Bikes Bikes Bikes.

[Port-Na-Storm]

OK lets call it Lockdown Madness but I think we need a thread about bikes.

Chris Adney told us about his new Copenhagen Pederson wowsers trousers he must be cutting a dash through the Cotswolds on that!



And Paul asked about wooden bikes.
How about this beauty in Walnut?



Only £5525  Cheap!

And If you feel the need to break out from the Lockdown Blues you could enjoy the great british countryside whilst learning new bike maintenance skills.



And when this madness is all over take your beloved for a tour of the Bavarian Alps.


 

[Grldtnr]

Like the sartorial elegance of Pederson man, that you there Grum in your winter plumage, keeps the chin warm,
And as for the beloved, is that the bike or the missus?
Hopefully will get to take my trike into the mountains some time, be purgoutry going up, but an absolute hoot coming down , if I manage to keep at least two wheels on the road.

[Paul W]

Will you permit this relative newbie to present a few pics of HHBs?  Home Built BIKES!
The first is definitely a Home-Build.  I think the owner said it was mainly ash.
Do you think the 2nd, 3rd and 4th are also home builds?
All seen at a massive "Fossil Free" event in Friesland (northern Netherlands) in 2018.
A significant length of motorway was closed for the event which included electric motorbikes, cars, trucks, buses, and several hundreds of bikes of all kinds.  There was even an electric 2-seater plan overhead.  Numerous  (fossil-free) boats attended (by canal, need I say?).

Pics 5 & 7 show only a small segment of the bike contingent, waiting on the motorway before we were allowed to process into Leeuwarden.

[Grldtnr]

Now, that wood strip velomobile I do like, gives me ideas on what to do with my old recumbent trike, which is a dutch 'Optima' Rider ,built in stainless steel.
I marvel at the Dutch bike scene, something that I hope could happen here, but it needs a strong social change,and political conviction to happen,.

Not something that has always been like in the Netherlands, a strong change came about in the mid '70's, when Dutch society had enough of high child deaths through road traffic accidents.

[inwe]

It wouldn't have anything to do with the flat countryside then?

Richard

[Paul H (admin)]

For a few years I've thought electric bikes are the future.

Far less energy to make than any car.

A house with solar panels can charge them for free, at least April to October in the UK.

Make kids cycle to school, like we all did in the 70s.

They are crap in the rain. However I remember the covered walkways on piers.
 
So my grand plan is covered cycle ways, with shelter from wind and rain - use common sense on which side to ride.

Charging points every km for the old folk and vulnerables, powered by solar panels on the cycle way roof.

Paul

[Randonneur]

For years I dreamed of having a Leitra but never took the plunge.
Then I had the opportunity to ride a  couple of Mike Burrows ratracer recumbent bikes and was hooked on laid back two wheels.
But before I got round to purchasing one I  then  had a demo on an ICE trike, and I had second thoughts.
Then I rode alongside this pair, Mike and Linda, for the best part of 1000 miles on their back to back ICE tandem, and my thoughts changed again...

In the end I stayed with an upright, but every now and again I still think about building a decent velomobile...

To be honest however, I'd rather go along the lines of the Angus rowboat  route, and have a boat capable of both carrying a bike and being towed by it.
That would open up opportunities for some real adventures. 
I can't however see Scotland to Syria being on the cards anytime soon :-(

Pete.

On Thu, Mar 4, 2021 at 9:42 PM Paul W [via UK HBBR Forum] <[hidden email]> wrote:

Will you permit this relative newbie to present a few pics of HHBs?  Home Built BIKES!
The first is definitely a Home-Build.  I think the owner said it was mainly ash.
Do you think the 2nd, 3rd and 4th are also home builds?
All seen at a massive "Fossil Free" event in Friesland (northern Netherlands) in 2018.
A significant length of motorway was closed for the event which included electric motorbikes, cars, trucks, buses, and several hundreds of bikes of all kinds.  There was even an electric 2-seater plan overhead.  Numerous  (fossil-free) boats attended (by canal, need I say?).

Pics 5 & 7 show only a small segment of the bike contingent, waiting on the motorway before we were allowed to process into Leeuwarden.

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NAML

[Paul W]

Not knowing Richard (AFAIK) I can't tell if he is joking.
But "no" cycling popularity in Netherlands is nothing to do with flat countryside.
The amazingly intelligent infrastructure (as Gerald pointed out) stems from the "Kindermoord" (Child Murder) movement of the 1970s.  "Lie-down" strikes prompted political change.
If flat was a major requisite, why would Bristol be one of the bike capitals of England?
Flat can be a disadvantage – Try riding back to Hoek van Holland (east-west, into the Netherlands' prevailing wind).  It can feel like going uphill all day!

A couple more points:-
> Paul (Admin) - In Netherlands you’ll find numerous FREE bike charging points, typically outside cafes.
And the Dutch dont let rain stop their kids riding to school.  Mothers scold them with; "You're not made of sugar are you"?

BTW - I've never lived in Netherlands, but I'm megga envious of their cycle infrastructure.
(And they've got some pretty good sailing waters - great for an HBBR event.)

[Grldtnr]

Yes ,Paul W, you are quite correct in you what you say, I have done a short trip sailing out on the  Waddenzee,in company with John Perry, we launched from Harlingen ,an old fishing port ,out to Terschilling & Vlieland ,we had only a week , not enough time to do the 'Riddle of the sands', but it is my ambition to do someday.
Paul's (admin) idea of charging points for the elderly, I read wrong,  I thought it perhaps a little masochistic that he would like to give them electro- convulsion therapy to help the old dears along,  and covered cycleways to protect from the elements a bit soft,  he wants to deprive folk of the joyous misery of water trickling down the back of the neck and pooling in your toes!, That's what Velomobiles were invented for.
But I think towing your boat behind your bike, maybe a bit impractical, the Dutch wouldn't take kindly to that kind of rig blocking up the cycleways, as you probably well know how they scoot along them,at great speed, nothing,but nothing should impede a flying Dutchman on a bicycle!

[Paul H (admin)]

Gerald,

Perhaps bike wardens with electric cattle prods can keep the bikes moving.

Having struggled to school in the rain and sitting in damp trousers for most of the morning lessons... the dream of covered bicycle ways is appealing.

However those experiences do toughen the moral fibre, I feel comfortable sailing through crashing waves and wind blown horizontal drizzle.

Paul H

[Grldtnr]

Paulie H,
You wasn't chief interrogater for Augustino Pinochet in a past life?
Just asking.
Off to town on the bike, door to door, no parking woes.
The bicycle in my opinion ,greatest machine ever invented by humanity.

[Paul W]

"...greatest machine ever invented by humanity" says Grldtnr.
Yes! Yes! YES!
Almost zero; carbon, global warming, pollution (atmospheric, noise, light).
Minimal parking space, road space, road wear, accident rate.
More energy efficient than walking, running, rowing.
Excellent low-impact, sitting-down exercise.
e-bikes enable the less mobile to still flex their muscles and joints
3 or 4 wheels available for folk with balance issues and such.
Great for health.  Reduce NHS load.  Extend active life.
Return streets to the people!
What's not to like about them? -
It rains?  Wear a coat, gloves, hat, leggings, whatever.  (Amsterdammers say its a good day when the rain is vertical)
Snow? - The Finns (and others) could teach us a thing or two.
But how do you convince the poor folk who are wedded to (welded into) their cars?
How do you convince the transport planners to create intelligent infrastructure?
(I do own a car but it does fewer miles than the bike)
Rant over! - Enough
G'nite
PW

[LASER41420]

The shift to electric cars might well do it, the UK does not generate enough electricity so everybody to have one so it might end up expensive and maybe even rationed. It might be a good time to pick up a cheap generator so you can use it to charge up your next vehicle.

Interesting in China with much praise for uptake of electric vehicles but if you check out their power generation those cars are basically coal powered.

Went shopping on our bikes yesterday so already on the bikewagon.

Steve

[Paul H (admin)]

Steve,

I agree generation will be the challenge. Which is why I keep banging on about solar power at home.

Electric bikes might use 1% of the energy of an electric car

Darwinism says we will adapt to ebikes.

Paul

[Paul W]

Did someone say "pick up a cheap generator so you can use it to charge up your next vehicle"?
(Sorry, I'm too gullible, or something, to know if that's a joke)
What would be the power source of said generator?  Fossil fuel?  Might be more efficient to have a hybrid, but even that is questionable.  Doesn't straight internal combustion to rotation, have a lower CO2 foot-print than going through generation, rectification, charging/dis-charging, electric motor?

China!  With the benefit of hindsight, we cant condone the pollution consequences of our industrial revolution, but do the Chinese now have any moral excuse for thriving on coal?

Shopping by bike - Excellent.  Apply for honorary Dutch absentee citizenship!

[Port-Na-Storm]

I agree with Steve regarding Coal Powered cars in China, and would extend the analogy to Nuclear powered Cars and E bikes in the complacent west.

Why E bikes and not just human powered bikes you lazy sods!

I spent the prime of my teenage years delivering papers morning and evenings, then progressing to message bikes with heavy boxes of groceries through all sorts of Scottish Winters with no electrical assistance and certainly no covered cycle ways.

And why can you only balance three 56lb bags of spuds on the front of a message bike? Because the fourth one means the back wheel lifts when you hit the brakes, with dire consequences.

And when you tell that to the youth of today they just won't believe you.

Sent from my Xperia by Sony smartphone

---- Paul H (admin) [via UK HBBR Forum] wrote ----

Steve,

I agree generation will be the challenge. Which is why I keep banging on about solar power at home.

Electric bikes might use 1% of the energy of an electric car

Darwinism says we will adapt to ebikes.

Paul

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NAML

[LASER41420]

Funny thing in the west, we think we can reduce global CO2 emissions by exporting million of jobs from high carbon industries to China.
Steve

[Grldtnr]

I am not anti car, but powering cars by electricity isn't going to solve our basic reliance on the car, I occasional use mine, but mainly have a car to tow the boat or occasionally transport my bike or bikes to another area or holiday trips.
However you dice it cars are  rarely fully utilized,, then you have the problems caused by the school run, which necsitates the 2nd car for families,whilst the primary one is sitting parked outside the work premises of the wage earner.
No, cars are jamming our streets, we perhaps need to find another solution ,rather than having 2 cars per family, make use of car sharing or car clubs, this would reduce clogged city streets, I would consider ' pooling' my car with neighbours , it sits there mocking me most days, but I must have access to a vehicle with a towbar.

For my day to day transport, the humble human powered non- electric bike serves my needs, I even have 2 e- bikes in my bike collection,  but they are also redundant at the moment , because I realized that I prefer to be 'Analouge' rather than electrified, I had one to commute home from work in the early hours after night shifts, I didn't want to be all energised after a swift ride home to bed!

[Paul H (admin)]

I'm not anti-car, but I am anti-waste.

CO2 production increases exponentially with speed. At speed drag from wind resistance dominates the energy required; the drag depends on speed squared and surface area.

So big fat cars are bad, look at the size of cars 15 years ago.
Also fast cars are bad.

So I would drop motorway and dual carriageway speeds to 60, regulated by average speed cameras at every junction.

Then a blanket 50 limit for all other roads.

Does anyone remember petrol coupons and a blanket 50 limit during the 1970s OPEC oil embargo?

Those limits would significatly reduce CO2 production for the same mileage*.

There would be a similar reduction in the yearly cost of fuel.
In a Harold Wilson accent, that will improve the pound in your pocket.

*From 70mph a 24% reduction, from 80mph a 47% reduction of CO2 and £££.

It's all about the physics captain 🖖

[Grldtnr]

But Electro Paulie,
However you power them, drive them, and what speeds you zoom down the street, too many cars are still too many cars!
Take parking, many towns ,cities, nay even sovereign nations, have perennial problems on where to park or store cars,  a 1,000 cars take maybe six times or more room to park than bikes, go to the cycling nirvana, of Netherlands, they even have problems parking bicycles, stand outside any provincial town rail station , and you will see serried ranks of bicycles,in 2-tier racks!  Imagine where all those cars would stretch too?
They have under ground bike parks, with a gutter to wheel the bikes down the stairs,  with all manner of bike services offered.
Have cycling savvy nations got it wrong, no! I don't think so.
Power to the spokesman!