From: iglesias@draco.acs.uci.edu (Mike Iglesias)
Subject: Rec.Bicycles Frequently Asked Questions Posting  Part 2/4
Expires: 15 Oct 1992 00:00:00 GMT
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.misc,news.answers
Organization: University of California, Irvine
Supersedes: <rec-bicycles-faq-2_920808@draco.acs.uci.edu>
Date: 15 Sep 92 03:48:58 GMT
Followup-To: rec.bicycles.misc

Archive-name: bicycles-faq/part2

[Note:  The complete FAQ is available via anonymous ftp from
draco.acs.uci.edu (128.200.34.12), in pub/rec.bicycles.]

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Bike Rentals   (Various people)

Lincoln Guide Service
Lincoln Center
Lincoln, MA
(617) 259-9204
  Rents mountain, road, kids bikes, and trailers.  About 30 min west of
  Boston.


Team Bicycle Rentals
508 Main
Huntington Beach, CA
(714) 969-5480
  12spd $29/day, MTB $29/day, Santana tandem $69

Gregg's Greenlake
Seattle, WA


Second Gear
Seattle, WA


New York City Area:
All phone numbers are area code (212).

A West Side Bicycle Store -- 231 W 96th St -- 663 7531
Eddie's Bicycles Shop -- 490 Amsterdam Ave -- 580 2011
Country Cycling Tours -- 140 W 83rd St -- 874 5151
AAA Central Park Bicycle Rentals -- 72nd St/ Central Pk Boathouse -- 861 4137
Midtown Bicycles -- 360 W 47th St -- 581 4500
Sixth Avenue Bicycles -- 546 Avenue of the Americas -- 255 5100
Metro Bicycle -- 1311 Lexington Ave -- 427 4450
Larry and Jeff's Bicycles Plus -- 204 E 85th St -- 794 2201
Gene's 79th Street Discounted Bicycles -- 242 E 79th St -- 249 9218
Peddle Pusher Bicycle Shop -- 1306 2nd Ave -- 288 5594
A Bicycle Discount House -- 332 E 14th St -- 228 4344
City Cycles -- 659 Broadway -- 254 4457

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Bike Lockers  (David H. Wolfskill  david@dhw68k.cts.com)

Many thanks to all who mailed or posted an interest in my quest for
information regarding bike locker vendors; I apologize for the delay in
posting this summary.

My colleague -- thanks to some of that information -- was able to locate
a sufficiently nearby vendor... one of the requirements of which I had
not been aware was that the vendor must be fairly close (to Orange
County, CA) -- to minimize shipping charges.  (I apologize for failing
to determine this issue before posting, and hope that some of the
information about other vendors may be of value to others.)

I figured it would be more useful for me to organize the information,
so I have done so -- at the expense of making an attempt to give credit
for the sources at the point the information is quoted.  (I include a
list of sources at the end of the article.)

First, I received a few pointers to one Ellen Fletcher, such as:

>For a comprehensive treatment of the bicycle parking subject,
>along with a list of vendors & prices, contact Ellen Fletcher
>at cdp!scvba@labrea.stanford.edu (put "ATTN ELLEN" in your
>"To" line.

[I requested clarification regarding addressing a note to Ms. Fletcher,
but have yet to receive it.]

>... Ellen Fletcher, 777-108 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto, CA
>94303-4826, 415-495-8943.

Fortunately, someone sent a list of products & manufacturers,
apparently originally compiled by Ms. Fletcher.  I have taken the
liberty of using that list as a "base document" and have augmented it
with other information I received; entries are alphabetically by
munufacturer's name, since I don't always have product names:

(Manufacturer, {Product Name(s)}, Address, Contact Person, Phone, FAX
	[comments])

American Bicycle Security Co., {BIKE SAFE}, PO Box 7359 Ventura, CA
	93006, Thomas E. Volk, 805-933-3688 & 800-BIKESAF, 805-933-1865.

Bike Lockers Company, {BikeLokr}, PO Box 445 W. Sacramento, CA 95691,,
	916-372-6620, 916-372-3616 [approx. $300/locker, small
	quantities].

Bike-Lokr Mfg. Co., {?}, PO Box 123, Joplin, MO 64802, Jim Snyder,
	417-673-1960/800-462-4049, 417-673-3642 [approx $450/locker,
	which holds 2 bikes; seem to be the lockers used by the
	Washington, DC Metro system]

Bike Security Racks Co., {?}, PO Box 371, Cambridge, MA 02140,,
	617-547-5755, -

Bike Stable Co., Inc., {?}, PO 1402, South Bend, Indiana 46624,,
	219-233-7060, -

Cycle Safe Inc., {Cycle Safe}, 31522 Wingate S.E. Kentwood, MI 49512,
	Richard Hartger, 616-949-0598, 616-698-6087.

Cycle-Safe Inc., {Cycle Safe}, 143 Ionai Ave NW, Grand Rapids, Michigan
	49503,, 616-459-4556, - [I don't know which Cycle Safe entry is
	correct.  I received a comment that "Cycle Safe's lockers are
	the nicest looking, but their minimum order is 100 lockers (you
	should call) since that are sort-of out of business."]

David O'Keefe Company, {Super Secure Bike Stor}, P.O. Box 4457, Alamo,
	CA 94507, Thomas & David O'Keefe, 415-637-4440, 415-837-6234.

General Machine company, {Bicycle Locker}, PO Box 405 Vacaville, CA 95696,
	Vitto Accardi, 707-446-2761, -

J.G.Wilson Corp, {Park'n'Lock Bike Garage}, PO Box 599, Norfolk, VA
	23501-0599, J.L.Bevan, 804-545-8341, 804-543-3249.

Sunshine U-LOK Corp., {Secura Bike Locker}, 31316 Via Colinas Suite 102,
	Westlake Village, CA 91362, Doug Devine, 818-707-0110.
	[Specific information near the end of the article -- dhw.]

Turtle Storage Ltd., {?}, P. O. Box 7359, Ventura, CA 93006,,, -

[Ed. note:  The complete posting is available in the archives on
draco.acs.uci.edu.]

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Bike computer features

[This table was created from information contained in Performance and Nashbar
catalogs.  In the table below, 'Y' means that the computer has the feature,
'O' means it is an optional feature.]

                 Speed  Ave   Max  Total Trip  Elpsd Clock Auto  Count
                       Speed Speed Miles Miles Time        OnOff Down
Avocet 30          Y           Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Avocet 40          Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Avocet 50          Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Cateye Micro       Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Cateye Mity        Y           Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Cateye Mity 2      Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Cateye Wireless    Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Cateye Vectra      Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Cateye ATC         Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Ciclo 37           Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y           Y     Y
Ciclo IIA          Y     Y     Y     Y     Y                 Y     Y
Performance ITV    Y                 Y     Y     Y           Y     Y
Vetta Innovator    Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Vetta C-10         Y           Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Vetta Two          Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y
Vetta Wireless     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y     Y

                 Cadence Wireless Altitude Heart
                                           Rate
Avocet 30
Avocet 40
Avocet 50          O                 Y
Cateye Micro       Y
Cateye Mity
Cateye Mity 2
Cateye Wireless             Y
Cateye Vectra
Cateye ATC
Ciclo 37
Ciclo IIA          O                 O       O
Performance ITV  
Vetta Innovator
Vetta C-10
Vetta Two          Y
Vetta Wireless              Y

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Avoiding Dogs   (Arnie Berger  arnie@hp-lsd.COL.HP.COM)

  There are varying degrees of defense against dogs.

  1- Shout "NO!" as loud and authoritatively as you can. That works more
     than half the time against most dogs that consider chasing you just
     good sport.

  2- Get away from their territory as fast as you can.

  3- A water bottle squirt sometimes startles them.

  4- If you're willing to sacifice your pump, whump'em on the head when they
     come in range.

  If they're waiting for you in the road and all you can see are teeth 
  then you in a heap o' trouble. In those situations, I've turned around,
  slowly, not staring at the dog, and rode away. When I have been in a stand
  off situation, I keep the bike between me and the dog.

  "Halt" works pretty well, and I've used it at times. It's range is about 8
   feet.

   I bought a "DAZER", from Heathkit. Its a small ultrasonic sound generator
   that you point at the dog. My wife and I were tandeming on a back road and
   used it on a mildly aggressive German Shephard. It seemed to cause the
   dog to back off.

   By far, without a doubt, hands down winner, is a squirt bottle full of
   reagent grade ammonia, fresh out of the jug. The kind that fumes when
   you remove the cap. When I lived in Illinois I had a big, mean dog that
   put its cross-hairs on my leg whenever I went by. After talking to the
   owner (redneck), I bought a handebar mount for a water bottle and loaded
   it with a lab squirt bottle of the above mentioned fluid. Just as the
   dog came alongside, I squirted him on his nose, eyes and mouth. The dog
   stopped dead in his tracks and started to roll around in the street.
   Although I continued to see that dog on my way to and from work, he 
   never bothered me again. 

   Finally, you can usually intimidate the most aggressive dog if there are
   more than one of you. Stopping, getting off your bikes and moving towards
   it will often cause it to back off. ( But not always ). My bottom line
   is to alway ride routes that I'm not familiar with, with someone else.

   As last resort, a nice compact, snubbed nose .25 caliber pistol will fit
   comfortably in your jersey pocket. :-)     

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Shaving Your Legs  

 How to do it  (Garth Somerville  somerville@bae.ncsu.edu)

  Many riders shave their legs and have no problems other than
  a nick or two once in a while.  Maybe a duller blade would help.
  But some people (like me) need to be more careful to avoid
  rashes, infections (which can be serious), or just itchy legs that
  drive you to madness.  For those people, here is my 
  leg shaving procedure:

  Each time you shave your legs...
  1) Wash your legs with soap and water, and a wash cloth. This
     removes dirt, oil, and dead skin cells.
  2) Use a good blade and a good razor. I prefer a blade that has
     a lubricating strip (e.g. Atra blades).  It is my personal
     experience that a used blade is better than a new one.  I
     discard the blade when the lubricating strip is used up.
  3) USE SHAVING CREAM. I prefer the gell type, and the kinds with
     aloe in them seem to be the best.  Shaving cream gives you a
     better shave with fewer cuts, and goes a long way towards
     preventing infection.
  4) Use *COLD* water.  Do not use hot water, do not use warm water,
     use the coldest water you can stand. Run the cold water over your
     legs before you start, and rinse the blade often in cold water.  
  5) Be careful, and take your time. Behind the knees, and around the
     achilles  tendon are places to be extra careful.
  6) When finished, use a moisturizing lotion on your legs.


 Why do it  (Jobst Brandt  jobst_brandt@hplabs.hp.com)

  Oh wow, after the initial responses to this subject I thought we could
  skip the posturing.  The reason for shaving legs is the same for women,
  weight lifters, body builders and others who have body parts of which
  they are proud.  It is not true that General Schwarzkopf had all the troops
  shave their legs and arms before going into combat to prevent infectious
  hair from killing injured soldiers and I am sure it will never happen.
  
  Not only that but the rub-downs with all sorts of oils at the bike track
  are for the same reason bodybuilders oil up.  It reflects well from the
  muscle defo.  Of course there are others who claim you can't get a massage
  without shaving.  There is no medical proof that hair presents any hazard
  when crashing on a dirty road that gets into a wound.  It must all be
  cleaned if it goes beyond superficial road rash.
  
  From my experience with cyclists from east block countries before Glasnost,
  none of them shaved because it was not in their charter to look beautiful
  but rather to win medals.
  
  I think shaved legs look good and I don't mind saying so.  I just find it
  silly that those who shave need to put it forth as a preparation for
  crashing.  Is this the best excuse we can find?  If you believe this story
  then there is a whole pile of lore in bicycling that come first.
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------


Contact Lenses and Cycling  (Robert A. Novy  ra_novy@drl.mobil.com)


I received on the order of 50 replies to my general query about contact lenses
and bicycling.  Thank you!  To summarize, I have been wearing glasses for
nearly all of my 28 years, and taking up bicycling has at last made me weary of
them.

I visited an optometrist last week, and he confirmed what I had lightly feared:
 I am farsighted with some astigmatism, so gas-permeable hard lenses are the
ticket.  He has had about a 25% success rate with soft lenses in cases such as
mine.  I am now acclimating my eyes to the lenses, adding one hour of wear per
day.  In case these don't work out, I'll try two options.  First, bicycle
without prescription lenses (my sight is nearly 20-20 without any).  Second,
get a pair of prescription sport glasses.

I had a particular request for a summary, and this is likely a topic of great
interest, so here goes.  Please recognize the pruning that I must do to draw
generalizations from many opinions.  Some minority views might be overlooked. 
There is one nearly unanimous point:  contact lenses are much more convenient
than eyeglasses.  I had to add the word "nearly" because I just saw one voice
of dissent.  Sandy A. (sandya@hpfcmdd.fc.hp.com) has found that prescription
glasses are better suited to mountain biking on dusty trails.

You can call me Doctor, but I have no medical degree.  This is only friendly
advice from a relatively ignorant user of the Internet.  See the first point
below!

IN GENERAL

+  Get a reputable optometrist or ophthalmologist.  Your eyes are precious. 
[Paul Taira (pault@hpspd.spd.hp.com) even has an iterative check-and-balance
setup between his ophthalmologist and a contact lens professional.]

+  Wear sunglasses, preferably wrap-arounds, to keep debris out of eyes, to
keep them from tearing or drying out, and to shield them from ultraviolet rays,
which might or might NOT be on the rise.

+  Contacts are not more hazardous than glasses in accidents.

+  Contacts improve peripheral and low-light vision.

+  Extended-wear soft lenses are usually the best.  Next come regular soft
lenses and then gas-permeable hard lenses.  Of course, there are dissenting
opinions here.  I'm glad to see that some people report success with gas perms.

+  One's prescription can limit the types of lenses available.  And soft lenses
for correcting astigmatisms seem pesky, for they tend to rotate and thus
defocus the image.  This is true even for the new type that are weighted to
help prevent this.  Seems that near-sighted people have the most choices.

+  If one type or brand of lens gives discomfort, try another.  Don't suffer
with it, and don't give up on contact lenses altogether.

BEWARE

+  Some lenses will tend to blow off the eye.  Soft lenses are apparently the
least susceptible to this problem.

PARTICULAR SUGGESTIONS

+  Consider disposable lenses.  They may well be worth it.

+  Carry a tiny bottle of eye/lens reconditioner and a pair of eyeglasses just
in case.

A POSSIBLE AUTHORITY

From David Elfstrom (david.elfstrom@canrem.com):
  Hamano and Ruben, _Contact Lenses_, Prentice-Hall Canada, 1985, ISBN
0-13-169970-9.
I haven't laid hands on it, but it sounds relevant.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bicycling in America  (Jobst Brandt  jobst_brandt@hplabs.hp.com)

(or How to survive on a bicycle)

In America, bicycling appears to be an unacceptable activity for
adults.  It is viewed as a pastime reserved for children (people who
are not old enough to drive cars).  Adults who sense that they are
violating this stricture, excuse their bicycling by representing it as
the pursuit of physical fitness.  They refer to their bicycling as
training rides.  Rarely do you hear a cyclist say "we were bicycling"
but rather "we were on a training ride".  Certainly most of these
people never race although one might assume, by implication, that
their other rides are races.  Some also refer to themselves as serious
cyclists, a term used to describe those who, typically, keep track of
pedaling cadence and other bicycling statistics, thereby giving proof
that they are not engaged in child's play.

In contrast, Europeans seem able to accept bicycling as a proper
activity for all ages.  That is to say, motorists do not treat
bicyclists with apartheid and bicyclists do not feel the need to
justify their pursuit as anything other than bicycling, for whatever
reason.  In Europe cadence on speedometers is an un-marketable
function for unexplained reasons, however, one could imagine that for
the average cyclist it is a useless statistic, except for those on
"training rides".

With this perception of bicycling in America, non cyclists and some
occasional cyclists are offended by others who bicycle on public roads
in the presence of automobile traffic.  "Get the f#%k off the road!"
and similar epithets are heard from drivers, some of whose cars are
equipped with bike racks.  It is similar to gay bashing; by expressing
public outrage they demonstrate abhorrence of unacceptable behavior.
The same is true of bicyclists who deride others in public for not
wearing a helmet.  Aggressive self righteousness is probably a fitting
description.

Another motive behind such behavior may be a sense of dissatisfaction
with ones life.  Anyone who is perceived as having fun, or at least
more fun than the subject, needs to be brought down a notch.
Psychologists who have interviewed youths that go "wilding" have
gotten responses to the effect that "my life is terrible and I can't
stand people who are having fun".  So these youths attack others and
beat them bloody.  In a manner that may not make sense to others, they
bring their victims down a notch to achieve parity.

There is little doubt that bicycling has its hazards.  You can fall by
running into a pothole or an obstacle, by riding into a grating, or
falling on loose gravel or a slick manhole cover.  There are enough
hazards without the threat of being run down by a car.  However, the
whole sport loses its appeal when motorists, who believe that adult
bicycling is offensive, actively engage in making it a deadly
endeavor.

The scenario:

In a typical encounter a driver says to his passenger "You see that
guy on the bicycle?  That's a dangerous place to ride." while slicing
within inches of the cyclist.  The passenger is truly impressed with
the danger of bicycling, especially in the presence of this driver.

I don't understand how drivers justify such behavior but I think I
know what is going on.

Examples:

o  The buzz and swerve routine:

A driver slices dangerously close even though there is no opposing
traffic.  Then he drifts to the edge of the pavement to make clear how
far he went out of his way for the cyclist.  The desired path was even
nearer the road shoulder than at the passing point.  The buzz and
swerve is executed equally well consciously and subconsciously.

o  Center court, extra point:

The car, on a visibly empty stretch of road, travels perfectly
centered between the median and edge stripes, even when this requires
passing within inches of a cyclist.  It appears that the driver is
awarding himself points for not flinching when passing cyclists and
extra points for proximity.  In the event of a collision it is, of
course, the cyclist who swerved unexpectedly.  The precision with
which the driver executes this maneuver, in spite of the danger, makes
the center court game conspicuous.  People generally don't drive
exactly centered in a lane, especially when there is an obstacle.

o  Honk and slice:

The buzz and swerve or center court routine can be enhanced by honking
a single one second blast.  This is usually done at a far greater
distance than a sincere warning toot; about 200 yards works best.
This is a great crutch for the driver who subsequently collides with
the cyclist.  "But I warned him!"

o  The trajectory intercept:

A car is traveling on a road that crosses the cyclists path at right
angles.  The car and bike are equally distant from the intersection
but at different speeds.  With skill, the driver of the car can slow
down at a rate that lets him arrive at the intersection at precisely
the same time as the cyclist.  The bicyclist who has a stop sign may
now come to a complete stop and wait for the driver who is only
looking out for the cyclist's safety.  If the cyclist doesn't stop,
the driver honks and yells something about breaking the law.

Extra points are gained by offering the right of way to the cyclist,
in spite of moving traffic in the adjacent lanes.

o  The contrived hindrance:

A driver refuses to pass a cyclist on a two lane road until the
passenger asks how much longer they must follow this bicyclist, or
until the following cars begin to honk.  Then, regardless of
visibility or oncoming traffic, an inopportune pass is executed after
which each of following drivers makes it clear when passing that it
was the cyclist who was responsible for the near collision.

o The rear-ender:

While riding down a mountain road, the cyclist catches up with a car
that notices his rapid approach.  If an oncoming car approaches the
driver slows down, obviously for safety sake, and then suddenly slams
on the brakes when there is no place for the cyclist to go.  Bicycles
cannot stop as fast as cars since cars can safely skid the front
wheels but bicycles can't.  This game is the more dangerous variation
of speeding up every time the cyclist tries to pass but to drive as
slowly as possible everywhere else.

One explanation for these maneuvers is that the driver recalls that
riding in the mountains was always too hard and riding down hill was
scary.  This cyclist can't do what I couldn't do and I'll show him a
thing or two.  Thus the driver proves to himself that not riding in
the hills was for safety's sake, it had nothing to do with physical
ability.  It fits into the " I'll teach that smartass a lesson.  There
is little risk for the car because in a rear-end collision the vehicle
behind is, with few exceptions, found at fault.

So why does all this go on and on?

It is not as though they are all hostile drivers; some are just
frustrated drivers.  They may still be getting even for some bicycle
accident they had in their youth and don't want others to get off any
easier.  Some are angry at having to spend the time behind the wheel
while other "irresponsible adults" are playing on their bicycles.  I
believe the meanest ones are insecure people who don't feel as though
they are accomplishing what they expect of themselves and don't like
to see others have it any better.  Many drivers believe that the only
part of the road to which a bicyclist is entitled is the road
shoulder, unless it occurs to the driver to use that part too.

A bike rack on a car may lead you to believe that the driver has a pro
bicycle attitude.  Some people use bike racks to transport family
bicycles to a park where they can be ridden safely without venturing
onto dangerous roads; roads that are meant for cars.  Among these
people are some of the strongest opponents of general bicycling.  They
take refuge in the belief that, if they should run you down while
playing center court, it would prove that you should bicycle as they
do, and not get in the way of cars.

What to do?  Don't fuel the flames.  Don't return the rudeness that is
dished out.  Take legal action where appropriate (and possible).
Don't posture in traffic drawing attention to some undefined
superiority to people who sit in cars.  Don't balance on your bike or
ride in circles in front of cars waiting at a red light.  Don't make
moves in traffic that are either discourteous, or at best, awkward but
legal.  If you hear loud knobby tires coming, believe it!  That guy in
the extra tall pickup truck with the all terrain tires, dual roll bars
and multiple searchlights is not a friend of yours coming close to say
hello.  Give him room.

===========================================================================

Recumbents

Recumbent Bike Info  (David Wittenberg  wittenberg@zendia.enet.dec.com)
                     (updated by Gary Walsh  gary.walsh@canrem.com)

Here's my standard response to questions about recumbents.  I'd be
happy to answer more specific questions.


Here's some info I posted in the fall of 1990.  I think it's still pretty much
up to date.  Changes from the last posting are in []'s.

--David Wittenberg

A few words about recumbent design, and then I'll provide a much
larger list of recumbent manufacturers.

There are three main choices in designing (or buying) a recumbent.
Frame material -- all the ones I know of are either Alumninum or Steel.
Wheelbase --  The front wheel can either be in front of the bottom bracket
(long wheelbase) or behind it (short wheelbase).  You can't have a medium
wheelbase without a lot of extra work because the wheel and the bottom
bracket would interfere with each other.  Long wheelbase is reputed to
be a bit more stable, while short wheelbase machines are often easier to
fit into cars for transport.  Some long wheelbase recumbents fold in
neat ways to fit into a remarkably small space.
Handlebars -- under seat or in front of the rider.  Under seat is probably
a more comfortable position when you get used to it (your hands just hang
at your sides), and may be somewhat safer if you get thrown forward as
there is nothing in front of you.  High handlebars are somewhat faster
as your arms are in front of you instead of at your side, thus reducing
the frontal area.  Some people find them more natural.
[There are long wheelbase bikes with both high and low handlebars.  I don't
know of any short wheelbase, low handlebar recumbents, but there may
be some I don't know of.]

The following updated by Gary Walsh (gary.walsh@canrem.com) July 1992.

There are a couple of interesting publications for recumbents:

International Human Powered Vehicle Association
P.O. Box 51255
Indianapolis, IN  46251  USA

They publish Human Power Magazine and HPV News on all aspects of human
powered transportation (bikes, aircraft, watercraft.)
Dues are US$25/year in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and US$30 elsewhere.


The Recumbent Bicycle Club of America/Recumbent Cyclist Magazine
17650-B6-140th Ave. SE, Suite 341
Renton, WA 98058  USA

The best source of information on commercially available recumbents.
Read the reviews in this magazine before you buy your first recumbent.
Subscriptions are US$20/year Bulk or US$25/year First Class,
in the U.S.A., and US$30/year elsewhere. Sample issue and info pack $5.
See especially the buyers guide in issue #8 Oct-Dec 1992.



Addresses of recumbent manufacturers:

Ace Tool & Engineering  (Infinity Recumbent)  $1 for a flyer
P.O Box 325
292 W. Harrison St.
Mooresville, IN  46158
(317) 831-8798             Long wheelbase, low handlebars, aluminum frames.
                           $499 + $85 for triple crank option.
                           Information $1.

Alternative Bikestyles
P.O. Box 1344
Bonita, CA 91908
Phone (619)421-5118       Maverick $ Renegade LWB recumbents with upright
                          handlebars.  Framesets from $200.  Complete bikes
                          from $395.

Advanced Transportation Products
550 3rd Ave. N.
Edmonds, WA 98020
Phone (206)771-3719       R-20 SWB.  $1350.  Info pack $2.

Angle Lake Cyclery
20840 Pacific Hwy S.
Seattle WA 98198
Phone (206)878-7457      Counterpoint Presto SWB with upright handlebars.
                             Presto SE Tour $1699.
                             Presto SE High Performance $???.
                             Presto CL $1399.
                         Counterpoint Opus IV Tandem
                             Opus CL $2999
                             Opus SE $3599
                         Tri Com Trikes $600-$700.
                         Catalogue $2

Original Car-Cycle Technology
1311 Victoria Ave.
Victoria, B.C.,
Canada V8S 4P4
Phone (604)598-7830      Fully fared commuter trike.  Under development.

DH Recumbents, Inc.
4007-G Bellaire Blvd.
Houston, TX 77025
Phone (713)666-4452      LWB with upright steering.
                         DH1000 $999, DH5000 $1395.

Earth Traveller
1475 Lillian St.
Livermore, CA 94550
Phone (415)449-8312      LWB trike with 2 wheels in back.
                         Information $1.

EcoCycle
Earth Friendly Transportation
5755 NW Fair Oaks Dr.
Corvallis, OR  97330
(503) 753-5178           The Trice is a recumbent tricycle, with
                       two wheels in front.  Touring $1495.
                       Speed model $1595.
                       Also imports Ross recumbent from England.
                       $2 for flyer, $9 for video tape.

Easy Racers, Inc
Box 255H
Freedom, CA  95019
(408) 722-9797         High handlebar, long wheelbase bikes.
                       Easy Racer $2300.  Frameset $1650.
                       Gold Rush Replica, commercial version of
                       the Dupont prize winning Gold Rush (world's
                       fastest bike) also available.
                       $2 for a catalog

Lightning Cycle Dynamics
1500 - E Chestnut St.
Lompoc,   CA  93436
(805) 736-0700            P-38 Short Wheelbase, high handlebars.
                          Full fairings are available, and very
                          fast.  $1750.
                          F-40 fully fared version.

Lightning Cycle Inc. (Tailwind)        $1 for a brochure
3819 Rte.  295
Swanton, OH  43558
(419) 826-4056            Steel long wheelbase, underseat steering.
                          Around $1200.


Linear Manufacturing Inc.  (Linear)
Route 1, Box 173
Guttenberg,  IA  52052
(319) 252-1637           Long Wheelbase aluminum bike with either
                         high or low handlebars  (You can convert
                         from one to the other.)  $900 to $1200.
                         They sell through dealers, and if you
                         get in touch with them they'll tell you
                         where the nearest dealer is.  Canadians
                         see S.C. Safety Cycle below.

Rans Recumbents
1104 E. Hwy. 40 Bypass
Hays,  KS  67601
(913) 625-6346          Rans Stratus A & B and Nimbus. LWB with
                        upright handlebars.  $995-$1495.

ReBike
P.O Box 725
Boca Raton, FL 33429
Phone (407)750-1304    The ReBike.  A low priced semi-recumbent
                       with upright steering.  New and a big seller.
                       $389.

Rotator
915 Middle Rincon Rd.
Santa Rosa,  CA  95409
(707) 539-4203          Rotator Super-7 Streamliner - LWB with 20" wheels.
                        Rotator Companion Tandem.

Rhoades International
100 Rhoades Lane
Hendersonville, TN 37075
Phone (615)822-2737     4-wheel pedal car. $999 and up.
                        Information $4. Video $19.

Ryan Recumbents, Inc.
3910 Stewart Rd., Unit F
Eugene, Or 97402
(503)485-6674           Vanguard. Long wheelbase, underseat steering.
                        From $1295.

S.C. Safety Cycle Inc.
1340B St. Paul St.
Kelowna, B.C.
Canada V1Y 2E1          Canadian distributor of the Linear which is
                        sold as "The Alternative."  CAN$1495.

Thebis International
110-2031 Malaview Ave.
Sidney, B.C.
Canada V8L 3X9
Phone (604)656-1237
1-800-667-6801         Thebis 201 Touring Trike. Two wheels in back.
                       $2990.

Trailmate
2359 Trailmate Dr.
Sarasota FL 34243
Phone (813)755-5511     Fun Cycle and Bannana Peel trikes. $399.

Turner Enterprises
P.O.Box 36158
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone (383)-0030       SWB with underseat steering.
                       Laid Back "E" frame kit $375.
                       LB-2000  $1500.  Frameset $899.

Zzip Designs
P.O. Box 14
Davenport, CA 95017
Phone (408)425-8650    Manufacturer of fairings for many of the
                       bikes listed above.

Cyclopedia
P.O. Box 884
Adrian, MI 49221
1-800-678-1021         Good source for parts for builders.
----------------
European Recumbents

Leitra APS
PO Box 64 DK-2750
Ballerup, Denmark      Leitra M2 fully fared commuter trike.
                       3400 DM for the trike.
                       5845 DM for complete vehicle with accessories.

Bas Ten Brinke
Postbus 10075
1301 Almere,
Netherlands            Flevo SWB front wheel drive.

Fateba, Bachman & Co.
Rosenstr. 9,
8400 Winterthur
Switzerland            Fateba Winglet L1  LWB.

Kincycle
Miles Kingsbury
Lane End Road, Sands,
High Wycombe, Bucks
HP12 4JQ England       The Kingcycle SWB.

M5
Bram Moens
Waalstraat 41,
NL-4335 KL
Middleburg, Netherlands.   M5 SWB.

Neatwork
The Lees Stables
Coldstream, Berwickshire,
Scotland TD12-4NN          Dealer for Kingcycle SWB and Radius 
                           Peer Gynt LWB.

Radius-Spezialrader,
Frie-Vendt-Str 16, D-4400
Munster, Germany RFA       Peer Gynt LWB with underseat steering.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
More Recumbent Bike Info  (Gary Walsh  gary.walsh@canrem.com)

[This has been copied from a flyer written by Robert Bryant of the
Recumbent Cyclist Magazine.  He has given me permission to submit
it for the FAQ. - Gary]

          Have You Ever Considered a RECUMBENT BICYCLE?

WHY RECUMBENT BICYCLES?
     There are many reasons to consider a recumbent.  First and foremost
is comfort.  When you ride a recumbent bicycle you will no longer have
an aching back, stiff neck, numb wrists or a sore a sore bottom.  You
will sit in a relaxed easy-chair position.  You will be able to ride
longer with less fatigue and arrive at your destination feeling
refreshed.  The recumbent position offerd you a great view of the
countryside. While seated you will look straight ahead. This allows your
lungs and chest more open and free breathing.  Recumbents are very
versatile machines.  They can be used for a wide range of applications:
recreational/sport riding, for the daily commute, a fast double century
and they are great for long distance touring.

RECUMBENT PERFORMANCE
     Recumbents hold all of the human-powered speed records.  This is
because they are aerodynamically superior to conventional bicycles;
less frontal area means less wind resistance.  The Lightning F-40
currently holds the Race Across America speed record of five days and
one hour.  Gardner Martin's Easy Racer Gold Rush, ridden by Fast Freddie
Markham, was the winner of the Dupont Prize for breaking 65mph.  You
can currently buy production versions of these bicycles.  Fairings for
street use are common and optional equipment on most commercially built
models.  They protect you from rain, cold and wind, with up to a 30%
reduction in drag.  Commercially available recumbents are not always
faster than conventional bicycles.  It depends mainly on the individual
rider.  Your best bet is to do you homework and if your goal is
performance and speed, be sure that you look for a recumbent designed
for this purpose.

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT RECUMBENT BICYCLES
1) Do recumbents climb hills well?  Yes they do, although climbing on a
recumbent requires a different technique, you must gear down and spin.
Maintaining an efficient spin takes some practice & conditioning, once
mastered, it takes less physical effort to climb hills.  Depending on
your riding style, your speeds can range from slowwer to even faster
than on a conventional bicycle.
2) Can recumbents be seen in traffic?  Recumbents with a higher seating
position may be better suited for riding in traffic than some of the
low-slung designs.  The use of use of proper safety devices such as
safety flags and reflective devices is recommended.  Recumbent bicycles
are different, futuristic and they get noticed.  Many riders feel they
get more respect from motorists while on their recumbents.
3) Are they safe?  Recumbent's are safer than a conventional bicycle.
Due to the low centre of gravity, they stop faster.  Brakes can be
evenly applied to both wheels simultaneously providing more traction
without throwing the rider over the handlebars.  In crash situations,
the rider goes down to the side absorbing the impact with the hip and
leg rather than flying over the handlebars and absorbing the impact on
your head and shoulder.  Straight ahead vision is also better on a
recumbent, however, rear view mirrors are necessary for proper
rearward
vision.

RECUMBENT PAST HISTORY
     Why are recumbents such a rare sight?  Space age technology?  New
type of bicycle?  Not really, recumbent bicycles actually go back as
far as the mid to late 1800's with the Macmillan Velocopede and the
Challand Recumbent.  In the 1930's, a series of events took place that
changed bicycling history.  A French second category professional
track cyclist named Francois Faure rode the Velocar, a two wheeled
recumbent bicycle designed and built by Charles Mochet, to
record-shattering speeds, breaking both the mile and kilometre records
of the day.  This created a storm of controversy within the U.C.I.
(United Cycliste International), bicycle rating's governing body.  The
debate centred on whether the Velocar was a bicycle and were these
records legal?  In 1934 they ruled against the Mochet-Faure record,
banning recumbent bicycles and aerodynamic devices from racing.  Were
U.C.I. members worried that the recumbent bicycle would displace the
conventional design?  Did they realize this would freeze bicycle and
human-powered vehicle development for the next forty years?  This is
why bicycles of taday look very similar to the Starkey and Sutton
Safety (upright/conventional) of 1885.  Just think where bicycle
technology would be today if the U.C.I. decision had gone the opposite
way.

MODERN RECUMBENT HISTORY
     Recumbent development was fairly quiet until the late 1960's.  Dan
Henry received some media attention for his long wheelbase design in
1968.  In the early 1970's, the human-powered revolution was starting up
on both the U.S. east coast by David Gordon, designer of the Avatar, and
on the west coast by Chester Kyle.  These pioneers recognized the need
for further development of human-powered vehicles. In the late 1970's
and early 1980's, this lead to the first commercial recumbent bicycle
designs such as the Avatar, Easy Racer and Hypercycle.  In 1990, the
Recumbent Bicycle Club of America was founded by Dick Ryan who currently
manufactures the Ryan Vanguard and was also involved with the Avatar
project in the early 1980's.  In 1988 recumbent promoter Robert Bryant
got his start writing "Recumbent Ramblings," a column for "HPV News."
In the summer of 1990, Robert founded the "Recumbent Cyclist Magazine,"
and in a short two years, RCM has become the source for recumbent bicyle
information in the world today.

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
    

RECUMBENT CYCLIST MAGAZINE
17560-B6-140th Ave SE, Ste 341
Renton WA 98058

__$2 Info-Pak/recumbent manufacturer list
__$5 Current sample issue with info-pak/list
__$20 USA Bulk Mail Subscription
__$25 USA First Class Mail Subscription Rush Service
__$30 Canada Air Mail
__$35 Worldwide Air Mail (USA funds) (anywhere outside USA/CAN)
__$50 Junior Supporter (includes 3 copies of each issue, mailed first
    class
__$100 RBCA Supporter (includes 10 copies of each issue mailed Priority)


BACK ISSUE ORDERING INFO

-Back issues are mailed 3rd class postage. (allow 4 weeks for delivery.)
-First Class Mail/Rush Service - add $.50 per issue.
-Canadian Air Mail/Rush Service - add $1.00 per issue.
-Worldwide Air Mail - add $2.00 per issue.
-Super-Rush Service?  We can do FEDEX overnight C.O.D.

$4.00  __RC#2  Flevo & CSPC "Poor Man's Composite"
$4.00  __RC#3  DH5000 LWB Road Test
$4.00  __RC#4  Ryan Vanguard Road Test/F-40/Flevo
$4.00  __RC#5  Linear LWB Road Test/Omega HPV/HPV Design Info
$4.50  __RC#6  Easy Racer Road Test
$4.50  __RC#7  Lightning P-38 Road Test
$4.50  __RC#8  1992 Recumbent Buyers Guide
$4.50  __RC#9  A.T.P. R-20 SWB Road Test
$4.50  __RC#10 Thebis Trike Road Test
$4.50  __RC#11 Counterpoint Presto Road Test
$4.50  __RC#12 Rans Road Test (available 9/92)
$4.50  __RC#13 Trice Road Test (Available 11/92)
$4.50  __RC#14 (Available 1/93)
$4.50  __RC#14 (Available 3/93)
$4.50  __RC#15 (Available 5/93)

===========================================================================

Commuting

How to deal with your clothes

When you commute by bike to work, you'd probably like to have clean
clothes that don't look like they've been at the bottom of your closet
for a couple of years.  Here are some suggestions for achieving this
goal:

  Take a week's worth of clothes to work ahead of time and leave them
  there.  You'll probably have to do this in a (gasp!) car.  This
  means that you'll need room in your office for the clothes.

  Carefully pack your clothes in a backpack/pannier and take them to
  work each day.  It has been suggested that rolling your clothes
  rather than folding them, with the least-likely to wrinkle on the
  inside.  This method may not work too well for the suit-and-tie
  crowd, but then I wouldn't know about that.  :-)

I use the second method, and I leave a pair of tennis shoes at work so
I don't have to carry them in.  This leaves room in my backpack for
a sweatshirt in case it's a cool day.

===========================================================================

Cold Weather Cycling

Pete's Winter Cycling Tips  (Pete Hickey  pete@panda1.uottowa.ca)

I am a commuter who cycles year round.  I have been doing it 
for about twelve years.  Winters here in Ottawa are 
relatively cold and snowy.  Ottawa is the second coldest 
capital in the world.  The following comments are the 
results my experiences.  I am not recommending them, only 
telling you what works for me.  You may find it useful, or 
you may find the stupid things that I do are humorous.

PRELUDE

Me:

I am not a real cyclist.  I just ride a bicycle.  I have 
done a century, but that was still commuting.  There was a 
networking conference 110 miles away, so I took my bicycle.  
There and back. (does that make two centuries?)  I usually 
do not ride a bicycle just for a ride.  Lots of things I say 
may make real cyclists pull out their hair.  I have three 
kids, and cannot *afford* to be a bike weenie.

People often ask me why I do it....  I don't know.  I might 
say that it saves me money, but no.  Gasoline produces more 
energy per dollar than food. (OK, I suppose if I would eat 
only beans, rice and pasta with nothing on them.... I like 
more variety) Do I do it for the environment?  Nah!  I never 
take issues with anything.  I don't ride for health, 
although as I get older, I appreciate the benefits.  I guess 
I must do it because I like it.


Definitions

Since words like "very", "not too", etc. are very 
subjective, I will use the following definitions:

	Cold : greater than  15 degrees F
	Very cold : 0 through 15 Degrees F
	Extreme cold : -15 through 0 degrees F
	Insane cold: below -15 degrees F


Basic philosophy

I have two:

	1) If its good, don't ruin it, if its junk you 
	   needn't worry.

	2) I use a brute force algorithm of cycling: Peddle 
	   long	enough, and you'll get there.

Bicycle riding in snow and ice is a problem of friction:  
Too much of the rolling type, and not enough of the sideways 
type.


Road conditions:

More will be covered below, but now let it suffice to say 
that a lot of salt is used on the roads here.  Water 
splashed up tastes as salty as a cup of Lipton Chicken soup 
to which an additional spool of salt has been added. Salt 
eats metal.  Bicycles dissolve.

EQUIPMENT:

Bicycle:

Although I have a better bicycle which I ride in nice 
weather, I buy my commuting bikes at garage sales for about 
$25.00. They're disposable.  Once they start dissolving, I 
remove any salvageable parts, then throw the rest away.

Right now, I'm riding a '10-speed' bike.  I used to ride 
mountain bikes, but I'm back to the '10-speed'.  Here's why.  
Mountain bikes cost $50.00 at the garage sales.  They're 
more in demand around here. Since I've ridden both, I'll 
comment on each one.

The Mountain bikes do have better handling, but they're a 
tougher to ride through deep snow.  The 10-speed cuts 
through the deep snow better.  I can ride in deeper snow 
with it, and when the snow gets too deep to ride, its easier 
to carry.

Fenders on the bike?  Sounds like it might be a good idea, 
and someday I'll try it out.  I think, however, that 
snow/ice will build up between the fender and the tire 
causing it to be real tough to pedal.  I have a rack on the 
back with a piece of plywood to prevent too much junk being 
thrown on my back.

I would *like* to be able to maintain the bike, but its 
tough to work outside in the winter.  My wife (maybe I 
should write to Dear Abbey about this) will not let me bring 
my slop covered bicycle through the house to get it in the 
basement.  About once a month We have a warm enough day that 
I am able to go out with a bucket of water, wash all of the 
gunk off of the bike, let it dry and then bring it in.

I tear the thing down, clean it and put it together with 
lots of grease.  I use some kind of grease made for farm 
equipment that is supposed to be more resistant to the 
elements.  When I put it together, I grease the threads, 
then cover the nuts, screws, whatever with a layer of 
grease.  This prevents them from rusting solidly in place 
making it impossible to remove.  Protection against 
corrosion is the primary purpose of the grease.  Lubrication 
is secondary. remember to put a drop of oil on the threads 
of each spoke, otherwise, the spokes rust solidly, and its 
impossible to do any truing

Outside, I keep a plastic ketchup squirter, which I fill with 
automotive oil (lately its been 90 weight standard 
transmission oil).  Every two or three days, I use it to re-
oil my chain and derailleur, and brakes.  It drips all over 
the snow beneath me when I do it, and gets onto my 
'cuffs'(or whatever you call the bottom of those pants.  
See, I told you I don't cycle for the environment.  I 
probably end up dumping an ounce of heavy oil into the snow 
run-off each year.


Clothing

Starting at the bottom, on my feet I wear Sorell Caribou 
boots. These are huge ugly things, but they keep my feet 
warm.  I have found that in extreme to insane cold, my toes 
get cold otherwise. These boots do not make it easy to ride, 
but they do keep me warm (see rule 2, brute force).  They do 
not fit into any toe-clips that I have seen.  I used to wear 
lighter things for less cold weather, but I found judging 
the weather to be a pain.  If its not too cold, I ride with 
them half unlaced.  The colder it gets, the more I lace 
them, and finally, I'll tie them.

Fortunately, wet days are not too cold, and cold days are 
not wet.  When its dry, I wear a pair of cycling shorts, and 
one or two (depending on temp and wind) cotton sweat pants 
covering that.  I know about lycra and polypro (and use them 
for skiing), but these things are destroyed by road-dirt, 
slush and mud.(see rule 1 above).  I save my good clothes 
for x-country skiing.

An important clothing item in extreme to insane cold, is a 
third sock.  You put it in your pants.  No, not to increase 
the bulge to impress the girls, but for insulation.  
Although several months after it happens it may be funny, 
when it does  happens, frostbite on the penis is not funny.  
I speak from experience!  Twice, no less!  I have no idea
of what to recommend to women in this section.

Next in line, I wear a polypro shirt, covered by a wool 
sweater, covered by a 'ski-jacket' (a real ugly one with a 
stripe up the back.  The ski jacket protects the rest of my 
clothes, and I can regulate my temperature with the zipper 
in front.

I usually take a scarf with me.  For years I have had a fear 
that the scarf would get caught in the spokes, and I'd be 
strangled in the middle of the street, but it has not yet 
happened.  When the temp is extreme or colder, I like 
keeping my neck warm.  I have one small problem.  Sometimes 
the moisture in my breath will cause the scarf to freeze to 
my beard.

On my hands, I wear wool mittens when its not too cold, and 
when it gets really cold, I wear my cross-country skiing 
gloves (swix) with wool mittens covering them.  Hands sweat 
in certain areas (at least mine do), and I like watching the 
frost form on the outside of the mittens.  By looking at the 
frost, I can tell which muscles are working.  I am amused by
things like this.

On my head, I wear a toque (Ski-hat?) covered by a bicycle 
helmet. I don't wear one of those full face masks because I 
haven't yet been able to find one that fits well with eye 
glasses.  In extreme to insane cold, my forehead will often 
get quite cold, and I have to keep pulling my hat down.  The 
bottoms of my ears sometimes stick out from my hat, and 
they're always getting frostbitten. This year, I'm thinking 
of trying my son's Lifa/polypro balaclava. Its thin enough 
so that it won't bother me, and I only need a bit more 
protection from frostbite.

I carry my clothes for the day in a knapsack.  Everything that
goes in the knapsack goes into a plastic bag.  Check the plastic
bag often for leaks.  A small hole near the top may let in water
which won't be able to get out.  The net result is that things
get more wet than would otherwise be expected.  The zippers will
eventually corrode.  Even the plastic ones become useless after
a few years.


RIDING:

In the winter, the road is narrower.  There are snow banks 
on either side.  Cars do not expect to see bicycles.  There 
are less hours of daylight, and the its harder to maintain 
control of the bicycle. Be careful.

I don't worry about what legal rights I have on the road, I 
simply worry about my life.  I'd rather crash into a snow 
bank for sure rather than take a chance of crashing into a 
car.  I haven't yet had a winter accident in 12 years.  I've 
intentionally driven into many snow banks.  

Sometimes, during a storm, I get into places where I just 
can't ride.  It is sometimes necessary to carry the bicycle 
across open fields.  When this happens, I appreciate my 
boots.

It takes a lot more energy to pedal.  Grease gets thick, and 
parts (the bicycle's and mine) don't seem to move as easily.  
My traveling time increases about 30% in nice weather, and 
can even double during a raging storm.

The wind seems to be always worse in winter.  It's not 
uncommon to have to pedal to go down hills.  

Be careful on slushy days.  Imagine an 8 inch snowfall 
followed by rain.  This produces heavy slush.  If a car 
rides quickly through deep slush, it may send a wave of the 
slush at you. This stuff is heavy.  When it hits you, it 
really throws you off balance.  Its roughly like getting a 
10 lbs sack of rotten potatoes thrown at your back.  This
stuff could even knock over a pedestrian.

Freezing rain is the worst.  Oddly enough, I find it easier 
to ride across a parking lot covered with wet smooth ice 
than it is to walk across it.  The only problem is that 
sometimes the bicycle simply slides sideways out from under 
you.  I practice unicycle riding, and that may help my 
balance.  (Maybe not, but its fun anyway)

Beware of bridges that have metal grating.  This stuff gets 
real slippery when snow covered.  One time, I slid, hit an 
expansion joint, went over the handle bars, over the railing 
of the bridge.  I don't know how, but one arm reached out 
and grabbed the railing.  Kind of like being MacGyver.


Stopping.

There are several ways of stopping.  The first one is to use 
the brakes.  This does not always work.  Breaks can ice up, 
a bit of water gets between the cable and its sheathing when 
the warm afternoon sun shines on the bike. It freezes solid 
after. Or the salt causes brake cables to break, etc.  I 
have had brakes work on one corner, but stop working by the 
time I get to the next.  I have several other means of 
stopping.

The casual method.  For a stop when you have plenty of time. 
Rest the ball of your foot on top of the front derailleur, 
and *gradually* work your heel between the tire and the 
frame. By varying the pressure, you can control your speed.  
Be sure that you don't let your foot get wedged in there!

Faster method.  Get your pedals in the 6-12 O'clock 
position. Stand up.  The 6 O'clock foot remains on the 
pedal, while you place the other foot on the ground in front 
of the pedal.  By varying your balance, you can apply more 
or less pressure to your foot.  The pedal, wedged against 
the back of your calf, forces your foot down more, providing 
more friction.

Really fast!  Start with the fast method, but then dismount 
while sliding the bicycle in front of you.  You will end up 
sliding on your two feet, holding onto the bike in front for 
balance.  If it gets *really* critical, throw the bike ahead 
of you, and sit down and roll.  Do not do this on dry 
pavement, your feet need to be able to slide.

In some conditions, running into a snow bank on the side 
will stop you quickly, easily, and safely.  If you're going 
too fast, you might want to dive off of the bicycle over the 
side.  Only do this when the snow bank is soft.  Make sure 
that there isn't a car hidden under that soft snow.  Don't
jump into fire hydrants either.


ETC.

Freezing locks.  I recommend carrying a BIC lighter.  Very 
often the lock will get wet, and freeze solid.  Usually the 
heat from my hands applied for a minute or so (a real minute 
or so, not what seems like a minute) will melt it, but 
sometimes it just needs more than that.

Eating Popsicles

Something I like doing in the winter is to buy a Popsicle 
before I leave, and put it in my pocket.  It won't melt!  I 
take it out and start eating it just as I arrive at the 
University.  Its fun to watch peoples' expressions when they 
see me, riding in the snow, eating a Popsicle.


You have to be careful with Popsicles in the winter.  I once 
had a horrible experience.  You know how when you are a kid, 
your parents told you never to put your tongue onto a metal 
pole? In very cold weather, a Popsicle acts the same way.  
If you are not careful, your upper lip, lower lip, and 
tongue become cemented to the Popsicle.  Although this 
sounds funny when I write about it, it was definitely not 
funny when it happened.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nancy's Cold/Wet Cycling Tips  (Nancy Piltch  piltch@ariel.lerc.nasa.gov)

Here are some clothing suggestions, mix and match as you wish:

Rain gear : I forked out the dollars for gore-tex when I did a week tour 
  ... and I'm real glad I did. The stuff works reasonably as claimed, 
  waterproof, and relatively breathable. (When the humidity is high, no 
  fabric will work completely at letting sweat evaporate.) Unfortunately, 
  typical prices are high. There are cheaper rainsuits, which I haven't tried.
  For short rides, or when the temperature is over about 50F, I don't
  usually wear the rain pants, as wet legs don't particularly bother me.

Waterproof shoe covers. When the weather gets icky, I give up on
  the cleats (I'm not riding for performance then, anyway) and put
  the old-style pedals back on. This is basically because of the
  shoe covers I have that work better with touring shoes. The ones
  I have are made by Burley, and are available from Bikecentennial,
  though I got them at a local shop. They are just  the cover, no
  insulation. I continue to use them in winter since they are windproof,
  and get the insulation I need from warm socks. These aren't neoprene,
  but rather some high-tech waterproof fabric.
  
Gaiters that hikers and cross-country skiers wear can help keep road
  spray off your legs and feet.

Toe clip covers. I got them from Nashbar; they are insulated and fit
  over the toe clips ... another reason for  going back to those pedals.
  They help quite a bit when the temperature goes into the 30's and below;
  they are too warm above that.

For temperatures in the 40's I usually find that a polypropylene shirt,
  lightweight sweater (mine is polypro) and wind shell work well; I use
  the gore-tex jacket, since I have it, but any light weight jacket
  is OK. I have a lightweight pair of nylon-lycra tights, suitable in
  the 50's, and maybe the 40's; a heavier pair of polypro tights, for
  40's, and a real warm pair of heavy, fleece-lined tights for colder
  weather. (I have been comfortable in them down to about 15-deg, which
  is about the minimum I will ride in.) My tights are several years
  old, and I think there are lots more variations on warm tights out now.
  I use thin polypro glove liners with my cycling gloves when it is a little
  cool; lightweight gloves  for a little bit cooler; gore-tex and thinsulate
  gloves for cold weather (with the glove liners in the really cold weather.)
  It is really my fingers that limit my cold weather riding, as anything
  any thicker than that limits my ability to work brake levers.
  (Note: this may change this year as I've just bought a mountain bike;
  the brake levers are much more accessible than on my road bike. It may
  be possible to ride with warm over-mitts over a wool or similar glove.)

When it gets down to the 20's, or if it's windy at warmer (!)  temperatures,
  I'll add the gore-tex pants from my rain suit, mostly as wind protection,
  rather than rain protection. Cheaper wind pants are available (either
  at bike shops or at sporting goods stores) that will work just as well
  for that use.

Warm socks. There are lots of choices; I use 1 pair of wool/polypropylene
  hiking socks (fairly thick). Then with the rain covers on my shoes to
  keep out wind, and (if necessary) the toe clip covers, I'm warm enough.
  There are also thin sock liners, like my glove liners, but I haven't
  needed them; there are also neoprene socks, which I've never tried,
  and neoprene shoe covers, which I've also never tried, and wool socks,
  and ski socks ...

I have a polypropylene balaclava which fits comfortably under my helmet;
  good to most of the temperatures I'm willing to ride in; a little too
  warm for temperatures above freezing, unless it's also windy. I also have 
  an ear-warmer band, good for 40's and  useful with the balaclava for 
  miserable weather. I also have a neoprene face mask; dorky looking, but 
  it works. It is definitely too hot until the temperature (or wind) gets 
  severe. I sometimes add ski goggles for the worst conditions, but they 
  limit peripheral vision, so I only use   them if I'm desperate.

For temperatures in the 30's, and maybe 20's, I wear a polarfleece 
  pullover thing under the outer shell. Combining that with or without
  polypro (lightweight) sweater or serious duty wool sweater gives a 
  lot of options. Sometimes I add a down vest -- I prefer it *outside*
  my shell (contrary to usual wisdom) because I usually find it too
  warm once I start moving and want to unzip it, leaving the wind
  shell closed for wind protection. I only use the down vest when it's
  below about 15 F.