Squeek!

Marx SS said:

[snip]

Trying to blow up a bike tyre by mouth (no pump).

Anyone else with personal favs when it comes to dumb-[censored] on a bike of the week award?

Hey, I've done that!

I was looking for a leak in a tube (that was taken out of the tyre). After I discovered the (irrepairable) problem (with the valve), I tested the "water in tube" idea by taking a mouthful of water and inflating into the tube. In an emergency, it might even work, though I doubt it would be very easy to fill a tube whilst it is installed in the tyre...

Ritch

"Marx SS" <[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

On my daily commute I come across heaps of cycle-dudes & dudettes riding
around with way noisey/dry chain & groupsets, even blokes who ride
everyday (for I notice 'tis the same ones most times), some have nice
bikes too [not the $100 crappers no one loves].

<raises hand, runs away>

Quoted message said:

Should I say something?

Sure, but really what you should do is offer to
clean and lube the chain for them... so, whereabouts
do you ride? ;-)

hippy

Marx SS said:

Anyone else with personal favs when it comes to dumb-[censored] on a bike of the week award?

How about the Froglegs Syndrome, ie cyclist having no idea how to adjust the seatpost height? Simple ignorance like this must doom many to unneccesarily painful riding. Also watching clueless twunts blowing through red lights - ever considered that motorist they just missed might be just as traumatised as the rest of their family/friends if a accident occured?

Other mentions:
Pancake Syndrome - low psi,
Budgie Syndrome - dry/rusty drivetrain,
Aggressive Git Syndrome - has esteem issues & needs to work these out on another cyclist, I either laugh at or ignore this variety.

.....and the already mentioned "Look mum, no brakes" Syndrome, fixies excluded, but whats the excuse for the rest of you?

Marx SS said:

Anyone else with personal favs when it comes to dumb-[censored] on a bike of
the week award?

I saw an old 10spd racer on a recent trip ro Canberra where the front
wheel had been replaced with a 26'' mountain bike wheel with huge
knobbly tires (and rear wheel was the original 27'' slim road tyre)

The front brakes had the pad removed and the cable snipped to allow the
front rims to fit.

taking the hybrid comcept a little too far methinks

--
| Joel Mayes | /~\ ASCII Ribbon campaign
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| Musician | / \
| Music Teacher |

Marx SS said:

On my daily commute I come across heaps of cycle-dudes & dudettes riding around with way noisey/dry chain & groupsets, even blokes who ride everyday (for I notice ‘tis the same ones most times), some have nice bikes too [not the $100 crappers no one loves].

Should I say something?
Should I just let it go, afterall it’s a free country?
Is setting an example enough?
Am I missing something here?

Carry some lube & offer to "lube them up". You may gain some new friends this way. :p

Marx SS said:

<snip>
Mum &/or dad helmetless riding with kids in tow.

I hate seeing that. The "bad example family outing".

Marx SS said:

<snip>
Trying to blow up a bike tyre by mouth (no pump).

Offer to pump up their tyre, don't just ride past with a smirk.

Marx SS said:

Anyone else with personal favs when it comes to dumb-[censored] on a bike of the week award?

Spotted at Lysterfield on Monday,

2 guys riding Tramline track, No helmets, gloves or shirts. POS bikes (one a Huffy'esk dually) Better than sitting at home with an X box I 'spose. 🙄

1 'Too cool for school' Giant AC rider. No helmet or gloves, too-low seat & shows off jumping a mound of dirt near the car park.

B - "SS XC MTB eliteist safety weenie" 😉

"Joel Mayes" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Marx SS said:

Anyone else with personal favs when it comes to dumb-[censored] on a bike of
the week award?

I saw an old 10spd racer on a recent trip ro Canberra where the front
wheel had been replaced with a 26'' mountain bike wheel with huge
knobbly tires (and rear wheel was the original 27'' slim road tyre)

The front brakes had the pad removed and the cable snipped to allow the
front rims to fit.

taking the hybrid comcept a little too far methinks

"No.. no.. no.. it's a 20" and it goes on the BACK!"
http://www3.mtb-news.de/fotos/showphoto.php/photo/81694/sort/1/cat/4666/page/1

hippy

I must admit my personal favourite is the "helmet swinging from handlebars" kind... You know the one - Clearly have enough thought to bring their helmet with them (most often scarred unskinned polystyrene jobbie) but just dangle it from the bars, knocking it with their knees every revolution, but obviously assume that if they have an accident they'll stop just beforehand, put it on, then proceed 🙄

Wouldn't it be easier just to wear it or stick to your guns and leave it at home?

I also can't watch someone cycle in bare feet without cringing either....

Marx SS said:

On my daily commute I come across heaps of cycle-dudes & dudettes riding
around with way noisey/dry chain & groupsets, even blokes who ride
everyday (for I notice ?tis the same ones most times), some have nice
bikes too [not the $100 crappers no one loves].

Should I say something?
Should I just let it go, afterall it?s a free country?
Is setting an example enough?
Am I missing something here?

<snip>

if my bike creaks enough, you can't hear my knees

T

(just had a birthday not long ago...)

hippy said:

"Joel Mayes" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Marx SS said:

Anyone else with personal favs when it comes to dumb-[censored] on a bike of
the week award?

I saw an old 10spd racer on a recent trip ro Canberra where the front
wheel had been replaced with a 26'' mountain bike wheel with huge
knobbly tires (and rear wheel was the original 27'' slim road tyre)

The front brakes had the pad removed and the cable snipped to allow the
front rims to fit.

taking the hybrid comcept a little too far methinks

"No.. no.. no.. it's a 20" and it goes on the BACK!"
http://www3.mtb-news.de/fotos/showphoto.php/photo/81694/sort/1/cat/4666/page/1

hippy

Hehehe... I did that EXACT thing as a kid to get one functional bike out of a generic BMX and kid size 4spd Peugeot (I didn't know how good I had it).

Marx SS said:

On my daily commute I come across heaps of cycle-dudes & dudettes riding
around with way noisey/dry chain & groupsets, even blokes who ride
everyday (for I notice ‘tis the same ones most times), some have nice
bikes too [not the $100 crappers no one loves].

I'm surprised nobody observant on my commute has said anything about the
state of my chain. Dropped in for my first foray to Peter Moore last
night to get a quote on chain, chainrings, cluster and BB. They wanted
me to leave it there, I think they had doubts about it making it home
(hey what's the matter with the occasional chain slippage and the
requirement to spin rather than push a high gear). Kind of wish I had
left it there last night because then rode home in torrential rain. But
did I do any chain maintenance when I got home, no siree, it can wait
till Tuesday when it all gets replaced.

DaveB "bravely extending the middle digit skyward to the broken chain gods"

Eddiec said:

I must admit my personal favourite is the "helmet swinging from handlebars"

Hehehe. Gotta say I love threadless stems, as the clamp bolt on the back gives me a useful spot from which to hang the helmet.

Regards,

Suzy

How about the hard core roadie version of the fake helmet. This has always intrigued me.

Roadies with light and fast looking helmets with no strap under the chin. An effort to fake compliance with the law and retain a rebel edge. I reckon any cooling/ventilation benefit is questionable and completely outweighed in the case of impact. :eek:

Anyone who has done enough ks to look that fast should have had enough spills to have learned they are not invincible. 😠

What have they done with the strap? Tucked it up under the helmet? How do they think the thing will stay on when impact occurs? Any ideas to put my curiosity at rest?

Dee Dub said:

What have they done with the strap? Tucked it up under the
helmet? How do they think the thing will stay on when impact
occurs? Any ideas to put my curiosity at rest?

Geez, you've clearly been in the back-woods for a while. It's one of the wonders of velcro. Ya get a patch of the hook stuff stapled to the top of ya noggin, then attack the other bit to the underside of the helmet. Tiny fraction of the weight of a strap, and looks oh-so-cool.

:P

Regards,

Suzy

Tamyka Bell said:

<snip>

if my bike creaks enough, you can't hear my knees

T

(just had a birthday not long ago...)

I consider it a good day if I can hear my knees :-) (as distinct from
feeling them complaining.)

So that would be, what, your twenty first? 😉

--
My Usenet From: address now expires after two weeks. If you email me, and
the mail bounces, try changing the bit before the "@ to usenet".

DaveB said:

I'm surprised nobody observant on my commute has said anything about the
state of my chain. Dropped in for my first foray to Peter Moore last
night to get a quote on chain, chainrings, cluster and BB. They wanted
me to leave it there, I think they had doubts about it making it home
(hey what's the matter with the occasional chain slippage and the
requirement to spin rather than push a high gear). Kind of wish I had
left it there last night because then rode home in torrential rain. But
did I do any chain maintenance when I got home, no siree, it can wait
till Tuesday when it all gets replaced.

Heh. My chain is nice and clean of all the oil, but there's still plenty
of rust there. Plenty of rust, I suspect, on the clusters as well,
underneath all the old grease.

I'm seriously thinking of replacing the whole drive chain; considering
I've had the bike for around 8 years now, it's probably about due. (I
shudder when I look at the rear derailleur -- it's positively _caked_ in
old grease and dirt in the areas that the chain doesn't run over.)

Pity the ultrasonic cleaner doesn't have a big enough tub to fit the
rear cluster (let alone the front cluster!), or I'd be pulling them off
and giving them the once over too.

--
My Usenet From: address now expires after two weeks. If you email me, and
the mail bounces, try changing the bit before the "@ to usenet".

Dee Dub said:

How about the hard core roadie version of the fake helmet. This has always intrigued me.

Roadies with light and fast looking helmets with no strap under the chin. An effort to fake compliance with the law and retain a rebel edge. I reckon any cooling/ventilation benefit is questionable and completely outweighed in the case of impact. :eek:

Anyone who has done enough ks to look that fast should have had enough spills to have learned they are not invincible. 😠

What have they done with the strap? Tucked it up under the helmet? How do they think the thing will stay on when impact occurs? Any ideas to put my curiosity at rest?

Another alternative;

Grow long sideburns & carefully trim them to resemble helmet straps. Remove straps from helmet & you're set!
Lightweight, strap free cycling that looks legal from a distance....

.
.
.
.
.
& strange up close.

B - "Hirsute, trend setter"

eddiec said:

I must admit my personal favourite is the "helmet swinging from handlebars" kind... You know the one - Clearly have enough thought to bring their helmet with them (most often scarred unskinned polystyrene jobbie) but just dangle it from the bars, knocking it with their knees every revolution

um, are they on the paths?
Perhaps they think you don't have to wear a helmet if you're not on an actual road.
Wrong.

Stuart Lamble said:

I'm seriously thinking of replacing the whole drive chain;
considering I've had the bike for around 8 years now, it's probably
about due. (I shudder when I look at the rear derailleur -- it's
positively _caked_ in old grease and dirt in the areas that the chain
doesn't run over.)

Yep mine is 9 years and although I've looked after it maintenance wise
over the past 3 years, the 6 years of complete neglect prior to that
really requires some replacement parts. And if you do the chain you'll
probably want chain rings and cluster as well. If you're in melbourne,
Peter Moore are doing all that plus bottom bracket for $116 inc labour.

DaveB

Marx SS said:

On my daily commute I come across heaps of cycle-dudes & dudettes riding
around with way noisey/dry chain & groupsets, even blokes who ride
everyday (for I notice ‘tis the same ones most times), some have nice
bikes too [not the $100 crappers no one loves].

Should I say something?
Should I just let it go, afterall it’s a free country?
Is setting an example enough?
Am I missing something here?

I must admit that when this happens to me, I get parallel to the cyclist
in question and say "I'll bet you left your bike out in the rain, or
rode it when it was wet, yeah? If you want to stop that annoying
'squik-squik-squik' noise, just put some sewing machine oil on your
chain. But even canola or olive will fix it."

When I was a (relatively) young pup, I actually *stopped* a few folks
and put some Finish Line (http://www.finishlineusa.com/) on their
squeaky chains. But since, ahem, that Supreme Court order, I don't do
this anymore...

<sighs> Yes, that last sentence was a joke </sighs>

Quoted message said:

Shall I go on?
How about on the weekends out on bike paths, full grown adults with
front or rear ( or both!) canterlever or V-brake disengaged (cable
removed from caliper, unworkable) due to rubbing on the rim.
Un fasterned helmets, helmets on backwards/sideways.
Mum &/or dad helmetless riding with kids in tow.
Bikes on sidestands on the bikepath with little or no room to pass by.

Repairing a flat on the bike path (little or no room to pass by).
Trying to blow up a bike tyre by mouth (no pump).

Anyone else with personal favs when it comes to dumb-[censored] on a bike of
the week award?

I was going to add my comments about what my grokkage the unspoken
protocols of commuter/recreational flat tyre/mech failure/so on in the
"Is chivalry dead?" but it's just too complex...

xxxxxxx

fred (who stops to help out folks with bike probs according to a too
complex formula) n, aka pete