osler@ac.dal.ca (04/23/91)
I will soon begin commuting to university by bicycle. I am wondering whether the road vibrations would damage my laptop (a T1000SE) if I were to strap it to my bicycle rack. I've also thought about slinging the laptop, in its carrying case over my shoulder, but I think that might be quite awkward and perhaps even dangerous. Any experiences or advice would be greatly appreciated. John Osler osler@ac.dal.ca
cho@sol4.cs.psu.edu (Sehyeong Cho) (04/24/91)
In article <4524@ac.dal.ca> osler@ac.dal.ca writes: > I will soon begin commuting to university by bicycle. I am wondering >whether the road vibrations would damage my laptop (a T1000SE) if I were >to strap it to my bicycle rack. I've also thought about slinging the laptop, >in its carrying case over my shoulder, but I think that might be quite >awkward and perhaps even dangerous. > > Any experiences or advice would be greatly appreciated. > > John Osler > osler@ac.dal.ca > This is how I carry my T1000SE in a Targus carrying case. (Seen from behind) I find it quite comfortable. Just make sure your strap is reliable, and ride safely. (A crash will damage it no matter what) ___ / \ | | \ / | | --\----- /| \ |\ / | \ | \ \ | \ | / ==| \|== | /\ | \ \ ------- \ \ \ / \/ ^^^^^^ OOOO || || || || \/
marmen@bwdla31.bnr.ca (Rob Marmen 1532773) (04/24/91)
> In article <4524@ac.dal.ca> osler@ac.dal.ca writes: > I will soon begin commuting to university by bicycle. I am wondering >whether the road vibrations would damage my laptop (a T1000SE) if I were >to strap it to my bicycle rack. I've also thought about slinging the laptop, >in its carrying case over my shoulder, but I think that might be quite >awkward and perhaps even dangerous. > > Any experiences or advice would be greatly appreciated. > > John Osler > osler@ac.dal.ca > Acquire a second-hand blue foam sleeping pad used by backpackers and campers. A pair of tin snips will cut this material very easily. With a little glue, you could construct a 5 sided sleeve of foam to hold the laptop. This will allow you to carry the laptop in a daypack on your back. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- | Robert Marmen marmen@bnr.ca OR | | Bell Northern Research marmen%bnr.ca@cunyvm.cuny.edu | | (613) 763-8244 My opinions are my own, not BNRs |
nichols@en.ecn.purdue.edu (Scott P Nichols) (04/24/91)
In article <4524@ac.dal.ca> osler@ac.dal.ca writes: > > I will soon begin commuting to university by bicycle. I am wondering >whether the road vibrations would damage my laptop (a T1000SE) if I were >to strap it to my bicycle rack. I've also thought about slinging the laptop, >in its carrying case over my shoulder, but I think that might be quite >awkward and perhaps even dangerous. I would suggest a backpack, since having it on your body would absorb the road vibrations, while a two-strap backpack would prevent it from moving around in front of you or getting in your way. Scott -- O- /\ |\ /\/vv\ _Insight from Oregon...Scott P. Nichols /vv\ \ / (nichols@en.ecn.purdue.edu) _____/ \ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (nichols@techbook.com)
rhoff@umaxc.weeg.uiowa.edu (Robert M. Hoff) (04/24/91)
I own a T1000SE as well, and have done virtually every stupid thing possible to the poor thing. I've dropped it, banged it, left it out in the sun. I don't think commuting on a bicycle will harm it in the least, unless my particular model is immortal.
brian@king.csd.mot.com (04/24/91)
osler@ac.dal.ca writes: > I will soon begin commuting to university by bicycle. I am wondering >whether the road vibrations would damage my laptop (a T1000SE) if I were >to strap it to my bicycle rack. I've also thought about slinging the laptop, >in its carrying case over my shoulder, but I think that might be quite >awkward and perhaps even dangerous. I'd strap it to the handlebars, with the cover open of course, and mount some kind of pointing device next to the brake handles. That'll show those yuppie scumbags with their car phones! :-)
kim39@husc9.harvard.edu (John Kim) (04/24/91)
In article <4524@ac.dal.ca> osler@ac.dal.ca writes: > > I will soon begin commuting to university by bicycle. I am wondering >whether the road vibrations would damage my laptop (a T1000SE) if I were >to strap it to my bicycle rack. I've also thought about slinging the laptop, >in its carrying case over my shoulder, but I think that might be quite >awkward and perhaps even dangerous. > > Any experiences or advice would be greatly appreciated. > > John Osler > osler@ac.dal.ca I once carried a heavy Zenith laptop on my shoulder while riding a 10-spped type bike. Was awkward and dangerous, but possible. It tended to slip down. I think if you mount it directly on a rack with just the carrying case for padding the vibration will kill it eventually. I also believe that if you can pack it backpack style, your body will absorb the sharpness of all the road shock so that your computer should not suffer at all unless you fall off. Try to get a medium-sized soft backpack that will hold the laptop. If the biking is intense, you might consider a small frame backpack so that your back will receive more ventilation during sweaty-biking. IMHO, of course. -Case Kim Frozen Ghost
jackw@nstar.rn.com (Jack Wiggins) (04/24/91)
Yes! I can tell you from personal experience and as an avid cyclist. Don't strap it to your bike's rack directly. If you have only floppy drives, one good chuckhole would be enough to misallign the floppy drive (I had to do two drives. FUN!) and I don't even want to mention a hard drive. Socketed chips, wire plugs, batteries all get damaged quickly. If the machine is too big to carry in a handlebar bag, the consider panniers for your rear rack that let the machine hang inside soft suspended bags with banging against framing or rubbing against screw heads. (I lost a display to a prtruding bolt head). The point is that a bicycle frame takes a lot more shock and vibration punishment than most people realize. Your computer will not. -- Jack Wiggins NSTAR conferencing site 219-289-0287 internet: jackw@nstar.rn.com 1300 newsgroups - 8 inbound lines uucp: ..!uunet!nstar.rn.com!jackw 99 file areas - 4300 megabytes --- backbone news & mail feeds available - contact larry@nstar.rn.com ---
tnaa7@isuvax.iastate.edu (05/07/91)
In article <4524@ac.dal.ca>, osler@ac.dal.ca writes: > > I will soon begin commuting to university by bicycle. I am wondering >whether the road vibrations would damage my laptop (a T1000SE) if I were >to strap it to my bicycle rack. I've also thought about slinging the laptop, >in its carrying case over my shoulder, but I think that might be quite >awkward and perhaps even dangerous. > I have had a couple of problems w/ disks left in the drive during transport. The head bumps into the disk and damages it. NOTE: this problem is deadly when the drive is running because the head scratches the disk severly around the whole thing. Otherwise, as long as I remove the disk, my T1000SE has been next to bulletproof during travel. And after, just for the hell of it, taking it apart, the innards look sturdy too. sTEVE
axel@avalanche.cs.tu-berlin.de (Axel Mahler) (05/08/91)
I have a CompuAdd-Companion (TI Travelmate 2000/Sharp PC6220) that I carry occasionally with me when bike-commuting to my workplace. I prefer carrying it in a small backpack cushioned by my sportswear :-). Works fine! Personally, I wouldn't take the risk and strap a Laptop/Notebook on a bike rack. The vibrations would probably kill even "heavy duty" PCs, let alone such fragile little things as notebook computers. Cheers, Axel. =============================================================================== Axel Mahler, Tech.Univ. Berlin E-Mail: axel@coma.cs.tu-berlin.de (axel@db0tui62.bitnet) Voice: +49-30-314-73487