Month: August 2009

Skyride Glasgow and making a seat


Picked up the bike Friday and then decided to go on the Glasgow Skyride Sunday morning. So with no space for ruby I made a bodge to get us through the day. Got a piece of wood out of the shed drilled and zip tied it to the back rack then stuck a cushion in a plastic bag and voila ….. ride successful.

Then this week thought of how to make a small seat for Ruby yet leave space for a Bout’Chou seat behind her for Bella on the rack. Decided to make a folding rack seat and decided to use all the wood that we found in the shed when we moved into the house.

So Ingredients:

Stoker Kit:
Old mtb handlebar – ziptied onto seat.
leather handgrips (bought for the Yuba but wont fit on with twist shifter) £15











Seat:
Piece of nice ply (not marine ply if only ….)
Piece of pine (as no more ply) for backrest
two small pieces as strut support
Cost £zip

brass hinges £2
yacht varnish £5

So £7 for the seat. (oh yeah and zip ties)

folded down and up

Just finished another coat of varnish – will zip tie to frame once I insert small foam between seat and frame to give a bit of shock absorption.


bright orange


The Yuba is here!


Well it arrived in the week to the bike shop where Carl put it all together – this must be the main problem with the Yuba in that the parts supplied are sometimes not good enough. Carl had to phone the supplier to get longer bolts and still to date the front basket is not on as the supplied bolts don’t fit around the tubes …. have emailed the bike shop to get new bits supplied.
Had I known the bikes were this finnicky then I would have ordered an assembled one and saved everyone the trouble.

Ride wise:
Well its heavier than any of my other bikes but that was to be expected but it cycles so nicely and gearing fine enough with 6 speeds for me to get up any hills I encounter in Glasgow …. well the steep one near the house that is a pain on my light Klein singlespeed.

I have ordered a Bout’Chou seat from the europe store (but out of stock) and this afternoon quickly bodged a wooden rack onto the back with a cushion as well as a spare set of bars stuck through the seat as a wannabee stoker set. Have had an idea to make two hinged wooden seats for the girls that would fold flat and leave space for carrying items – but will wait to see how the week looks before trying to build anything …. had enough scorn from the better half? when I suggested making it.



Tomorrow is Skyride © through Glasgow where the streets of the city are closed to traffic. The weather forecast is for horrific weather but hoping that it is wrong for once. http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/skyride/glasgow

Yuba Mundo



© the web (sorry lost the web address)

Taken the plunge and ordered a Yuba Mundo 6 speed cargo / utility bike from Practical cycles.


Was always after a Surly Big dummy but after a lot of reading and the wallet factor have gone for the Mundo.

Orange with saddlebag and rack – just need to get some marine plywood to make a back rack ….. for the girls to sit on.

Bike Rules


PEDESTRIANS RULE Pedestrians always have the right of way. PERIOD.

PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS: Leave crossings free and clear for safe walking. A bike in the crossing can take up as much space as a car.

CLAIM A LANE Claim space on the street, not the sidewalk. We know we hate it when cars drive in bike lanes.

RIDE LEFT Ride in the direction of traffic. When we’re on bicycles, we ARE traffic! And it is safer for everyone else on the street.

UNTANGLE INTERSECTIONS No one can see how good-looking our bikes are if we speed through junctions. And new cyclists will be following our example. Take a break and relax at red lights.

LIGHTEN UP Don’t be invisible. Front and rear lights are our eyes to the world at night and make us bigger and brighter on the street.

SOUND OUT Having a bell lets people know we are approaching and it’s fun to make some noise! Give your bike bling some ring.

HELMET HEAD RULES Bike brains are beautiful, and every city needs them if we are ever going to convince more people to ride a bike! Learn to love that helmet hair.

Utility Bikes – I want one


I have always fancied an Utility Bike since I first saw the xtracycle add ons – but couldn’t face the prospect of welding that add on to my lovely Klein.


When Surly released the big dummy I realised that this was the one I wanted …. but also that at £850 for the frame alone – it is very costly. I think it would be the best bike however for nipping the girls to school or for running into town but the cost would be frightening if I wanted to mate it with a rohloff hub gear as well.
Just seen the Kona Ute and I am tempted by the 2009 version with the long saddle bags but at a fraction of the cost of the Surly (at least half price)

But 26″ vs road wheels

steel vs aluminium

 

And although this looks nice:


 

A pimped out Surly does look like the dog’s nadges (which by the way is a good thing)


Here are some more pics of the two together – Ute has shorter wheelbase


© photos : from the web (sorry cant find source)