@ascentale@trouble A8: depends on how you count it! Either the spoke reflectors or if you include the cargo carrier I’ve been modding with new parts, the latest version of the front wheel mounting system. Less noise now, which I think we can all agree is good ^_^
@ascentale@trouble#BikeNite A8. I bought a new motor kit for my Cetma Cargo! It arrives on Monday. I gave up troubleshooting the old one and am just replacing the whole thing. At least now I’ll have some spare parts :)
@ascentale@trouble#BikeNite A8. Rear cargo rack I found at a garage sale for $2. AWESOMENESS! Now I'm thinking fenders and panniers for full utility bike geekery! WOOOHOO!
@lkanies@marcprecipice@ascentale@trouble seems a bit overpowered though, as bubble-making goes, I clicked through expecting to see something much much less serious like the device would be a clown holding a pinwheel of bubble wands, mine is a duck and it quacks while dispensing bubbles, I never quite got the mounting and remote activation worked out on the xtracycle though, someone should make one with a 7/8-ish clamp and wire to a remote button. #BikeNite
@Andres4NY@ascentale@trouble#BikeNite I went with a new Tongsheng kit from Electrify Bike (I prefer the torque sensor over the Bagang cadence sensor for hauling cargo). The cost was more than ordering all the parts from AliExpress but I’ll get support from a US company that is active in developing the open source software and actually responds to email questions. (1/2)
@ascentale@trouble#BikeNite A8: Most recent new thing on the bike was replacing one of the runner boards with a board with a slot cut out so I can easily tow another bike.
Got to use it for real the first time yesterday returning a borrowed bicycle to a friend. Towed it about 8miles, was super easy/solid.
Here it is w/ my spouse's bike strapped on as a test:
I always thought it was having a classic "snakebite" pattern and that other things don't use that term, but the shop I went to this week seems to use it differently (in a more rubbing situation maybe?), so I think my definition is maybe too restrictive.
@ascentale@SRLevine #BikeNite A7:
My best pinch flat story is the time that I first did a road ride in 95+F weather. I did not adjust the tire inflation to account to the heat and then I was inflating a bit too much back then anyway. It started getting really hot and when I hit a bump, "POP!" It was so hot that whenever I looked down to work on the replacement tube, the sweat rolled off my forehead like I turned on a faucet!
@ascentale@SRLevine#BikeNite A7. That would be the giant hole in the side of the tube I put in about the first 4 or 5 tires I changed when I was in high school... and not until recently did I figure out why I was doing tire changes wrong (thanks, YouTube!). I really could have used some help when I was a kid on these kinds of things, but I was basically a loner who had to figure things out myself.
@pete asks about group rides with electric + non-electric cycles:
Q6. We have problems making group MTB rides work when eBikers join us for fastish-paced rides: essentially they’re too fast on the ups and too slow on the flats for group cohesion. Anyone have any tips for making mixed eeb/regular groups work?
@ascentale@pete A6. I think a problem with being inclusive in rides in general is that there can be a big difference in pace. One thing that might be helpful, depending on the design of e-cycles they're using, is that the e-cycle controls often make me forget that I have actual gears I can use within any given level of e-assist. (cont'd) #BikeNite
@meganL@ascentale@pete Re forgetting to use the gears ... my mechanic says that's the no.1 problem he sees servicing ebikes. Because a lot of ebikers don't use their gears, he has to change the componentry more often than he otherwise would (he's always showing me on both my bikes how I'm not using the full range of gears enough. I'm trying to do better.) #BikeNite
@AngelaAntunovic@ascentale@pete I should be more explicit as to how this applies to the question: if you're just using e-assist levels to switch when terrain gets harder or easier, the increment jump can be large. If you shift gears within an e-assist level before you finally feel forced to switch e-assist levels, the increments are smaller. It allows you to dial in your effort level better. And this might help with closing up the gap between e-cycles and acoustics on hills. #BikeNite
@meganL@AngelaAntunovic@ascentale It can be awkward to address, but I think you're quite right: If you have a mechanical (or indeed bio-mechanical) advantage it's really for you to be aware of how that might affect group dynamics and ride accordingly.
And yeah, from what I've witnessed too, e-mtbs seem to eat drivetrains for breakfast! #BikeNite
@pete@meganL@AngelaAntunovic@ascentale I bet the torque-sensing drives eat chains and cogs more than the bbs02 that like to run at a higher rpm. If you don't shift that one you ruin the motor. I could never get Bosch or Shimano ones I've tried to run over 80-ish rpm. #BikeNite
@enobacon@pete@meganL@AngelaAntunovic@ascentale my mental model has always been that mid drives just output more power through the chain than it’s rated for. The average human with no training can output a burst of ~500 watts, but will sustain much closer to 100-200 watts. A motor will sustain 750 watts or higher. That extra power dramatically shortens the useful life of most bicycle chains. #BikeNite
Q4. Most cyclists drive motor vehicles at least sometimes, and some more frequently.
How has your cycling affected the way you drive? Are you slower and more careful? Do you do anything differently when encountering cyclists on the streets?
@ascentale@MartyCormack#BikeNite A4. Most certainly. I am guilty of being a car-centric person until very recently (thanks to all the toots here, LOL... you all convinced me to get on the bike again). Definitely slower, and I also am a LOT more aware of areas I should be watching out for cyclists (ie, places where I find myself being very careful due to traffic).
@meganL@ascentale@RossA A3. That’s one of the superpowers of biking: you can actually observe and interact with your surroundings. This is a plus in some places and a minus in others, but, yeah, I do a lot of botanizing while biking. #BikeNite
@nickzoic@meganL@ascentale@RossA A3: I stopped to eat an apple on my bike ride home today, and I saw what I'm pretty sure is a warbling vireo.
I think bike commuting is a great way to bird watch; you can just stop when you hear birdsong you don't recognize, and your mode of transportation is quiet enough you don't drown out the birds.
EDIT: Also sign up for nature walks in parks you haven't visited before, then use your bike to get there.
You travel to real world locations to take in-game actions, which made me visit places I never would have otherwise, like random cemeteries, or main streets that aren't on my regular commuting corridors.
Bicycles are very powerful in Ingress, especially in cities where bikes are faster/nimbler than cars.
@ascentale@RossA #BikeNite A3a:
During the height of the pandemic when we could not do group rides, but needed each other's support to be motivated to ride, we discovered a game called Bike Tag. You ride to a landmark in your city, well known or obscure, post a picture of your bike near it, and the first person who gets there on their bike to post their photo, gets to pick the next place. It got me on my bike every day trying to find the next tag.
Welcome to the May 17th BikeNite! Thanks for joining, and I hope we all enjoy chatting about cycle stuff! Feel free to answer whenever at your convenience. Anyone can join, now or later. Reply to what you like, and boost for visibility.
We'll start out with our introduction (with help from @jfparis)
Q1. Where are you posting from today? How long was your last ride? And how long is your usual ride to work/uni/school/whatever?
@ascentale@jfparis#BikeNite A1. Ventura County, California. My last ride was... long. I am sore. 8 miles... with lots of hills and dodging semis. Oops! I usually ride a fraction of that--3 miles, at most. I am tempted to take a hot shower and go to sleep, and it's only 5:22 pm today (ride was yesterday). Do not recommend, LOL.