Categories: all aviation Building a Biplane bicycle gadgets misc motorcycle theater
Oh yeah, cables wear out, don't they...
I've been having shifting weirdness on the commuter bike for the last couple of weeks, and today I finally had time to deal with it. I'd lubricated the cable a few days ago, which seemed to help, but didn't totally solve the problem.
When I lubed the cable, I noticed that right where it entered the shifter, I could see a couple of loose strands. It looked like time to replace the cable, so I picked up a new one (along with replacements for the other three cables) a few days ago.
Once I finally figured out how to replace the cable (it being distinctly non-obvious), I gave it a tug. It kind of came out, but didn't really want to slide out like it should, so I pulled a little harder. Ah-hah! It moved a bit, and i discovered that I was holding something that looked more like a wire brush than a control cable. I ended up having to cut the head off the cable: it just wouldn't slide through due to the frayed end.
So, yeah. Looks like 3400 miles is way too long to leave a shifter cable. Note to self: replace that cable again around 5500 miles...
Posted at 13:56 permanent link category: /bicycle
Ok, maybe it's still a bit early for a wrap-up, but you get the idea.
I successfully trailered my load down to the International District today, chugging slowly up the hill on the sidewalks of 5th Avenue. It took a lot longer than the trip normally takes, because even going downhill, I was so paranoid about going too fast.
When the speed gets up, it's all fine, until the bike hits a bump. Then, things move uncomfortably, and I find myself wondering what's going to bend or break. Still, there's no evidence of actual bending going on, so I may be getting too close to paranoia.
The bike's brakes are clearly up to the task, but I'd still be happier if the trailer had brakes. Unfortunately, that's something which is going to take a fair amount of engineering, so it won't be happening for several months yet. The biggest potential issue is that as long as the trailer is brakeless, the possibility of jack-knifing it in a quick stop is there. It would truly suck to avoid slamming the bike into the car that just pulled out, only to be catapulted off the seat and into the side of the car. Perhaps you can see why I've been taking it slow.
The load I was carrying, about 90 lbs, is towards the upper limit of what I ultimately want to carry, I think. I'm sure the system is physically capable of carrying about double that, but it would just be too great a percentage of the overall vehicle's weight. I think the trailer will be much more comfortable in the 30-50 pound range. I'll probably call 120 the hard upper limit, which makes it 150 lbs total, or about 1/2 the weight of myself plus the Xtracycle.
Overall, I'm very pleased with the trailer. It's working exactly as I expected it would, although certain practical matters (such as the 15 mph speed limit) didn't really sink in until I started it trundling down the road. Score one for self-sufficiency on a bicycle.
Posted at 00:08 permanent link category: /bicycle
Categories: all aviation Building a Biplane bicycle gadgets misc motorcycle theater