Cycling UK Forum

I learnt to use SPDs soon after learning how to ride my PDQ. Definitely gets better, and I have used them ever since. I had mine set to minimum tension and never had a problem with accidental release to they stayed like that.

But for full in-ride relaxation you need a trike Clip in at the start, clip out at the end. Roll up to lights, and sprint off from the get-go )

colin54 wrote:...I used to have a plastic wedge thing that clipped between the brake lever and the hood body when you were parked,...

Blackburn SB-1 ? (One on eBay now !!)

Sooper8 wrote:I wanted it to stop front wheel slacking when I'm not on the bike, with slightly loaded front racks.
Thanks for the info and link, I'll take a look

I am not sure what you mean by 'slacking' but the above device will not affect the bike handling when riding.
It is designed to stop the front wheel flopping to the side when parking using a 2 legged under-BB stand which can lift the front wheel off the ground. I used one years back and it worked great.

I just added a standard mudflap to the bottom of my standard Kett front guard.

byegad wrote:...Does it matter on the road? Not at all!...

Depends on your route: my commute includes a hairpin bend on a narrow cycle track (i.e. not much room for swinging out). I would estimate the radius of the outside curve at most 5 meters ! Also in the old town here there are several tight spots where cycle tracks go on/off pavements and round lampposts etc to cross the road !!

Tigerbiten wrote:...As for the turning circle of a trike, it depends more on the geometry of the trike...

I think that deltas usually have a tighter cycle than tadpoles: my kett can turn the front wheel nearly 90 degress, so in low speed turns it can nearly rotate around it's rear wheels !! Useful for a town trike !

pjclinch wrote:I think in part you're going to be relatively older on average in order to have the disposable income to buy one.

- I could easily have afforded a bent when I got my first job: OK income + no responsibilities + rented room in shared house = lots of disposable income. I deeply regret not taking the plunge then (1987).
- Now we are a family of 4, but, for example, we do not own a car. If you compare total 10 year car costs with a recumbent, or bus fare ?

Summary: it is easy to make post-facto rationalizations

Kenn wrote:Where did you find 140mm cranks? I want use 160mm to preserve my aging knees and find the choice pretty limited.

SJSC sell them under their Thorn brand name http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/ (IIRC 140 upwards in 10mm increments).
And I try to keep an up-to-date list here: http://www.zoxed.eu/short_cranks.html

I would be surprised if anyone could really tell 5mm difference in a blind test !
I went from 170 to 140, loved it and fitted 140 on all my regular bikes. Knees much better now, but YMMV.
(Had to adjust gears by the same ratio, and cadence went up almost by the same ratio.)

Audax67 wrote:... but the shipping to France might be a problem.

I did not notice that you are in Alsace: in that case you may want to watch the German for-sale board:
http://hpv.org/shop/gebraucht/index.php ... ad=Dreirad

Personally I prefer tops without any pockets, so I usually get my tops from the running department (also long backs not needed on a bent).

There are some European suppliers: eg http://www.kangaroo.si where Eur50 will get you a jersey.

Tigerbiten wrote:...So it's wheel the back wheel through the door, then lift the trike onto it's side so the front wheels will go through...

When we lived in a flat with a cellar I used to carry my Kett in and out every day.
Once I had it worked out (practice/experiment) it was dead easy: open all the doors, pick up the Kett outside (axles vertical) and carry it downstairs and wiggle it round a few corners.
Cumbersome at first, but after a few weeks, very quick and easy.

Tigerbiten wrote:Brakes are frozen on my trike...

I used to get this with my Kett (made worse by the canted Kett wheels hanging over the callipers, so the tyres drip onto them !) I fitted a couple of small pieces of camping mat foam onto the mudguard brackets, horizontal like a little roof !! Does to look too pretty, but it works keeping the water out of the callipers and they have not frozen since !

fatty wrote:Hi..
I excercise my labxroti <i>[derogatory word removed]</i> ...

I can guess the missing word but wonder: did you self-censor it, or did the forum software do it automatically for you ? (just curious !)

breakwellmz wrote:The organisation i used to work for(BIME)recently bought an Islabike for a project,using most parts bar the frame!

It`s probably sitting in the scrap bin!

I can enquire about it if you wish.

I am pretty sure you would get a reasonable price for that on ebay, or here.
Don't tell the boss, and pocket the change !!