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• Trackstanding/Chain Tension

  in Mechanics & Fixin' • 15 years, 10 months

  

  If there is a jiggering motion on the crank either way, is that also just a chain tension problem?

• Current Projects chat and miscellany

  in Current Projects • 15 years, 10 months

  

  actually there are several ways to stop your bike in this situation

  1. Take one of your feet and lightly jam it between the frame and the rear wheel causing the sole of the shoe to rub against the tyre making your rear wheel slow down. Make sure you dont jam it too hard the rear wheel will crush your toes agiainst the frame.

  2. Handbrake as i call it is when you reach out with one of your hands to the front wheel and grab it to stop it. Gloves advised, make sure you're above the legal drinking limit to be dumb enough to do this.

  3. Bite your arm off and stick it into your front wheel.

  I sincerely hope that all (Except for maybe the first one) are far from any real solution people have tried.

  And about the bush comment, yes, I am one hardcore guy ;)

• Stolen bikes

  in General • 15 years, 10 months

  

  You cant stop bike theft, but you can reduce it.

  Id think that D locks are the safest thing out there for bike security, the more and the higher range the better.

  A safe way to lock your bike is to have a good (kryptonite) D lock to go through your front wheel, frame and then locked to something immovable, also another equal quality D lock to go through your rear wheel, frame and locked to something solid and immovable. What I also personally do is have a nice cable lock to go through the saddle rails and lock that to the rear wheel too.

  This locking system ensures both your wheels are locked and your frame is locked in two places as well as your saddle is locked up to a solid object. All I can say is this will ensure small-time punks wont nick your ride and the more experienced may not be tempted as much. You cant stop someone trying to steal your bike, but you can reduce the number of thieves that will try and succeed. Strength of the lock and the time it takes for the thief to brake it are the main factors. Im pretty sure that if youll put three d locks on all the time your bike will be as safe as it could be.

  Good to know that I am doing the right thing then --- or at least close to it. Once I buy a saddle worthy of protecting, I will get a cable lock for it as well.

• Stolen bikes

  in General • 15 years, 10 months

  

  Because you want to make sure that when the lock is locked it forms a D shape not a U shape?

  Ahh... right, right. I don't know why we call them U-Locks over here, because you are right. You are doing something very wrong if they look like a U.

• Stolen bikes

  in General • 15 years, 10 months

  

  How do you know if you are safe using a U lock?

  I have an old Krypto, and a newer, off brand U lock that I use (Both at the same time)

  I heard that there are very easy ways thieves can pick these... is it true?

• Current Projects chat and miscellany

  in Current Projects • 15 years, 10 months

  

  dont laugh at me, i may be wearing a condom as a hat (which im not letting you chew)
  but you have no right to laugh AT me

  ive done that once brakeless, only later did i realise how hard it was to get your feet back on the spinning pedals and how easy it is to brake your legs.

  What an embarrassing first post but...

  This was like my first real experience riding a fixed gear bike. My friend had just converted his bike, so I tried it out. (It is like a 19" frame [sorry, I'm American] and I am 6'4".. so this thing is tiny) He lives near a little hill type thing so I get the great idea in my head of running the bike down that, while peddling as fast as I could (I figured I would be fine, because the bike had a front brake --- little did I know it barely worked whatsoever)

  So I'm screaming down this incline, and I get the brilliant idea in my head to take my feet off the pedals... and well... yeah. I was an inch from going face first into a very sinister looking thorn bush.

  Lesson learned.