From: iglesias@draco.acs.uci.edu (Mike Iglesias)
Subject: Rec.Bicycles Frequently Asked Questions Posting  Part 2/4
Expires: 5 May 1992 00:00:00 GMT
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles,news.answers
Organization: University of California, Irvine
Date: 7 Apr 92 02:48:04 GMT
Followup-To: rec.bicycles

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


Surf and Cycle Shop
Mass. Ave 
Cambridge, MA.  
(617) 661-2443
  Usually open until 7pm weekdays, open 12-5 Sundays.  


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 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 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.
  
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Recumbent Bike Info  (David Wittenberg  wittenberg@zendia.enet.dec.com)

Here's my standard response to questions about recumenbents.  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.]

There are a couple of interesting publications for recumbents:

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

They have several publications on all aspects of human powered transportation
(bikes, aircraft, watercraft.)  Dues are US$20/year in the U.S., Canada, 
and Mexico, and US$25 elsewhere.

The Recumbent Bicycle Club of America
427 Amherst St.  Suite 305
Nashua,  NH  03063  USA

This is a new club and a good way to find someone with a particular
kind of recumbent who lives near you.  Their magazine is fun, and
a lot less formal than the IHPVA.  Dues are US$20/year in the U.S.A.,
and US$25/year elsewhere.


There's a lot of recumbent activity in Europe, but I don't have any 
addresses for people there.  All these are in the U.S.
That said, here's a list of most of the recumbent manufacturers I know of:

University Cyclery
4007 G Bellaire Blvd.
Houston, TX  77025
(713) 666-4452		High handlebar recumbents

Tour EZ			$1 for a catalog
Box 255A
Freedom, CA  95019
(408) 722-9797		High handlebar, long wheelbase bikes.
			One of their designs is very fast.

Rans
1404 E. Hwy. 40 Bypass
Hays,  KS  67601
(913) 625-6346

Ryan Recumbents, Inc.   [He's moved to the West coast.  I don't have a
58 Lyle St.               current address.]
Malden, MA  02148
(617) 324-1921		Long wheelbase, low handlebars, steel frames.
			Around $1000.

Ace Tool & Engineering  (Infinity Recumbent)  $1 for a flyer
P.O Box 326
Mooresville, IN  46158
(317) 831-8798		Long wheelbase, low handlebars, aluminum frames.
			Have a reputation for cracking, but are the least
			expensive recumbents I know of -- around $500.
			[Some people report great 
                        success with these, others early failure.  I don't
 			know what's going on.]

Counterpoint Conveyance, Ltd.
P.O. Box 763
Edmonds WA  98020
(206) 776-6787		Makes a single with high handlebars and short 
			wheelbase (Presto), and a tandem with the stoker
			recumbent and the captain upright, which allows
			different cadences for the captain and the stoker.
			Very nice bikes.  I think the Presto is around $1700,
			and the Opus III tandem is a little over $3500.
			We have an Opus III and think it's wonderful.
			His frames are steel.

Linear Manufacturing Inc.  (Linear)
Route 1, Box 173
Guttenberg,  IA  52052		Long Wheelbase aluminum bike with either
(319) 252-1637			high or low handlebars  (You can convert
				from one to the other.)  Around $850.
				They sell through dealers, and if you 
				get in touch with them they'll tell you where
				the nearest dealer is.

Rotator
915 Middle Rincon Rd.
Santa Rosa,  CA  95409
(707) 539-4203	

Lightning Cycle Inc. (Tailwind)	$1 for a brochure
3819 Rte.  295
Swanton, OH  43558
(419) 826-4056		Steel long wheelbase, low handlebars.  Around $1200.
			Very nice bike.  I like his engineering.  [I took
			delivery of one about 4 months ago.  It's great.
			He was the most obliging bike person I've ever
			dealt with and made several small mods for no
			charge (mainly custom brackets for my lights).
			The bike is well designed and well made.  A less
			well known bike than the Vanguard, but better made,
			and similar in price when you add in the options
			which are much cheaper on the Tailwind.]

Lightning Cycle Dynamics
1500 - E Chestnut St.
Lompoc,   CA  93436
(805) 736-0700		Short Wheelbase, high handlebars.  Full fairings
			are available, and very fast.  Pete Pensyres 
			commutes on one.

EcoCycle  (Trice)	$1 for flyer, $5 for video tape
5755 NW Fair Oaks Dr.
Corvallis, OR  97330
(503) 753-5178		The Trice is a steel recumbent tricycle, with
			low handlebars, and a short to medium wheelbase.
			Around $1200.  He also imports a Ross recumbent,
			for around $1100.


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

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.

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

Studded Tires  (Nancy Piltch  piltch@ariel.lerc.nasa.gov)

[A summary on studded tires compiled by Nancy.  A complete copy of
the responses she received, including some that give directions for
making your own studded tires, is in the archive.]

Studded tires do help, especially on packed snow and ice. On fresh snow
and on water mixed with snow (i.e. slush) they're not significantly different 
from unstudded knobbies. 

On dry pavement they are noisy and heavy, but can be used; watch out for
cornering, which is degraded compared to unstudded tires.

Several people recommend a Mr. Tuffy or equivalent with them; one 
respondent says he gets more flats with a liner than without.

In the U.S. the IRC Blizzard tires are commercially available. They
can also be made.

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

Milk Jug Mud Flaps  (Chuck Tryon  bilbo@bisco.kodak.com)

  Actually, I have used plastic like this (or in my case, some
  red plastic from a cheap note book cover -- it's heavier) to extend the
  bottom (rear) end of the front fender.  The Zephals are good, but they
  don't stop the splash from where the tire hits the road from getting on my
  feet.  What I did was cut a small triangle about 3in (~7cm) wide by 6in
  (~15cm) long, cut a hole in the top of it and the bottom end of the fender,
  and use a pop-rivet (with washers to prevent tear out) to attach it.  On a
  road bike, it should be end up being within a few inches of the road.  ATB's
  will need more clearance, so this won't work well off road.

        |   |
        |   |
       /| o |\   <----- rivet with washer on inside
      | \___/ |
      /       \   <---- flap fits inside of the fender, and follows the
     |         |        curve, which gives it some stiffness.
     |         |
     |         |
     \_________/
         | | 
         | |     <----- bottom of tire
         \_/
        
===========================================================================

Cycling Myths

Following are various myths about cycling and why they are/aren't true.


Myth: Wearing a helmet makes your head hotter than if you didn't wear one.

Actual measurements under hard riding conditions with ANSI standard
helmets show no consistent temperature difference from helmetless
riders.  Part of the reason is that helmets provide insulated
protection from the sun as well as some airflow around the head. 
(Les Earnest  Les@cs.Stanford.edu)


Myth: You need to let the air out of your tires before shipping your bike
      on an airplane - if you don't, the tires will explode.

Assume your tire at sea level, pumped to 100 psi.  Air pressure at sea
level is (about) 15psi. Therefore, the highest pressure which can be
reached in the tire is 100+15=115psi.  Ergo: There is no need to
deflate bicycle tires prior to flight to avoid explosions. 
(Giles Morris  gilesm@bird.uucp)
Addendum:  The cargo hold is pressurized to the same pressure as the
passenger compartment.
(Tom ?  tom@math.ufl.edu)


Myth: You can break a bike lock with liquid nitrogen or other gases

Freon cannot cool the lock sufficiently to do any good.  Steel
conducts heat into the cooling zone faster than it can be removed by a
freeze bomb at the temperatures of interest.  Liquid nitrogen or other
gasses are so cumbersome to handle that a lock on a bike cannot be
immersed as it must be to be effective.  The most common and
inconspicuous way to break these locks is by using a 4 inch long 1
inch diameter commercial hydraulic jack attached to a hose and pump
unit. 
(Jobst Brandt  jobst_brandt%01@hp1900.desk.hp.com)

[More myths welcome!]

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

Buying a Bike

One thing to decide before buying a bike is what type to buy.  Here's a
brief list:

  Road bike    Once known as a "ten-speed", most are now 12 or 14 (or even
               16) speed.  There are several sub-types: racing, sport,
               and touring, the difference mostly in frame geometry.

  ATB          All-terrain bike, also known as mountain bike.  Great for
               riding in the dirt, these bikes usually have fat, knobby
               tires for traction in dirt and gravel.

  Hybrid       A bike that borrows from road bikes and ATBs.  For example,
               they have the light frame and 700c wheels of road bikes and
               fat knobby tires, triple cranks, wide-range derailleurs,
               flat handlebars and cantilever brakes from mountain bikes.


Bike buying hints

When you're ready to buy a bike, you should first decide what you want
to use the bike for.  Do you want to race?  Do you want to pedal along
leisurely?  Do you want to ride in the dirt?

Next, you should decide on a price range.  Plan to spend at least 
$350 for a decent quality bike.  

Now find a good bike shop.  Ask friends who bike.  Ask us here on the
net.  Chances are, someone here lives in your area and can recommend
a shop.

Now that you are ready to look for a bike, visit the shop(s) you have
selected.  Test ride several bikes in your price range.  How does it
feel?  Does it fit you?  How does it shift?  Does it have the features
you are looking for?  How do the shop personnel treat you?  Remember
that the shop gets the bike disassembled and has to spend a couple of
hours putting it together and adjusting things, so look for sloppy
work (If you see some, you may want to try another shop).  You might
want to try a bike above your price range to see what the differences
are (ask the salesperson). 

Ask lots of questions - pick the salesperson's brain.  If you don't
ask questions, they may recommend a bike that's not quite right
for you.  Ask about places to ride, clubs, how to take care of your
bike, warranties, etc.  Good shops will have knowledgable people
who can answer your questions.  Some shops have free or low-cost
classes on bike maintenance; go and learn about how to fix a flat,
adjust the brakes and derailleurs, overhaul your bike, etc.
Ask your questions here - there are lots of people here just waiting
for an excuse to post!

Make sure that the bike fits you.  If you don't, you may find that
you'll be sore in places you never knew could be so sore.  For road
bikes, you should be able to straddle the top tube with your feet flat
on the ground and still have about 1 inch of clearance.  For mountain
bikes, give yourself at least 2-3 inches of clearance.  You may need
a longer or shorter stem or cranks depending on your build - most
bikes are setup for "average" bodies.  The bike shop can help you
with adjustments to the handlebars and seat.

Now that you've decided on a bike, you need some accessories.  You
should consider buying

   a helmet
   a frame pump
   a tube repair kit
   tire levers (plastic)
   a pressure gauge
   a seat pack (for repair kit, wallet, keys, etc)
   gloves
   a water bottle and cage
   a lock
   
The shop can help you select these items and install them on your bike.