Riding in the hood.

[deacon]

I bought the black tire this morning. My bike looks so ordinary now lol. It is still the smallest bike around and gets a lot of attention because of it I guess. If this cold ever relents I'm going to try it out.

The tire I bought is just a little larger than the 20x 1.75 I had. this one is 1.95. The smaller wheel made the bike more stable, i would like this to add even more stability but I doubt that it will be noticeable at all. If anything the fact that it has tread might do something.

 

[Pablo]

I think it looks alot like the old babe on Murder She Wrote in the opening shot.

OK That lightened up the day!!

 

[deacon]

Todays problem. (isn't there always one)

With the smaller wheel on the back, the kickstand is too long. It pushes the bike over.

Fortunately the sacrificial bike had a bolt on kickstand that should be the right length. However the one on the Sissy is welded on. My options are. hacksaw off the Sissy bike kicker or try to beat it out of the welded on pipe. If anyone knows a better way please let me know. I will probably do it this afternoon so answer quick. My guess is once I hacksaw it off the thing will push through backwards. Just seems like a lot of work for little reward. However if I ride the bike somewhere it will be a lot easier if I have a working kicker.

Last night I bought a knit ski mask at Wallymart. Two bucks to allow me to move the ride temp back for 40 degrees to I hope 35 degrees or even lower. I was worried about my glasses but I can fit the hood over them. There is a lot more stretch in the material than I expected.

Downside:

I look like one of the guys who stuck up the L.A. bank using the assault weapons. The thermal vest I wear under my big coat makes it look as though I'm wearing body armor. So with the hood as well, I'm expecting to be arrested in line at Mickey D's while purchasing coffee. Of course there may be an upside. The chick behind the counter may just empty the register for me without being asked.

 

[paul]

could you just cut an inch or so off the kick stand that is on it now. or posibly bend just the bottom of the kick stand out a little where it hits the ground. make it into an L. that is what i would pobably try firt

 

[deacon]

I couldn't easily do that so I sawed off the whole leg. I just left the bracket on the bike. I added a bolt on from the 20" bike I had. Once I got it on I found out it was too long as well but I could unbolt it and take it to the work bench to saw and bend. As always it wasn't as easy as it looked but it was doable.

I ran off the road during a right turn and found out the bike isn't near as dangerous as I thought. I did turn down the throttle and drop the clutch which killed the engine. That and foot power stopped the bike in a pretty short distance. Didn't even turn it over.

The chain jumped off twice while I was riding. I think I had too much slack. I tightened it and got about thirty feet and popped the clutch. Chain jumped off. I tighted the chain okay but I didn't set the axle bolts. When the clutch went out the chain just pulled the wheel forward. I came home before I killed myself.

By the way I highly recommend the knit ski mask. It does a good job keeping my face warm. It was under forty slightly and cloudy when I rode. So I'm pretty sure I could do 35 and sunny without a problem. Probably 30 if I was just going to the store for milk or something. I think thermal drawers maybe in order for lower than 35 though. I could just barely feel the cold on my legs.

 

[paul]

i had problems with my chain coming off deacon and it was the chain tensioner was not perfectly aligned. hope that helps

 

[deacon]

I dont use the tensioner there. I had added a spacer so I took it off and it seemed to do better. It didn't come off anyway. I think that was the problem I was trying to get more clearance by the frame so I added the washer but I took it out and the chain is close but doesn't seem to be rubbing.

 

[Bikeguy Joe]

3/4"-1" slack total at the tightest point.
Make sure the tensioner is straight.
Eyeball the two sprockets to asure that they line up and the chain run is straight.

 

[deacon]

I am on a cruiser and don't use the tensioner. I think I had too many washers on it and the chain was too loose. It ran okay for about four miles after I readjusted it the last time. I still have that lurching sensation while it is running out. It feels like a car did with a skip almost. I think the clutch is screwy but I don't know since I have 0 experience with these things. I'm going to keep riding it and see if that won't stop.

The bike accelerates just fine and it is mostly just when it cruises so I'm thinking its the clutch but it will right itself eventually. It would have to be a heck of a lot worse before I went into it. Just always feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to fall.

Oh well there is always tomorrow.

 

[Bikeguy Joe]

What you're feeling is pretty "normal" for a bike set up with a China engine. If you pull the clutch in when you are slowing down it will go a long way in smoothing the ride.

These are old-tech piston port engines and the break between a 4 cycle and a 2 cycle depending on how they are "loaded".

If you hear a staccato sound while at cruise that changes to a nice even pull when speeding up or going up hill, then you've got the carb set about right.

Just pull the clutch as soon as you back out of it when stopping or going down a long hill.

 

[deacon]

Thanks joe,

I'll pay more attention to what and when it sounds like and feels like today. I'm going to ride it to the mall in a few minutes to do my morning walk. I am going to ride the bike three miles in the cold, so that I can walk three miles indoors. Just seems absolutely wrong to do that but it's an excuse to ride the bike early and see what it does in the cold.

I have also decided to pull the chain guard off the pedal side. I only pedal a few feet so it serves no real purpose. It is just something else to rattle. I also have to get some practice with this new 20" wheel. The bike handles differently for sure. The center of gravity is lower so it seems more stable, but it turns differently for some reason not sure what that is about.

 

[deacon]

Okay today's stupid is my sign award goes to ME.

The weather here was 40 degrees and sunny so I took off to the mall to walk. When I got there after braving the traffic, I found that I had left my bike lock at home. I walked about a mile then took off before my bike wound being ridden away or in the back of someone's pickup.

I thought about Norman's lights and decided to get a lantern bulb on the way home. I tried an auto parts store then a drug store nobody sells lantern bulbs anymore. One guy told me that nobody replaces them they just buy new ones. I suppose the sporting goods dept of wallymart is my next stop.

So anyway I rode about five miles today the longest I have ridden at one time I think. I had done about the same amount but not in traffic.

Something I noticed though is that the more I ride the better the bike does. Part of that might be I am riding it at higher throttle but not full throttle by any means. Now I have a new concern.

Riding that bike is like siting on top of my washing machine when it is in the spin cycle. Lots of vibrations. I have no idea what that is either. It doesn't seem to make me too crazy so i guess I can live with it. At least the chain didn't fall off. The slack had increased by the time I got home though. Still it was a successful ride. I know now that I could run errands with the bike.

 

[paul]

they do vibrate no way around that deacon. something i have been thinking is check and make sure your sprocket is centered on the wheel. mine wasn't and when i rode it was learching. not alot but enough to be annoying. sure wish it was 40 here i would love to get out and ride

 

[deacon]

I think it has stopped a lot of the lurch today. Either that or I have learned to ignore it. I carefully measured before I tied it down tight so It should be very close at least close enough to work with. If I keep having trouble I will check it again.

I forgot my thermal vest and it was still a good ride. I think over forty and it is doable comfortably under than I look like the pillsbury doughboy. With the ski mask if I had to have something I could ride the bike a short distance. That was one of my concerns that I would be weathered in but It looks as though that is not really the case.

At some point on most days it gets above thirty two here. I think I could make it to the store or to the mall even if it were thirty two.

 

[Bikeguy Joe]

3/4"-1" at the TIGHTEST POINT.

They shake less with each mile, but not for around 300-500 miles.
Keep going.

They also shake more at certain RPM.

 

[deacon]

Now that the kind of information we need around here.

Hope all the new guys read this because we are all a little tentative at first. We expect the bike to leave us stranded on every ride. While we are building confidence in the ride, it is nice to have some one pat us on the head and say, "Hey just keep going its all going to be okay."

thanks Joe that's great to know.

 

[deacon]

I took the bike to the bike store today to show them. The owner and his mechanic helper were impressed with the bike. It was kind of fun.

When I left there, I took on yet another tour of the hood. Getting to some places I had never ridden before as well as the familiar ones. I had yet another man offer to buy the bike. Then he asked if i would build him one. He obviously didn't recognize my lack of skills. Still I think with a little luck and some help from you guys I could build one now without too much trouble. I do have that big black mtn bike frame that I am converting. I could use it I suppose to build a custom bike.

My wife would kill me lol..

 

[deacon]

I am planning to run at least one errand today on the bike. It's part of my weaning my dependence on the car. I haven't started the car in a week.

One thing I find myself doing that I never do for a car trip. I think about the route. Trying to avoid left turns in traffic. That's new to me. I expect I will be better about it after a while but for now I am super careful to plan ahead

 

[deacon]

I find myself a few miles north of Atlanta this morning. I am sitting at a strange computer in a motel. I drove in a car (spit) 6 hours yesterday to attend a funeral for my nephew. I didn't touch my bike yesterday and probably won't today. I just realized this is likely the first day I haven't either ridden it or worked on it in some way since the kit arrived at my door.

I miss my house, I miss my bike, I miss my bed.

It's 4am and of course I should be sleeping but here I sit doing nothing worthwhile. I will be leaving in a couple of hours to drive home. I can't wait. Even though it is raining, I can at least take the rubbing compound and a dirty rag to the bike when I get home.

I just proof read the above and it sure sound sad lol. Well sleep well guys I check this place out again tomorrow night from home I hope.

 

[Ilikeabikea]

Deacon, have a safe trip home..................