Cycling UK Forum

http://www.ukhandcycling.com/UKHCA.htm

UK hand cycling is a fascinating new sport.
Cyclists traditionally have weak shoulders and upper body assuming they do not do other sports to compensate.

Hand cycles and hand cranked cycles either with two wheels or three and even tandems are now state of the art.
http://www.ukhandcycling.com/UKHCA.htm

There is a European association, a British cycle fest in august (Castle Coombe).

Does CTC have a sub committee of any sort
for this kind of cycling or wheel chairing?

Speeds of 35-40mph are achieved by the racers.

g

i want to cycle somewhere either to isle of wight or wales from london. or possibly to north france via portsmouth and a ferry.

i have from 20th of june til 2nd of july to do this. if there is anyone else with similar plans then do post.

They're nowadays available only from Rite Price Marketing, either by phone (01977 795330) or at York Rally etc.

Right then, I've now had time to study the various notes which have been extremely useful and visited sheldonbrowns site also.

I've obviously got a compatibility problem and although I think I can identify a couple of solutions I'd really appreciate some more advice.

Firstly though I need to clarify the situation. Earlier I described my bike as a tourer. That's not actually correct - I just use it for touring. Design wise it is a hybrid and had an mtb front derailleur with 22-32-42 chainset. I wanted to lengthen the gearing and fitted a 26-36-46 chainset without realising the implications for the derailleur - ie that 99% of mtb derailleurs are designed for the original, smaller chainset.

I've found a couple of Shimano versions (deore XT) that can run to either 44 or 48 teeth but the chain stay angles need to be 66-69 degrees or 63-66 degrees respectively.

I would prefer to get the 48t version as that would create a 12t difference between middle and outer which is apparently desirable (why?). However, my chainstay angle is 67 or poss 68 degrees suggesting I have to go for the 44t outer chainwheel.

Am I splitting hairs here? I assume the chain stay angles are significant because the Shimano website implies it is!

Or do I have to go fit a 22-32-44 chainset? In which case I might as well refit the original?

Are there any other options?

Am very grateful for all the help.

Replacing all those parts is quite simple if you buy the right tools, and you won't need many. The chain and cassette you'll definitely need to replace, but unless you've already got through two or three chains, I doubt that the rear mech needs more than a pair of new pulleys and fresh cable (plus casings) or the chainset anything other than new chainrings. And if you don't have to replace the cranks that saves a whole lot of money, extra tools and hard work, since new cranks will generally entail fitting a different bottom-bracket unit too. Do that only if you need a different length of crank, but I think your bike probably has 175mm already.

TA make chainrings of almost any size to fit almost any sort of crank, so you can easily go up a few teeth all round from the 26,36,48 that I guess your bike came with. Preserve the same 12T difference between middle and outer or else the front mech's relationship with the middle ring will be wrong – the inner ring size is not so critical.

But if you fit significantly larger chainrings, bigger than a 50T outer, you will also want a new, road-type front mech, since the tail end of the more sharply curved cage of your existing mech will catch on the teeth unless you position it too high up the seat tube for precise shifting.

And not just any road-triple mech. For whilst Shimano road and mountain-bike REAR mechs can be switched with no problems, the front mechs work differently. Unless I'm mistaken you have flat bar indexed shifters, so you need the front mech Shimano has specially designed for flar bar shifters AND big road triple chainsets: FD-R443. But this is designed for a 10T middle outer difference.

The upshot is you've got to choose your outer ring first, then your front mech, then your middle. Inner can still be almost anything you like – within reason.

At the moment you probably have an 11-something cassette. Switch to a 12-27 and you reduce your top gear by about the same amount as the difference between a 48 and a 52T chainring. So all that expensive palaver with front mechs merely gets you back where you started!

Another thought. If you're spinning out on 118 inches, on the flat, on a Giant Expedition, you should either be in the GB racing squad or learning to spin faster! Speed = Gear x Cadence / 336. A comfortable cadence for an experienced rider is 90 rpm. That's 32mph. Most people don't get near that except downhill and at that speed wind drag increases so dramatically with speed that it becomes a complete waste of energy to pedal at all – since it adds only a few mph to the speed you would go anyway freewheeling. Far better to save that energy for the next uphill, where it may be usefully employed raising your weight rather than pointlessly exciting the atmosphere.

You are obviously keen on speed. So rather than tinker with your existing bike, which is good for it's intended purpose of lugging a big load in comfort, give it the new chain and cassette that it really needs and save the rest of your money for a whole new, lighter and faster touring bike with narrow tyres and drop handlebars.

Thanks chaps,

Not going to get a chance to fiddle with it until Tuesday. In the meantime though a couple of quick questions:

Scott, presumably the cable should be as loose as possible subject to maintaining the ability to shift up? Or could it go either way?

PW, this sounds very scientific. How can I tell what the minimum tooth difference should be between middle and outer? Also, I think I've already got the changer mounted as low/close as possible to the outer chainwheel. Would this imply that I'm trying to utilise the changer outside of it's intended operating limits? In which case what are my options?

Thanks - and hope you've caught up with your sleep!

You can flog a dead horse,not a dog this time,
campaigning individually for cycling.

I sorted the Studland to Wareham route for the CC cycling department and was then told not to interfere. That did not worry me; there are always queers about except in Yorkshire.

I then sorted the North Harbour route
which actually links up to create an excellent
circular route of about 55miles, none of it on busy road and entering the local market town
IN THE HIGH STREET from off road.

Did they want to know?

If anybody wants a giuide to the
Poole Harbour circular route I shall be
delighted to give them map details.

Either route has been for me an excellent
forest ride and promeande ride all the way into
Bournemouth town centre from Tolpuddle,
and back.

Hard but intensely rewarding for knowing that but nobody else did that way.

Gar

Actually Gar, I'm not that interested in cycle racing either. Just making a point about how Britain ignores cyclists even when they give the country something to be proud of.

Kelly two-medals Holmes has honours heaped upon her and is paid thousands for chucking bottles at ships. Bradley three-medals Wiggins - who he?

I am thrilled to have some replies to this
as I am equally delighted with the bike.

I might say yhat given my poor upper body
strength before I got it, I rather wish that I had always had one, then I would not have needed pec implants to impress the girls.

No but seriously, it does not seem to have any effect on the upper body musculature to me,
but then I have never noticed my leg muscles getting so either. You have got what you need
and no more.

It IS hard work going uphill but Varna produce a 24 gear version and lowest is essential on steepest. I have tried it on some of these Dorset
hills which go straight up the side and with the HANDBRAKE for a rest every few metres it is not too bad.

There is a very distinct technique to the trike bike
as all hand bike riders will tell you. You have to ride from the thighs and put your thighs into the G (gravity) diagram as well.

If you only use your wrists and arms then it is much harder. Varna make one for people with less movement in their thighs, bless 'em.

I dod look at the Denver colorado dealer/maker who produces a hand and foot cranked quadribike, which was a little out of my bracket at £4000 signed and delivered, but I may get that next time.

Colin Chapman (Lotus) made his own quadri and put the covering on it to reduce wind resistance when he was 13. It went like the bats out of hell and we all thought it was a real car!! May he Rest in peace..

They are doing that with solar powerd jobs in Oz now, but they have got the sunshine already.

Gar

But I wouldn't either Hoopie.
I am not interested in procession racing
Nor groups on the road, nor even
mountin bike orienteering. (not bad the latter)

But I am interested in long distance endurance
with an 80lb pack of gear, like so many other CTc touring cyclists, and a jolly good vacation as well, at low cost, if ur careful

There is so much variety in the sport; something for everybody

Gar

I would thoink that Sa is the golden oportunity for a cyclist to start at the top and pedal downwards either from the top of a mountain or from the head of a river.

The Chile/Argentian ride is surely best done that way .
Start at the top down, get a bus back to the top
and then down the other side; then you have done the whole trip without too much harm.

Whether the Amazon is amenable to top down treatment you would have to consider carefully.
I would certainly think of starting at a source!!

Rivers have just got to be done that way!!

I should start a club the "Top Down Cycling Society"

Gareth Howell

All this "anti" compulsory helmet wear is Ok as far as I am concerned but it does also have and adverse effect on those who might benefit in wearing one.

I wear a helmet all the time -- especially on my daily training and "shopping" runs.
I have twice be thankfulful that I was wearing it -- both times in slow speed accidents caused by pedestrians.

So I am not a high speed cyclist but average an overall 10 mph. But last year I did cycle 4895 miles.
Also, on my trip through France to Spain last year, it did seem that an awful lot of cyclists ( and there are an awful lot more cyclists over there) were werein helmets!

I don't favour compulsion but don't let the "anti lobby" put you off either. I am most happy to wear mine!

I shall certainly be wearing it on my 4000 km trip to the Black Sea this year!

Trevor Panther
In South Yorkshire

How do
Am after any feedback/opinions on either the Edinburgh Revolution '05 or Cosmos '05
Thanks
Philip

The only time I ever broke spokes on a bike was as a 14 year old on the first tour when I went from carrying a saddlebag to carrying panniers. The bike was a peugoet racer, with 24 inch wheels and narrow rims, at the time of purchase childrens bikes were either racers or mountain bikes. I broke 2 spokes in the rear wheel during one weeks touring and we had to just true the wheel off the brakes and keep going. but the bike was replaced on return to home.

I got some rechargeable AA batteries today, and just noticed they're Ni-MH. I've got a charger, but it turns out it's intended for NiCds. There's no indication of exact voltages or currents on either. The charger is a 2-hour fast charger. The question is - is the charger likely to wreck the batteries?