. Fortunately,
because of the flat-resistant nature of these tires, I've rarely had
to remove them since.

With the thin-skinned and commodious Big Apples, all you have to do is
apply a little lift to the side of the tire you are trying to remove,
while pinching together the beads on the opposite side and teasing
them into the bottom of the rim. Unless your rim is anomalous, there
should be no need at all for tire levers.

Chalo