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rbent Forum
https://rbentonline.org/YaBB.pl General Category >> Upcoming Rides >> I've come a long way baby! https://rbentonline.org/YaBB.pl?num=1447535071 Message started by JimFPU on Nov 14th, 2015, 3:04pm |
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Title: I've come a long way baby! Post by JimFPU on Nov 14th, 2015, 3:04pm haven't been here in a while, but thought I'd catch you up on my adventure. I put a coroplast shell around my 700 sometime back. Ever since I've been interested in bents, I've been interested in velos. Next Saturday, I'll fly to Germany and pick up my first velo, a used Quest. It needs some body work, but I'm still getting a great price, and the body work will not affect the ride any at all. I will pick it up about 30 miles from where I lived when I was a kid in 1979, when my step-dad was stationed at Hahn AFB, which is now Frankfurt-Hahn airport. I'll then ride to Kirchburg and visit the house I lived in. The off north to the Mosel river. I'll follow the Mosel bike paths all the way to Koblenz where the Mosel meets the Rhein. Then down the Rhien to Colon. From Colon off across Germany then Holland to the Hook of Holland, where I'l catch the ferry over to Harwich, UK, for the last 77 miles to my house. I figure it should take me 3-5 days...and I'm just winging it! Well sort of. I've meticulously been programming my Garmin for the routes that actually take me one roads, as not all that are "bike friendly" over here are actually paved! The paths once in Holland look real nice. 377 miles calculated in all, but might get a few more than that in before it's over. And thanks to the RBENTers who really got me going on good bikes and trikes. Best club I've ever been in. Pics to follow when I get the ride done, but this is what I'm picking up: http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a5cf35b3127cceeac8fb81130000000030O00Act27Zw2ZMmgPbz4U/cC/f%3D0/ls%3D00402268677920151114210304981.JPG/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/ |
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Title: Re: I've come a long way baby! Post by jayg on Nov 14th, 2015, 4:38pm Congratulations Jim! You've come a long way from your surrey-topped LWB days. You've got to come back to Texas, so your former riding buddies can get in some test rides. The Quest would be perfect for Kenny's Lancaster Airport ride, because you could tease and laugh at the attack dogs and suffer no consequences. :D How about posting some photos of your Coroplast velo? |
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Title: Re: I've come a long way baby! Post by Action Lad on Nov 14th, 2015, 11:42pm Good show, ol' bean! Of course, since you're in the big time, you have to video your rides and post them for the vicarious thrills of us wannabes. Noblesse oblige. What better way to start than with the ride home? |
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Title: Re: I've come a long way baby! Post by Monkeywrangler22 on Nov 15th, 2015, 9:21am Sweet velo nd a great sounding plan! At least so long as you stay far away from large crowds, and France. Stay safe! |
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Title: Re: I've come a long way baby! Post by JimFPU on Nov 15th, 2015, 9:31am Here you go Jay. http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a5cf34b3127cceeacbf5a5ea7300000030O00Act27Zw2ZMmgPbz4U/cC/f%3D0/ls%3D00402268677920151115152739096.JPG/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D110/ry%3D110 |
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Title: Re: I've come a long way baby! Post by jayg on Nov 15th, 2015, 10:42am JimFPU wrote:
How much of a speed increase did you notice with the shell installed? |
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Title: Re: I've come a long way baby! Post by aikigreg on Nov 15th, 2015, 11:41am I'm really enjoying my quest. You will too! |
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Title: Re: I've come a long way baby! Post by JimFPU on Nov 17th, 2015, 5:57am jayg wrote:
I got up to where I could hole 16-18 on the flats with my 700. After I added the shell, I could hold 22 with a bit more effort, or ride with my 'old' effort and hold 20. No power meter or anything just my unscientific 'feel' after the ride. I did notice that several of my usual routs were completed a bit faster with no increased effort. |
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Title: Re: I've come a long way baby! Post by JimFPU on Nov 17th, 2015, 5:58am aikigreg wrote:
Didn't know you had one Greg! I'm really looking forward to it. Forecast for where I'm picking it up next week: snow!! |
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Title: Re: I've come a long way baby! Post by Action Lad on Nov 17th, 2015, 10:31pm JimFPU wrote:
Didn't know you had one Greg! I'm really looking forward to it. Forecast for where I'm picking it up next week: snow!![/quote] I've seen video of guys in Holland riding through rain and snow...okay, they're nuts in every way, (some, I'm certain, are from another planet), but they show it can be done. On the bright side, you're enclosed, and if you have a way to defog, you have it made! Heavy, or light stuff forecast? |
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Title: Re: I've come a long way baby! Post by MrWizard on Nov 18th, 2015, 7:33am I ordered some studded tires (yes they make them) for my mango, I fully intend to go riding at the first snowy opportunity just to prove that we are just as nuts as they are. (Also I'll be in montana for part of the winter so theres a good chance to try it in real snow) Action Lad wrote:
Didn't know you had one Greg! I'm really looking forward to it. Forecast for where I'm picking it up next week: snow!![/quote] I've seen video of guys in Holland riding through rain and snow...okay, they're nuts in every way, (some, I'm certain, are from another planet), but they show it can be done. On the bright side, you're enclosed, and if you have a way to defog, you have it made! Heavy, or light stuff forecast?[/quote] |
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Title: Re: I've come a long way baby! Post by Action Lad on Nov 19th, 2015, 12:10am MrWizard wrote:
Velomobiling in Montana, my dream state. Thanks, now you've got me Jonesing! >:( |
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Title: Re: I've come a long way baby! Post by MrWizard on Nov 19th, 2015, 12:21am I grew up there, its a nice place to be from ;D Action Lad wrote:
Velomobiling in Montana, my dream state. Thanks, now you've got me Jonesing! >:( [/quote] |
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Title: Re: I've come a long way baby! Post by JimFPU on Nov 19th, 2015, 3:20am Action Lad wrote:
Look light for now. Funny thing is it just took a while to actually get everything lined up for this trip...and it may be snowing the whole 3-5 days of the journey, even back in the UK they are expecting some snow on Sunday. Oh, well, I'll be in a velo!! |
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Title: Re: I've come a long way baby! Post by JimFPU on Dec 4th, 2015, 6:09am OK, so to tell the end of the story: Broken power side idler repaired by previous owner, and we thought it would hold. Well that repair did, but the idler had the same break in another spot. OK I was in Bonn by this time and found a shop that helped me duplicate the previous repair. Thought it was good (and it was) until the idler failed again in a 3rd spot. Basically what happened was it was a plastic idler, with a 5 spoke hub, which failed in between the spokes causing the gears to 'flatten' out and collapse inward. When this would happen, it felt like it was pedaling on a very bumpy road, and I could not pedal smoothly. It was tiring to say the least. So, finally found a shop right before I got into Holland and they gave me a roller that didn't have a bearing, but did have metal gears and looked like it would at least keep the chain moving without jumping. If I only knew what would come down the road...turns out when I finally made it home after racing to catch the ferry at the Hook of Holland, after taking the seat off, I realized that the extra noise was not just the poor idler...it was a failed idler!!! Chain wore about half way through the CF brace over the drivetrain channel, and almost half way through the idler axle! I'm just glad I made it home!!! New parts should be here today so no worries. Ended up with about 350 +/- miles for the Sunday through Friday afternoon ride down the Rhine and Waal (what the Rhine turns into in Holland). Would I do it again? With someone to get lost with! And I'd have better maps and recovery foods along the way, because Tuesday it felt like I was recovering from the flu. Kim gave me an Emergen-C drink and started to feel better after about 10 minutes. So for those long hauls, over many days, I have to eat differently. I thought regular eating, with added pasta in many places, would be enough, since my longest day was about 76 miles or so. Amazing how nice and quiet the Quest pedals now that I have a TerraCycle power idler that I stole from my 700 on there... What an adventure!! |
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Title: Re: I've come a long way baby! Post by jayg on Dec 4th, 2015, 9:19am Congratulations, Jim! Glad you were able to complete your ride. How were you able to overcome the language barrier when trying to get your velo's mechanical problems corrected? Did you run across any straight, steep downhills? If so, what was the maximum speed you achieved? |
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Title: Re: I've come a long way baby! Post by Action Lad on Dec 5th, 2015, 10:24am jayg wrote:
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Title: Re: I've come a long way baby! Post by aikigreg on Dec 7th, 2015, 12:01am I've only hit about 48 or so. What's amazing is how long you can hold high speed vs a regular bent. |
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Title: Re: I've come a long way baby! Post by JimFPU on Dec 9th, 2015, 6:25am jayg wrote:
Most people in Europe speak good to great English. Even those that didn't, in context of pointing and showing bad/broken parts could understand what I wanted/needed. Interestingly, like many bike shops, some where completely against anything not DF (and it showed in their actions and 'inability' to communicate at all) to those who allowed me to take their pic's by the velo after helping me out for free! My two police stops (one in Germany when I found myself on a highway and couldn't figure out how to get off, and one walking in the Netherlands also helped with directions) were very friendly, and both turned out to be very helpful, when they found out that I was a bike, and what I was trying to do. The only fairly straight steep downhill (which of course introduced an up hill) was in the Benelux tunnel Rotterdam, the Netherlands (http://www.aviewfromthecyclepath.com/2011/11/benelux-cycling-tunnel-rotterdam.html). It goes under Nieuwe Maas (New Meuse) river, and to get to it I had to put the velo in a large elevator at each end, which actually saved some of the really hard climbing. Not sure what speed I actually got up to but I do remember somewhere in the upper 30's (MPH). On my commute home the other day I was in the low 40's, and it was quite fun. Even being buffeted by the crosswinds that were fairly strong, I can do in the 30's on the same hill. |
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Title: Re: I've come a long way baby! Post by JimFPU on Dec 9th, 2015, 6:27am aikigreg wrote:
Yes, am considering changing tires to improve speed. I know a lot of people don't care for Durano's, but I like them on my other trikes and noticed a speed increase as soon as I put them on. Only bad thing with the velo is that it does not have deep rims which makes Durano's difficult to install/change. |
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Title: Re: I've come a long way baby! Post by JimFPU on Dec 9th, 2015, 6:30am Action Lad wrote:
[/quote] I will say that steering with the little squirrel tiller, verses the wide grip like the Catrikes, getting up to speed like I've seen on YouTube will take some getting used to. I did have a couple of flats the other day though and pretty much only noticed because it got really hard to pedal. The suspension really soaks up a lot of the rough ride you get when a flat occurs. The bad thing is I can't see any of the tires from inside the cockpit, so I have to really learn how the velo 'feels' when riding so I know if there are any changes. |
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