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| Author |
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| 25 new of 291 responses total. |
scg
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response 39 of 291:
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Jun 28 04:45 UTC 2002 |
I know nothing about the internal 3 speed hubs.
Cables should be greased before being put into the housing, thus making
greasing the cables very easy. In addition to the grease being a longer
lasting lubricant, cable housings tend to have liners that oil would do nasty
things to.
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keesan
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response 40 of 291:
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Jun 28 13:22 UTC 2002 |
Do you suggest trying to pull the rusty cables out of the rusty housings in
order to grease them? What liner material would be harmed by oil?
Today we are invited to check out Bruce Price's $4.50 for 3 bikes - Huffy and
Murray mountain bikes. They need a brake adjusted and one wheel which is
quick release is not staying on the bike (and who knows what else). He lives
somewhere near the top of Broadway hill so we are lucky with today's cool
weather. Jim will bike there on his own hybrid (purple front fork from
another bike) green Murray and I may take my old mixte frame with the front
basket so as to carry library books. Does anyone still make mixte frames,
not for only skinny tires?
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scg
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response 41 of 291:
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Jun 28 19:02 UTC 2002 |
Rusty cables should be replaced, both because they don't work very well, and
because if they break it's a bad thing (especially with brake cables), so no,
I'm not suggesting trying to lubricate cables that are already rusty. But
yes, if you needed to lubricate cables that were still good, the way to do
it would be to pull them out of the housing.
I'm not sure what the cable liner material is. It's some sort of plasticy
thing, maybe teflon?
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keesan
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response 42 of 291:
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Jun 28 23:24 UTC 2002 |
Our cables always go bad at the lever end, so we don't worry about the rust.
Jim had to true all of Bruce's bikes' wheels before he could adjust the
brakes. He adjusted seat heights and gear shifters. The main problem with
the rear wheel was that it came from another bike and was 7-speed and the bike
was 2x5 speed so we took a very rusty wheel off their old bike, removed the
bad tire, took the slightly better tire off the other rusty wheel and used
that, and then trued the wheel. The derailleurs were also bent, etc.
Bruce has not biked in 20 years or so but wants to get into more biking
again, Rhiannon wants to bike to work (4 miles each way on the bike path next
to Huron Parkway, to Arborland) and Twila has no interest in biking but Bruce
is hoping to change her mind. She is short so has a 20" bike. The bids
started at $1 and Bruce had to outbid someone else on one of the bikes.
We got a 7-speed wheel with bad tire to take home.
We found a much better way to come home - a few lightly trafficked roads to
Traver Road, which is mostly dirt, through Leslie Park and a golf course, then
it got bad at Barton Drive so we turned west and then crossed something else
bad and left onto Chandler, which is labelled bike route. Through a park and
cemetary and then due south to Broadway and over the bridge again. Almost
no traffic except on Barton Drive, which was bad but had sidewalks. Not
nearly as steep as Broadway.
This took from 9:30 to about 6 (we stopped with a box full of motherboards
and to drop off library books) after which Jim adjusted my handlebars and
brakes to give a longer reach and we got back around 7:00.
Chandler will be a nice way to escape the traffic when coming south on Pontiac
Trail, after it gets back into town. It was actually marked on our bike maps,
but Traver (lovely dirt, no cars) was not. They marked Plymouth instead,
which is awful - noise and fumes constantly. We have different criteria, our
preference being for dirt.
Bruce lives near the big mall on Plymouth Road. Interesting apartment complex
way back from the road, with lots of large trees, playground, swimming pool.
Jim fixed a useless front brake on a kid's bike. A while later someone from
the apartment she was going to visit suddenly appeared with three cold bottles
of water on a tray for us! Nice neighbors. The bottle fit my bottle cage.
I needed a lesson in how to open and drink from it. Bruce would like to be
a cook. Jim thinks he should open a Middle Eastern food store for his
neighbors, most of whom seemed to be wearing shawls and long clothing
(Muslim), or a bakery.
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bru
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response 43 of 291:
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Jun 29 13:25 UTC 2002 |
Bike rides just fine. Enjoyed riding.
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keesan
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response 44 of 291:
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Jun 29 14:06 UTC 2002 |
Jim will be delighted to hear that it is already in use.
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clees
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response 45 of 291:
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Jun 29 19:38 UTC 2002 |
It's rainy weather (sigh)
Indoor bike it is (hometrainer)
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danr
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response 46 of 291:
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Jun 30 12:58 UTC 2002 |
I bought a derailleur cable at Great Lakes yesterday, and since I was
so impressed with it, I thought I'd mention it here. It's thinner than
the regular cable, and looks less likely to stretch, which is a cool
thing. Also, it's teflon-coated, so it should operate smoothly and it
doesn't require any kind of end cap to keep it from fraying.
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keesan
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response 47 of 291:
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Jul 1 01:14 UTC 2002 |
What does a teflon coated cable cost?
Today we headed off towards Pickerel Lake. Sunset to Newport (surprisingly
little traffic) across river, North Main, Stein (lovely road, no cars, smooth
surface) and various other roads such as Farrel until we came to what was
supposed to be a bridge over the Huron at Bell Road. The bridge is there (as
the new map implies) but it is no longer over the Huron River, nor has it been
for 7-8 years. Some kayakers offered us ferry service but the other side
looked steep. We considered fording but it was neck deep in spots. We
noticed several people standing neck deep fishing and decided since it was
upstream from Dexter and just south of two lakes, it must be relatively clean.
We could also see bottom, thanks probably to a lot of zebra mussels. So we
stayed there instead. No other bridges for 35 miles north, we were told.
Nothing south except No. Territorial which is terrible and then you have to
take equally terrible Dexter-Pinkney a few miles.
The water was warm, and clear, and you could watch the fishes and four
types of dragonfly, the water skimmers staying in one place despite the
current. Bullfrogs, a snake, and on the way a woodchuck, deer and rabbit.
, Quite a few kayaks and canoes and some other swimmers. Only 2 hours 15
minutes. Indendence Lake is only half an hour closer.
There are lots of new and silly looking mansions scattered around the
fields along the way, all facing the road with almost no windows, and no
gables, facing the sides. No linden or mulberry trees once we left town.
Lots and lots of poison ivy. We came back partly on Webster Church Rd. which
has paving but little traffic, and Scully (lots of loose gravel) and Trask
(?) and various other roads. Most dirt roads were nice but there was a lot
of loose gravel except where there was deep shade. Dried out for weeks.
Are there other unofficial swimming holes like this in the river?
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russ
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response 48 of 291:
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Jul 1 02:18 UTC 2002 |
Teflon-coated cables sound good. In addition to making them slide
easily, it should prevent them from corroding in the first place.
Hmmm, I know that you can get 200-pound test fishing line made of
Kevlar. I wonder how that would do as a cable material....
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bru
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response 49 of 291:
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Jul 1 02:25 UTC 2002 |
I have ridden the bike twice a day since it has been repaired. Not very far,
down to the gas station and back to put air in the tires, there adn back again
today to buy the sunday papers, around the complex 4 times. Just trying to
build up a little exercise slowly. I am enjoying it.
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keesan
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response 50 of 291:
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Jul 1 13:12 UTC 2002 |
What are your chances of getting Twila to join you for a short ride?
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anderyn
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response 51 of 291:
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Jul 1 14:09 UTC 2002 |
Maybe when I'm not wearing dresses. :-) Seriously, thanks to you and to Jim
for putting in the work on our bikes.
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jep
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response 52 of 291:
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Jul 1 15:45 UTC 2002 |
I've found it hard to want to get on my bike when it's been 90 degrees
every day for over a week. I've been spending all the time I can in
the water.
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keesan
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response 53 of 291:
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Jul 1 17:55 UTC 2002 |
But the bike is a good way to get to the water! Twila, that is a 'girls' '
bike and you can wear dresses while riding it. I just switched to a short
dress today- cooler than shorts.
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jmsaul
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response 54 of 291:
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Jul 1 21:22 UTC 2002 |
With a heat index of up to 105 over the next couple days, I don't think you
should be encouraging people to ride their bikes.
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jep
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response 55 of 291:
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Jul 1 22:43 UTC 2002 |
I don't follow the heat index, but when I think I might get dizzy from
even moderate exercise, I don't think about hopping on my bike. That's
the time for an air conditioned car, which gets me to the lake just
fine.
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gull
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response 56 of 291:
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Jul 1 23:49 UTC 2002 |
Yeah, and by the time you biked back from the lake you'd be hotter and
sweatier than if you hadn't gone swimming at all...
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mdw
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response 57 of 291:
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Jul 2 00:35 UTC 2002 |
Given that on the bicycle you've got a breeze, the heat index is less
meaningful. As long as you drink *plenty* of water & don't overdo
things, you should be fine. But if you haven't been bicycling before
now and aren't basically familiar with what you can do, you probably
don't want to start with a long ride in this heat.
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keesan
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response 58 of 291:
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Jul 2 01:52 UTC 2002 |
We were fine biking to the river Sunday, leaving in the morning and coming
back in the evening, on shady roads, at our own pace, with water bottles
(courtesy of Bruce's neighbor). Biking is a lot less effort than walking and
you are out in the sun for a shorter time, and the white helmets kept our
heads cooler.
Someone totally out of condition would not want to start with a long
ride in any weather.
We were a lot cooler at the river than if we had stayed home and a
quick shower deals with sweat (and we slept well despite the heat).
Independence Lake is under two hours - anyone want to join us?
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jep
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response 59 of 291:
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Jul 2 12:16 UTC 2002 |
Sindi, when did you have in mind to go? John and I would likely be
interested. On bikes we're almost as fast as anyone else. (-: And
any place with a destination of a lake to swim in is John's kind of
place.
How far is it in miles to Independence Lake?
John and I will be busy the next 3 weekends (he'll be with his mother
for two of them), but we'd enjoy coming sometime, I'm sure.
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keesan
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response 60 of 291:
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Jul 2 14:16 UTC 2002 |
Independence Lake was one hour and forty five minutes starting from my house,
and perhaps fifteen minutes shorter coming back as Ann Arbor is in a valley
(and it was cooler by then). We can go slower if you like. And spend a few
hours swimming. There is a water play area there now, with lots of fountains
to run through. On the map it is about 12 miles in a straight line but we
must have gone at least 15 to stay on dirt roads, maybe more. The first part
is hilly (thru Barton Hills) and then there is one long uphill after which
it is pretty level. I walked up the longest hill. Another access method is
Newport Road. Both go to north Main St.
Perhaps in a month Bruce will be ready to join us, with Rhiannon and
Griffin (who is not yet old enough to ride in a child seat).
John, if you are free some evening after work please join us (or me,
while Jim builds house) for a more local ride. We can lend you a bike and
go along the river. Jim will fix up another larger mountain bike soon (mine
are too short for you). There is a nice short route that I found - across
Broadway Bridge north, then along a narrow strip of land between the waters
where you can see the fishes and water skimmers and joggers, past Argo Park
canoe rental, along Longshore Drive, over the bridge into Bandemer Park, back
along the train tracks (or thru the park but I did not figure out how). It
stays light until after 9 now.
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jep
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response 61 of 291:
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Jul 2 19:29 UTC 2002 |
I could bring my bike along to work sometime. I have a bike rack. I'd
rather ride my own -- not that it's all that much of a bike, but I'm
used to it. Once it cools down below the 90s I'm likely to be much
more interested in riding my bike once again.
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russ
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response 62 of 291:
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Jul 3 01:50 UTC 2002 |
I said "Who cares how hot it is, I'm going riding." And I'm
glad I did. I soaked my shirt, my helmet pads and everything
else with sweat, but I felt good and even made good time.
My re-hydration pause at the far end lasted much longer than
the last few, though....
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eskarina
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response 63 of 291:
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Jul 4 00:36 UTC 2002 |
eh, if I could sleep at night and I didn't sweat when standing still in my
greenhouse-like house, I'd think about exercise.
Its supposed to get down into the 80's for the next week or so.
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