'Ave a Banana

"doki" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've just bought a Raleigh Banana for a tenner. I'm more used to compact
frame MTBs.

How do I tell if it's the right size or not? What's the usual roadie
riding
position (ie, saddle how far above bars)? It's currently got Weinmann
brakes
and steel rims, are they terrible? A million more questions once I've had
a
good look at it...

I actually had one for a while:

http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/page470.htm

I didn't ride it much as I soon bought myself a modern road bike, but it was
perfectly rideable, except I would guess the brakes would be very dodgy in
the wet as the wheels are steel and not alloy. There are plenty of web
resources about riding positions and seat/bars relative heights.

--
Simon Mason
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net

doki said:

I've just bought a Raleigh Banana for a tenner. I'm more used to compact
frame MTBs.

They can also be had for free in the Humber estuary, I understand.
See Simons website:

http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/page470.htm

Quoted message said:

How do I tell if it's the right size or not?

Sit on it.

Quoted message said:

What's the usual roadie riding
position (ie, saddle how far above bars)?

The saddle height should be set according to your leg extension on the
pedal stroke, not relative to the handlebar height.

See here:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html

Seat height adjustment is dealt with about halfway down the page.
There are other, more scientific, methods outlined elsewhere on the
web. Google if you want to do it a more complex way.

Quoted message said:

It's currently got Weinmann brakes
and steel rims, are they terrible?

Yes, bloody awful.

The Weinmann brakes aren't very effective, although you can get by if
they are well adjusted and maintained, and you ride with some
forethought to braking distance.

Steel rims are a bleedin' nightmare in the wet, very difficult to
stop.

So, with that combination you're going to require the stopping
distance of an oil tanker.

Still, for a tenner, if you can get it up and running cheaply then you
should have some fun on it. Enjoy 🙂

"Bob"

--

Email address is spam trapped.
To reply directly remove the beverage.

"doki" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've just bought a Raleigh Banana for a tenner. I'm more used to compact
frame MTBs.

How do I tell if it's the right size or not?

Seeing as you've bought it anyway why worry?
Assuming the top tube is horizontal and the frame isn't compact stand over
it flat footed, you should have about 50mm of ballroom. If there's a bit
more don't worry, if there's a lot more you may have trouble getting the
right position. If there's lot less..............
If you ride an 18" mtb a 54 or 56 cm (21 or 22 inches, approx.) should be
about right, depending on how you fit the mtb of course.

Quoted message said:

What's the usual roadie riding
position (ie, saddle how far above bars)?

Whatever's comfortable for *you*.
But for starters...set the saddle height by sitting on it with a crank at
maximum extension, rest your heel on the pedal, your leg should just be
straight without a bend at the knee nor a swivel of your hips.
Set the bars an inch or two lower initially, if you're not used to riding
drops you could develop neck pains if you're over ambitious, (my bars are
75mm below the saddle but I'm ancient and my body protests if I set them
lower).
If you're happy with that experiment by lowering them more.

Quoted message said:

It's currently got Weinmann brakes
and steel rims, are they terrible? A million more questions once I've had

a

Quoted message said:

good look at it...

A long time since I had a bike with them on but the concensus is that
they're [censored], especially in the wet.
Also although counter-intuitive cheap steel rims are weaker than half
decent ally ones, maybe an area to upgrade...

Pete

Simon Mason said:

"doki" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've just bought a Raleigh Banana for a tenner. I'm more used to
compact frame MTBs.

How do I tell if it's the right size or not? What's the usual roadie
riding
position (ie, saddle how far above bars)? It's currently got Weinmann
brakes
and steel rims, are they terrible? A million more questions once
I've had a
good look at it...

I actually had one for a while:

http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/page470.htm

I didn't ride it much as I soon bought myself a modern road bike, but
it was perfectly rideable, except I would guess the brakes would be
very dodgy in the wet as the wheels are steel and not alloy. There
are plenty of web resources about riding positions and seat/bars
relative heights.

It has an alloy rim on the back. Might see about finding an alloy front
wheel to go with.

in message <[email hidden]>, doki

(') said:

I've just bought a Raleigh Banana for a tenner. I'm more used to
compact frame MTBs.

How do I tell if it's the right size or not? What's the usual roadie
riding position (ie, saddle how far above bars)?

As far as is comfortable. No, seriously. Put the saddle at a height
where with your leg straight you can rest your heel on the pedal at its
furthest away position, lean forward rest hands on hoods. Are you
comfortable? If not, mess about with height and reach of the bars until
you are.

Quoted message said:

It's currently got
Weinmann brakes and steel rims, are they terrible?

Yes, dreadful. Steel rims are very bad especially in the wet, Weinmann
brakes vary from mediocre to terrible.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Das Internet is nicht fuer gefingerclicken und giffengrabben... Ist
nicht fuer gewerken bei das dumpkopfen. Das mausklicken sichtseeren
keepen das bandwit-spewin hans in das pockets muss; relaxen und
watchen das cursorblinken. -- quoted from the jargon file