More fleaBay madness « CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum

CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Stuff

More fleaBay madness

(41 posts)

Started 13 years ago by crowriver
Latest reply from crowriver

Tags:

new shiny bike kona ute

12 Next »

crowriver
Member

I have to tell someone, so may as well confess on here. N+1 strikes again, courtesy of a very good deal on one of these:

Kona UTE

A 2010 Kona Ute, ex-demo (with warranty) from a bike shop in Lincolnshire. Half price compared to the current model. Supplied with the 2011 (better designed) brown bags instead of the 2009 (leaky) orange ones. No basket.

On its way north via courier as I write. Excited? You bet. I've been lusting after a Ute for 2 years. I'm already thinking up ~~excuses~~ reasons for riding it. Looking at offspring-carrying options too. Stoker bars are a must!

Posted 13 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

woo-hoo! lucky you. as has been mentioned, one of these lives near us, and looks very nice.

not sure about the stokerdom...where would they pedal?

Posted 13 years ago #
crowriver
Member

@SRD - stoker in spirit only...

Ideally I'd like No.1 son riding pillion/stoker, then No.2 daughter in a seat slightly further back. Looking at (DIY?) options that don't involve drilling holes in the wooden deck...

Posted 13 years ago #
wingpig
Member

Utilitastic. Are the seat stays wider apart than the width of the platform? The seat tube would be a bit distant for connecting the rearmost additional seat.

Judging by the various enthusiastically-but-nondescriptively-titled Konae I've seen in the car park it's a weirdly non-hyperbolially-vulcanism-related name for them, though is at least a practical name for a practical thing.

Posted 13 years ago #
DaveC
Member

Courier? Not a bike courier? That would add 300miles to the bike before it even arrived....

You could set up some clamp affair.

Posted 13 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

that don't involve drilling holes in the wooden deck

There's some nice photos I saw of the deck being used as a mobile bar for pints of beer. Now that's a "utility" for a bike :D

Posted 13 years ago #
DaveC
Member

@Kaputnik, Cans or Draft? I'd be impressed to see draft being sold off the back of a bicycle!!

Posted 13 years ago #
crowriver
Member

@kaputnik, a while ago I've seen a photo of a draft beer tap installed on a Ute deck, with kegs presumably in the bag. Can't find the image now, but did find this:

Various beer and/or children carrying photos here (not at the same time, obviously):

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/tags/snapdeck/interesting/

@DaveC, yeah I know, but the seller has it seems sold carbon fibre racing bikes the same way with positive feedback and comments, so we'll see. Cameraphone at the ready as I unpack, methinks!

You are thinking along the same lines as me re: clamping a seat on. Ideally I would rig something so I can take the seat on and off quickly. As wingpig notes, the width of the deck may preclude using some kiddy seats. I love the home made wooden affairs I've seen on Flickr and so on, but not sure my carpentry skills are up to that!

This Ute owner has an 'official' and quite functionally elegant solution in the Xtracycle Ute deck (with pre-drilled holes) but really if I wanted a black plastic deck I'd have got a Yuba Mundo or something...

I'm looking at some foam rubber, a waterproof fabric cover and some strong elastic to rig an easily removable pillion passenger/stoker seat for the deck. A bit like this.

More Ute love-in pics:

http://www.flickriver.com/search/kona+ute+/

Posted 13 years ago #
crowriver
Member

Ute mania a-go-go:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1074280@N25/pool/

Posted 13 years ago #
crowriver
Member

Well, the delivery of this bike is turning into a saga. Was supposed to arrive yesterday, no sign so asked seller for tracking information. Turns out they've sent it by Parcelfarce. My heart sank on hearing this, having had some bad experiences in the past. Enter the tracking info into the web site, and it seems for some reason my bike was in the Belfast depot. Belfast! All day yesterday.

If it ever arrives, goodness knows what state it will be in. Might be perfectly fine, might be.....don't want to think about it. Maybe I jinxed the whole thing by mentioning it on here. Everything crossed hoping it arrives safe and sound.

Posted 13 years ago #
ruggtomcat
Member

Lets hope it gets here in time for tuesday!

Posted 13 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

I feel your delivery pains, crowriver - just had a text at 09:30 from DPD saying that they'll deliver my new bling wheels between 09:43 and 10:43 this morning. I appreciate their small delivery window, but not the even smaller advance notice meaning there's no way I can get back home in time to take delivery.

Feel a cycle to Newbridge depot to take delivery coming on... I don't think I can fit a wheelset in my courier bag - best put some pedals on the tourer.

Posted 13 years ago #
crowriver
Member

Still waiting. They tried to deliver this morning but no-one home. Won't arrive until Monday now. Can't collect on Saturday as I've a prior engagement. Anyhow bringing a 7 foot long box all the way from Sighthill on a trailer on Saturday morning doesn't sound like great fun.

If the Ute's undamaged after its mini tour of the British Isles, I might just manage Tuesday but I can't guarantee anything. I really hope it''l be okay otherwise another saga will begin...

Posted 13 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"bringing a 7 foot long box all the way from Sighthill on a trailer on Saturday morning doesn't sound like great fun."

Oh yes it does!

Posted 13 years ago #
crowriver
Member

Oh yes it does!

Have to admit I'm tempted to dig out the home made large trailer and give it a go. What route from Abbeyhill though? The tram works are right along a fair bit of the most obvious direct route. I suppose Gorgie Road is an option if a busy one.

Posted 13 years ago #
crowriver
Member

Didn't get up early enough to trek across Edinburgh before my appointment. Never mind, Monday's not so far off...

Posted 13 years ago #
crowriver
Member

So I've only gone and bought another bike.

A Pashley Fold-it (formerly produced by Cresswell): 20" wheels; SRAM P5 hub gears; front and rear hub brakes; telescopic stem and seat post; SKS bluemels mudguards in an eyecatching metallic hue. Interesting fold with a clamp that is an unusual design; unusual folding pedals too. A luggage rack that looks like a section of aircraft fuselage, with cross braced struts. Alas no dynamo, but you can't have everything.

Very comfy ride. Not terribly fast top speed, but not bad either. Good range of gears for climbs. Surprisingly light bike given the largely steel construction and hub everything.

Piccies soon.

This latest acquisition means the garage is nearly full. Which means that something has to go. That something will be the wee Raleigh Swift folder, which formed the subject of (I think) my first topic posted on this very forum. I just don't need three folders. I'll be restoring the Swift to near as possible stock condition and then selling it. If anyone is looking for a folding bike, let me know: the Raleigh Swift's not a bad wee machine, fairly light use, good condition.

Posted 12 years ago #
tammytroot
Member

I'm in the Market for a wee folder :)

Posted 12 years ago #
wingpig
Member

Possible interest. What sort of range of sizes of people can it be persuaded to fit? What's the gearing like regarding Edinburgh's topology and a potential codger-pilot?

Posted 12 years ago #
crowriver
Member

@wingpig, @ tammytroot, thanks for the interest. I will be prepping the bike in the near future, will PM you when it's ready for viewing.

I'm 5'10" and it fits me fine. Also fine for my partner (I bought two the same, his'n'hers) she is 5'8". Would probably go up to someone who was 6'+ as the seatpost seems quite a good length, and certainly no problem for smaller folk. Main issue if you are really small (eg. a kid) or well over 6' is the non-adjustable stem height. But then you could always change the bars I guess: they can be removed from the stem.

Gears are 6 speed freewheel, 14-28 I think. Given the small wheels the gearing is on the lower side: I've been up Arthur's Seat on it no problem at all. On the flat it is nippy enough, but get up to a certain velocity and you start to spin out. Just freewheel on the descents.

Below is a pic of a stock bike. The seatpost goes a lot higher than that, my saddle is more or less level with the bars. I won't be including the rear rack as I've nicked it for my son's tagalong (it has got a bit rusty as a result). The Swift has all the necessary eyelets, so if you need one, similar racks for small wheeled bikes can be picked up on fleaBay for not a lot.

Posted 12 years ago #
crowriver
Member

Pashley Fold-it

The latest addition to the stable, waiting at Markinch station after pickup from the previous owner. More photos for anyone interested at Flickr.

Posted 12 years ago #
cb
Member

No folded pics? Are those the original handlebars?

AtoB magazine has always been fond of the Fold It.

http://www.foldsoc.co.uk/micro1.html

Posted 12 years ago #
crowriver
Member

I took the pics shortly after bringing it home. You're right though, should have taken a folded pic. That link you posted talks about the Micro, which is a different bike with similar frame but much smaller wheels: saw one of those on fleaBay too recently but didn't fancy it. Cresswell also made a full size (26") wheeled folder on a similar frame, which looks be very handy (and highly collectable).

As for the bars, I've seen photos of Cresswells with late 80s/early 90s MTB style straight bars: quite sporty. I've also seen on the Pashley made bikes straight riser bars, and these north road/shopper style ones. I think these are original, the Pashley trikes have similar bars. However the angle offset is a bit odd: previous owner quite a bit shorter than me so maybe set 'chopper' style for improved reach? I'll set them up to suit me when I next take it for a spin...

[EDIT - someone else's folded pic below...a Cresswell, note the straight bars and pointier rear triangle.]

Posted 12 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

The design of the rear half of the bike is very elegant. Almost paperbike-ish. Think you should get a short stem and a pair of Arellcatesque easy-rider handle bars (complete with rear view mirrors!)

Posted 12 years ago #
crowriver
Member

Pashley Fold-it

Folded. Not as compact as a Brompton, to be sure. Enough to get on most trains and buses though. I suppose one could loosed the bars and rotate them downwards to make it smaller if need be. Very quick to fold.

Posted 12 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

I'm sure Pashley's designers and engineers had their reasons for the eventual design, but if they had been able to push the fold back a few inches it would have resulted in a much more compact bike. As would have losing a few inches off the seat tube...

Posted 12 years ago #
crowriver
Member

With the original Cresswell bike's flat bars it would be a bit more compact vertically. But yes, even Dahon/Dahon clones are a smaller fold. It seems to be a remarkably strong bike though, from the test rides I've done so far. No detectable lateral flex in the frame.

If I had to fold this one to get it onto public transport, I'd rotate the bars downwards for sure...

Posted 12 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

I'm sure to the eye of the layman busdriver / train guard it appears enough like a Brompton to pass inspection, even if it isn't quite regulation sized.

Posted 12 years ago #
crowriver
Member

My experience so far suggests that on most Scotrail services it is rarely necessary to fold one's bike. West Highland and far north services may be a different matter, however. On Virgin and East Coast services the platform staff have instructed me to fold my wee 3 speed bike. Buses a similar story. I suspect it is only in the south east of England where they get really strict about the rules, a product of the overcrowded transport system no doubt.

Posted 12 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

Have you sold the Raleigh?

Posted 12 years ago #