Panniers & 26" Wheels

[Not Responding] wrote:
<snip>

Quoted message said:

When I do start riding to work again, I will need to carry a suit. In
the last 6 months any fitness I may once have had has evaporated and
I'm sure I will sweat like a motorist climbing stairs if I try to
cycle in working rig.

Is it necessary for you to take a different suit every day? If not, you
could make one last, sentimental trip to work by car to deliver a set of
things which can be left there permanently. I have a jacket and a pair
of shoes which live in my room at work. I take a clean pair of trousers
on Mondays and bring them home on Fridays, then for the rest of the week
I only need to carry a rolled up shirt <mumble> and some thingies
</mumble>. I have a selection of ties and belts in a drawer which can be
used when required.

This leaves loads of room in the panniers for as many inner tubes as you
can carry (This prevents punctures from happening), puncture outfits and
a fair selection of tools (which prevents mechanical problems from
happening). Oh, almost forgot, leaves room for the lunch box.

Wear as little as possible when cycling, it's amazing how warm you get
after a few hundred yards.

Most of all enjoy the experience and bask in the admiration of your
workmates who will be amazed that you cycle to work in spite of "all
that traffic".

Terry Duckmanton

"[Not Responding]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm thinking of buying a 26" wheeled bike for a change. I much prefer
700c but I want something cheapish with hub gears as a purely
utilitarian hack.

I'm looking at a Carrera Subway 8 from Halfords. Don't laugh; it fills
the criteria.

My question is; do 26" bikes give less heel clearance for panniers
than 700c bikes? I have a suit carrier from Altura that had OK
clearance on my Ridgeback Meteor but I wouldn't want it much tighter
as it's a big bag.

OK, it might be a while before I actually do any utility cycling and
use panniers but I want to buy a bike I can ultimately use as well as
(re-)learn on.

When I do start riding to work again, I will need to carry a suit. In
the last 6 months any fitness I may once have had has evaporated and
I'm sure I will sweat like a motorist climbing stairs if I try to
cycle in working rig.

I have both 26inch & 700c wheeled bikes and find no problems with panniers.
What length are the chainstays on your proposed bike?

John

Terry D said:

[Not Responding] wrote:
<snip>

Quoted message said:

When I do start riding to work again, I will need to carry a suit. In
the last 6 months any fitness I may once have had has evaporated and
I'm sure I will sweat like a motorist climbing stairs if I try to
cycle in working rig.

Is it necessary for you to take a different suit every day?

I have 3 offices and evening stuff that also involves suit wearing.
The logistics of leaving a suits, shoes etc in all locations has
proved beyond me in the past.

Quoted message said:

If not, you
could make one last, sentimental trip to work by car to deliver a set of
things which can be left there permanently.

But I don't have a car. I sold it.

I suppose I could use some of the 500ukp saved every month for taxi
trips but it's still too logisticaly complicated.

Quoted message said:

I have a jacket and a pair
of shoes which live in my room at work. I take a clean pair of trousers
on Mondays and bring them home on Fridays, then for the rest of the week
I only need to carry a rolled up shirt <mumble> and some thingies
</mumble>. I have a selection of ties and belts in a drawer which can be
used when required.

This leaves loads of room in the panniers for as many inner tubes as you
can carry (This prevents punctures from happening), puncture outfits and
a fair selection of tools (which prevents mechanical problems from
happening). Oh, almost forgot, leaves room for the lunch box.

Wear as little as possible when cycling, it's amazing how warm you get
after a few hundred yards.

When I returned to cycle commuting, I had a simple life with only one
place of work. I was also a bit unfit so getting changed for riding
was both possible and necessary.

A few years ago I switched to cycling in normal clothes; my trips
being short and flat. I never had a problem overheating; I just went
slower. I suppose I did miss the sporting aspect of cycle commuting.

Quoted message said:

Most of all enjoy the experience and bask in the admiration of your
workmates who will be amazed that you cycle to work in spite of "all
that traffic".

Terry Duckmanton

On Sat, 5 Jun 2004 14:20:08 +0100, "John" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"[Not Responding]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm thinking of buying a 26" wheeled bike for a change. I much prefer
700c but I want something cheapish with hub gears as a purely
utilitarian hack.

I'm looking at a Carrera Subway 8 from Halfords. Don't laugh; it fills
the criteria.

My question is; do 26" bikes give less heel clearance for panniers
than 700c bikes? I have a suit carrier from Altura that had OK
clearance on my Ridgeback Meteor but I wouldn't want it much tighter
as it's a big bag.

OK, it might be a while before I actually do any utility cycling and
use panniers but I want to buy a bike I can ultimately use as well as
(re-)learn on.

When I do start riding to work again, I will need to carry a suit. In
the last 6 months any fitness I may once have had has evaporated and
I'm sure I will sweat like a motorist climbing stairs if I try to
cycle in working rig.

I have both 26inch & 700c wheeled bikes and find no problems with panniers.
What length are the chainstays on your proposed bike?

John

Pass; it's one of these

http://www.halfords.com/opd_product_details.asp?id=18883&type=0&cat=144

What is considered short and what is roomy?

Not Responding said:

I'm thinking of buying a 26" wheeled bike for a change.

Quoted message said:

My question is; do 26" bikes give less heel clearance for panniers
than 700c bikes

It's not the wheel size that governs heel clearance.
I use ordinary panniers on my Bike Friday on a standard rack and that
has 20inch wheels.

Rack design, pannier design, chainstay length and of course shoe size
all play importnat parts.

John B

Not Responding said:

I'm thinking of buying a 26" wheeled bike for a change. I much prefer
700c but I want something cheapish with hub gears as a purely
utilitarian hack.

I'm looking at a Carrera Subway 8 from Halfords. Don't laugh; it fills
the criteria.

My question is; do 26" bikes give less heel clearance for panniers
than 700c bikes? I have a suit carrier from Altura that had OK
clearance on my Ridgeback Meteor but I wouldn't want it much tighter
as it's a big bag.

OK, it might be a while before I actually do any utility cycling and
use panniers but I want to buy a bike I can ultimately use as well as
(re-)learn on.

When I do start riding to work again, I will need to carry a suit. In
the last 6 months any fitness I may once have had has evaporated and
I'm sure I will sweat like a motorist climbing stairs if I try to
cycle in working rig.

Panniers are fine on 26" wheels. You might need to adjust the position of
the rack - check that the rack has the appropriate adjusters.

For commuting 26" / hybrid is much better than 700c / drops which tend to
force you into a riding position that reduces manoevrability. Hybrids give
better alround viewing which you need for dealing with traffic.

--

J u l i a n

__o
_`\(,_
(_)/ (_)

Not Responding said:

Terry D said:

[Not Responding] wrote:
<snip>

Quoted message said:

When I do start riding to work again, I will need to carry a suit. In
the last 6 months any fitness I may once have had has evaporated and
I'm sure I will sweat like a motorist climbing stairs if I try to
cycle in working rig.

Is it necessary for you to take a different suit every day?

I have 3 offices and evening stuff that also involves suit wearing.
The logistics of leaving a suits, shoes etc in all locations has
proved beyond me in the past.

Quoted message said:

If not, you
could make one last, sentimental trip to work by car to deliver a set of
things which can be left there permanently.

But I don't have a car. I sold it.

That can only be A Good Thing.

Quoted message said:

I suppose I could use some of the 500ukp saved every month for taxi
trips but it's still too logisticaly complicated.

I can't see the complication here. If you are saving 500 pounds per
month (presumably from not using/owning a car or from no longer using
public transport/taxis) then you could probably afford to buy two more
suits and two more pairs of shoes and leave them at your various offices.

If that really can't be done, then you are either left with the option
of using a very large suit bag or of learning to roll up a suit so that
it remains uncreased, but will fit into normal panniers.

Terry Duckmanton
(Now running out of helpful ideas)

Julian Symondson [email hidden] opined the following...

Quoted message said:

For commuting 26" / hybrid is much better than 700c / drops which tend to
force you into a riding position that reduces manoevrability. Hybrids give
better alround viewing which you need for dealing with traffic.

Not necesaarily true. I can manoeuvre just fine on my drop handle-barred
fixer, and the narrow bars (38 / 40cm vs somewhere around 50+ for ATBs)
means that I can get through gaps that would challenge some ATBs. I have
no problem with viewing surrounding traffic (or the countryside for that
matter).

I would suggest that bar style is nothing more than a matter of personal
preference.

Jon

Not Responding said:

My question is; do 26" bikes give less heel clearance for panniers
than 700c bikes? I have a suit carrier from Altura that had OK
clearance on my Ridgeback Meteor but I wouldn't want it much tighter
as it's a big bag.

The thing to do is take the panniers and try them on the bike and rack
before you buy, and that way you'll know.

Quoted message said:

When I do start riding to work again, I will need to carry a suit. In
the last 6 months any fitness I may once have had has evaporated and
I'm sure I will sweat like a motorist climbing stairs if I try to
cycle in working rig.

If it's the right suit (if that isn't an oxymoron...) then no reason you
should. Select a light one and the trousers should be breathable and
comfortable, and by leaving the jacket undone you can get plenty of
ventilation.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

In article opr843znbelihyoj@left said:

For commuting 26" / hybrid is much better than 700c / drops which tend to
force you into a riding position that reduces manoevrability. Hybrids give
better alround viewing which you need for dealing with traffic.

You can get 26" wheel drop bar bikes, and you can also get 700c wheel
straight bar bikes.