Bike Commuters

Nickels unveils bicycle master plan, aims to triple commuter cycling

Apr 11th 2007

By: RL Policar

No comments

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels this morning released an ambitious bicycle master plan, which he hopes will triple the number of city residents who pedal to work.

“The goal is simple: to make Seattle the best bicycling city in the nation,” he said, standing along a trail at north Beacon Hill.

The city has earmarked $27 million for trails, bike lanes and safety projects from the $365 million, nine-year “Bridging the Gap” property-tax levy for transportation that voters approved last fall.

Cycling advocates, including leaders of the powerful Cascade Bicycle Club, worked alongside city planners in choosing scores of projects in nearly all sections of town.

The first improvements, through 2009, will include 53 miles of pavement markings to encourage cars and bikes to share a road lane; 37 miles of new bike lanes; a bike-and-pedestrian bridge at Thomas Street near Seattle Center, and two miles of trails.

Read More

Bookmark It

Hide Sites
How To Prevent Your Seat From Being Stolen

Apr 9th 2007

By: RL Policar

1 comment

Here’s a quick and easy way to save your saddle from theft. Read on as I demonstrate on my Redline 925.

Take an old chain.

Loop it around your seat rails.

Connect your links.

Push the pin in.

Viola! Now your seat is protected from would be thieves! I’ll eventually wrap the chain with electrical tape so I don’t mess up my Redline 925′s paint job.

It may be a good idea to have your chain as short as possible to prevent anyone from getting leverage.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites
Get up to 12.8w from the shimano / SON dynamo hub

Apr 9th 2007

By: RL Policar

4 comments

One of our readers, KTronik left a comment on the Shimano Dynamo Hub report we posted.

FYI…

I have found a way to get up to 12.8w from the shimano / SON dynamo hub, using a series cap before the t
normally the hub, wants to give 500ma @ all speed by changing the voltage…

by holding the voltage low (series cap), the current rises

using a 100uf Bi-polar cap in series before the bridge ref I get:

7km/hr=8.47v @ 50ma
15km/hr=9.44v @ 250ma
23km/hr=10.24 @ 610mq
27.5km/hr=10.62 @ 910ma
37km/hr=10.14 @ 630ma

using a 200uf bi-polar cap in series before the bridge ref I get: (same speeds as above)

100ma, 480ma, 18km/hr peak @ 660ma, then 600ma @ 24km/hr, I use this curve for off road racing & the 100uf curve for on road commute…

I bigger the cap the more boost down low amp; the less peak power…

You can mix 2 different curves together, or even mix in a voltage doubler for up to 75ma @ 4km/hr, 100ma @ 5km/hr & 200ma @ 7km/hr…

So a lot can be done just by using a series cap before the bridge ref…

The dynamo hub could be used for powering equipment in the day…maybe use a LM7805 to give USB power…GPS, MP3, phone charging, etc.

You also could use the circuit to charge battery’s amp; run your stuff off that, that way when you stopped your GPS wouldn’t turn off… & yes you would have a little switch box on your bar to select the different riding curves / low speed boost or battery charging…

all this can work… amp; its all very easy to do…

I been testing this circuit with both Shimano amp; SON hubs, for about 2 years… not one problem…now that the new breed of LEDs are out, it makes sense to dynamo it up!! my dynamo light is now as bright as a HID (on paper)

BTW the cree LED is a better bet rather than the SSC p4… it has less colour shift when over driven & less colour shift over time…the seoul is also a more floody type of beam…

I use the SSC P4 of off-road racing using the 200uf curve (peak 660ma)& the cree on-road with the 100uf curve (peak 910ma)…

I have full data for DIYers if needed… just drop me a EMAIL…

best

Ktronik

Bookmark It

Hide Sites
Do you ever feel burnt out from commuting?

Apr 6th 2007

By: RL Policar

2 comments

I could see myself getting tired or being a bike commuter if I had to do it day and day out.

I do recall having these thoughts when I had a long commuter, 17 miles each way. I would get easily burnt out on it. But on the days that I decided to drive rather than take my bike, I hated every second that I sat in traffic. Oooh it annoyed me so much that I had to sit in my car for an hour and half just to get home. You know when I would take my bike, it would take me less time to ride the 17 miles than it did to drive it.

I guess the best cure for feeling burnt out is to ride. I know it sounds funny but all that resentment that I would have before the ride simply vanishes as I’m pedaling away.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites
Xtracycle Goes Off Roading

Apr 5th 2007

By: RL Policar

No comments

Some folks think that the Xtracycle was designed just for street use or stictly for commuting. Well, I came to find out from Kipchoge himself (Xtracycle founder) that this SUB is totally capable of handling the trails.

So Priscilla and I took it through some single track…at night! I on my Ibex Alpine equipped with the Xtracycle and Priscilla on her Ibex Trophy.

You can read more about our adventures HERE.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites