CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
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CCE is 14years old!
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I have spent a satisfying hour doing carpentry to install some bits of scrap 2x2" timber on top of the rack screwed to the horizontal ply of the panniers. They now fit rather nicely. Definitely no heel strike (even when I'm wearing wellies) or contact with the ground, or any noticeable rattling. I loaded them with empty Wiggle boxes (of which there were several in the garage...) and need to try with something heavier next.
I have so far failed to install my new SKS mudguard due to not being able to loosen the screws holding the old bit in place. Hopefully The Bike Works can help me with that this afternoon. However, I did successfully replace the sprocket on the hub, although switching from 18 to 20 teeth meant that the worn chain was then not long enough. I successfully managed to add a half-link to lengthen the chain so that it fit (thanks Greenroofer), but it is now a bit on the slack side once again! It'll be interesting to see how it feels. I had a go at freeing the eccentric bottom bracket, but that was as unyielding as the screws.
If anybody wants a length of half-link chain let me know.
The Bicycle Works ended up not only freeing up the old screws, but fitting my new rear mudguard and tensioning my chain for good measure. All for a mere £6! I had the rear brake bled as well since the lever had mysteriously become ineffective after my bike was upside down while I worked on it earlier. That cost a less bargainous £18...
I came across another supply of ex-Royal Mail panniers, constructed as motorbike throwovers. Forces Uniform and Kit have two pairs left in stock:
https://forcesuniformandkit.co.uk/products/ex-royal-mail-bike-pannier-bag-set-18
Some nice wool lined leather gloves on there too.
@jdanielp Apropos of a post I haven't written yet on the rubbish maintenance thread, does that offer still stand, if you mean singlespeed/BMX-size chain?
@Greenroofer, I'm wondering how you are getting on with your mahoosive panniers?
I'm looking at getting bigger ones than my current 46 litre jobs, and wondering whether to go for the full 80 litre enchilada or settle halfway on some 65 litre numbers...
@crowriver: I took them off the Elephant Bike in the end, mainly because I wasn't using them to their full capacity, and I found they weren't that practical for commuting as they didn't keep any weather out (so I put another pannier inside them...). They were heavy enough that I didn't want to pedal round with them all the time. For what I normally use the EB for, the front box is usually enough.
If you're regularly carrying lots of stuff, they are very good and capacious. They are absolutely not weather proof: the lid doesn't keep the rain off and can blow open in the wind. I got some super-strength self-adhesive Velcro and put that in a grid pattern across the lid and body so I could close the lid in different positions. They do need a stiffener inside to keep them from sagging. If you have a trailer hitch on your back axle you'll also need to lift the panniers above the rack (I used a block wood, which added to the weight).
I don't regret them. They suit the bike very well, and fit it nicely. Ordinary panniers look a bit silly on the long rack. I will use them in future, just not all the time.
I've since found that two Ortlieb City Rollers will fit on each side with only a minimal amount of heel strike, so that's another option.
@Greenroofer, thanks for the update!
It's still a dilemma for me. On the one hand I'm reasonably content with my 20 quid bisonyl 46 litre panniers. They keep the weather out, they're sturdy, and they were cheap. OTOH I often find them not quite sufficient when shopping, carrying large items or bringing produce from the allotment. These tasks are pretty much what I use the Pronto for: I don't commute by bike so that's not an issue. One thing my current panniers have going for them is the fasten with buckles, and they have side flaps fastened with velcro that keep the rain out (mostly). None of the Dutch designs seem to have this feature, except for so-called "box" designs. Also my current pannier don't foul the trailer hitch.
Hmmm. Think I'll need to ponder this some more before coming to a decision. If only the original TNT Post (or whistl ones) were available second hand: they were designed for the bike and look the business!
Ex-Royal Mail panniers klaxon!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Royal-Mail-Throw-Over-Panniers/254312194472
Asking price is a bit high, but there are two pairs, so if split between two people...
Sturmey X-RD8 with drum brake, but the gearing for a cargo bike becomes faintly ridiculous.
I am still having thought experiment-type thoughts about the gearing on my EB. Currently having way too much fun* with this bicycle gear comparison website:
* or "fun" if you prefer
Prompted by @Arellcat resurrecting this thread, I can confirm that the mahoosive panniers that I bought for the EB are now mounted very happily on the back of the Tern HSD (still using blocks of wood). They do overhang the back a little, but I don't think they obstruct the rear view of the light. The HSD now has a Transporteur Rack with Eurocrate on the front too.
This means that the HSD can now take a full (small-size) trolley of shopping in one go, with nothing getting squashed. I have recently brought back a basketful of shopping and two 40 litre bags of compost from Tesco in it.
Speaking of chain advice, and as a counterpart to today's (earlier) episode of highly unsatisfactory and rubbish bicycle maintenance, today I took apart the chain tensioner from Matilda the Elephant Bike. Readers of a certain photo gallery will know I'm currently restoring a woodworking machine, a task which has generated great quantities of stour, and I am now an expert with my drill-mounted wire brush. The tensioner was very rusty outside and in, and its pivot bolt and spring somewhat seized, but it's all shiny again now and regreased (although the idler wheel is still incredibly wobbly).
Whether I need to reinstall the tensioner remains to be seen, because I decided to experiment again with my half-link. I did a lot of sort-of-measuring, chopped out a full link and added the half, and what do you know, but my 44:24 setup might even be approaching a magic ratio. I have to go shopping tomorrow, so just to be on the safe side I will perhaps reinstall the tensioner but tie it out of the way.
It does make for a marvellously quiet bike though.
The chain tensioner on my EB has been zip-tied to the chainstay for ages, with no issues so far. It does mean that the bike is really quiet to ride.
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