Rides 2015 — add yours

[Danneaux]

Dan, I posted photos of my Bromptons just a little while ago (in the non-Thorn related section), before reading the above. I did think about the competition aspect, but took the view that, as SJS very prominently sells the brand, which in no way competes in Thorn's space, it would not be an issue.

Very thoughtful of you, Sam.

I know Thorn are sensitive to protecting their brand designs and sales of bicycles they produce, and Andy Blance has removed some key frame dimensions to avoid aiding the competition in duplicating Thorn's geometry. He told me he came to this decision when he met a rider on a Thornlike bicycle who said (paraphrasing), "It's not a Thorn, but is the same".

Where Thorn kindly pay the bills to host this Forum for us as a peer-based support and sales tool, it would be unkind to feature competitors to the brand -- it is the Thorn Cycling Forum, after all -- and I don't want them to reconsider providing this space, which has grown into a close-knit community for some. Each day, I vet about 600 membership applications. Most are spam, but a few are registrations by competitors. I try my best to be fair to all while protecting Thorn's interests, because they have kindly provided this space.

As for Bromptons...they're not Thorns, but are a featured brand of SJS Cycles. Although they are restricted from selling them online, St. John's Street Cycles (Thorn's sister company) has a wide range of Bromptons available at their Bridgwater store -- and en entire range of parts and accessories available online from their "Brompton Shop", here:
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/brompton-shopbrompton/?geoc=us

You've some lovely Bromptons, Sam, and I wish you all the best with them -- surely some of the nicest examples I've seen. I lusted after one myself many years ago, but couldn't afford one so I designed my own, nearly done if I can find the time to braze on three more cable stops and the front derailleur boss.

All the best,

Dan.

[Slammin Sammy]

I lusted after one myself many years ago, but couldn't afford one so I designed my own, nearly done if I can find the time to braze on three more cable stops and the front derailleur boss.

You are an amazing man, Danneaux! Just go ahead and design a folding bike (MANY have tried and failed), and then build it by hand! I'm in awe, as well as envy.

Respect!! 

[Danneaux]

Thanks for the very kind words, Sammy; much appreciated. I've PM'd you some of the details so I won't clutter the Forum with them.

All the best,

Dan.

[JimK]

This year has been a bit disappointing so far - no big adventures on the bike! I have been getting out regularly enough, just nothing very long.

Today was my longest ride so far this year, 44 miles. A beautiful day for it, too! My partner's son came along. He hasn't been riding all that much but he certainly has no problem keeping up at all!

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/8979423

[macspud]

That's some angle he's got his saddle at.

[JimK]

He just started using an old bike of mine, so the blame for the seat angle rests entirely with me! Here is another photo which lets one compare the angles of the seats on the two bikes - they look quite the same!

I always find that I need a Brooks saddle aimed up a lot like that. It seems like the way the saddle is made, the center part has one line from back to front, but out to the sides a bit, where the sit bones sit, the saddle slopes a lot more down to the front. So if you want the sit bone parts to be level or just slope a bit down to the front, then the center part will need to slope up to the front. Anyway that's my theory!

[jags]

should have locked both bikes together.

[Slammin Sammy]

I always find that I need a Brooks saddle aimed up a lot like that. It seems like the way the saddle is made, the center part has one line from back to front, but out to the sides a bit, where the sit bones sit, the saddle slopes a lot more down to the front. So if you want the sit bone parts to be level or just slope a bit down to the front, then the center part will need to slope up to the front. Anyway that's my theory!

That's a very interesting observation, Jim! I love my Brooks, and tend to ride with them virtually level, but I still notice that I often slide towards the front. I can't handle pointing them upward even slightly (too much perineal pressure) but I have often looked with interest at the very droopy looking saddles out nowadays (I can't recall the brand). You know, the ones with a marked curve down in the nose... Have you tried these?

[JimK]

I haven't experimented much with saddles at all! Certainly not with anything at all recent.

Another factor in saddle angle is surely handlebar height. The more a person is leaning down to the front, the more the pelvis will be tilted to the front, the more perineal pressure will be an issue if the saddle is tilted up. Seems like a level Brooks is the way if you are generally down in a sporty position. I have my grips up at saddle level so my pelvis isn't too far forward.

Probably down in a sporty position the arms are working more anyway so a bit of forward slope to the sitting area would work OK. I don't have enough experience on which to base any actual claim, though!

[John Saxby]

Diff'rent slopes for diff'rent folks, as is often the case.  My Brooks works very well for me with the central portion level and the nose thus a wee bit higher. As you can see from the photo, though, my rando bars at the hoods are higher than the nose of the saddle, while as you'd expect the drops are below it (here, masked by the black handlebar bag):

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qfxhr425nx6rej9/5%20-%20Raven%20at%20Taylor%20Lake%20campsite.JPG?dl=0

[JimK]

Just my usual boring 12 mile grocery run today... was looking a bit unusual just because I was stuffing too many too big items into too few too small bags. Then on the nice long downhill on the way back... nice except it's a busy four lane divided highway - at least the shoulder is wide, but then it is filled with all sorts of debris... what, a bit of a shimmy, higher frequency, lower frequency, positively unstable, rough noise - a flat!

A chunk of glass had worked its way through the Schwalbe Marathon Racer in the back. Hard to say how much is the lack of protection in the tire and how much just a nice sharp chunk of glass having its way.

Road side repairs are never too much fun but at least it wasn't raining! I think it was my first time using the Lezyne micro floor drive HV pump, which got the tire up to 42 psi quite nicely. The Schwalbe digital gauge was easy to use. The chainglider didn't cause undue trouble. The chain was nice and clean, I could see! I do think probably that newish chain has gotten rather slack though inside there - probably I should adjust the EBB sooner rather than later.

I'm thinking the little hole in the tire is not going to be big enough to let the tube bulge through, but for sure I will need to keep an eye on that!

At least the groceries got home in the end!

[Andre Jute]

About particularly Brooks saddle angle, I operate my Brooks B73 apparently level with the nose pointing up just a wee bit. But, in fact, as same says, considering where one's sitbones make contact with the Brooks, effectively that is to slope it a bit more towards the rear. Since my longest ride is only about two and a half hours, the slight upslope at the nose isn't enough to induce the characteristic numbness and I do find it a valuable locating tool because I sit as near to bolt upright as you've ever seen a modern cyclist sit. (Any more upright would probably jar my lower back uncomfortably.)

The Brooks is an eminently adaptable saddle.

[Andre Jute]

For watercolors en plein air I normally use water brushes but for Father's Day I was given a set of Da Vinci 1503 Kolinsky Sable Travel Brushes. This rough sketch is the first time I had an opportunity to use them.

The viewpoint is up on the old railway track above the road between Bandon and Innishannon. I've been waiting for a sunshine day to block out an oil painting 16x12in of this scene but, as you can see, the Irish weather isn't being accommodating. So I decided that between showers I'd make a quick watercolour sketch in my little pochade tin and get the details and the oil at home in the studio.

Andre Jute: The Sentinels, watercolor, 6x4in, 2015

[JimK]

My new Marathon Plus Tour tires came in the mail today, so I swapped out my Marathon Racers. I've had two flats with the Racers in the past few months... lots of broken glass etc. on the roads I am stuck riding on, so probably best just to work with what I have.

I used the opportunity to clean my bike, and also to lube the brake pivots which I had been neglecting... oops! Once the bike is so nice and clean, might as well go out for a ride!

[Andre Jute]

Definitely. What's a clean bike good for if not to ride on a muddy path?

In vintage and classic cars there's a phrase for a vehicle which is polished to death and shown off at gatherings of likeminded rich men, but never, ever —  where'd you ever get that horrible idea, old chap! — driven on the road, where something might spatter it. It is derogatively called, by those of use who actually drive old cars as they were meant to be driven when new, "a trailer queen". Now I wonder if there is a cycling equivalent.

Whatever the word is, Jim's bike isn't a trailer queen!