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#101
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Bike Stores Endangerd Because of Super Chain Stores?
"GRL" wrote in message ... I'm surprised that your friend could find a new Trek for $220.have never seen a new one for anything approaching that price. Good for him? By any chance was the Costco bike one of those quasi-mountain bike monstrosities with un-needed suspension front and back and the Trek a hard-tail/fixed fork model? If yes, I can see why he might prefer the former for road use. I would, too. Yes, it was a 'full susp' Mongoose. The new one is a 2004 Trek 820, I think http://montgomerycyclery.com/site/sh...=39&Category=0 $219 And yes, he rides it off road as well as paved trails. Nothing intense, but not strictly road use. Pete |
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#102
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Bike Stores Endangerd Because of Super Chain Stores?
"GRL" wrote in message ... Sorry, but that's the way my mail client, Outlook Express works. I apologize for the inconvenience to you. Damn that Bill Gates! err...I use OE too. One mouse click before you start typing fixes the problem. Pete |
#103
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Bike Stores Endangerd Because of Super Chain Stores?
GRL wrote:
Sorry, but that's the way my mail client, Outlook Express works. I apologize for the inconvenience to you. Damn that Bill Gates! http://home.in.tum.de/~jain/software/oe-quotefix/ -- Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota * USA |
#104
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Bike Stores Endangerd Because of Super Chain Stores?
"GRL" wrote I'll check into your link, but I don't see how a narrower tire can do anything but lower rolling resistance. Remember all those land speed record jet and rocket cars? They all ride very hard very narrow tires to...lower rolling resistance in search of maximum speed. Cars that are sold into the high mpg market all have narrow tires made with hard (lots of silica and less carbon black) compounds to minimize rolling resistance. Dragster front tires which do nothing but steer and apply no power are always very narrow to minimize rolling (and air) resistance. The analogies are compelling. Aerodynamics. The operational regimes are very different. A 300 mph dragster or 600 mph jet car has different needs than does a 12 mph cyclist. At recreational cyclist speeds, that is a non issue. Pete |
#105
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Bike Stores Endangerd Because of Super Chain Stores?
"GRL" wrote in message
... Sorry, but that's the way my mail client, Outlook Express works. I apologize for the inconvenience to you. It does not work that way. Here, I am using Outlook Express, and I seem to have no problem. Further, I believe your apology to be insincere. Only people who are unfamiliar with the conventions of usenet top-post. It's sort of like riding against traffic. When you see someone do it, you think, "Oh god, that twit doesn't know any better, poor thing." -- Warm Regards, Claire Petersky Please replace earthlink for mouse-potato and .net for .com Home of the meditative cyclist: http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky |
#106
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Bike Stores Endangerd Because of Super Chain Stores?
On Wed, 2 Jun 2004 19:43:48 -0400, "GRL"
wrote: 240 lb. Actually I had the spokes fixed at two different shops. Same result both times. My bike has no suspension. My guess is that if you put your 1.5" tire on your back wheel and pump it up to 90 psi you'll start breaking spokes. In the spirit of Carl Fogel, I may just do this. Carl has decided to prove that a cheap department-store bike can be a reasonable ride; he posts his ride reports once in awhile, and I'm amazed that he does so well. I think I will mount the 1.5" semi-slicks. I will inflate to 90 psi. I will ride hard on rough surfaces. I will report back. I'll miss riding my road bike while I do it... standard gage with double-wall rims. Thicker gage spokes (maybe 36 spokes) on a custom rim would very possibly hold up better, but I am not about to It is my understanding that thicker spokes are not necessarily better; butted spokes, which are thinner in the middle, are more likely to bend elastically in the middle (which can take the bending better) than straight spokes, which will bend at their weakest points (the threaded end and the elbow). buy a wheel that costs as much as my whole bike cost when I can solve the problem with a tire change and a little less air pressure. (I could also I don't think your problem is solved this way; I think you'll see the same problems, in time. lose weight, but while the mind is willing "the flesh is weak".) I did that once. Found out I was miserable at the lower weight, put it back on, felt better physically and mentally. I'll check into your link, but I don't see how a narrower tire can do anything but lower rolling resistance. Remember all those land speed record Rolling resistance comes from the tire casing deforming to provide the contact patch. At the same pressure and load, you will have the same size contact patch regardless of tire width. A narrower tire must deform more of it's casing to provide that contact patch. jet and rocket cars? They all ride very hard very narrow tires to...lower rolling resistance in search of maximum speed. Cars that are sold into the Very hard to lower RR. Very narrow for weight, aerodynamics, and because they must be narrow to hold that pressure. high mpg market all have narrow tires made with hard (lots of silica and less carbon black) compounds to minimize rolling resistance. Dragster front Automotive tires may be subject to different dynamics; for example, they have radial, tubeless, non-slick tires, with a rectangular contact patch (due to the tire's width and shape). tires which do nothing but steer and apply no power are always very narrow to minimize rolling (and air) resistance. The analogies are compelling. The analogies are not relevant. When you've got a motor, rolling resistance is a very small issue; and at the speed of a motorized vehicle, aerodynamic drag remains a very big issue. -- Rick Onanian |
#107
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Bike Stores Endangerd Because of Super Chain Stores?
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#108
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Bike Stores Endangerd Because of Super Chain Stores?
"GRL" wrote in message
... I'm surprised that your friend could find a new Trek for $220.have never seen a new one for anything approaching that price. Good for him? From today's paper: Trek Navigator 100 Comfort Bike $199 Trek Navigator 50 Comfort Bike $199 Trek 800 Mountain Bike $199 Specialized Hardrock at the same price. Small print says: Limited sizes, excludes 2004 models, sale ends June 9. This is from a large bike shop (who else would be taking out a full-page ad, even in The Onion?). I have little direct experience with this shop -- I've been in there, but always left without buying anything. |
#109
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Bike Stores Endangerd Because of Super Chain Stores?
"GRL" wrote in message
... 240 lb. Actually I had the spokes fixed at two different shops. Same result both times. My bike has no suspension. I went through a summer in which I kept breaking spokes. Three different wheels were fixed or replaced by 4 bike shops in 3 states (since the spoke breakage occurred on tour). I was about ready to head to Lickton's and special order a wheel with 48 spokes or some such, but the owner of my regular shop ordered in a moderate priced wheel, paid a bit more attention to it than usual, and I've not broken a spoke in the 2 years since. I'm nearly 220, unfortuntely, and this is an old road bike ridden in the potholed midwestern US. Bike shops primarily sell wheels out of stock, so they don't necessarily get a lot of wheel building experience. This whole stress-relief schtick Jobst writes about takes time, and it's time that most recreational riders don't need and don't want to pay for. However, for us larger guys this stuff is vital. |
#110
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Bike Stores Endangerd Because of Super Chain Stores?
Tires act as shock absorbers. If you over-inflate a tire (especially a
narrow tire) you have less shock absorbing ability from the tire (it is less flexible) so when you hit a bump more of the shock goes to the spokes. I ride a rail trail that has several bumpy bridges and I am not a light-weight. I started breaking spokes when I put on a 1.4" tire and over-inflated about 10 psi (to about 90 psi). Had the wheel repaired and tensioned by a bike mechanic. Broken spokes continued. Replaced the wheel with a new wheel. Same problem. Finally went back to a 2" tire inflated to 75 psi and no more broken spokes. May some day put the 1.4" back on and try it at 75 psi. For now I run a 1.4" in front and a 2" in back. Front at 85 psi and back at 75 psi. Works fine. Seems pretty cut and dry to me. But not to me. By your logic, my customers with road bikes running anything under 35c tires (the equivalent of your 1.4) ought to be breaking loads of spokes. And those customers running 23c tires at 120 psi... those bikes ought to be breaking spokes just by looking at them. But they don't. And, I daresay, if I did sell a bike that broke spokes because somebody put a 1.4" tire on it and inflated it to 90 psi, and I didn't find any hacksaw marks on the spokes... I'd consider it defective and take care of it. --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com |
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