Friday, 20 August 2021

My objections to running wires through the frame are mostly esthetic,
but I found a practical reason yesterday.

On the Sprawlmart-AWL-Aldi tour, I stopped at the Sprawl3 McDonald's
for a four-bite chicken Happy Meal, with buffalo dipping sauce and
(for a small upcharge) a large glass of unsweetened tea.

I parked under a window through which I could see a vacant table, but
when I sat down, I found that the window was so high off the walkway
that all I could see were my brake cables.

As long as the brake cables didn't move, I knew that nobody had been
messing with my bike.

There was a grandmother at the next table who took my Disney Princess
off my hands. Luckily, the packaging was so rumpled that she couldn't
tell it was a Disney Princess until after she had accepted it; I heard
her tell her companion that all her grandchildren were boys.

--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at centurylink dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/

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On 8/21/2021 12:05 AM, Joy Beeson wrote:

Friday, 20 August 2021

My objections to running wires through the frame are mostly esthetic,
but I found a practical reason yesterday.

On the Sprawlmart-AWL-Aldi tour, I stopped at the Sprawl3 McDonald's
for a four-bite chicken Happy Meal, with buffalo dipping sauce and
(for a small upcharge) a large glass of unsweetened tea.

I parked under a window through which I could see a vacant table, but
when I sat down, I found that the window was so high off the walkway
that all I could see were my brake cables.

As long as the brake cables didn't move, I knew that nobody had been
messing with my bike.

I use these
https://randalputnam.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/6989/
or homemade versions of the same. It's usually sufficient for situations
like the one you describe.


--
- Frank Krygowski

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 8/21/21 10:53 AM, Frank Krygowski wrote:

On 8/21/2021 12:05 AM, Joy Beeson wrote:

Friday, 20 August 2021

My objections to running wires through the frame are mostly esthetic,
but I found a practical reason yesterday.

On the Sprawlmart-AWL-Aldi tour, I stopped at the Sprawl3 McDonald's
for a four-bite chicken Happy Meal, with buffalo dipping sauce and
(for a small upcharge) a large glass of unsweetened tea.

I parked under a window through which I could see a vacant table, but
when I sat down, I found that the window was so high off the walkway
that all I could see were my brake cables.

As long as the brake cables didn't move, I knew that nobody had been
messing with my bike.

I use these
https://randalputnam.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/6989/
or homemade versions of the same. It's usually sufficient for situations
like the one you describe.

Traditional bikes are somewhat like the Borg (from Star Trek). Lines
and hoses everywhere.

Being from partial Borg ancestry myself (you know, all those UFO stories
in the news today?), I don't really have a problem with it.

But having my hoses and lines internal does make me fit in more with Earthlings.


SMH

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On Sat, 21 Aug 2021 10:53:12 -0400, Frank Krygowski
<frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

On 8/21/2021 12:05 AM, Joy Beeson wrote:

Friday, 20 August 2021

My objections to running wires through the frame are mostly esthetic,
but I found a practical reason yesterday.

On the Sprawlmart-AWL-Aldi tour, I stopped at the Sprawl3 McDonald's
for a four-bite chicken Happy Meal, with buffalo dipping sauce and
(for a small upcharge) a large glass of unsweetened tea.

I parked under a window through which I could see a vacant table, but
when I sat down, I found that the window was so high off the walkway
that all I could see were my brake cables.

As long as the brake cables didn't move, I knew that nobody had been messing with my bike.

I use these
https://randalputnam.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/6989/
or homemade versions of the same. It's usually sufficient for situations
like the one you describe.

For making the bike visible over a low wall?

After the discussion of the Stopblock, the blog goes on to praise the Flickstand for touring -- I would never tour without fenders; on a
tour, you haven't got the option of staying home when it rains.

(Suppresses impassioned account of the trip from Voorheesville to Lake
George, when I got caught in rain so heavy that I couldn't see to get
off the road.)

--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at centurylink dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 8/21/2021 6:36 PM, Joy Beeson wrote:

On Sat, 21 Aug 2021 10:53:12 -0400, Frank Krygowski
<frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

On 8/21/2021 12:05 AM, Joy Beeson wrote:

Friday, 20 August 2021

My objections to running wires through the frame are mostly esthetic,
but I found a practical reason yesterday.

On the Sprawlmart-AWL-Aldi tour, I stopped at the Sprawl3 McDonald's
for a four-bite chicken Happy Meal, with buffalo dipping sauce and
(for a small upcharge) a large glass of unsweetened tea.

I parked under a window through which I could see a vacant table, but
when I sat down, I found that the window was so high off the walkway
that all I could see were my brake cables.

As long as the brake cables didn't move, I knew that nobody had been
messing with my bike.

I use these
https://randalputnam.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/6989/
or homemade versions of the same. It's usually sufficient for situations
like the one you describe.

For making the bike visible over a low wall?

Nope. For not having to worry about the bike being hidden behind a low
wall. Snatch and grab thieves would be visible as they tried to figure
out why the bike won't roll.

For making the bike visible behind a low wall, a helium balloon would be
more effective than cables. You can let it extend much higher than brake cables. And it makes the uphills SO much easier!

After the discussion of the Stopblock, the blog goes on to praise the Flickstand for touring -- I would never tour without fenders; on a
tour, you haven't got the option of staying home when it rains.

I agree about fenders, which is why I've never used a Flickstand.

--
- Frank Krygowski

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