Enginerve : Bikes

10% luck, 20% skill, 15% concentrated power of will, 5% pleasure, 50% pain…a 100% reason to remember the name

  • Down in the shop last night I mounted new SKS Longboard Fenders from Rivendell Bicycle Works on my Atlantis.  The splash off the front wheels has been  the only drawback to riding on wider tires.   Wider tires equals more water pushed up into my legs and shoes.  I researched all manners of solutions and could not bring myself to the bike hack of refashioned water bottles and duct tape.

    How much better are these fenders?  My front fenders were about 9″ off the pavement and these are about 2″ off the pavement and slightly wider at the bottom along with being curved forward along the wheel.  Less height means less water splashed onto me.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    I am hoping to get one more season out of my Shimano waterproof shoes which let way too much water in for my taste.

    AFTER I finished the installation I found that Rivendell had a video explaining how to do it.  I am including the video to remind myself to look and plan first.

     

    They also have a group of pictures on Flickr showing the actual product.

     

  • From the Daily Infographic

  • Maxwell von Stein, a 22-year-old graduate of The Cooper Union, built bicycle that uses a flywheel to store energy. Instead of braking, Max can transfer energy from the wheel to the flywheel, which spins between the crossbars. The flywheel stores the kinetic energy until Max wants a boost, then he can transfer the energy back to the wheel using a shifter on the handlebars. En Español. (Credits: production, filming: ian chant, aleszu bajak, flora lichtman. music: prelinger archives. additional images: Maxwell von Stein. ) Viewed 59748 times. See More Videos

    Maxwell von Stein’s bicycle invention uses a flywheel to store energy. Instead of braking, he can slow the bicycle by transferring the kinetic energy from back wheel into the flywheel–which spins between the bars of the frame. Then Max can send the flywheel energy back to the wheel when he wants a boost.

  • Must be somebody else’s as well.  Now if I just get some waterproof way of carrying this for the winter I could keep using it.  What I like best about the app is that it got me out to try the West Hills this summer.

    2011 Velo Awards: Strava is the Technical Innovation of the Year

    It’s been a big year for Strava, and we’re wrapping it up with a bang.  We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve been selected as the 2011 Technical Innovation of the Year by VeloNews.  Read all about it here.

    We wouldn’t be where we are today were it not for our community of dedicated athletes – check out our collective feats and accomplishments below!

  • I was watching this today before my run.

    Christopher McDougall explores the mysteries of the human desire to run. How did running help early humans survive — and what urges from our ancient ancestors spur us on today? At TEDxPennQuarter, McDougall tells the story of the marathoner with a heart of gold, the unlikely ultra-runner, and the hidden tribe in Mexico that runs to live.

  • From UrbanVelo Read the entire article in the magazine.  Well, I was having issues with a chain and trying to readup on current info.

    Nominally there are two widths of bicycle chain on the market—1/8” and 3/32”. This number refers to the interior width of the chain, with the wider 1/8” chain used on single speed and internally geared bikes, and 3/32” width chain on multi-speed deraileur bicycles. But when it comes to 3/32” chains there are a number of different external widths available, usually referred to in marketing terms by the number of rear cogs or speeds that the chain is compatible with. The narrower 3/32” chain is necessary for deraileur bicycles as the cogs are thinner to provide space for multiple gears, and as manufacturers have continued to add more speeds to drivetrains cogs and chains have continued to lose some from around the middle, even if only by tenths of a millimeter at a time. This has all brought up some compatibility concerns worth having a working knowledge of to prevent shifting problems and incompatible component purchases.

     

  • When is it too cold and icy to ride?  When these tires look good!