I used Google earth to get the elevation of Straight st at McMicken and University Ct. where it levels off.  I get a grade of ~ 12%.

Vandalia biking advocate gets bipartisan support

By William Hershey | Monday, September 28, 2009, 11:20 AM

 

Chuck Smith of Vandalia, chair of the Ohio Bicycle Federation, got bipartisan support on Monday, Sept. 28, for proposed bicycle safety legislation.

 

“We need to remind everybody to give us three feet,” Smith said at a windy press conference outside the Statehouse in Columbus.

 

Full story at:

 

http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/ohiopolitics/entries/2009/09/28/vandalia_biking_advocate_gets.html?cxtype=feedbot

Dear OCBC members and friends,

 

We are still reacting to the recent death of Sylvia Bingham -- with sadness, of course, but also with some serious resolve.  At our recent members' meeting it was agreed that we will now require everyone we interact with to take a short, educational quiz to communicate basic bike safety information; all members will be required to take (for free) the Intro to Traffic Skills class, and we'll provide all volunteers and members with better orientation and safety training.

 

Sylvia's friends here are also determined to work for a positive legacy from this tragedy. Please consider the following events for a place to start:

 

Intro to Traffic Skills is the class we've offered for the last year free with every bike purchase, and now with any membership.  It's short, relaxed (no test!), and fun.  We hope you'll join us this Saturday 9am to noon.  It weighs on me that Sylvia did not take her class -- for whatever it may have been worth -- after buying her bike from us in August. This class is also free for anyone with an "I Ride for Sylvia" Tshirt. RSVP via email reply, please.

 

The next Ride for Sylvia is at Edgewater next Saturday, Oct. 17.  Our regular social ride will make that its destination, and OCBC may be closed that day (except for class at 4); details are still being finalized.

 

This event will have a community-service element, including some short bicycle traffic safety programs at community events around the area, so skilled volunteers are needed to help with bike safety checks, helmet fitting, and tire-change demos. Volunteer credits will apply; please reply to sign up.

 

Ghost Ride! Oct. 24th. A nice new Flyer is available for you to print and distribute.  Of course this event will include a bit of bike safety info, about riding at night (lights are required), in addition to the expected mayhem.

 

The Ghost Ride committee may also consider some appropriate way to commemorate this action below, in between the Huffy Toss and the flaming double-high bike jousting:

 

October 24th -- International Day of Climate Action

 

350.org is calling on people around the world to organize an action on October 24 that incorporates the number 350 at an iconic place in their community, and then upload a photo of their event.

 

The International Day of Climate Action will cover almost every country on earth, the most widespread day of environmental action in the planet's history. Your actions on October 24 will help our leaders realize we need a real solution that pays attention to the science at the crucial UN Climate Negotiations in Copenhagen in December of 2009.

 

Click here for more info.

 

OCBC's winter hours will begin after the Ghost Ride! and we'll likely be closed altogether for a time during the holidays.

 

The next trustees' meeting will be on Monday, November 9th, at the Flat Iron Cafe. All are welcome to attend, so Members' Monday will end at 5pm that day.

 

Ride safely, and often...

Jim

 

Jim Sheehan

Director, Ohio City Bicycle Co-op

1823 Columbus Rd

Cleveland, Ohio 44113

216 830 2667

OhioCityCycles.org

Lawless Cycling on High St.

Oct 9th, 2009 | By Jeff Stephens

Consider Biking

 

Last Friday I sat for four hours at our PARK(ing) Day display at Paradise Garage on High Street, in the heart of Short North.

 

I was dumbfounded at the illegal behavior of the overwhelming majority of bicyclists riding on High Street. For the last 18 months, I’ve spent an average of one hour per week, defending our bicycling community against the “you’re all lawless scofflaws…running red lights…etc” rant. My defense that 95+% of cyclists are law-abiding drivers of their bicycles, was based on my experience while riding throughout our region, and across our country, for over 20 years. My defense was based on the similar experience and 95+% number referenced by my bicycle advocate peers across the country.

 

Sure, I’ve always conceded that there were a handful of cyclists in our urban core, that demonstrated illegal (and downright stupid) behavior. But, my perspective was based on my vision as a moving cyclist throughout the urban core. When I sat still for 4 hours….I was dumbfounded to discover that 95+% of bicyclists (that day) surfed the parking lane and ran red lights.

 

Read more at:

http://www.considerbiking.org/lawless-cycling-on-high-st/

What part of High? The right lane constitutes as a through lane when no cars are parked on some parts of High, so the cyclist may be technically correct. Given that there are no bike lanes on High, to block the left through lane for the entire duration would be rude (and this coming from a cyclist), so merging over to the right to let people pass is the polite thing to do.

 

As for running reds, I do this all the time when the coast is clear. I prefer to look to the Idaho state statues for example (http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=6346), where coasting through traffic signs and signals is perfectly legal. It puts us _ahead_ of traffic (which is safer) and lets us recoup any lost energy that would be wasted stopping.

A paragraph later...

 

"And don’t give me the “loss of momentum” or “it’s safe because there are no cars” or “cars break the law too” arguments. I’d heard them all ad nauseum. We ought to be better than that. Hold ourselves to a higher standard..."

Is Franklin Frame Works (Columbus) still around? They did a beautiful job on a good frame for me years ago.

 

I have a Peugeot PX-10 frame, circa 1969, that's been hanging in my garage for ~30 years with a bent top tube and down tube (got "doored") that I'd like to have fixed. I realize repair probably will cost more than a replacement frame, but I have a sentimental attachment to this one.

Yeah, cause "loss of momentum" doesn't matter when you have a stop light every 500 ft!  If I follow that rule, my rides take twice as long and I'm ten times as sweaty when I get where I'm going.  The whole ride becomes accelerate, stop,  accelerate, stop.  Bicycle advocates are so caught up the "your bike is just like a car" line of stupid BS that they never seem to stop to think that it really isn't in any meaningful manner.  They should turn their attention to trying to negotiate a better, more realistic position and set of road rules for the bicycle.

Yeah, cause "loss of momentum" doesn't matter when you have a stop light every 500 ft!  If I follow that rule, my rides take twice as long and I'm ten times as sweaty when I get where I'm going.   The whole ride becomes accelerate, stop,  accelerate, stop.  Bicycle advocates are so caught up the "your bike is just like a car" line of stupid BS that they never seem to stop to think that it really isn't in any meaningful manner.  They should turn their attention to trying to negotiate a better, more realistic position and set of road rules for the bicycle.

 

The Idaho revised statues would be a great start -- I think someone was advocating for it on the state level in Ohio at one point.

 

The ones who do not advocate for these changes fit the following:

1. I wear knee-pads and elbow-pads while riding my Huffy gingerly down High.

2. I wear florescent green and orange while outfitting my bike with 20 flashing lights.

3. I only bike on the sidewalks, bike paths or trails.

 

Some sarcasm intended above, but many, if not most that are nannies when it comes to cycling don't really bike for any significant distance, and don't accumulate any experience or real-world knowledge. They pedal down the street to the nearest gas station to get a bag of chips, or pedal a few blocks down to a store, but they don't interact long enough with the road and other drivers to get a sense of "this is how things are really done."

 

I cannot begin to recall the stories from my commutes or travels, but I know that if I acted as gingerly as what he describes cyclists should be, my 15-minute commute would take me over 30 minutes easy. And I'd be of much more hiderdence and danger to motorists.

There ARE a lot of stupid hipster dipshits riding bikes along High where the author witnessed all these shenanigans, but honestly, surfing the parking lane is a necessity, and there simply isn't enough cross traffic to justify waiting every three blocks for the lights to change. There are two simple solutions; 1) Stripe 3 feet of the parking lane for bikes, and 2) Consider Advocating for Idaho Stop legislation for Ohio.

I -heart- Idaho Stop.

 

A few gripes I do have with bicyclists around my area is the riding against traffic and the riding on the sidewalk.  I'm amazed how many of these folks can't ride a straight line, or anything approximating it, too.

On a slightly different topic, I was in Arezzo Italy a few years ago and the town had built massive escalators to get folks into the old city so that they could basically ban the cars of non-locals - it was of the many hilltop towns in Italy chosen for its defensibility rather than accessibility.

 

I wonder if there has been anything similar for bikes - essentially an incline for bikes. I could see a few places in Cincinnati and probably a few other towns around the country that could benefit from something like this - obviously you could put your bike on a bus, but those are often away from the most direct paths. I was thinking of a couple of these from the basin to the UC area and perhaps the Eden Park area - perhaps another one in the west side somewhere.

Yes:

That looks great, though somehow I think the American legal environment wouldn't allow something like that.

Is Franklin Frame Works (Columbus) still around? They did a beautiful job on a good frame for me years ago.

 

I have a Peugeot PX-10 frame, circa 1969, that's been hanging in my garage for ~30 years with a bent top tube and down tube (got "doored") that I'd like to have fixed. I realize repair probably will cost more than a replacement frame, but I have a sentimental attachment to this one.

 

Yes, Jack is still actively building as far as I know.  He is over in Newark, Ohio now.  Google search Franklin Frames Ohio to get the phone number and address.

^Thanks!

That looks great, though somehow I think the American legal environment wouldn't allow something like that.

 

They use a card key to activate the lift, so you would provide basic instruction and have them sign a waiver prior to giving someone access.

Yes:

 

We need that on Mayfield, Fairhill and Superior Hill.

 

I would ride my UP one of those hills instead of taking the bus to my grandparents.

I love being known as "the bike guy" at work.  A coworker brought me crusty old Raleigh Gran Sport because he thought I might like it.  I rebuilt it and added some nice Bluemels fenders.  It has a full Reynolds 531 frame with butted main tubes... I think I owe him a big favor!

 

 

It's got that beautiful Carlton fork bend:

<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2640/4017812842_8c25c3004d_o.jpg">

 

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3245/4017813548_e7b7176302_o.jpg">

Very sweet, beautiful color scheme! Stronglight crank? And what's the front hub? It looks like it has high flanges. The saddle looks reminiscent of a Brooks Pro that I rode for years and still have stashed somewhere. People kept saying that if I was patient, it would break in. Ten years it never did; my skinny butt broke in, I guess, or got used to the abuse.

 

If I'm not mistaken, the Bluemels fenders must have come from a stash of vintage goodies; the last I knew, they haven't been made in quite a few years. I have a set of those from about 1969 that haven't been on a bike in 30 years, but I have a use in mind.

 

Oh, and I just noticed the bar-tip shifters. You do have all the goodies on that one. It's a work of art! :clap:

Thank you!  Good eye, I got lucky that this bike came with the parts shown on it, most of them are spec'd in the Raleigh catalogs.  That is a Stronglight 93 crank, they sure are pretty to look at, and this one is a triple.  The hubs are Normandy high flange hubs and you are correct about the saddle.  I have two brooks professionals, one is hard as a rock and the one pictured has been softened with oil.  I actually prefer the stiffer saddle, it is narrower too, maybe because it's a team pro?

 

For some reason the color makes me think of Disco?

 

The fenders came from my favorite local bike shop.  A dusty old corner of Canton chock full of old treasures that have accumulated.  The owner is a great guy too, if it weren't for him I would be hunting for a Stronglight crank extractor.

The reason I inquired about Franklin Frames is that I have a Peugeot PX-10 frame that I fantasize about having repaired. That bike came with Stronglight crank, Normandy high-flange hubs, Mafac brakes, and Brooks Pro saddle. It came with sew-ups, but a very small amount of city riding motivated me to restring the wheels with clincher rims. With the sew-ups, flats were frequent and inconvenient to fix.

 

Oh. And I have a Stronglight crank extractor. It's been a long time since I've seen it, but I think I know where it is.

In the SN where there is a stretch of only the left lane I always take it since my right to life is more important than their non-existent right to speed. I've almost never been honked at since I'm pretty much going the same speed as traffic because we all get stopped by the lights.

I remember seeing your stronglight crank on your Eisentraut.  If I remember correctly, Franklin Frames has some very reasonable repair prices, plus the PX-10 is a worth while frame.  I had the poor mans PX, the PR-10.  It was a pretty nice frame but did not have the ornate nervex lugs.  I seem to remember that frame being pretty flexy, what is the PX like?  I agree about the tubulars too, clinchers are the way to go in the city.  Who really needs a race light wheel set for city riding anyway??  I would feel uncomfortable riding on a freshly glued tire anyway, I like to let them set overnight.

  I seem to remember that frame being pretty flexy, what is the PX like? 

Compared with the Eisentraut, the PX-10 is pretty limber. The Eisentraut is a fairly stiff frame, at least with my 135-140 pounds on it, and that makes it responsive. On the PX-10 climbing a hill, I could look down and actually see the bottom bracket squirm.

 

That springiness had an undesirable effect on descents, too. I first noticed it on a club ride on the Top of Ohio Bikeway, out of Bellefontaine. There are some pretty nice hills on that loop, and on one long downhill straightaway I got up a fair amount of speed and the whole bike started to shimmy. I may have had a wheel just a tiny bit out of true that started it, but the frame picked up a resonance and amplified it. It was touch-and-go for a little bit whether I would get it slowed down and under control before I got splattered all over the pavement.

Just put a very old,  NOS TA  brand compact double (47/32 T)on my Gios Super Record frame.  Probably from the 70'sw?  Seattle is very hilly, I am old and I need the low gearing.  It looks fantastic and saves quite a bit of weight.  Used to have a Sugiono double with a "triplizer" inner 28 T chainring.  Basically only used the "middle" ring on the sugino (42 T I believe) and the innermost "triplizer 28 T ring).  Now I find that my favorite gear is the large 47T front ring and the largest 30 T rear sprocket.  The set up is horribly cross chained.  It works but it doesn't sound good.  Also, the jump from the 32 T chainring and the 47 T chain ring is enormous. Nothing in life is perfect.  If only the large ring was 45 T, then life would be close to perfect. 

Rob, that is about what I expected to hear about the PX-10.  I am heavier than you at around 185lbs and I would get occasional ghost shifts with the PR-10 if I was really cranking.  My Raleighs are much stiffer which makes me wish I still had the Peugeot to compare the differences.  My Raleigh Pro has some fairly beefy seat stays on it.

 

tedolph, I have always admired the look of those TA cranks but have never used them.

Law-Breaking Motorists: The Real Problem.

Posted by columbusite under Transportation,  Urban Cycling

[5] Comments     

 

A phenomena which has occurred are well-known cyclists  in Columbus admonishing other cyclists for law-breaking behavior such as running or proceeding through red lights, treating stop signs like yield signs, riding against traffic, etc. You can read their blog posts here and here. While I agree in principle that cyclists in general should adopt vehicular cycling practices, i.e., riding their bikes just like they would or do drive a car (following all of the rules are implied here). However, these cyclists by and large are not injuring and killing other cyclists, motorists, and pedestrians. The same cannot be said for motorists, who must somehow all be law-abiding and/or harmless, since we hear little about reckless drivers breaking the laws all the time and killing other drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.

 

Oh wait, that’s actually an important issue to address. In Columbus, motorists kill around 100 people and injure tens of thousands every year.  Yet on Columbus’ most popular website, ColumbusUnderground, you will find high-volume threads where cyclists are singled out such as “Bicycle Hate“. A Dispatch article gave advice to motorists on how to break the laws while driving and not get caught. Just imagine the uproar if the Dispatch published an article for cyclists on how to maximize their chances for getting away with illegal activity. There have been numerous cases of law-abiding cyclists in the news who were killed and  in case you’ve forgotten, not one of them were killed by reckless cyclists. Instead, the perpetrators were careless, unqualified motorists who had no right to have access to a 2,000 lb vehicle which became deadly weapons in their hands. That the state of Ohio is handing out drivers’  licenses like one would hand out a complimentary condom with an order from Taco Ninja is not the main issue at hand just boggles the mind.

 

I follow the rules by and large as a vehicular cyclist, but yes, every now and then I do mess up, but I do stop at stop lights, minimize the potential for illegal acts and if it’s unlikely I’m going to make the light I’ll slow down (while checking my mirror to make sure the car behind me is too).  Since the cyclist bloggers were focusing on High St anecdotes, I saw a white car in the left lane while I was in the right lane and we were both approaching an intersection where the light turned yellow. There was no way I was going to make it, so I stopped and watched the cop car next to me run the red light. Everyone sees that happen all the time, except they’re usually not cop cars. Motorists break the laws daily by running red lights, speeding, and doing rolling stops. Where are the outspoken critics, aside from myself?

 

So instead of giving more fodder for motorists to feel self-righteous and encourage more of the cyclists-don’t-belong-on-the-road nonsense, how about pointing out the real issue on our streets and in our culture wherein we all just turn a blind eye to lawless motorists who are doing real, serious damage to everyone, not just cyclists? It’s about time we did.

I feel like I'm maybe 1 of 1000 cyclists in Chicago that actually stops at red lights.  I prefer to keep my life.  I have yet to see a car-bike accident, but from what I have seen thus far as close calls, it's  a cyclist blowing through an intersection.

 

Speaking of another rare thing I do when biking, I've begun using the inner most lanes of Chicago's busiest streets.  It seems far safer.  No longer do I block buses, taxis, loading vehicles, bog turn lanes, and risk hitting careless pedestrians.  Instead of motorists following me behind closely in curb lanes, they move over way ahead of time in the left lanes.  Yeah it's considered "the fast lane" but I also feel it's been the safe lane when it comes to urban settings.  This isn't the same for all cities, but by nature they make complete sense here when a bike lane is not provided.  I've noticed more cyclists using inner lanes on Michigan Ave, and motorists and law enforcement have been very accommodating to it.

^I concur about the middle lane feeling safer.

I feel like I'm maybe 1 of 1000 cyclists in Chicago that actually stops at red lights. I prefer to keep my life. I have yet to see a car-bike accident, but from what I have seen thus far as close calls, it's a cyclist blowing through an intersection.

 

Speaking of another rare thing I do when biking, I've begun using the inner most lanes of Chicago's busiest streets. It seems far safer. No longer do I block buses, taxis, loading vehicles, bog turn lanes, and risk hitting careless pedestrians. Instead of motorists following me behind closely in curb lanes, they move over way ahead of time in the left lanes. Yeah it's considered "the fast lane" but I also feel it's been the safe lane when it comes to urban settings. This isn't the same for all cities, but by nature they make complete sense here when a bike lane is not provided. I've noticed more cyclists using inner lanes on Michigan Ave, and motorists and law enforcement have been very accommodating to it.

 

Man the traffic light placement in places like Chicago really annoys me. I'm so not used to it. I wonder how many accidents occur from out of towners who aren't accustomed to looking to the right of the street for traffic signals unless they see a stop sign or yield sign. A lot of areas in Michigan are like that too, aren't they?

In Chicago, usually there's one to left also (depending on the street width).  It definitely varies though.  You'll find your typical mast arm configurations all over the city.  In some cases, it may depend on the look they are trying to achieve.

 

 

Michigan typically used a diagonal configuration where lights were hung from a wire 45 degrees across the intersection.  The state of Michigan said they would no longer use this configuration and would place lights directly above each lane perpendicular to the direction of travel.  They've been replacing lights at almost every single intersection.

I picked up a Trek 8 series bike this weekend from Craigslist.  It looks and feels pretty sturdy, tires are in great shape.  I rode it around for a bit yesterday and it rides very well.  My concern is there is some rust, mainly on the gears.  I plan on having it tuned up, and I was wondering if rust clean up was generally included in a tune up.  Anyone have experience with this?

I picked up a Trek 8 series bike this weekend from Craigslist. It looks and feels pretty sturdy, tires are in great shape. I rode it around for a bit yesterday and it rides very well. My concern is there is some rust, mainly on the gears. I plan on having it tuned up, and I was wondering if rust clean up was generally included in a tune up. Anyone have experience with this?

 

Unless you're really concerned about the appearance of the rust, just spray a little WD-40 on it. That will keep it from spreading, and any that's on a surface that meets the chain will soon wear off.

 

I'm guessing that you're referring to the rear sprockets (cluster). If you want to get completely rid of the rust, there are products like Naval Jelly (or a plain ten-percent solution of muriatic acid - dangerous) that will remove it, but you should take the rusty parts off the bike and clean off any oil and grease before starting on them. Once the rust is gone, let them dry completely and then spray them with a little WD-40 again. That should be the last you'll see of the rust. Just keep everything sufficiently lubricated but not over-oiled and you'll be fine.

 

If the rust isn't interfering with function, I'd just WD-40 it and ignore it.

The rust shouldn't be a serious problem.  I mean unless it's been on there for many, many years and hiding something deeper.  I used to leave my old bike out in the rain and winter snows for days on end and the gears had gotten very rusty, but were later polished up and just fine.  I don't think they'll do anything to it unless you are genuinely concerned about its condition and ask them to remove it like I did. 

WD40 is fine to treat initial rust, but long term you'll want to invest a little time in keeping the drive train cleaned (with a chain cleaner tool or rag & brushes and degreaser--WD40 could suffice but a citrus degreaser works good, too) and lubed with a good wet/dry chain lube (White Lightning and Finish Line are good). I clean my chain and reapply the lube when I start to get the squeakies, about every 300 miles or so (I was averaging a 100/week over the summer. Whoopdeedoo).

Cyclists have a lot riding on L.A. driver's trial

Bike riders see the case as a test of the system's support for their rights.

By Jack Leonard, New York Times, November 1, 2009

 

Like many avid cyclists, Rick Wurtz has his share of horror stories from the road.

 

His closest call came as he pedaled along an open highway in Montana and a big rig rushed by within inches of his handlebars, passing so close that the truck's wake blew him off the road.

 

There is little more terrifying to a cyclist than sitting astride 20 pounds of carbon fiber and aluminum when a motorist encased in 2 tons of steel makes a sudden right turn or bumps the riders.

 

--

 

Don't expect much bike-friendlness in this article. The "Drive On" segment is all about motorists, and USA Today has had a habit of bashing cyclists.

 

City puts bicycles directly in the path of motorists

USA Today, October 30, 2009

 

In one of the busiest shopping districts in Long Beach, Calif., bicyclists are kings of the road in an experiment that turns frustrated motorists into serfs.

 

The seaside city south of Los Angeles is encouraging bikers to get right in front of cars. It painted a five-foot wide green stripe down the middle of one of the two lanes in either direction of the Belmont Shore section of the city. Even though cars were whizzing by at 30 miles an hour yesterday, bikes were free to ride right in their path.

Progress of Share the Road Columbus: What Happened?

 

Summer has officially been over for a while. Here's a quote with images from the official Share the Road Columbus website.

 

Look for these signs and bike

markings on High Street. The city

will be installing them this summer.

These would have certainly been handy to point to for the unusually high number of belligerent, ignorant OSU motorists I've encountered. I've heard nothing back from the 311 e-mail address they say to contact about this initiative ([email protected]). Maybe you'll have better luck.

Thanks for the tips regarding rust, guys.  I got my bike back from the shop after a tune up and it rides great.

City Reminds Motorists To Share Roadway

Wednesday,  November 11, 2009 4:42 PM

WNBS-TV

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio — On Thursday, motorists will be reminded that they are not alone on the roads, with the kickoff of the Share The Road campaign, 10TV's Tanisha Mallett reported.

 

The city will be installing 54 signs along High Street, from Nationwide Boulevard to Morse Road, reminding drivers they are not the only ones on the road.

 

More at this link:

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2009/11/11/story_road.html?sid=102

 

VIDEO at:

 

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/video/10tv.html?referralObject=11528072

Does anyone else follow Planetary Gears? It's the blog of Jim Thill, of Hiawatha Cyclery in Minneapolis. His cycling focus is on bicycles as serious transportation, and his writings touch upon many topics, mostly related to cycling but sometimes not. It's a good mix of useful information and interesting musing.

Area bike trail gets $250K for development

By Katherine Ullmer, Staff Writer

8:12 AM Friday, November 20, 2009

 

TROY, Miami County — The Paul G. Duke Foundation presented

 

the Miami County Park District with a $250,000 check to fund the remaining 1.5-mile section of the Troy bike trail Wednesday, Nov. 18 at the Miami County Park District’s Central Office, 2645 E. Ohio 41, east of Troy.

 

The newest section of the trail is to be named the Paul G. Duke Memorial Bikeway. It will extend from Lytle Road south to Eldean Road.

 

Find this article at:

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/community/troy/area-bike-trail-gets-250k-for-development-412023.html

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Rob, I have been reading the blog you posted recently.  I have enjoyed the small amount that I have seen.  The yellow font color bugs my eyes out a bit.  One thing that I thought was funny, he does not seem to love internal gear hubs but his blog is called planetary gears.

 

Thanks for posting that.

It seems to me that in some older posts he wrote some good stuff about Sturmey Archer hubs, and I know from some of his comments in Three Speed Gallery (link on the right side of his blog) that he's well-versed in the model numbers and specs. He has written about an annual group ride on three-speeds in the Minneapolis area, and I think he wrote recently about reluctantly parting with one of his three-speed bikes.

 

I'm still itching to build an enclosed-gear city bike with the PX-10 frame, the new SA alloy sealed hub, North Road bars, a drum-style front brake, and a Brooks B-72 saddle. This time of year isn't good for me financially, though; my car insurance, homeowner's insurance, and property tax fall installment all hit in November, and then there's Christmas.

 

On the other hand, the corn harvest was good and the price is holding up fairly well ...

 

Edit: I just did some googling on bike parts. The new Sturmey-Archer alloy 3-speed hub is SRF3. It sells for $80-$90. A front hub with drum brake and dynohub 3-watt generator is X-FDD, $80-$90 on the Harris Cyclery site.

W. Broad on The Hilltop

Bicyclists, businesses at odds over bike lanes

Monday,  November 30, 2009 3:08 AM

By Mark Ferenchik

 

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

A consultant's recommendation to eliminate parking along the north side of a section of W. Broad Street through the Hilltop to accommodate bicycles has some area business owners shaking their heads.

 

The city wants to create bike lanes along W. Broad east of Hague Avenue between Harris and Clarendon avenues as part of a 2010 resurfacing project.

 

Kansas City-based TranSystems recommends keeping on-street parking on the south side of the street.

 

Full story at: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/11/30/HILLTOPBIKES.ART_ART_11-30-09_B1_9EFRDJI.html?sid=101

To those who doubt the benefit of cycling, take note of this guy who lost 331 lb. just by getting on the bike:

http://www.bicycling.com/bke/slide/home/1,8155,s1-1-81-0,00.html

Good for him.

^Inspiring stuff. Those of us of normal (or semi-normal) weight have no idea how difficult it is to get over the stigma of how we appear while exercising. My heavy brother-in-law, who lives in a perfectly walkable neighborhood, gets fatter and fatter because he doesn't want to be seen as the fat guy going for a walk.

^Inspiring stuff. Those of us of normal (or semi-normal) weight have no idea how difficult it is to get over the stigma of how we appear while exercising. My heavy brother-in-law, who lives in a perfectly walkable neighborhood, gets fatter and fatter because he doesn't want to be seen as the fat guy going for a walk.

 

True you need a support group.  My cousin used to drive to work and he live about a ¼ mile from his house in Beachwood.  You can almost see his office building from his house.  He balloned up big time.    In high school he played football, basketball and ran track.  about 10 years ago, he started putting on weight.  My grandfather called him a sloppy lazy fat a$$!

 

Last Thanksgiving, my grandmother decided she was going on a diet and become more physically fit.  So we had a family challenge. One of my cousins is a dietician, who happens to be a  fitness fanatic, vegan, natural and organic nutjob.  and offered in a teasing to help get him back into shape. So my cousin took his offer. He's lost 113 lbs.  He won our family challenge.  He now weighs 250 and he's 6'00 tall.  He wants to lose another 50.  My grandmother lost close to 80 lbs, although she's going to kill herself to be healthy!  Thank God I was born naturally svelte.

Impressive achievement. That would take quite a bike to handle 500 pounds. I'd expect a good lugged steel frame to be OK, but I'd think the biggest challenge would be wheels that wouldn't break spokes.

 

I've known some very large people who took up biking and successfully worked off pounds, and spoke breakage was the most aggravating problem they experienced starting out; often, obese-but-mobile people's legs are very strong, probably just from hauling their own weight around. One man I rode with occasionally many years ago had to learn to take it easy starting off and accelerating because spokes couldn't stand up to the torque when his powerful legs came up against the inertia of his weight.