Re: [RBW] Digest for rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com - 17 updates in 6 topics

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Will Millhiser

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Jun 29, 2022, 9:34:05 AM6/29/22
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Patrick, I live car-free, bike commuting year-round in a northeastern city (rain, snow, or shine) and find that waterproof/breathable Gore-Tex backpacker’s rain gear is about as good as it gets for bike commuting when you need your work/church clothes to stay dry in a cloudburst.

I use a Goretex climber’s parka/shell with an adjustable hood specifically articulated for climbing helmets; hood fits over the bike helmet without impeding peripheral vision (brilliant!), keeping neck and collar dry.  Pit zips for the hottest rainy days.  

8” LL Bean duck boots or Bogs rain boots on the feet; nothing else keeps the socks dry.  Sometimes I just go with Tevas — the warm water splashing the feet feels great (if you can ignore what might be in that water). Platform pedals, naturally.  

Fenders!  SKS longboards with mudflaps over Jack Brown tires.  And dynamo-hub-driven daytime running lights for safety.  

Hands are like feet. Either let 'em get wet... or a pair of Goretex gauntlet mountaineering mittens (the shells only).  

The weak link is the wire connector to the Shimano dynohub.  Water eventually penetrates no matter what I try. Lights out.

To keep the rain pants off the chain, I have a crankset with an outer plate that is greater diameter than the big ring (what do you call this design?).  I thought some of the Quickbeams (and the Sugino cranks) came this way, but can't find any examples.  Even if pants brush the crank, they typically don't catch.  I go through 1-2 chains per year (despite religious monthly maintenance), derailleurs every 2-4 years, complete overhaul of all the brake and shifter cables annually.  The winter salt spray is the culprit.

One might take further cues from the bicycle delivery guys in my city.  They go for massive homemade mudflaps, helmets with integrated face shields, and cycling rain parkas that extend to the handlebars.

Hope this helps.

Will M

On Tue, Jun 28, 2022 at 9:49 AM <rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
Patrick Moore <bert...@gmail.com>: Jun 27 01:35PM -0600

VG condition. A bit of dust. The scuff plate looks worse in the photo than
it is in real life.
 
Bag + 3 seatpost-mount QR brackets + many extra brackets of different sizes.
 
16 litres capacity; for perspective, the Nelson sans Longflap but with side
pockets has an 18 litre capcity.
 
This fit my Matthews 1:1 with tires almost 30" tall and fenders over those,
with room to expose the 2 Seculites attached to seatstay rack bosses.
 
Please reply offlist to bertin753 [at] gmail.com.
 
Thanks.
 
PS: A TA 170 mm Pro 5 Vis crankset (actually, arms, single very used 46 t
ring + ss hardware) in otherwise v good condition may soon be advertised
for sale; watch this space.
 
--
 
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Patrick Moore
Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum
Patrick Moore <bert...@gmail.com>: Jun 28 02:45AM -0600

I forgot to include the 2 bag-mount frames that allow you to use the SQR
release with Nelson or Camper or other similar saddlebags. Prices still
$150 shipped CONUS.
 
One of these frames has been bent about to get it to work in various odd
situations, and the resulting marks covered with tape; it still works fine.
The other frame is as new.
 
-------------------------------------------
 
VG condition. A bit of dust. The scuff plate looks worse in the photo than
it is in real life.
 
Bag + 3 seatpost-mount QR brackets + many extra brackets of different sizes.
 
16 litres capacity; for perspective, the Nelson sans Longflap but with side
pockets has an 18 litre capcity.
 
This fit my Matthews 1:1 with tires almost 30" tall and fenders over those,
with room to expose the 2 Seculites attached to seatstay rack bosses.
 
Please reply offlist to bertin753 [at] gmail.com.
 
Thanks.
 
PS: A TA 170 mm Pro 5 Vis crankset (actually, arms, single very used 46 t
ring + ss hardware) in otherwise v good condition may soon be advertised
for sale; watch this space.
Patrick Moore <bert...@gmail.com>: Jun 27 12:54PM -0600

My interest may sound odd from someone riding in the desert, but precisely
because rain is so relatively rare here (9" citywide average between 14"
foothills and 5" Westside) that when it arrives, it's interesting.
 
We've had the earliest and rainiest start to our SW Monsoon season in years
if not decades, considerably reducing the fire danger so great just a
couple of weeks ago (when there was a bush fire just 1 mile south of me;
and I live along the bosque). We must have had as much as 2" of rain in the
last 2 weeks, with more forecast.
 
I wanted to ride in the rain to church yesterday morning, but was tired and
late, and the rain kept off despite lowering clouds on morning's ride,
although I carefully rode the Matthews 1:1 with new 4 1/2" front fender
flap and carried my cape and so'wester.
 
On the way out and back I passed a group of young mothers along the bosque
bike trail shepherding a large group of very small children having the time
of their lives riding little bikes in the mud and playing in a big mud
puddle. Funny, you don't see small children playing in the puddles
nowadays, but I remember having great fun, age about the same as these
children playing in the flooded, muddy field across the street from my
house; rather like Christopher Robin in the WtP story.
 
But I'm curious, what do all y'all in rainy places wear and ride on in
rainy weather? I find it fun to imagine the ideal rain bike: fixed gear (no
damned ss freewheel to complicate things), full oil-bath chaincase, full
fenders, with front extending 1/4 of the way around the forward curve of
the tire, and flap skimming the tarmac, with skirts covering the spokes on
the trailing 1/4 of the front wheel and forward 1/4 of the rear wheel;
clips 'n' straps with toe covers; dyno lighting mounted sufficiently low to
clear front and rear raincape overhang; have I missed anything?
 
Oh, and while I've found that rain capes keep you perfectly dry from neck
to knee even in SW downpours with howling winds -- I commuted extensively
years ago across town with various rain capes, waxed cotton, various grades
of plastic -- (and so'westers keep one dry from neck to crown) my lower
legs and feet get wet. I guess this is where Splats come in handy?
 
--
 
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Patrick Moore
Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum
Wesley <brooks...@gmail.com>: Jun 27 12:29PM -0700

I have extensive experience with this even though I no longer live in a
rainy place.
 
You can ride any bike. Fenders make all the difference if you'd like to
look presentable when you get where you're going. I would wear sandals
because they dry out, or heavy rubber boots when I feel like having warm
feet. Add a light rain shell to keep my upper body dry. Head, glasses,
pants: let them get wet. They'll dry off soon enough.
-W
 
On Monday, June 27, 2022 at 11:54:18 AM UTC-7 Patrick Moore wrote:
 
Wesley <brooks...@gmail.com>: Jun 27 01:02PM -0700

I've owned (I think) four copies of the Marmot Precip jacket over the
years. It's an excellent minimalist and inexpensive rain shell - just a
single layer of GoreTex with a hood and zip-up armpit vents.
 
On Monday, June 27, 2022 at 12:29:34 PM UTC-7 Wesley wrote:
 
Garth <gart...@gmail.com>: Jun 27 01:36PM -0700

I don't ride a lot in the rain. If I'm out and rains it rains, if I'm home
and it's raining good I likely will either wait or go for a walk. Back in
the 80's I had some Bellweather pants and jacket that were just mildly rain
resistant but I never died from ever getting wet. I've been wearing various
hooded windbreakers since. I've wanted to get a packable rain jacket, but I
never met one that I wanted to buy. Not a cycling rain jacket, I hate
cycling specific jackets, just a all purpose rain jacket I can wear all
year long, be very lightweight and packable to the size of a 29 oz. can of
tomatoes, or so. It also had to have a trim fit and a well fitting hood
that covers my chin and cinches around my face if I want. It had to be able
to pass body heat vapor well too not only during rain but also when dry.
This year I finally saw something that looked interesting, a Montbell Rain
Trekker made with seam taped Gore Infinium Windstopper fabric. It
supposedly was waterproof enough and pass enough body vapor not to die from
heat exhaustion without the need for other ventilation, so I tried it. I've
put it to the test real good, getting hammered by some sustained downpours
in the 50's and 60's and worn it on a dry cloudy turned sunny day in the
low to mid 60's. I was pleasantly surprised it did well as both, so good
enough to carry with me in my bag, and weighs a mere 7 ounces in the large.
 
I do have a couple of pair of Sportful Norain Fiandre Pro bib shorts that
are quite water resistant from the DWR surface treatment and it really does
keep shorts from getting soaked, and they're lightly fleeced inside so
don't get that chilling effect that slick poly/lycra does.
 
I like natural plastic clothing for bike riding as like everything else
there's really fine fabrics and there's really crappy fabrics.
 
Other that, I enjoy the outdoors and if it rains start singing just because
I can. One bike has fenders and one doesn't. I can't say it much matters
either way to me, well no, I really prefer a plain ol' road bike w/o
fenders.
Patrick Moore <bert...@gmail.com>: Jun 27 02:39PM -0600

A quick search and review of prices and features: this looks very
appealing; thanks. Gortex and pit zips.
 
Patrick Moore <bert...@gmail.com>: Jun 27 02:43PM -0600

I've found that rain capes, at least in warm weather (and we get our rain
in the summer) offer the best combination of protection from wet and
ventilation. In fact, after using various Carradices, I fell back on the
cheap, $30 (and no longer available, I think) lightweight nylon cycling
cape from Campmor, since it best keeps the heat from building up (the worst
was the Duckback waxed cotton cape), only I removed the horrible leg
harness and sewed on a couple of stacks of big metal washers at the back to
hold it down back there. It has a hood, and wearing the hood over a cycling
cap, for the brim, helps keep glasses clear enough to see through while
also keeping hair and neck dry.
 
I don't like cycling in sandals, but I agree that legs bare from knee to
ankle are fine left open to the elements. I would like to find a pair of
Splats, though; also dislike wet shoes.
 
Patrick Moore <bert...@gmail.com>: Jun 27 02:47PM -0600

I should have said that I want a rain ensemble (bike + clothing) that
decants me in presentable form at church or restaurant or store. And oh my,
oh yes, fenders, please; nothing more horrible than -- it's not the
*water* kicked
up by the wheels that is so annoying, it's the *mud and grit.*
 
 
 
 
--
 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Patrick Moore
Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum
Roberta <rcha...@gmail.com>: Jun 27 06:06PM -0700

I'm like Garth--if it's raining when I'm out, I'll ride home in the rain,
but if I'm home, I'll go for a walk. If it's to rain during the business
day, I'll time my commute between the rain; again, I'll walk if it's heavy
rain. If I get caught, I have this and like it very much for walking and
for shorter bike rides. I did go up a height size recommendations because
I wanted to be more covered.:
https://cleverhood.com/products/rover-rain-cape?variant=40416268124365 .
they also have it in solid colors. I got a belt vs your weight idea to
help with the flapping in the back, but your weight idea probably works
better.
 
I'm looking around for foot coverings, and am considering splats. However,
I did find that there are a number of silicon booties that go over your
shoes that look OK. The complaints I see about the ones without zippers
are they can be difficult to get on. I'll probably be buying a pair with a
zipper. They can be had for ~$20.
 
On Monday, June 27, 2022 at 4:47:18 PM UTC-4 Patrick Moore wrote:
 
"upyou...@yahoo.com" <upyou...@yahoo.com>: Jun 27 10:11AM -0700

Best cycling gear I've ever seen. I'd love to see more kilts on bikes. I
currently wear a skirt when I bike now. Joyce, I too wore a kilt playing
field hockey from 3rd -12 grade. I really want one. Philip, the color
(and legs) are smashing.
Kate
 
Philip Barrett <philipr...@gmail.com>: Jun 27 02:18PM -0700

Ha, thanks Kate!
 
My wife was a field hockey player in high school, she's been trying to
remember if the skirts were plain blue or tartan though. Either way, a
quick jab with the hockey stick (they were expected to carry them to & from
school) kept any cheeky boys in line!
 
They make a women's line too, since I ordered an 18" length mine is
technically one of those.
 
https://sportkilt.com/product-category/womens-kilts/
 
 
Bill Lindsay <tape...@gmail.com>: Jun 27 04:17PM -0700

They've got Lindsay tartan...
 
Bill Lindsay
El Cerrito, CA
 
Philip Barrett <philipr...@gmail.com>: Jun 27 05:03PM -0700

You gotta do it....that's a beautiful tartan.
 
Will's building up the courage, needs a little prodding.
 
 
 
On Monday, June 27, 2022 at 6:17:03 PM UTC-5 Bill Lindsay wrote:
 
Bill Lindsay <tape...@gmail.com>: Jun 27 10:53AM -0700

You: Have a new Gus or Susie build and you are pulling parts together,
considering springing for Paul Love Levers, but hoping to back into
something that performs as well and isn't so pricey
 
Me: Have the ongoing project of parting out a dear friend's bike
 
I'm now into the parts from Juel-Ann's bike that I am tempted to buy for
myself. Up for sale is a practically NOS set of Shimano Deore XT M739
brakelevers. These are from the mid 1990s before everything went to disc
brakes. These are among the nicest V-Brake levers you could ever want (aka
Linear Pull, aka Long Pull).
 
In addition to having a nice and understated reach adjuster, they also have
a nice digital pull-adjuster. With two inserts, they are long pull for
ful-sized V-Brakes. With no inserts, they have a good pull-rate for
cantilevers or long-reach caliper brakes. With one insert, they would do
with in-between setups, like maybe smaller-sized V-Brakes?
 
Anyhow, these are sensational and anybody who has an upright-bar rim-brake
build in their future would be pumped to have a pair of these on the
shelf.
 
$80 shipped, which is right in line with the going price on the second hand
market. For cheaper than this, I'll "buy" them and they'll go into my
brakelever box.
 
Bill Lindsay
El Cerrito, CA
 
Photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/45758191@N04/52176383017
https://www.flickr.com/photos/45758191@N04/52177413073
https://www.flickr.com/photos/45758191@N04/52177411686
Eric Marth <eric...@gmail.com>: Jun 27 09:51AM -0700

Here's an updated list. Thanks again!
 
*Spinner Fork 1-Inch Threaded 22.2x27 Black: $50*
Picked this up for a project but it was too short for my frame. Black fork
from Spinner, stamped 1990. From crown (where race sits) to top of steerer
is 21.4cm. There’s 3cm of threads. Nice shape overall, some scuffs through
paint here and there. Weight appears to be written on top of steerer: 950.3
grams. Please let me know if you need additional measurements.
 
 
*Malinmore Irish wool sweater: $25*This is a beautiful, soft sweater made
in Ireland. I'm sad to let it go but it's just a touch too short in the
sleeves and overall. Vintage stuff! Small hole as shown. Cozy as all
get-out. Some pilling throughout, could be touched up with a sweater stone.
Labeled a 42 but it's smaller, please see measurements.
Pit to pit: 22”
Top of collar to bottom hem: 24”
Pit to cuff: 20-1/4”
 
 
*LL Bean Trekking Sweater: $40*I know it's summer but that hasn't stopped
me from culling winter stuffs. This sweater is from the 1980s and made in
England from new British wool. I am convinced it's from the same mill that
makes the Wooly Warm sweaters for Rivendell. The knit and color are
identical. The cuff and ribbing details are also the same. This sweater is
a bit heavier than the Wooly Warm garments. Nice henley collar. A great
sweater, I have two of them. At one point Grant asked me to send detailed
pics and measurements for him to send to their sweater makers because he
liked the design but... nothing ever came of it.
 
Pit to pit: 23”
Pit to cuff: 18.5” (with cuff folded in half)
Top of collar to bottom hem: 26”
 
 
*Shimano Arabesque 600 rear derailer, short cage: Free*This is missing the
hanger bolt and the bolt that attaches the upper jockey wheel. Yours for
shipping. Very groovy design. This is pretty greasy and dirty, but please
keep the price in mind!
 
 
*Suntour VG-T rear derailer: Free*Missing lower jockey wheel, yours for
shipping.
 
On Sunday, June 26, 2022 at 5:45:56 PM UTC-4 Eric Marth wrote:
 
Bill Lindsay <tape...@gmail.com>: Jun 27 07:43AM -0700

SOLD!
 
On Saturday, June 25, 2022 at 8:13:52 AM UTC-7 Andrew Turner wrote:
 
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Patrick Moore

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Jun 29, 2022, 6:31:57 PM6/29/22
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Thanks, Will, good on ya for using the bike year 'round in a NE climate. Also interesting to hear more of what you and others use and prefer to suffer. I expect that full GoreTex would be too hot (again, most of our rain is summer rain); again, I used the Carradice Ducksback cape, wonderful for coverage and easy on/off, for 1 summer's monsoon-worth of commuting, and while it was very protective against the rain -- and entertaining; I'd enjoy watching petroleum leachings making rainbow swirls on the puddle forming between my arms; dump every 1/4 mile, but it would fill up again very quickly. But it was thick waxed cotton apt for 60*F English summers, not 85*F in the rain ABQ summers. The cheap, light nylon Campmore suitably modified is almost as protective and far cooler, and it has a hood.

Fortunately for us, cold weather generally means dry weather, and I've long ago worked out the best combinations for various cold temps for various riding uses; I have "dressy" gear for church, say, and 
"everyday" gear for shopping and ordinary "riding around." All involve layers of wool with synthetic windbreak panels of one sort or another, in various permutations. And +1,000 for pit zips. I had them added to one of my winter over-shells. OTOH, the 2 very, very nice '80s wool+nylon+panels Italian cycling jackets someone very, very kindly gave me are even better for warmth with ventilation, given suitably cold weather -- they are warm! But one doesn't overheat in them.

Back to warm weather: I've described in another thread the cheap ($14.99 Kohl's sale ~2015; but v well made) synthetic "quik-dri" ss button placket shirts I've used for more dressy hot weather riding. These have a very nice flapped ventilator mesh in back, so that air entering via unbuttoned collar and up short sleeves exits in back to remove moisture and heat; they work very well. Only, being synthetic, they will stink after a couple of hours. I hope to have these copied in cotton using some high-quality all-cotton dress shirts from Goodwill. We'll see.

Does anyone use a full chaincase for foul-weather riding? I'd bet that such a thing, oil bath or not, would let chains live a normal life, no?

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--

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Patrick Moore
Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

Will M

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Jul 1, 2022, 11:39:55 AM7/1/22
to RBW Owners Bunch
Patrick, apologies -- I don't know how I managed to reply to your "rain" thread under this discombobulated topic heading.

Points about ABQ summers well taken.  Old cotton shirts here too!  No experience with chain cases personally, but I know a couple of guys here in NYC who had the Breezer transportation bikes from 15-20 years ago with chain cases: Works great with singlespeeds and internally-geared hubs.  But I don't see chain cases anymore, now that belt drive is becoming more common. I'm still waiting to see my first Quickbeam/SimpleOne with a belt drive.  :)

Will
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