The Bicycling Thread

[Lee]

Yesterday was a do nothing day at Guttenbug. We like doing that at least once a week on trips. We enjoyed watching the river traffic.



Last night there was a storm with 1.2 inches of rain in 30 minutes, a lot of lighting and 10 miles upriver had quarter size hail.
A barge was approaching the lock and I could see men standing out on the front of the barge getting ready for the lock. When the sky started to light up they got back in the tow boat and the tow boat idled down at the lock. Too much steal during a lighting storm.
I was asleep when the storm ended and the barge continued up river.






We're home today.
I'll add more in the next day or two about the old button factory building we stayed at the last 2 nights.
Buttons were made from clam shells. https://www.thelanding615.com/

[955i]

"Yesterday was a do nothing day at Guttenbug. We like [that] . . .."
Well . . . everyone should do what they are good at."

[wildbears]

Lee, Any idea what's on the barges?

[wildbears]

Rough Road And Loose B Screw

Recently rode some hard packed gravel roads, with coarse gravel, on my road bike. The jarring was sufficient to loosen the B screw such that the jockey wheel began to chatter. One fix is to clean and apply some Blue Loctite. Let it cure overnight.

[Lee]

Lee, Any idea what's on the barges?

The barges heading up river were empty. We could tell because they were riding high and most had the lids slid open.
Soon a lot of them will be headed down river loaded with field corn and soybeans.
Down by Arkansas they probably also carry rice.
On the Great Lakes the barges carry iron ore.

Correction: Iron Ore is shipped by Freighters on the Great Lakes. Barges would not work well with those big waves on the Great Lakes.
Here's a picture I took a couple years ago of a freighter ready to be loaded.

When they load, the chutes are angled down to the ship. The bottom of the train car opens and drops the ore pellets into the chute. The ore cars are similar to coal cars.

[wildbears]

New helmet technology uses ball bearings to reduce risk of concussion by 4x...

https://www.bikeradar.com/news/rls-h...VxwaSRl36LFzKA

[Lee]

I already have marbles in my head :

[955i]

Lee will be doubly safe, now!

[wildbears]

[wildbears]

2025 UCI Road World Championships Men Elite Time Trial Highlights

[955i]

That kid is as aero as can be. Drafting him would not be much help in a road race.

[wildbears]

[955i]

Bears, I don't know my movie characters. Who is the rider supposed to be?

[wildbears]

Ty, "John Wick".

[Lee]

Buttons were made from clam shells. https://www.thelanding615.com/

It's easy to find clamshells and the button blanks along the shoreline behind the Inn.
Here's a couple we picked up.

[Lee]

I like this table and chairs in our motel lobby at Marquette, Mich.

[wildbears]

Nice. Is the owner a cyclist?

[Lee]

The manager didn't look like one but you never know. We usually see bikes at this motel and the one a 1/4 mile away that we stayed at two times.
Three times when we stayed in Marquette there's been a 100 mile mountain bike ride close by. When we were leaving town the riders were crossing our road.
We were at the Econo Lodge Lakeview and the times we saw the most riders was at the Birchy. At the Birchy we would see riders riding back to the motel after dark.

[wildbears]

[wildbears]

Adjustable Length Cranks

The SRM ORIGIN AERO ALUMINIUM cranks!
Versatility is a core idea of our modular Origin PowerMeter system. Our new AERO ALUMINIUM cranks, push this idea to a new level!
With 7 interchangeable crank tips, you have the option to change your crank length in 2.5 mm steps from 160 to 175 mm. All without the need to disable your bike and cranks.
Just swap the crank tips, on the bike!
With a Q-Factor of 144 mm on the road and 140 mm on the track, it is our narrowest crankset yet.
The shape of the crank is determined by the optimal ratio between narrow frontal and wide side area, to offer the lowest possible aerodynamic drag and best efficiency.

[955i]

I like this. It would be an easy way to experiment. All you would need is money!

My UO8 peugeot 1969 era, had cranks that IIRC were 158!

Most studies have been able to show almost no difference in efficiency in any particular rider based on crank lengths. The riders might report a huge difference in feel the first week, but after a week or two of riding, could feel no difference. Power outputs seemed uneffected, too. There are some contra-studies, but from what I have seen they are the outliers.

[wildbears]

Northern End of Alum Creek Bike Trail, eastern Columbus.

[wildbears]

[Lee]

I've used Bontrager R3 Hard Case Lite tires on my road bike for a long time.
I can usually get a new tire on without tire levers.
The R3 Hard Case Lite I put on is tubless ready. All the R3s are tubless ready now.
The bead on this tire is really stiff and hard to install. I managed to pinch the first tube.

I have one regular R3 left and I'll be on the lookout on ebay for more.

[wildbears]

What size do you run?

[Lee]

The bead on this tire is really stiff and hard to install. I managed to pinch the first tube.

.

I could not find the levers I like best. I put them somewhere I could not lose them. I lose more shit that way
Found them today. Forgot I had them in the black container with the tube.

[wildbears]

I've forgotten about items ($ and zip ties) put inside the handlebars behind the handlebar plug.

[955i]

Oh! PISS ME OFF! I have a little special piece or item I know I will need soon, so I put it where I can find it and use it. THEN I CAN'T FIND IT. And the last visual rememberance is of me holding it in my hand and saying, "Okay, I will put it right here where I won't lose itt."