E-Playa Bicycle Fleet?

[TT120]

Whoah! Thats pretty cool. I bet it just floats right over the killer dunes. I needed something like that when I tried to bike over to the 3 o'clock side. That whole area was a mess.

Should I start collecting parts? Extra tubes, bearings, stuff like that?
What are the usual problems people have with their bikes?

[Elliot]

Should I start collecting parts? Extra tubes, bearings, stuff like that?
What are the usual problems people have with their bikes?

Where to begin?!
Yes, tubes are at the top of the list. I buy only the thorn-resistant ones now. I think Performance (?) Bicycle on Howe Ave near Northrop has them for a good price, with a discount for large purchases. I'm not a great fan of the Slime inside because it can make a mess, but that's how they tend to come now, and Slime is water-washable. Size 26x2.00 -- which will stretch a bit larger. A couple of 24" also.

Tires. Many flats are caused by old ruptured tires. Smooth cruiser type, if you buy new.

Pedals. Modern plastic pedals are junk. Some don't even have bearings -- just plastic on steel. I scavenge old steel pedals whenever I can. All four kinds; 1/2" for one-piece cranks, left and right, 9/16" for three-piece cranks, left and right. (All use 15 MM wrench.)

Crank bearings. One-piece cranks seem to all use the same kind, and I needed a lot of them this year. I try not to work on three-piece-crank bearings except in grave emergency, but those go out also, of course.

Three-piece crank arms, and the bolts and nuts that hold them on. (Bolt or nut depends on brand.) They come loose and the square becomes round. Both sides. Leave chain-rings on -- you'll need those also.

Wheel bearings do go out, but I replace the whole wheel. Knock yourself out fiddling with rear wheel bearings.

Wheels. Complete wheels are great time-savers.

WD-40. Yes, it's mostly a cleaning solvent and not much lubricant. That's exactly what we often need. You'd be amazed at the freewheels that come back to life. And tight bearings of all kinds. Sure, you should loosen the bearing a tad to make room for the Dust, but if you don't have much time.... (Water will work, but then you have a rust problem 30 minutes later.)

A couple of saddles. Wide comfy ones.

A wide assortment of small bolts and nuts. Tiny ones. Including thinner than water bottle holder bolts. For loose luggage racks and other things that rub on wheels and so forth. And hose clamps -- the regular automotive worm drive ones -- in various sizes. They clamp hecka better than wire ties.

Hand grips are sometimes needed because bare steel becomes too hot to touch, but a big roll of masking tape will do fine.

Chains, but not needed very often. Two kinds; 3/32" for derailers -- derailleurs ! -- and 1/8" for one-speeds and hub gears. Not interchangeable.

Cables. Kits of four cables at Walmart for six bucks, a buck more at K-Mart. But these are unlined and dry, so bring a small tin of white grease.

One word about something that does NOT work.... When faced with a recalcitrant rear derailer, some people remove the derailer, shorten the chain, and try to run it as a single-speed. The one word: DON'T. There is little or no adjustment for chain tension, and the spring-loaded tensioner is now gone. The excessively loose chain works fine for a while, then climbs onto a larger rear sprocket and becomes tight as a guitar string in a split second. The rider then has to drag the bicycle home on the front wheel. So DON'T. Please.
Instead, lock the derailer in a suitable gear with a piece of coat hanger or bailing wire. Sometimes one of the tiny motion-stop adjustment screws will do the job. Sometimes the remaining stump of cable can be refitted suitably. (Maybe with a hose clamp on the frame.) But never remove the rear derailer.

As for front derailers, I throw them away all the time. As of now, no loaner leaves my barn with a front derailer. 21-speed bicycles become 7-speed bicycles. The general public has NO IDEA how to ride a bicycle with two derailers. Stores that sell such bicycles to regular folks ought to be prosecuted for insidious cruelty.

I'm sure I've forgotten something.
Every year I cannibalize bicycles for parts. There is just no telling what you will suddenly need!
In 2007 somebody brought in an adult tricycle that their elderly mother was using. They were desperate, since their mother was dependent on that thing to enjoy her burn. Turned out it had lost the key (a tiny square length of steel) that connects the rear sprocket to the axle. A metric size. I had one rattling around in the bottom of my toolbox.

This year a fellow brought in a home-made tricycle with an electric booster-motor on the front wheel. The rear wheels were kids' bicycle front wheels. Broken axle. Took the axle out of a regular adult front wheel -- too long. Used three big nuts from who-knows-what as spacers. Off and running. It's great fun!

[TT120]

Thats a good list. Thanks Elliot. I'll go out to Denio's auction and start collecting stuff, a couple things here and there will add up in 11 months.

[Triken]

You might want to add a few master links to the list...
for both chain sizes.

[Elliot]

You might want to add a few master links to the list...
for both chain sizes.

Good point!
For 1/8 chains, regular three piece master links are commonly used and ought to be in stock.
For 3/32 chains, master links are not normally used since derailer chains need to be smooth on both sides, but specialized master links for this purpose do exist and can be very handy.
I also carry master links for # 35, # 41, and # 40 industrial chains, which people use on larger pedal-powered vehicles.

[delle]

Egads Elliot. Every time I think you rock just about as much as you possibly can.... you go and step it up a notch.

Awesome.

I wanted to add my idea to the pile (since it includes a couple of pieces that might be handy to have. (you tell me... but I certainly thought it was a brilliant and cheap fix to a problem)

Earlier in this thread you mentioned the leaning-forward problem

Many burners apparently ride a bicycle only that one week a year, and struggle with the leaned-forward riding position. The solution is a BMX handlebar, and a wide cushy saddle to carry the weight comfortably. BMX handlebars lack the wider diameter section in the center, but what'cha do is cut the same section out of the old handlebar and use as a sleeve. Longer cables (if any) must be installed, but you can get a universal cable kit at K-Mart for $7,-.

I -- although I do bike during the rest of the year -- have a leaning-forward problem due to a herniated disc in my neck. Cocking my neck back for long stretches of time is generally not a good idea.

We came up with this solution:

Install a pair of those horny handlebar ends slightly more bent than they usually are so that the hollow ends face each other rather than run up at angles;

Insert a section of thick dowel (broom handle, for example) to fill the void between the two ends;

Cover the works with some pipe insulation for instant cushy factor (solidly taped on); and then

Cover again with something plushy and appealing. We just used carefully placed tiewraps.



The result was a WAY more comfortable ride for free since we had all the elements handy.

....thought it might be worth sharing....

[MyDearFriend]

Wow, Delle!!!

[dragonpilot]

Cover the works with some pipe insulation for instant cushy factor (solidly taped on); and then

Cover again with something plushy and appealing.

Damn! This gave me an idea! I've always brought my bike to the playa on the bike rack without any of the plush/fleece attached to it because I use the bike for training rides off-playa. And I don't like bits of plush fleece flying off as I careen down the highway. And, it's always been such a hassle to attach my decorative plushness to the bike on the playa. This year I never got around to it....I know...lazy!

So...I'm going to hot-glue shaggy fleece to sections of pipe insulation that is cut to fit all the bike's tubes. When I get to the playa, all I have to do is slip the pipe insulation over the tubes and, voila...I'm decorated for the week!

This idea is not patented and may be used by others...consider it in the public domain...

[theCryptofishist]

This idea is not patented and may be used by others...consider it in the public domain...

*dashes off to make a fortune from dragonpilot's idea*

[Elliot]

Good one, Delle! I have a similar neck problem and had to give up "serious" bicycling -- even with a BMX bar. In general... yes, reasonably self-sufficient people CAN often solve such problems with a little bit of thinking and experimenting.

The matter of gluing decorations on a bicycle reminds me.... People sometimes bring in a bicycle that does not work right, and the problem turns out to be that they have glued on fur, wrapped on tape, or otherwise impaired the movement of cables for brakes and/or gears. This year I needed to tighten a handlebar bolt, and there was fur glued right over the bolt.

Oh... and don't get me started on luggage baskets on front of the handlebar, pinching the daylight out of the cables. Please buy a rear luggage rack and baskets instead. (Unless you have a one-speed with coaster brake, thus no cables.)

[BoyScoutGirl]

As for tire levers, they are rarely needed. I'll show you the technique for taking tires off and on.

This is relevant to my interests...

[Triken]

Hanging around the bicycle repair station, I was grateful to have remembered to bring a small, fine file.
It was just the ticket, twice, to smooth some rough parts in the rims.
A fine chainsaw file would have worked as well.
Electrical tape can be handy to replace a damaged rubber strip between the rim and tube, too...

[Bob]

Pieces cut from worn ~80-120 grit sanding belts or disks often work nicely in lieu of a file, and you can fold them to get into tight spots.

This is beginning to look like the Fine Woodworking tips & tricks section. I remember one reader wrote in that he nails all his old shoes to the basement wall to hold his chisels and other edge tools.

[ranger magnum]

I bring a chain breaker. No need for master links
Did a lot of single speed conversions from derailer bikes and had no issues if the dropouts provided wheel adjustment. Verticle dropouts dont allow wheel adjustment.

We also brought our welder, which fixed almost everything!

[Elliot]

It's Sunday, so I'll venture a sermon.

Like most aspects of life, bicycle repair is subject to personal preferences, philosophies, opinions and skill-levels. A beginner may find it difficult to use a chain tool (chain breaker) with the necessary finesse to reassemble the chain (using the same tool) without losing the chain-pin. Once the pin falls out, you have lost the link, meaning one inch length of chain, unless you have serious skills for reinserting the pin. So master links have their place – more foolproof. That’s an opinion – mine. YMMV.

(Incidentally, I have a Park Tool CT-2 chain tool, in addition to regular screw-type ones. It’s a two-fisted pair of pliers. One squeeze of the handles and the pin is out at exactly the rights spot for reassembly. Reassemble same way. Pretty cool. I want a “gunslinger six-shooter holster” for it. )

Same with the often disputed merits of converting a derailer bicycle to single speed. You may have the skill to determine when such a conversion can be done satisfactorily, but the fit of the chain on that particular bicycle, and the minimal, if any, adjustment available, makes this no job for a beginner. That’s a philosophy – mine. YMMV.

And so on and so forth! Remember, this impromptu tutorial is worth every dollar you are paying for it.


Now, about dismounting and mounting tires without tools.
I could tell you how, but are you sure you want to go thru the initiation rites, and then live under a new name in a new town the rest of your life, just to learn that particular secret handshake?

Here we go:
Obviously, the beads of the tire are of a smaller diameter than the edges of the rim of the wheel. Kind’a like a foot must be smaller than a shoe, or the two just aren’t going to function together.
Next, the beads of the tire do not stretch. There are steel wires embedded in the beads. Perhaps we could continue the analogy and call those shoe-laces, but they are fixed, we never untie them.

So now we need to move a small circle over the edge of a large circle. Cannot be done, right? Correct! So we cheat. We find ourselves a smaller rim diameter which the tire beads will fit over. Luckily, the rim manufacturer provided this smaller diameter. It is located in the center of the rim, where the spokes are fastened. I call this the well of the rim. The difference in diameter is slight, but once you wiggle 90 % of the tire down into the well, the last 10 % will be high enough to slip over the edge of the rim.

I use all the fingers on both hands, and one knee or my lap for support. With my hands moving in opposite directions, I squeeze the beads towards the center of the rim, while simultaneously pulling the tire towards the spot where I want to pop it over the edge of the rim. I slide or “walk” my fingertips along to accomplish this. I start at the valve and finish 180 degrees from the valve. With practice, it takes only seconds.

The inner-tube stays in the tire for unmounting, and it goes into the tire before remounting (with just a tiny bit of air to keep it in place).

Bicycle tires do not center themselves on the rim the way automobile tires do. So what’cha do is inflate just a few pounds, then study the interface between the tire and the rim on both sides. They must be concentric. There are lines on the tire that make this easy to see. Then finish inflating. Your Mileage May Vary.

And in closing.... Do as I say, not as I do.

Sermon over.

[Triken]

Thanks for the Sunday sermon, Elliot...
I must say, church has never been so usefully informative!!

[ygmir]

:D
It's Sunday, so I'll venture a sermon.

Like most aspects of life, bicycle repair is subject to personal preferences, philosophies, opinions and skill-levels. A beginner may find it difficult to use a chain tool (chain breaker) with the necessary finesse to reassemble the chain (using the same tool) without losing the chain-pin. Once the pin falls out, you have lost the link, meaning one inch length of chain, unless you have serious skills for reinserting the pin. So master links have their place – more foolproof. That’s an opinion – mine. YMMV.

(Incidentally, I have a Park Tool CT-2 chain tool, in addition to regular screw-type ones. It’s a two-fisted pair of pliers. One squeeze of the handles and the pin is out at exactly the rights spot for reassembly. Reassemble same way. Pretty cool. I want a “gunslinger six-shooter holster” for it. )

Same with the often disputed merits of converting a derailer bicycle to single speed. You may have the skill to determine when such a conversion can be done satisfactorily, but the fit of the chain on that particular bicycle, and the minimal, if any, adjustment available, makes this no job for a beginner. That’s a philosophy – mine. YMMV.

And so on and so forth! Remember, this impromptu tutorial is worth every dollar you are paying for it.


Now, about dismounting and mounting tires without tools.
I could tell you how, but are you sure you want to go thru the initiation rites, and then live under a new name in a new town the rest of your life, just to learn that particular secret handshake?

Here we go:
Obviously, the beads of the tire are of a smaller diameter than the edges of the rim of the wheel. Kind’a like a foot must be smaller than a shoe, or the two just aren’t going to function together.
Next, the beads of the tire do not stretch. There are steel wires embedded in the beads. Perhaps we could continue the analogy and call those shoe-laces, but they are fixed, we never untie them.

So now we need to move a small circle over the edge of a large circle. Cannot be done, right? Correct! So we cheat. We find ourselves a smaller rim diameter which the tire beads will fit over. Luckily, the rim manufacturer provided this smaller diameter. It is located in the center of the rim, where the spokes are fastened. I call this the well of the rim. The difference in diameter is slight, but once you wiggle 90 % of the tire down into the well, the last 10 % will be high enough to slip over the edge of the rim.

I use all the fingers on both hands, and one knee or my lap for support. With my hands moving in opposite directions, I squeeze the beads towards the center of the rim, while simultaneously pulling the tire towards the spot where I want to pop it over the edge of the rim. I slide or “walk” my fingertips along to accomplish this. I start at the valve and finish 180 degrees from the valve. With practice, it takes only seconds.


The inner-tube stays in the tire for unmounting, and it goes into the tire before remounting (with just a tiny bit of air to keep it in place).

Bicycle tires do not center themselves on the rim the way automobile tires do. So what’cha do is inflate just a few pounds, then study the interface between the tire and the rim on both sides. They must be concentric. There are lines on the tire that make this easy to see. Then finish inflating. Your Mileage May Vary.
And in closing.... Do as I say, not as I do.

Sermon over.

must I comment, or is anyone else a little bit excited here.

[Triken]

:D
It's Sunday, so I'll venture a sermon.

Like most aspects of life, bicycle repair is subject to personal preferences, philosophies, opinions and skill-levels. A beginner may find it difficult to use a chain tool (chain breaker) with the necessary finesse to reassemble the chain (using the same tool) without losing the chain-pin. Once the pin falls out, you have lost the link, meaning one inch length of chain, unless you have serious skills for reinserting the pin. So master links have their place – more foolproof. That’s an opinion – mine. YMMV.

(Incidentally, I have a Park Tool CT-2 chain tool, in addition to regular screw-type ones. It’s a two-fisted pair of pliers. One squeeze of the handles and the pin is out at exactly the rights spot for reassembly. Reassemble same way. Pretty cool. I want a “gunslinger six-shooter holster” for it. )

Same with the often disputed merits of converting a derailer bicycle to single speed. You may have the skill to determine when such a conversion can be done satisfactorily, but the fit of the chain on that particular bicycle, and the minimal, if any, adjustment available, makes this no job for a beginner. That’s a philosophy – mine. YMMV.

And so on and so forth! Remember, this impromptu tutorial is worth every dollar you are paying for it.


Now, about dismounting and mounting tires without tools.
I could tell you how, but are you sure you want to go thru the initiation rites, and then live under a new name in a new town the rest of your life, just to learn that particular secret handshake?

Here we go:
Obviously, the beads of the tire are of a smaller diameter than the edges of the rim of the wheel. Kind’a like a foot must be smaller than a shoe, or the two just aren’t going to function together.
Next, the beads of the tire do not stretch. There are steel wires embedded in the beads. Perhaps we could continue the analogy and call those shoe-laces, but they are fixed, we never untie them.

So now we need to move a small circle over the edge of a large circle. Cannot be done, right? Correct! So we cheat. We find ourselves a smaller rim diameter which the tire beads will fit over. Luckily, the rim manufacturer provided this smaller diameter. It is located in the center of the rim, where the spokes are fastened. I call this the well of the rim. The difference in diameter is slight, but once you wiggle 90 % of the tire down into the well, the last 10 % will be high enough to slip over the edge of the rim.

I use all the fingers on both hands, and one knee or my lap for support. With my hands moving in opposite directions, I squeeze the beads towards the center of the rim, while simultaneously pulling the tire towards the spot where I want to pop it over the edge of the rim. I slide or “walk” my fingertips along to accomplish this. I start at the valve and finish 180 degrees from the valve. With practice, it takes only seconds.


must I comment, or is anyone else a little bit excited here.
The inner-tube stays in the tire for unmounting, and it goes into the tire before remounting (with just a tiny bit of air to keep it in place).

Bicycle tires do not center themselves on the rim the way automobile tires do. So what’cha do is inflate just a few pounds, then study the interface between the tire and the rim on both sides. They must be concentric. There are lines on the tire that make this easy to see. Then finish inflating. Your Mileage May Vary.
And in closing.... Do as I say, not as I do.

Sermon over.

*heheeeheeeeee*

[Elorrum]

this book was and is (I don't have one right now... I've given a few away) a great great helper. Anybody's bike book by Tom Cuthbertson

[Elliot]

And on the interweb... the late great bicycle guru Sheldon Brown explained everything there is to know about bicycles (although some of this information is "vintage", and heavy on "serious" bicycling):

http://sheldonbrown.com/

There is almost too much information here.

[BoyScoutGirl]

Amen, Elliot, amen!

Consider the good word heard. Also, I love Sheldon Brown's site. He's the one who taught me how to utilize the 21 speeds on my bike. I'm not ashamed to admit I was overwhelmed at first. I mean, cars only have 5 (or 6) gears, plus reverse!

[Elliot]

Sheldon Brown's site is big. Could you post a link to that 21-speed info? I'd like to compare it with my own version.

[Elliot]

All right, I looked it up. Here is Sheldon Brown's article on derailer gears:

http://sheldonbrown.com/gears.html

Of course, he might have other pieces on similar topics -- keep surfing this site!
I also see that his buddies are continuing to add information to the site. So this should continue to be a valuable and up-to-date resource.

Still, I feel that his article on derailer use stops a bit short of what we need. So give me a little time, and I'll make some drawings.

[TT120]

I found myself only using about 3 different gears the whole time. I stayed on the center chain ring and just used the rear derailleur. Lower gears for dunes and higher for the open Playa. Of course, the drunker I got, the lower the gear I had to use.

I ran my wheel and headset bearings a little loose and dry. (no grease as that attracts dust) I didn't mess with the bottom set bearings cause it's a 3 piece setup and I just didn't feel like messing with it.

[Elliot]

Yup. Yup. I'm typing and drawing up a "lecture" on gear-shifting now. May get done today.

[Elliot]

How to shift derailer gears. (It’s “derailleur”, but that’s French.)

This runs on for 850 words and seven drawings, so I hope you packed a lunch.

The drawings are not to scale, but they do use the same proportions in all the drawings.

The view is from the rider’s butt. You have an eye there, right? Well, my cat does.

So you are looking straight down from above the bicycle. At the front, at the top of the drawing, is the sprocket or sprockets on the crank, where the pedals are attached. We'll call this the “front sprocket(s)”.

At the rear, at the bottom of the drawing, are several sprockets on the rear wheel -- or only one sprocket if the bicycle has only one gear. We’re going with “rear sprocket(s)”.

My drawings go up to a 15-speed, which is all we need to explain the concept. That’s three front sprockets and five rear sprockets. Some bicycles have additional rear sprockets. With seven rear sprockets the total would be 21 gears (3x7). (The term “ten-speed” originated with… you guessed it: Two front sprockets and five rear ones.)

On my drawings, all sprockets (and crank and pedals) are black. GOOD chain positions are supposed to be green, but I’m out of green so they are BLUE. But BAD chain positions are definitely RED.

Here we go. The texts are below each drawing:


#1

SINGLE SPEED
One front sprocket, one rear sprocket. The chain always runs straight. Stop reading now. Leave me that lunch bag.



#2

FIVE SPEEDS (or maybe a slightly different number.)
One front sprocket and five (or so) rear sprockets. The chain runs straight in 3rd gear. It bends a little to reach 2nd or 4th, and it bends more to reach 1st or 5th. Note the angle of the outer blue lines. That’s the maximum bend we want to expose that poor chain to.

This is perfect for Burning Man, and for most other general riding.



#3

15 SPEEDS – WITH CHAIN ON MIDDLE FRONT SPROCKET
Now we have the common arrangement of three front sprockets and five or more rear sprockets. This drawing shows the chain on the middle front sprocket, and you will notice that the chain can run just like in the drawing above. All I did here was add the two extra front sprockets, not in use. I'm sneaking up on something.



#4

15 SPEEDS WITH CHAIN ON RIGHT FRONT SPROCKET
Now the trouble starts. Again I’ve drawn acceptable blue chain runs. And I have drawn a RED chain that illustrates EXCESSIVE chain angle. This leads to increased noise, increased friction, increased wear, and bad breath.


SOOOO…. What’cha do is this: Get out of bed in the morning, brush your teeth, and put the chain on the MIDDLE front sprocket. The front derailer is usually the shifter on the left side of the handlebar, but some manufacturers just have to “be different”. Leave the chain there in the middle. Throughout the day you shift gears as needed with the rear shifter, which is usually on the right-hand side of the handlebar.

Then…

#5

ONLY if you hit a really bad patch of ground (or very steep up-hill) will you move the front of the chain to the inner (small) front sprocket. And ONLY after you have exhausted your options on the rear wheel – that is, the chain is already on the inner sprocket on the rear wheel. Think of this left front sprocket as your TRACTOR gear. Then, as soon as you no longer need the tractor gear, shift the chain back to the middle front sprocket.

And…


#6

SAME if you get to a long smooth surface and you want to set a speed record. First shift the rear to its outer sprocket. Then shift the front to the outer (large) front sprocket. Think of this as your ROCKET gear. Make rocket noises. As soon as you are no longer comfortable with this speed-demon velocity, shift back to the middle front sprocket.

DO NOT shift the rear gears while the front is in TRACTOR or ROCKET. At least not until you become an expert at this. Drawing #4 shows that it is all right to do so, up to the limit, but that’s for advanced riders. Normal people, INCLUDING ME, have no hope of keeping track of where the gears are if we don’t follow the basic TRACTOR and ROCKET concept. Half the bicycles that come in to Elliot’s Bicycle Service and Chardonnay Bar have the gears set like…

#7

…this, which is the worst "cross shifting" you can commit. Then I’m suddenly out of wine.


Finally, there is something called HUB GEARS. In my father’s youth, he had a bicycle with two hub gears. Then for several decades the standard was three hub gears. Now there are rear wheel hubs with as many as 15 gears inside. From the outside, the bicycle looks like a single-speed. I like hub gears. They are reliable and easy to use. There is one shifter, and the chain never moves except round and round.

There will be a quiz at the 2013 ePlaya Meet-n-Greet.

[gaminwench]

((Elliot)))

[Triken]

Thanks, Elliot!

That's pretty straightforward.
Now, to start studying for the test...

[Savannah]

Thanks, Elliot!

That's pretty straightforward.
Now, to start studying for the test...

I'll just hide in the girls' 4th floor bathroom, winging my eyeliner until it's all over.

[Triken]

Thanks, Elliot!

That's pretty straightforward.
Now, to start studying for the test...

I'll just hide in the girls' 4th floor bathroom, winging my eyeliner until it's all over.

(I'll bring the smokes)