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@LhasaCM 165744 wrote:

Yes – I’ve been riding belt drive bikes for a couple of years now. I had a Breezer Beltway 8+ that worked nicely (Alfine 8 IGH), but the external bearing eccentric bottom bracket eventually just drove me nuts (I think the combination of my weight and the trailercycle’s loaded weight were just too much for it under sustained load), so I upgraded earlier this month to a bike with a Pinion gearbox.

Pinion Gearbox! YES! I’ve been waiting for someone to mention here. Is it the magnesium model? I have a Shimano 8speed IGH with coaster brake on my dutch bike. I would welcome more pinion options here in the US, although they require a special frame and not suitable for upgrading an existing frame.

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Chain Reaction Cycles (UK) is having a tire sale. Good prices on Schwalbe tires. The last time I tried to post a UK link I was locked out of the forum for a few days, so you’ll just need to google it.

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I noticed that no one has posted to this thread in a few hours. Is everything OK?

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I was just in Paris and nearly every bike had three locks. 1-2 U locks and a chain lock (or a frame lock, chain and heavy u lock). Even the little old ladies on Dutch bikes had three locks.

Here was a creative lock job I just had to capture:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]15385[/ATTACH]

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@EasyRider 154653 wrote:

Do Schmidt products go on sale in the spring? I’d like to finally bite the bullet and get a winter wheel, a generator hub and headlamp for my commuter bike. Maybe this spring or summer I’ll pony up for one.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]13644[/ATTACH]

Why not just get a shimano dyno wheel? You probably won’t notice the difference. I got my front wheel from Taylor Wheels in Germany for about $175 for a double-walled sturdy rim. I got the lights from Bikes at Vienna (they order/stock B&M lights from Peter White Cycles).

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I hope you stopped by the bike fix-it-station at AOL for a quick adjustment.

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Hmmm, I would expect to see these two things on the bike: 1) Ring lock (aka O lock) for the rear wheel, or at least threaded bosses for it, and 2) a wheel dynamo. Maybe that rear cage is for some sort of lock that pulls out of it. Just a guess. Sometimes they have a little hard-mounted repair kit near the seat post on top of the rack.

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I’ll always put in a word for Handsome Devil. It’s a mix between touring and cyclocross, fits 35c tires with fenders or 45 without, canti brakes. GRAND RANDONNEUR from Soma is similar, but uses 650B wheels and canti brakes.

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I ordered a front dynamo hub wheel from Taylor Wheels in Germany. It arrived in a little over a week and was built on a ZAC2000 boxed rim, 36 spoke it is very sturdy. Germans use bicycles more for transportation, so they have tons of more no-nonsense items there (read – more sturdy and heavier for commuting). It’s a factory made wheel so it’s less expensive then having one hand built here. https://www.taylor-wheels.com

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A couple things that I didn’t see scanning this thread:

1) BicycleTouringPro has been all over the world with his Co-motion bike. He doesn’t seem to use the S&S couplers very often. It’s easier to pack into a full sized box. You may want to ask him about it.

2) Bike Friday and Moulton both make packable road bikes (BF has touring/gravel bikes also). Bikes@Vienna has a Moulton at a really good price right now if you want to test ride it. Having smaller wheels makes it easier to get a smaller package. Path Less Pedaled has a video showing the unpacking/packing of the Moulton and several reviews of it.

3) Bikes with couplers on the frame typically have cable quick releases, if that hasn’t been brought up.

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I just submitted a VDOT report asking that these illegal signs be removed from the road.

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@hozn 157146 wrote:

I laid the bike (and myself) down west of Vienna this morning. Riding on the snow alongside the trail was fun for awhile, until I hit a sheet of not-snow. Hurt my palm and thumb a bit (seems just bruised/strained), but otherwise unharmed. I should have gone mountain biking instead, which I suspect would have been a lot of fun, though may also have involved falling. Oh well. It’s probably a great time to take a couple of rest days

Edit: yes, with studded tires (45NRTH Xerxes). I do sometimes consider getting more aggressively studded tires, but I should really just stick to the roads if I feel compelled to ride on days like today.

Thanks for confirming my decision to drive to the dentist. First time in a few years not biking. Humph.

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Trying to figure out if I can bike to the dentist tomorrow.

Thanks!

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@KLizotte 156474 wrote:

“pay attention to the nuances of quick-release lever position”????

There are nuances??? Who knew?!

I was almost baited into responding to this one…

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@Steve O 154032 wrote:

Let’s see if I’ve got this straight.
The not less lazy than nonsleazing is sleazing, which is not more lazy than not riding at all, which is also a not sleazing.

Er, it’s just math. Everyone should ride every day and not worry if it’s a sleaze or not. It’s not about crazy miles, it’s about getting out on your bike every day despite the weather. It’s just more fun to ride more than one mile.

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