Search found 1121 matches

by hercule
5 Jun 2022, 9:07pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Ols style steerer tube bearings how to find
Replies: 13
Views: 758

Re: Ols style steerer tube bearings how to find

Velo Orange make some nice threaded headsets with replaceable sealed bearings, in a variety of sizes. They have kept my older (late 80s, early 90s) bikes on the road.
by hercule
18 May 2022, 7:39pm
Forum: Non-standard, Human Powered Vehicles
Topic: Fitting a bike computer to a tadpole (not delta) trike
Replies: 9
Views: 1118

Re: Fitting a bike computer to a tadpole (not delta) trike

I placed the sensor on the rear forks, using a bit of tubing cable tied to the chainstay to get the sensor close enough to read the magnet on the wheel. Been working fine for 16 years!
by hercule
4 May 2022, 4:08pm
Forum: Non-standard, Human Powered Vehicles
Topic: Big Apple or Big Ben?
Replies: 10
Views: 4449

Re: Big Apple or Big Ben?

Having used them both, the BB has a meatier tread than the BA and I think is sized larger (2.15” vs 2.0” respectively) for the narrowest ones. My impression is that the BB was heavier and it may be a tight fit for your Kett’s mudguards.
by hercule
26 Feb 2022, 10:29pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Moulton AM7 - demount plate, photos...
Replies: 35
Views: 1666

Re: Moulton AM7 - demount plate, photos...

If anyone is looking around for Capreo stuff, Bike Friday used them and up until recently so did ICE recumbent trikes - though theirs were apparently modified from standard in some way
by hercule
23 Feb 2022, 8:10pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Moulton AM7 - demount plate, photos...
Replies: 35
Views: 1666

Re: Moulton AM7 - demount plate, photos...

iandusud wrote: 21 Feb 2022, 9:16pm That sounds like quite a mongrel (I don't mean that in any derogatory way). I stopped selling Moultons when I left the UK in 1992 at which point the rear cluster was used with a Suntour Winner Pro freewheel body. I wasn't aware of the use of Shimano freehubs with a 9/10/11 cluster but if that was a non-standard fitting it might explain the use of the Suntour Powershifter levers.
As it stands the only things that are original about the bike are the seat post and the main frame! Even the paint is different…. But over 30 years of development I’ve got the perfect bike (for me anyhow). Amazingly the chromoplastic mudguards were the last to go, though the front one did crumple and jam under the fork crown (fortunately I was barely moving at the time).
by hercule
21 Feb 2022, 8:16pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Moulton AM7 - demount plate, photos...
Replies: 35
Views: 1666

Re: Moulton AM7 - demount plate, photos...

iandusud wrote: 21 Feb 2022, 2:31pm
hercule wrote: 21 Feb 2022, 10:37am Just for the record, my AM14 Blue (1990) came with a Suntour powershifter on a demount plate (with the boss on the frame for mounting it when the frame is split) and a bar end ratchet shifter on the right drop. It also has a profusion of cable stops for all sorts of gearing options. It’s now 2x9 STI combined brake/gear levers (sometimes 3x9, but the chain jams between the frame and the chainrings occasionally) and I sold the demount bracket years ago for silly money on eBay. Go with cable splitters, much cheaper and reliable.
The profusion of cable stops became a std feature to allow the fitting of flat bars and hence thumb shifters. Are you saying that your bike had the old style brake connector on the demount plate? The Powershifters certainly wouldn't have been a std fitment as indexing was introduced on the AM7 prior to the introduction of the AM14 (I actually worked on this as Moultons came to the conclusion that it was impossible to get indexing to work with their freewheel setup with the 13/11/9 (or 10) sprocket cluster. A few hours after work with a bolt on gear hanger and some files and I had a working prototype which I sent to the factory. In fact the earlier AM7s with indexed gearing had identical modified gear hangers fitted until they ran out of the original frame ends (Alex was never one for wasting money!) and replaced them with new ones made according to my design).
I bought my AM14 second hand from York Cycleworks, probably my quickest purchasing decision until the invention of the internet and the Buy It Now button! Had I been more measured in my approach I might not have bought it though 30 years on I don’t regret the decision. It had a odd mismatch of parts including the most uncomfortable saddle I have ever had an acquaintance with. Worst of all was that the front fork was bent out of alignment, I got it repaired and later swapped in the later non-tapering version with a progressive wound spring.

There wasn’t a brake connector on the demount plate, cable splitters instead. But I’m puzzled about the indexed gearing - mine had cut down Dura Ace free hubs and used the original Uniglide sprockets - were those indexable? There was a 9-10-11T sprocket cluster that screwed on to keep the other 4 Uniglide sprockets in place.
by hercule
21 Feb 2022, 10:37am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Moulton AM7 - demount plate, photos...
Replies: 35
Views: 1666

Re: Moulton AM7 - demount plate, photos...

Just for the record, my AM14 Blue (1990) came with a Suntour powershifter on a demount plate (with the boss on the frame for mounting it when the frame is split) and a bar end ratchet shifter on the right drop. It also has a profusion of cable stops for all sorts of gearing options. It’s now 2x9 STI combined brake/gear levers (sometimes 3x9, but the chain jams between the frame and the chainrings occasionally) and I sold the demount bracket years ago for silly money on eBay. Go with cable splitters, much cheaper and reliable.
by hercule
21 Feb 2022, 10:25am
Forum: Non-standard, Human Powered Vehicles
Topic: Recumbent Seat Cushion
Replies: 8
Views: 726

Re: Recumbent Seat Cushion

I’ve had plain medium density upholstery foam on my Trice’s mesh seat for years. Saves me from recumbutt. I can’t ride without it!
by hercule
25 Jan 2022, 8:18pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Cartography
Replies: 52
Views: 2937

Re: Cartography

The discussion of lighting direction is very interesting as it reminds of a definitely non terrestrial problem I had when doing a couple of Open University modules on planetary science. Part of the course involved studying and interepreting planetary landscapes from photos (the Moon, Mars, the Jovian satellites). There were times I really struggled to see craters and would persistently interpret them as round hills rather than depressions. That could have been due my years of experience with map shading (esp on Barts maps) (ie bumps are shaded anyway) or due to the direction of illumination. Eventually and with conscious will I was able to overcome it but it was really difficult! Few of the other students seemed to have quite the same problem. I should have asked how many were cyclists or hill walkers!
by hercule
25 Jan 2022, 8:06pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Dawes Kingpin
Replies: 23
Views: 1987

Re: Dawes Kingpin

I had one: in purple with a tartan bag. I used it at lot, including regularly riding 10-15 miles (not that I knew it at the time - I was 12 and it was my next bike that had a Huret mileometer and I did a lot of miles on it).

Are the SA hub dynamos any good? I have two, one in a (27”) wheel and one unbuilt. Would they be OK with LEDs for a utility type bike?
by hercule
25 Jan 2022, 6:58pm
Forum: Non-standard, Human Powered Vehicles
Topic: Removing Rear Wheel On-the-Road on Tadople Recumbent (e.g. rear puncture)
Replies: 8
Views: 931

Re: Removing Rear Wheel On-the-Road on Tadople Recumbent (e.g. rear puncture)

I use a handy bit of wood, a rock, or whatever else presents itself. Punctures on a two wheel bent are rather more awkward.
by hercule
6 Jan 2022, 8:37pm
Forum: Non-standard, Human Powered Vehicles
Topic: Upgrade or gulp buy new?
Replies: 14
Views: 1817

Re: Upgrade or gulp buy new?

I found that whilst Big Apples (50mm wide) added a bit of comfort they made the handling a bit roly-poly; it sounds a bit like I am contradicting myself in saying I enjoy a floaty ride with suspension but it does seem to handle better, even if there are no anti-roll bars. I don’t regret the upgrade anyway. I’m running Kojaks all round at maximum pressure and can persuade myself I’ve got good rolling resistance and comfort.
by hercule
27 Dec 2021, 3:44pm
Forum: Non-standard, Human Powered Vehicles
Topic: Handcycle rear braking
Replies: 7
Views: 623

Re: Handcycle rear braking

I think the SA hub brake QR is an ICE Trikes modification rather than being original equipment.

FWIW I have a Ken Rogers upright trike with a single Sachs drum brake on the rear axle (which is combined with a differential). It will operate OK as a drag brake but it’s not ever going to bring you to a stop. I’m not sure whether that’s because it’s a 70mm drum acting on two 700c wheels or whether it is the geometry of the rear axle being behind the rider, or even something as simple as contaminated brake shoes.
by hercule
18 Dec 2021, 4:23pm
Forum: Non-standard, Human Powered Vehicles
Topic: First recumbent - what's a good starter bent?
Replies: 21
Views: 1187

Re: First recumbent - what's a good starter bent?

From my experience I think test rides are not that revealing, especially if you are a beginner when you’re not at all used to recumbent riding. You’ve got to jump in with both feet and over the miles you will work out what works for you and what doesn’t. My first two wheeler was a LWB home built, apart from it’s turning circle it’s very easy to ride and rolls along like a train. I found a Pashley PDQ a bit too twitchy for comfort at speed and more worryingly that my legs were just a bit too short. I had a couple of BikeEs but found them quite hard work and the front wheel a bit too lightly laden. My current two wheelers are the aforementioned LWB and a Nazca Fuego which is simply brilliant (if weighty). Trikes are a whole different story…
by hercule
14 Nov 2021, 2:31pm
Forum: Non-standard, Human Powered Vehicles
Topic: Changing to Superman Bars
Replies: 13
Views: 1229

Re: Changing to Superman Bars

I fitted superman (or Aerosteer in Nazca-speak) to my Fuego. They’ve done a lot for my confidence in general riding and you can sit up and look round more easily: something I found almost impossible even with the folding tiller.

I got mine from David at Laid Back Bikes. I think they came from Nazca but really anything should work. Consider how far back the bars sweep and the angle of the stem. Those can make a difference to ergonomics… with my arm reach I can’t have the seat at anything other than it’s minimum recline. A more steeply angled stem might work for me, I’ve used a handlebar raiser instead.

For a cheaper option you might find a suitable tandem stoker stem and I got another pair of superman bars for another bike from a German eBayer. You do need to check the stem angle though.