First Flight
- Thread starter Mark B
- Start date
We have finally achieved liftoff.
I was having a hard time getting my wife to try her bike. Having her sit on it to adjust all the parts to a person of her size only reinforced the overwhelming feeling of awkwardness that we have all experienced getting on this bike for the first time.
It didn't help for her to watch my son, nephew, and son-in-law all wobble their way up and down the street on my bike, some crashing into cars and curbs. They all looked frightfully inept.
Sunday my granddaughter begged to ride "grandma's bike". It was a bit tall for her, but she hopped right on and took off like a shot. She has been over every day since to show off. This encouraged my wife enough that I got her to the local elementary school parking lot last night. After one long coast down-gradient to test her balance, she lifted feet to pedal and took off. I saw only grins and tail-lights the rest of the evening. She put on five miles before I got her to stop and go home.
Now we are truly launched.
Alan
I was having a hard time getting my wife to try her bike. Having her sit on it to adjust all the parts to a person of her size only reinforced the overwhelming feeling of awkwardness that we have all experienced getting on this bike for the first time.
It didn't help for her to watch my son, nephew, and son-in-law all wobble their way up and down the street on my bike, some crashing into cars and curbs. They all looked frightfully inept.
Sunday my granddaughter begged to ride "grandma's bike". It was a bit tall for her, but she hopped right on and took off like a shot. She has been over every day since to show off. This encouraged my wife enough that I got her to the local elementary school parking lot last night. After one long coast down-gradient to test her balance, she lifted feet to pedal and took off. I saw only grins and tail-lights the rest of the evening. She put on five miles before I got her to stop and go home.
Now we are truly launched.
Alan
Doug Burton
Zen MBB Master
Most Excellent, Alan.
Perhaps I need your granddaughter to do some training over at my house... Can't get my wife interested; she's very attached to her Vision. Don't understand these people who are happy with just one bike.
:lol:
Perhaps I need your granddaughter to do some training over at my house... Can't get my wife interested; she's very attached to her Vision. Don't understand these people who are happy with just one bike.
:lol:Greetings,
So now I have a question about transporting my conversions. Towards the end of October my daughter is racing in a triathlon in southern Utah and I want to take our bikes down and enjoy the late summer weather. It is fairly clear that because of weight and geometry, there are only a few that could possibly work. I don't want to heft these on top of the car, so I am looking at hitch racks that are full wheel mounts (eg. Thule t2, Yakima HoldUp, or the Saris CcycleOn)
All of these racks set the bikes in wheel trays and then have a ratchet arm that rotates up and clamps over the front wheel.
All of these are expensive racks. They would also require that the bike be leaned away from the ratchet arm so the hook can clear the space between the forward bracket and the top of the wheel. A simple rotation up will only remove several teeth from your forward rings. Does anyone have experience with these racks? I don't want to spend this kind of money only to find out that there is a glitch I haven't anticipated.
I also found a rack on etrailers.com
http://www.etrailer.com/tv-demo-highland-2-bike-carrier-58012.aspx
This rack holds the wheels by hanging the underside of the top of the wheel in padded cradles. The forward bracket should not be an issue. The bikes can be situated to always have the drive train away from the core of the rack. The sales blurb claims the rack will carry 100 lbs, well above the 75 that my two bikes weigh in at. This bike will also fit both 2" and 1.25" hitches. I can put it on my truck or my Prius. My only problem with this rack is that I can't find any reference to it anywhere else on the web. No track record, no reviews, not one word. Seems weird. Any thoughts?
Thanks for your continuing input into my personal journey through alternative cycling.
Alan
So now I have a question about transporting my conversions. Towards the end of October my daughter is racing in a triathlon in southern Utah and I want to take our bikes down and enjoy the late summer weather. It is fairly clear that because of weight and geometry, there are only a few that could possibly work. I don't want to heft these on top of the car, so I am looking at hitch racks that are full wheel mounts (eg. Thule t2, Yakima HoldUp, or the Saris CcycleOn)
All of these racks set the bikes in wheel trays and then have a ratchet arm that rotates up and clamps over the front wheel.
All of these are expensive racks. They would also require that the bike be leaned away from the ratchet arm so the hook can clear the space between the forward bracket and the top of the wheel. A simple rotation up will only remove several teeth from your forward rings. Does anyone have experience with these racks? I don't want to spend this kind of money only to find out that there is a glitch I haven't anticipated.
I also found a rack on etrailers.com
http://www.etrailer.com/tv-demo-highland-2-bike-carrier-58012.aspx
This rack holds the wheels by hanging the underside of the top of the wheel in padded cradles. The forward bracket should not be an issue. The bikes can be situated to always have the drive train away from the core of the rack. The sales blurb claims the rack will carry 100 lbs, well above the 75 that my two bikes weigh in at. This bike will also fit both 2" and 1.25" hitches. I can put it on my truck or my Prius. My only problem with this rack is that I can't find any reference to it anywhere else on the web. No track record, no reviews, not one word. Seems weird. Any thoughts?
Thanks for your continuing input into my personal journey through alternative cycling.
Alan
