HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace


>    Has anyone experienced problems with the low wattage Night
>    Sun bulbs? I bought my Night Sun in November, and while I'm
>    pleased with the overall way it works, I've had very poor
>    luck with the low wattage bulbs.
I've only used my Nightsun three times, but the low wattage bulb went
out on my third ride (< 5 hours use).

>   I called Night Sun after the first one blew and they were not very
>   helpful. The guy I spoke to said they couldn't guarantee bulbs
>   ...
>   risk. I think this is a pretty sh***ty attitude for a company
I got the same story and I agree he had an attitude.

>The high beam bulb is the same as the low-voltage track light bulbs
>available from most big hardware stores.  In fact, I ended up making a
>homebrew light for the second bike out of one of these, and it works
>very well.
Are there any other bulbs which can be used for the low-wattage bulb?

Jon
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace
From: rob@bnr.ca (Robert Perkins)
Subject: Re: WANTED: Aluminum Touring Frame Recs
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 23:11:12 GMT
Organization: Bell Northern Research

In article <1993Jan20.054646.20963@rbc.uucp>, al@rbc.uucp (Al Davis) writes:
|> Robert Perkins writes
|> > I'm looking for a good touring frame that won't rust or
|> > break my budget.  Does anyone have any recommendations
|> > for an Aluminum or other material touring frame?  How are the
|> > Cannondale frames?  Anyone want to sell a used one?
|> 
|> I have a Cannondale touring bike and like it, but...
|> 
|> I think a better idea is to get a mountain bike frame and build it as a  
|> road bike.  (Drop bars, higher gearing, etc.) 
(Text deleted)

Al, this is an option, and in fact I did it with a Raleigh cro-mo 
"mountain tour" frame when I was stationed in Germany.  This MTB
had a fairly long 41" wheelbase and touring braze-ons.

However,
I had some problems fitting panniers (front lowrider and rear standard),
the stem was too close and too low, and the IRC 1.5" slicks I put on
still were noticeably slower than my wife's 27" wheeled Miyata tourer
(We traded once going up a mountain, I had lower gears).
Besides, steel rusts.  It was a pain in the ass to have to cover 
the bikes every night with a plastic sheet.

Thanks for the suggestion anyway.
-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------
Rob Perkins :::: rperkins@bnr.ca ::::: 
Durrrr-hammmm North Carolina
The opinions I opine are purely mine...Bell Northern Research
disowns my thoughts, feelings, opinions, etc. as expressed here.
----------------------------------------------------------------
From: v206gb6c@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (My stuffed shark is eating my toenail clippings)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace
Subject: Re: Do bike stores mark up or mark down?
Date: 21 Jan 93 15:10:00 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <1993Jan20.235607.17660@sol.cs.wmich.edu>, oliver@angst.cs.wmich.edu (Christopher Oliver) writes...
> 
> There's something
> in the Excel 'log about bonus bucks coming with the frame, which I take to
> be their way of getting around Merlin's refusing to sell to anyone, mailorder
> included, who sells for less than SRP.  (Note: I have no knowledge of
> Merlin's policies, but infer this from what I see.)
> 
>Maybe my brain has turned to mush, but isn't this a form of price fixing and
>hence illegal?
> 

    It is price fixing, but not the illegal kind.  It's only illegal if it is
done in conspiracy with other manufacturer's to artificially (or not) set the
market value of a commodity.  Merlin's policy is not that.

PauL M SchwartZ  (-Z-)  |  Follow men's eyes as they look to the skies
v206gb6c@ubvms.BitNet   |         the shifting shafts of shining 
pms@geog.buffalo.edu    |        weave the fabric of their dreams
pms@acsu.buffalo.edu    |                    - RUSH -
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace,rec.bicycles.misc
From: pwyc@cbnewse.cb.att.com (peter.w.chen)
Subject: Round Town basket, Vistalite 420 (short reviews)
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 20:05:54 GMT


Well, I just installed these, some thoughts from a very short experience:

Round Town basket (REI):
They come in a pair with straps that snap together over a rack, and hangers
to hang on the rack.  So far so good.  But the s-hooks that are supposed to
attach to the rack prongs don't reach down nearly far enuf.  I improvised
by using my luggage strap to tie them down.  But then I found the bags
interfered with turning on the Vistalite rear light I had hanging from the
back of the rack.  OK, I said, I'll get the hang of turning on the light
soon enough; just take off my winter gloves, right?  Well, on my first night
home, a driver honked, slowed, and yelled through his window: "your rear light
is hidden by those curtains - you're gonna get killed!"  Well, that settles
it: I moved the Vistalite to the seatpost with some improvised straps;
this seems better, but still I'm leaving the left bag off until I need it.

Vistalite 420 headlight:
The strap which anchors the light to the handlebar looks pretty flimsy.
after I figured out how to tighten it, it seemed remarkably stable, until
I took it out for a spin in sub-freezing temps.  The contraction in the
handlebar was probably sufficient to loosen the strap a bit; adding some
foam padding from a defunct Cateye seemed to help a little.  The light
is still a bit loose, but this turned out to be a nice feature.  One night
as I was riding home, I hit a patch of ice on a dark strech of road and
skidded.  I managed to stay upright, but the chain came off.  I simply
turned the light around and pointed it at the chain - voila, a steady,
bright flashlight for emgergency roadside repair!  I'm still a little
uneasy about the snap-up mechanism to tighten the strap - it seems it can
come loose pretty easily, though hasn't happened yet.  But for my peace
of mind I'm gonna thread the loose end of the strap thru the buckle a few
times to make sure it doesn't drop to the ground when I hit a big pothole.
So what if it's not quick-release - less worry about theft.  The button to turn
on the light is a little hard to push when wearing winter gloves, especially if
the strap is a bit loose, and especially if you mount the light on the
underside of the handlebar, as the manufacturer suggests.  The stated runtime
on the battery is 2.5hr.  I have used the light in driving rain, at
sub-freezing temperatures (down to the teens so far) without any problems.   
The light itself is bright enough, though I wish the beam is a little more
concentrated.  Another little wish is that the little flap where the wire from
the battery goes in be a little bigger so it's easier to open with winter
gloves on.  Why do bike equipment vendors think all bicyclists
live in southern California?
==
Peter Chen
pwyc@ihspa.att.com
From: au109@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Craig Williams)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace
Subject: Re: Exorbitant Shipping Costs??!
Date: 21 Jan 1993 11:44:39 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


Note that the original message said it was sent COD.  Although I've
never used COD, I believe that the shipping company adds a hefty
service fee for the use of COD deliveries.  Anyone know what
COD charges are?  Are they fixed, based on insured value, or
something else?

Craig Williams
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace
From: alanf@cs.monash.edu.au (Alan Grant Finlay)
Subject: Re: Shimano taking over...:-(
Organization: Computer Science, Monash University, Australia
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 03:31:00 GMT

mly@adoc.xerox.com (Richard Mlynarik) writes:

>In article <43783@sdcc12.ucsd.edu> mtaffe@sdcc3.ucsd.edu (Michael Taffe) writes:

>Now, just so this message isn't just a bunch of pointless
>"retro-grouch" whining, I have a question to ask: where are all the
>nice, unwanted Superbe and Dura Ace single-pivot brakes, the nice,
>unwanted Campag quill pedals, the perfectly-running five-year-old
>Campag hubs, the the DA non-shifting brake levers, etc, etc?  Are they
>buried in municipal dumps, have they been given away to
>underprivileged children's charities or Bikes not Bombs, or are they
>just they just sitting in boxes or on unridden bicycles in suburban
>garages?

>PS Why isn't anybody giving them away to me?

Perhaps they are stolen?  Look in pawn shops if you want to support theft.

Otherwise, from what I have seen of replacement parts, they are too expensive
to buy separately.  When you buy a bike, it comes with pedals, gears etc and
you don't really have the choice to swap components unless they happen to
be on another bike in the shop of similar quality.  So you buy a new
bike and if your lucky enough not to have had the old one stolen, you sell
the old one or give it to your brother and then it sits in a shed for 20 years.

,-------Alan Finlay, email: alanf@bruce.cs.monash.edu.au, phone: (03)565-5225.
From: sl79d@cc.usu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace
Subject: HELP roadbike and info wanted
Date: 24 Jan 93 16:18:35 MDT
Organization: Utah State University

	I am looking and seeking advice or even a bike if you have one.  I am
looking for a good roadbike that I would be able to train and if wanting race
with,  I am a college student, also married so my budget is not huge,, I want a
nice one but would also like to know how to tell the differences in todays
quality.. I rode several italian bikes while in europe and made the mistake of
not bringing one home...  the dollar is terrible over there so I am hoping to
pick a new or used one up that will fit the bill... thanks for your replys..
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace
From: david@postman.gr.osf.org (David George)
Subject: Re: Shimano taking over...:-(
Organization: OSF RI Grenoble
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 17:13:18 GMT

>In article <43783@sdcc12.ucsd.edu> mtaffe@sdcc3.ucsd.edu (Michael Taffe) writes: 
|> Now, just so this message isn't just a bunch of pointless
|> "retro-grouch" whining, I have a question to ask: where are all the
|> nice, unwanted Superbe and Dura Ace single-pivot brakes, the nice,
|> unwanted Campag quill pedals, the perfectly-running five-year-old
|> Campag hubs, the the DA non-shifting brake levers, etc, etc?  Are they
|> buried in municipal dumps, have they been given away to
|> underprivileged children's charities or Bikes not Bombs, or are they
|> just they just sitting in boxes or on unridden bicycles in suburban
|> garages?

Still on my 'race' bike, and still functioning (Frame vitus 971, Dura-Ace
side pull brakes, dura-ace lge flangs hubs, omega pedals, Sun Tour Supurbe
chainset [circa 1980]).  As things have gotten old I've moved them onto my training bike.  For instance I use a spare Shimano XT rear mech, the old Dura
Ace mech. having found new life on my hack bike.

I was rather fazed turning up for a 25 mile TT last autumn.  Everyone sported
disk wheels, Scott marathon handlebars, lycra skin suits.  Whereas I must have
looked like Luis Ocana (who he ?).  I was even more dissappointed when I started
to overtake these guys !

David.

My Dura Ace hubs will be 15 this year (almost as old as me :-), I took them out
for a spin up the Col du Coq in the French Alpes this lunchtime to celebrate.
The rims have changed from Mavic Champion du Monde to Open 4CDs though.
From: iglesias@draco.acs.uci.edu (Mike Iglesias)
Subject: Re: Shimano taking over...:-(
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace
Organization: University of California, Irvine
Date: 23 Jan 93 05:35:20 GMT

In article <1993Jan22.132347.24132@bmerh85.bnr.ca> paynter@bnr.ca (Stuart Paynter) writes:
>|> In the after holidy sale catalogs that I have Performance has both the XT
>|> and Deore DX,  Nashbar has XT only. 
>
>Do you have these reversed?  I wanted a set of DX hubs and Performance said
>that they didn't carry them.  Nashbar were "out of stock" (suprise, suprise),
>but they do carry them.

No, I don't.  The Shimano DX stuff is on page 51 of the Performance After
Christmas sale catalog. 


Mike
From: v206gb6c@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (My stuffed shark is eating my toenail clippings)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace
Subject: Re: Takara MTB
Keywords: Takara
Date: 27 Jan 93 21:36:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <1k6js6INN3s2@travis.csd.harris.com>, mike@flipper.csd.harris.com (Mike Thomas) writes...
>Has anyone ever heard of this brand? Someone is selling one locally.
>I can't find any references to it. The seller was unable to tell me
>much about it (model etc) other than it has Shimano Exage ?? 
>components and that he bought it used last July. Anyway, he is 
>asking $250 for it, and I was wondering if this is even worth going
>to take a look at. He claims it is in perfect functional condition.
>(Well, there are no _mountains_ in in S.Fla.) Thanks for you help!

    I had a Takara as my first mountian bike back when I was very, very poor
(a GT when I was just poor, and I just got a Kestrel now that I'm making some
$$$).  I wouldn't ride the Takara as a mountian bike if you offered me a free
$1,000,000 insurance policy.  It amde an OK city bike, but most hybrids are 
better.  It was heavy, the bars were the kind that bend upwards and out (like
a kids bike)and it had a dead feel to it.

PauL M SchwartZ  (-Z-)  |  Follow men's eyes as they look to the skies
v206gb6c@ubvms.BitNet   |         the shifting shafts of shining 
pms@geog.buffalo.edu    |        weave the fabric of their dreams
pms@acsu.buffalo.edu    |                    - RUSH -
From: mpb@nomad.jpl.nasa.gov (Michael Batchelder)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace
Subject: Experiences w/ Ritchey road frames?
Date: 27 Jan 1993 07:15:49 GMT
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA/Caltech
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: nomad.jpl.nasa.gov

Anyone have experience with Ritchey's fillet-brazed road frames?
I have the opportunity to pick one up cheaply, or at least cheaper
than their usual ~$1200 retail pricetag.  Looks like a really nice
frame, and the name is obviously a plus.  Tubing is Tange Prestige.
My only specific question/concern is the seatstay/seatpost binder bolt
area.  This one-piece frame design always gave me the willies; I'm
not sure I like the idea of tapping/drilling that close to the seatstays,
rather than tapping on a tab that extends from the seat tube lug and isn't
so structurally obtrusive.  I've seen various frames crack at the binder
bolt area while the bolt was being tightened.

Michael Batchelder
From: chandler@wc.novell.com (Mark Chandler)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace
Subject: Re: Road Cranks with a Granny Gear
Keywords: Cranks, Granny
Date: 25 Jan 93 23:39:01 GMT
Organization: Novell, Inc. - Walnut Creek

In article <1993Jan25.220025.3366@ucsu.Colorado.EDU> berliner@ucsu.Colorado.EDU (BERLINER MARTIN) writes:
>Posted for a friend --
>
> I am looking for a crankset that is drilled for road rings and will also
>allow the addition of a granny gear (in a pinch a MTB crankset will do but
>I am suspect of the strength of a 53 ring drilled for the smaller bolt
>circles.)  What is available here?  And one other thing; the cranks have
>to come in 165 mm lengths.

I've seen some downhill specialists running huge rings on MTB cranksets
w/no apparent problems.

T.A. may just have the crankset you're looking for.  Here's something I
wrote for the upcoming issue of CROSSWORDS:

Specialities T.A. - the French component maker best known for their
Cyclo-Touriste crankset - will be offering two new triples; the Alize
and Zephir.

The Alize pairs standard road racing pattern (130mm diameter
bolt-circle) chainrings with a mountain-type (74mm bolt-circle) "granny
gear."  This combination would fit the needs of tourists, hybrid riders
and sport riders who need an occasional "bail-out" gear (and don't want
to use a wide-range gear cluster).

The Zephir offers one of the widest gear ranges possible by mating a
56mm bolt-circle (ala SunTour MicroDrive) ring to a mountain/touring
triple (110/74mm bolt-circles).  The Zephir could be configured as
20/24/34 for the lowest possible gears (although finding a front
derailleur that could handle that combination is another story).  More
realistically, T.A.'s Zephir could provide the extra-low gear needed by
loaded tourists and off-road explorers.

Both cranksets reportedly feature cold-forged construction and a low
"Q-factor" for biomechanical efficiency.

At this time, it is not known if T.A. plans on exporting these cranks
to the US.


I'm still trying to find out if the T.A.s will be available in the US.
Since the Cyclo-Touristes are available in 165mm, I'm assuming that
their newer models will be too.

>Thanks for the info.
>
>Marty Berliner
>Department of Chemistry
>University of Colorado
>
--
Mark Chandler              Novell, Inc.         510/975-4522
chandler@wc.novell.com     Walnut Creek, CA     AOL: Crosswords
===============================================================
   The opinions expressed above are mine, not my employer's.
Xref: sparky rec.bicycles.marketplace:2230 rec.bicycles.misc:2182
From: mkary@math.bu.edu (Michael Kary)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace,rec.bicycles.misc
Subject: Re: Round Town basket, Vistalite 420 (short reviews)
Date: 24 Jan 93 20:56:04 GMT
Followup-To: rec.bicycles.marketplace
Organization: Department of Mathematics, Boston University, Boston

In article <1993Jan23.200554.21798@cbnewse.cb.att.com> pwyc@cbnewse.cb.att.com (peter.w.chen) writes:

(r.e. the Vistalight 420 headlight)

>uneasy about the snap-up mechanism to tighten the strap - it seems it can
>come loose pretty easily, though hasn't happened yet.  But for my peace
>of mind I'm gonna thread the loose end of the strap thru the buckle a few
>times to make sure it doesn't drop to the ground when I hit a big pothole.
>So what if it's not quick-release - less worry about theft.  The button to turn


As far as I can see, looping the loose strap through the buckle  does not
mean that the light will not fall off if the buckle opens, since the end of
the buckle fits directly into the mount to close the loop- there is no strap
from the opposite side as the buckle to mate with the buckle and provide a
secondary closure. I know the instruction manual suggests this, but if you
examine it carefully, I believe you will agree that looping the strap
through the buckle again will not help in any way.

As far as the beam goes, a while ago there were posts here saying the
"computer-designed reflector shape" produced a very poor beam pattern, like
that of a cheap flashlight. The problem is not with the reflector shape but
with the lens: it is simply one transparent sheet, and doesn't have a
pattern of small lenses to break up the beam and make it more even (look at
any car's headlights, or other bicycle headlights, for comparison). Since
the lens is removable, they should be able to correct this quite
easily. I suggest people who have these lights contact the manufacturer with
this suggestion.

Michael Kary  mkary@math.bu.edu

Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace
From: uphhsbt@Msu.oscs.montana.edu
Subject: Re: giant atx 760
Reply-To: uphhsbt@Msu.oscs.montana.edu
Organization: Montana State University
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 20:04:47 GMT

In article <93020.164113IO10902@MAINE.MAINE.EDU>, IO10902@MAINE.MAINE.EDU (tim jones) writes:
>
>     I am about to buy my first bike, and would like to know
>some information about the Giant atx760.
>
>     First of all, did the forks on the '92's hold up to large
>amounts of abuse (say a 3-5 foot drop)?
I can't say anything about the 92 forks, but the 91's held up to t-boning a car
that pulled out in front of me at 25 mph.  The rest of the bike, except for the
front wheel, survived that too.  I've put about 7000 miles on mine and really
like it, but it is a bit heavy.  If the rental one isn't too beat up, I'd say
it was a really good buy.
Brett

>
>     did the rest of the bike hold up?
>
>     what was the original selling price?
>
>     and would you pay  $365.00  for one out of a rental fleet?
>
>
>Tim Jones
>io10902@Maine
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace
From: scheng@bcarh886.bnr.ca (Spencer Cheng)
Subject: Re: Is there a list of '93 bikes?
Organization: Bell-Northern Research
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 16:24:14 GMT

In article <1993Jan22.125500.23437@bmerh85.bnr.ca> paynter@bnr.ca (Stuart Paynter) writes:

   Just pick up this month's issue of Bicycling magazine.  It is there 
   annual buyer's guide issue.  There are over a 1000 bikes listed with 
   specs on price, components, frame material, (and something else that 
   I forget).  It includes 12 categories of bikes (ie mountain-rigid, 
   mountain-front suspension, road, touring etc).

   It is well worth a read.

I suppose it is BUT any cycling magazine that defines a touring bike as
a bike that comes with flat bars and not suitable for long distance
riding certainly leaves some doubts in my mind. So take anything you see
in Buy-cycling with a couple Kg of salt...

--

Spencer Cheng     scheng@BNR.CA  Bell-Northern Research, Ottawa, Canada  613-763-4046
From: hos@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu ()
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace
Subject: Scapin Road Bike For Sale
Date: 26 Jan 1993 07:26:10 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX
Distribution: tx
Reply-To: hos@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu ()
NNTP-Posting-Host: happy.cc.utexas.edu
Originator: hos@happy.cc.utexas.edu

Scapin Italian Road Bike For Sale

Italian 56cm Columbus Cromor tubing
Pearl White w/Neon yellow/dk blue/fuschia accents
Less than 20 miles and looks brand new!

Campy Athena cranks,brakes,deraillers w/synchro II shifters
Miche seat post and hubs
Cinelli bar/stem
Mavic open 4 CD rims

Was $1200 new but am asking for $600 as cash needed quickly
Send email to: hos@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
or call: Ho (512) 371-7634 (mornings/evenings)

Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace
From: horkan@nicmad.uucp (Kathy Horkan x2324)
Subject: Re: WANTED: Aluminum Touring Frame Recs
Organization: Nicolet Instrument Corp.
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 14:08:01 GMT

>I'm looking for a good touring frame that won't rust or
>break my budget.  Does anyone have any recommendations
>for an Aluminum or other material touring frame?  How are the
>Cannondale frames?  Anyone want to sell a used one?
>
>Rob
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>----------------------------------------------------------------
>Rob Perkins :::: rperkins@bnr.ca ::::: 
>The opinions I opine are purely mine...Bell Northern Research
>disowns my thoughts, feelings, opinions, etc. as expressed here.
---------------------------------------------------------------

The Klein Performance frame and fork is a good high quality, 
light weight, touring frame ($300 - $400).
From: sjm3@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (SALEM JON MAZZAWY)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace
Subject: Re: Merlin
Date: 22 Jan 93 19:13:20 GMT
Organization: Lehigh University

In article <nmstough.19.0@uci.edu>, nmstough@uci.edu (Neal Stoughton) writes:
>Is there anyone who has had experiences with the Merlin frame?  How does it
>perform?  Is it possible and cheaper to buy directly from the frame
>builder?  Thanks for the info.
>
Are you talking about the road, mtn, or extralight frame?   I have riden their
mountain bikes and really liked the ride.   It was springy and felt light.
You must consider that I weigh 135lbs so springy to me might feel mushy to
someone heavier.   I rode a small; the larger sizes have larger tubes and are
a little more rigid.
As for buying from Merlin, you can't.   As it is, they are not even opening to
many more dealers.   If you want it, you have to pay.
                                                Salem
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace