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Spotted

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Started 14 years ago by recombodna
Latest reply from fimm
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Greenroofer
Member

@Uberuce - yes, that was me you saw yesterday. I was on my way back from a trip round the shops of the Bike Quarter (starting at EBC, then Velo Ecosse and finally Bike Trax) in search of a set of child-sized pedals with a 9/16 thread because micro-Greenroofer needed a new set (his sister having trashed the originals). Many child-sized pedals have a 1/2" spindle, so you have to be careful...

I had an interesting chat at Bike Trax about this new Brompton fitment I'm keen on: a plastic tube that fits in the seat tube and stops your saddle at just the right height every time. New out, but not yet in the shops.

Heading home I passed a chap on a green Brompton on the towpath. He was shepherding a girl on an Islabike, and I made some admiring comment about his family choice of bikes.

Fitted the new pedals today: well received by the client. I wrapped the thread in PTFE plumber's tape: I've read that it's a way to stop them seizing.

Posted 9 years ago #
HankChief
Member

Clan SRD unlocking and lighting their bikes at the end of the Watson's Firework display.

Gave me chance to talk about strapping feet to pedals for young stokers and to admire their lighting.

Posted 9 years ago #
gembo
Member

Old spot from one morning last week, tues or weds? did I see recombodna in Harrison gardens cycling bakfiets wearing flat cap? I took the dropped kerb to head up to the canal and bizarrely there wasn't a car parked across it

Posted 9 years ago #
Min
Member

Our benevolent leader whizzing down Broughton Street on the aforespotted white bike Sunday afternoon (Actually I spotted the bike first).

Posted 9 years ago #
Uberuce
Member

Gembo, there's a good chance it was Tom Allan, who pilots the Nihola bakfeits often seen in Harrison Park.

Posted 9 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"Actually I spotted the bike first"

Of course, it's clean and gleaming.

Posted 9 years ago #
fimm
Member

"chap on a green Brompton ... shepherding a girl on an Islabike"
We might have seen them too - certainly we saw a father and daughter on bikes with wheels that were the same size, heading for Harrison Park. We were on foot so you wouldn't have seen us.

Posted 9 years ago #
wingpig
Member

Morningsider, crossing Strathearn.

Posted 9 years ago #
dougal
Member

"I had an interesting chat at Bike Trax about this new Brompton fitment I'm keen on: a plastic tube that fits in the seat tube and stops your saddle at just the right height every time. New out, but not yet in the shops."

I have been watching the commuters re-assembling their Bromptons on the train and the thought had occurred to me if there was an obvious mechanism I was missing which helps you remember your saddle height. I guess marker pen is the cheap option? Maybe each bike comes with a branded Brompton folding pen...

Posted 9 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

Crossed ~~beam~~s paths with Dave on the NEPN just south of the red bridge this morning. Took a while to computer as he has changed lights and think must have the Philips light now which is a completely different shape from the B&M.

Sporting a red baseball cap?

Posted 9 years ago #
Min
Member

I have been watching the commuters re-assembling their Bromptons on the train and the thought had occurred to me if there was an obvious mechanism I was missing which helps you remember your saddle height. I guess marker pen is the cheap option?

My Dahon had numbered graduations on the seatpost which was great until they wore off.

Posted 9 years ago #
Arellcat
Moderator

the thought had occurred to me if there was an obvious mechanism I was missing which helps you remember your saddle height.

A few options for Bromptometrists:

1) Use the telescoping seatpost and leave the upper part at the correct extension. Requires a minimum inside leg length, and a marker pen for the upper part if you're unfolding the bike from minimum size.
1a) Replace marker pen with the gentle application of a junior hacksaw. Works better on black anodised seatposts.
2) Calibrate your hip so that you can extend the seatpost to the correct height each time. Benefits from a marker pen for small variances.
3) Set seatpost to the correct height, thread a lanyard or similar non-stretch strap around the saddle rails and the seatpost QR. Pull tight and lock.

Posted 9 years ago #
cb
Member

4) Enjoy a slightly different cycling experience every time you're on the bike.

Posted 9 years ago #
Greenroofer
Member

5) Buy the special insert that Brompton now sell/will soon sell so that your saddle goes to the right height each time. It's like a more expensive (no doubt) version of the strap that Arellcat referred to above: pull the saddle up until it stops and then it's at the right height.

I have tried marking the seatpost with pen, but it wears off in the end. I don't like the idea of putting a stress-concentrating nick in the seatpost...

Posted 9 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

Nail polish also works.

We both ride our folder and tandem, with seat post at radically different heights. Certainly wouldn't want anything to fix the height.

Posted 9 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

I assume Bromtoid seatposts are of a standard diameter. Why not just by a standard seatpost collar-clamp (the type for alloy frames) and fit it at the appropriate point on your saddle?

E.g. this comes in a range of colours. I'm sure you can get cheaper than £1.50.

As it is not taking any load, shouldn't be a problem tightening it up a little bit more than usual to clamp around just the seatpost, rather than the post and seat tube. Could always pack a bit of inner tube in to prevent scratching.

Or just wrap 10 thicknesses of insulation tape around the seatpost in the correct place...

Posted 9 years ago #
fimm
Member

Or just become so proficient at putting the seatpost at just the right height that marking is superfluous?

Posted 9 years ago #
cb
Member

@kaputnik; not sure I'm getting what you mean but you still need to be able to put the seat post all the way down to fold the bike.

Posted 9 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

@CB yes, just ignore me, I thought this was about dropping the saddle in from the top, not pulling it up from the bottom.

New suggestion - just drill a speedhole in it at the correct place :)

Posted 9 years ago #
Uberuce
Member

A bright light, followed by the realisation it was two bright lights, followed by the realisation they were very low down, followed by a guess it was red and torpedulous, followed by a confirmatory rumble.

Actually seeing Arellcat's face as I waved was pretty superfluous

Posted 9 years ago #
crowriver
Member

@fimm, "Or just become so proficient at putting the seatpost at just the right height that marking is superfluous?"

Indeed.

Apparently the optimum height for one's saddle (for general riding) is to align the top of the saddle to the level of one's hip bone (at the joint where one's leg attaches) when standing next to the bike in shoes. That's what I use and it works just fine.

Posted 9 years ago #
Arellcat
Moderator

I can also confirm that the front light on Uberuce's bike is excellent.

Interestingly, while earlier observing the weight of ~~traffic~~ roundabout-blockin' cars on the Calder Road and whether it was better to ride into town or around town I pondered 'fate and chance' and how my decision of route might dictate whether or not I bumped into anyone I knew.

Posted 9 years ago #
Kenny
Member

Sporting a red baseball cap?

Ouch. I think it would be more likely to be his Campag cycling cap?

Posted 9 years ago #
DaveC
Member

Spotted... well he spotted me actually, paddyirish in his entrance hall ss I delivered his Spokes load*.

* heavier than most envelope.

Posted 9 years ago #
Greenroofer
Member

Sorry to have diverted this thread onto seatposts for Bromptons, but here's the video that started my musings...
http://www.naden.de/blog/bbvideo-bbpress-video-plugin -->

[+] Embed the video | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pShWaKl0RHQ" target="_blank">Video Download Get the Video Plugins

Text-Link:

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Posted 9 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

rode some of the way from mid George Street to Meadowbank behind a very nice, white Flying Scott last night, which had a mini Carradice on the back. Bike envy!

Posted 9 years ago #
chdot
Admin

NotawhiteFlyingScot

Posted 9 years ago #
fimm
Member

Spotted some mini cameras on poles at Haymarket. Covering the dropoff area/jug handle. I assume monitoring rather than enforcing anything.

Posted 9 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Posted 9 years ago #
Greenroofer
Member
Various points of note from the past day or so:
- Maximum space man on the towpath last night, accompanied by his two dogs and Maximum space boy, whom I've not seen for a while
- Possible sighting of daisydaisy on Balcarres Street last night at about 1645. I was on the school run into Morningside, and passed her (or someone else!) with a helmet-mounted light going the other way.
- Morningsider looking very dapper in Rapha yesterday evening in (oddly enough) Morningside.
- North American Single Speed Lady back on the towpath after a long absence, heading the same way as me. She's really quite quick. There was a humorous moment when she overtook a chap going at a fair pace himself, and I watched from a safe distance behind as his posture and effort suddenly changed when he realised he'd been overtaken by a woman. He put a bit of effort in and then gave up when it became clear to him that this was a race he wasn't going to win!
Posted 9 years ago #