assymetry police....

neilob · Post by **neilob** » 11 Sep 2008, 1:28pm

Some time ago there was a thread about people riding assymetrically with a single pannier and how bad it looks. This has worried me since then......but riding home yesterday I realised that bikes are naturally assymetric with chainsets, chains and changers all hanging off the right hand side. So there I am with a pannier (on the right), a mirror (on the right), and all my transmission bits (on the right). The answer to this challenging problem is surely to task Shimano with moving chainsets et al onto the left side? Otherwise I'd have to buy a new pannier.

james01 · Post by **james01** » 11 Sep 2008, 1:35pm

neilob wrote:bikes are naturally assymetric with chainsets, chains and changers all hanging off the right hand side. .

doh !, I'd never thought of this. I always thought I looked well-balanced with either 2 or zero panniers. Now I won't sleep tonight.

Post by **Mick F** » 11 Sep 2008, 1:35pm

I wonder why it's all on the right? There's no reason that it should be that way, except for convention.

There's a thread on here somewhere in that Thirdcrank told us of a track rider with two chainsets and two rear sprockets and two chains. His bike must be THE most symmetrical!

reohn2 · Post by **reohn2** » 11 Sep 2008, 1:38pm

neilob wrote:Some time ago there was a thread about people riding assymetrically with a single pannier and how bad it looks. This has worried me since then......but riding home yesterday I realised that bikes are naturally assymetric with chainsets, chains and changers all hanging off the right hand side. So there I am with a pannier (on the right), a mirror (on the right), and all my transmission bits (on the right). The answer to this challenging problem is surely to task Shimano with moving chainsets et al onto the left side? Otherwise I'd have to buy a new pannier.

Which side(if this isn't too personal a question)do you dress?(assuming you're male(if not this doesn't apply)if you are male then you could redress(pun intended)the balance so to speak.

neilob · Post by **neilob** » 11 Sep 2008, 1:39pm

maybe a penny farthing resurgence is what's needed.....

thirdcrank · Post by **thirdcrank** » 11 Sep 2008, 1:40pm

In the days when the York Rally was for simple folk who enjoyed simple fun (like Thelwell :oops:

cartoons) I remember at least once seeing a stand with a competition where you had to count all the faults on a wrongly assembled bike. Somebody must have gone to a lot of trouble because the entire drivetrain was on the LHS.

neilob · Post by **neilob** » 11 Sep 2008, 1:42pm

Reohn, being a family forum I didn't want to add that specific fact, although there was a tendency to the right. And I always put my wallet in the right hand pocket of my jersey and my phone in the right hand compartment of the bar bag...... It gets worse doesn't it?? Surprised I'm not tacking like a yacht.

pigman · Post by **pigman** » 11 Sep 2008, 1:45pm

many BMX bikes have transmission on the left. go to any BMX/skate park and you'll see em. The main problem must be needeing a left hand freewheel

Post by **Mick F** » 11 Sep 2008, 1:49pm

pigman wrote:many BMX bikes have transmission on the left.

Why?
Is there a specific BMX reason?

pigman · Post by **pigman** » 11 Sep 2008, 1:51pm

no, its just posing. A few years ago, it was a unique talking point in the parks, now its still a bit different, but more common. Going to our local park, I'd have said between 10 to 20% of bikes are lefters and its the more specialist equipment, not the kiddies stuff

360fix · Post by **360fix** » 11 Sep 2008, 2:49pm

neilob wrote:maybe a penny farthing resurgence is what's needed.....

Has anyone actually ridden a penny farthing (I mean recently)? It must be almost as hard as riding a unicycle, except its much farther to fall...

pigman · Post by **pigman** » 11 Sep 2008, 2:58pm

never ridden a penny farthing, but Ive heard that as the wheel is bigger, its actually easier to balance at slow speeds. But, Im no scientist

Post by **Mick F** » 11 Sep 2008, 3:19pm

Can you get a penny farthing with a smaller front wheel and a hub gear? Sounds a good idea. Absolutely maintenance-free. No chain!

Basically, a front-wheel-drive bike?

neilob · Post by **neilob** » 11 Sep 2008, 3:30pm

Mick, I'm rushing off to the patent office now!! But where do the panniers hang?

Post by **Mick F** » 11 Sep 2008, 3:45pm

Very small ones, either side of the 'farthing'?

I wouldn't be in a rush to the patent's office, I'm always inventing stuff that's been invented before.

My ideas, that I can recall at the mo, have included:
Roller blades.
A small step-stool with casters so you can move it about easily, then the casters retract when you stand on it. (Seen in every supermarket)

Cycling UK Forum

assymetry police....

assymetry police....

Re: assymetry police....

Re: assymetry police....