XPost: alt.culture.military-brats
From: dancetimedj@hotmail.com
"doug thomas" wrote in message
news:PNqdnZLkxuh_WM3Z4p2dnA@golden.net...
>I just read of the recent death of John Sinibaldi, who was amongst other
>things a record holder of the speed record for riding 100 kilometers on a
>fixed speed bike which stood for 100 years.
Well, this was not only an inspirational story, but look how it promoted
replies in the NG:
Suddenly, four messages for the first time since Dora went away..
I always liked FIXED speed bikes. And I agree with Andrew, low maint. and
thieves don't bother them.
Years ago, I bought a 10 or 12 speed with a broken cable. I just wanted it
to take to sea with me, for riding in foreign ports.
To keep it in gear, I put a dime under the derailer to keep it in the
highest gear. I had to stand up to get enough force to get it started, but
was running about 30MPH in minutes, and maintaining it. I had extremely
strong legs from doing this. No adjusting gears to be easier, or wasting the
time to shift and the chunky chain lag.
I remember in St. Croix (US Virgin Islands), my buddy and I went from
Fredrickstad to Christenstad by bike. I broke my glasses and had to go to
the only jeweler on the island to gold solder the frame. My friend had a 15
or 18 speed mountain bike. I am sure I could run on about Titanium Frame,
Shimano Gears, blah blah blah, "expensive bike", but I was not impressed. He
considered himself a seasoned cyclist, and I had not driven for a few years
(just installed the dime in my derailer on this "new-to-me" bike), and
besides leaving him way behind many times from the start, we raced to the
bigger town to catch the jeweler before closing, and had to drive like crazy
coming back to avoid dark (I never had a light) and the dangerous narrow
roads along the way. When we arrived back at the ship, my buddy got off his
bike, nearly fell down, had leg cramps and was three or four days recovering
from the "cross-country" excursion. I left my bike on the jetty (locked with
a dollar store lock) and walked back into Fredrickstad for a few hours. My
buddy went to bed.
(NOTE: Wide tires have more resistance, 18 gears take time to shift and
don't strengthen your legs, and stubborn people will still beat you with a
one speed bike)
Having established that I whooped his butt, with my jimmied one speed bike,
I used every opportunity to take him along on future rides, and never
replaced the cable on that bike the whole time I had it. I rode it around
Europe: Germany, France, Denmark, all over the Carribean, Bermuda, Bahamas,
Puerto Rico, collecting those little "Tin Crests" that hikers put on their
walking canes, indicating the countries they have walked in. I lined the
fenders with the shields (which were curved for the canes, and fit
perfectly) and put bumper stickers along the frame. I became so "proud" of
the mileage I put on this "piece of junk" "one speed" dinosaur bike that I
refused to get a newer bike, or get the gear cable. In my best year of being
in top shape (89), I broke the frame. I wanted to show off for a Physical
Fitness Instructor who used to bike to work (like I was doing), and let him
start to work while I wasn't yet out of the house. I was just catching up to
him on a steep hill (from Tuffs Cove in Dartmouth) and had to put that extra
"push" on the pedals to pass him.
When I put everything I had into getting by him, the frame snapped. The
front wheel went one way, the back wheel, seat, and that part of the frame,
went the other way, and I landed on the pavement with skinned knees and
bruises. The Physical Fitness instructor looked back, but kept going. I
limped out in traffic to retrieve the remaining "pieces" and left them on
the side of the road, jogged back home, picked up my Van, and picked up my
bike on the way to work. I was devistated. This was my trophy bike, with my
souvenier shields and stickers, an ugly bike with an exciting history.
While enquiring if the frame could be welded back together, and the bike
could be saved, I met a guy that said "Wow, that's an old bike.. I have the
twin to that sitting in a field in the country on my property. The thatch
grass is holding it up, wound tight through the spokes" He said , if you
want it, you can go take it.... I did, and stripped the parts from the frame
(the bike was identical) cleaned off the minimal rust (those old bikes had
good steel and paint), regreased the steering and pedal bearings, and put
"my bike" back together.. One fender was badly bent and never recovered, so
I used one of the fenders from the "other" bike, complete with the raised
"bead ^" in the center of the front fender. I drove that bike for a few more
years, and I don't remember now what became of it. Either it was forgotten
in a foreign port, left on ship, or tucked in the back of a shed to
resurface again some day......
I just saw my "newer" 12 speed bike in the garage, and was considering
taking it out when it stops raining. I actually use the gears on this bike,
but not too often. Just for those Extremely Steep Hills, to keep mobile. I
should remove the kid's seat on the back of it.. My grandson is too big to
drive around in the back now...
..Thus endeth the second epistle to the cyclists....
{I beat you Charlie... Neener Neener
Neener.. wanna go back to Christenstad again?}
..........Dog sleds are slower but you can't eat a bike in an emergency!
--
-= Rasta =- (AKA Tom)
Dancetime DJ Services
Weddings - Private Parties - Banquets - Karaoke
http://www.geocities.com/dancetimedjservices/
The Karaoke Show with Maurice Aucoin
Moetown Karaoke - Now at Terris Place
http://www.geocites.com/moetownkaraoke/
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)
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