thielges@uiuccsb.UUCP (04/04/84)
#N:uiuccsb:16200012:000:1951 uiuccsb!thielges Apr 3 16:37:00 1984 After the 10 speed bike that I used to ride around town was stolen, I decided to look for a less stealable alternative to buying a new 10 speed bike to replace the stolen. At a police auction, I found an old decrepit 3 speed clunker that I was sure that no one else would ever think of taking. To my surprise, the clunker was a better buy than I had ever expected. The advantages of a clunker bike I have observed so far are : 1. They are better suited for short trip city riding. You ride uppright and mounting and dismounting is easier. 2. They are cheap. I think this is because they are less "fashionable" and therefore, there is not a high demand for them. 3. They are rugged. The 3 speed mechanism is totally enclosed in the rear hub and rarely fails. Almost nothing besides a flat can go wrong with a 1 speed wheel. 4. Parts are easy to find, especially if you live in a town where hundreds of abandonded bikes laying around town can be savalged. 5. Clunkers ride well over rough streets. They are a cheap substitute to the now popular mountain bikes. 6. They are already ugly so you don't have to worry about scratching the finish. As a result, you'll use your clunker more often. After riding my clunker for a few weeks, I realized that I had two distinctly different needs for bicycle transportation : short distance commuting and long distance touring. To serve those two different needs, one bike just can't do the job as well as a two bike combination. I use my clunker for city travel and my 10 speed for touring (A few weeks after it was stolen, I was able to reclaim it when I caught the thief with it elsewhere) I would urge those of you who ride $200+ sport/touring to work/school every day to consider obtaining a clunker. If you look hard enough, you probably can find one for free from a friend who has an unused 3 speed in his/her garage. Bart Thielges ...uiucdcs!thielges
grt@hocda.UUCP (G.TOMASEVICH) (04/04/84)
I agree with everything in the article but one: Three-speed hubs do not stand up to hard usage. I have a 'tank', which has 20" wheels on a 45" wheel base. I have used it hard for about 8 years, the last 5 commuting in bad weather when I do not use another bike (I have 4). Below about 10 deg. the hub stops working. I switched to 10 speeds on that bike and have been more satisfied with the performance in snow and cold. I have used a fixed wheel on it too, which is best on flat terrain, but does not work out on the hills when it is slippery.
paul@uiucuxc.UUCP (04/08/84)
#R:uiuccsb:16200012:uiucuxc:26700006:000:316
uiucuxc!paul Apr 6 22:19:00 1984
Re: the Case for the Clunker
This story runs true to the 50 lb rule for bicycles, e.g., a 20 lb bike
requires a 30 lb lock, a 50 lb bike requires no lock.
Paul Pomes
uucp: {decvax,ihnp4,pur-ee,ucbvax}!uiucdcs!uiucuxc!paul
US Mail: University of Illinois
1304 W Springfield, Urbana, IL 61801colonel@sunybcs.UUCP (George Sicherman) (04/10/84)
[arf! arf! I smell a cyclist!] I agree! I've been driving one-speeds for years - currently it's a Union Safari that I hauled over from Amsterdam in '80. It's not much on hills, but Buffalo doesn't have any hills. And it wears like iron. A campus policeman nearly lost his temper trying to engrave my SSN thru the enamel! Besides, the fully enclosed chain laughs at Buffalo's famous awful weather. One year I finished tenth* in the local Penn Masters with it too. Not bad for a heavyweight! Col. G. L. Sicherman ...seismo!rochester!rocksvax!sunybcs!colonel * Out of fourteen, but four dropped out along the way.
fred@umcp-cs.UUCP (04/16/84)
I recently (< 1 month ago) switched from riding a heavy 1-speed with coaster brakes, to a 12-speed lightweight. One of the greatest differences (I mean besides learning to use hand brakes) is that my 12-speed is a lot less stable. I'm assuming this is due, in part, to the fact that the lighter frame shifts my center of gravity higher, and I expect that the lighter wheels give much less gyroscopic action, because of their lower rotating mass. When I would ride the one-speed without holding the handlebars it would ride fairly straight, and I could steer fairly well just by shifting my weight around. If it hit a pebble or bump, it would swerve, then resume a straight course. Riding the 12-speed with no hands requires a lot more concentration. When it hits an obstruction in the road, it swerves more violently, and I usually have to grab the handlebars to keep from going off my path completely. Have other people noticed this difference? Is it easier to learn to ride on a heavy bike because of this? - Fred Blonder harpo!seismo!umcp-cs!fred
thielges@uiuccsb.UUCP (04/17/84)
#R:uiuccsb:16200012:uiuccsb:16200016:000:516 uiuccsb!thielges Apr 16 21:27:00 1984 I agree with the comment about 3-speed hubs freezing below 10F. I have been able to overcome that problem by keeping my "bat bike" indoors on nights that I know will be very cold. Once warm, the hub will operate as long as you keep it busy. Hopefully, it is warmer by the time I ride home in the afternoon. Also, Jon White adds two more advantages of the clunker : 7. The upright riding position makes you more visible to motorists 8. The upright riding position allows you to see better Bart Thielges
jeff@dual.UUCP (Jeff Houston) (04/18/84)
A bicycles stability depends a lot upon the angles of the frame when it was
built - These differ quite a bit depending upon the bikes intended use :
racing, touring, or whatever. The tube angles in question are those of the
head tube and seat tube of the bike. The average 10/12 speed will have the
two tube angles at around 72 degrees which will give the bike a fairly com-
fortable ride - not stiff but also not real mushy. A racing bike will have
these tubes at about 74 to 75 degrees giving quick response but you tend to
feel just about every shock the road has to give.
I think that riding a 10-speed bike is tougher to master but they can deliver
much more speed - I've never seen a fat tire bike in the Tour de France...
Once you learn to handle the narrow tires and the drop handlebars and the
different riding position needed for a 10-speed then you will probably have
mastered stable riding and should be able to cruise around saying, "Look Ma
no hands" all you want.
Jeff Houston
Dual Systems Corp., Berkeley, CA
{ucbvax,ihnp4,cbosgd,amd70,zehntel,fortune,decwrl}!dual!jefffish@ihu1g.UUCP (Bob Fishell) (04/20/84)
(oo)
The uneasy feeling you've got will pass as you get used to the bike.
It only feels more unstable because your weight is better distributed,
with more of it on the handlebars and front wheel. You're probably
riding in the touring position, with your hands up top and closer
together. As soon as you get over the idea that you're not going
to go right over the handlebars, get your hands down on the
underslung part of the handlebars. You will eventually find that
this position, and this style of bike, actually give you more
stability and control than you ever had with your kiddie bike.
Next, I'll try to talk you into using racing gloves and toe clips.
--
Bob Fishell
ihnp4!ihu1g!fishrogerh@arizona.UUCP (Roger Hayes) (04/23/84)
Actually, the difference in stability is caused by a difference in the geometry of the frame. A shorter frame with more upright vertical members will be quicker, stiffer, and less stable than a more laid-down frame. Fancy bikes are usually made with angles in the range 72-74 degrees. A racing bike may be made with angles up to 76 degrees. It is quite possible to make a ten-spped with good wheels and a light frame that is comfy and stable. By the way, I wouldn't recommend riding with no hands. It's inefficient, uncomfortable, and unsafe (as I know from painful experience).