News and Events

Keep up to date with the latest news and events of Modular Bikes.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Wooden Bike Mk2 Part 4

Fibreglassing the Chainstays

Front assembly.  The bottom bracket hole can be seen - it was drilled with an adjustable brace-and-bit tool (ancient fossil) which I had in my shed. Don't know where I got it but I think it came from my Dad or Dad's dad.  Front fork is fitted.

In a fit of confidence I painted the bottom bracket after brazing on the laser cut mounting plate.

My son Ewan's birthday was during the week.  Here is the small celebration we had, Ewan, Phoebe, Christine.
Ok, just a picture of progress on the bike and a few birthday wishes. Happy 22nd Birthday Ewan!  Happy Birthday Daisy, new daughter of Brad and Sharon!

Regards

Steve Nurse

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Wendouree Cycle Classic 2013

A beer after the ride, 2 free beers with the ride entry!

Inside Mike Bear's Velomobile, Bike rims used to make the shape of the front cover which tilts forward

Mike Bear, Mike Robinson & Paul Riggs with a school velomobile & Mike Robinson's students

Douglas Tuck, Mike Bear , John Reynoldson, Ray Lelkes in Socked Long wheelbase bike

Paul Riggs' Mango and Mike Bear's homemade velomobiles


Lake Wendouree

At Reid's Guesthouse

Lake Wendouree at sunset

Reids Guesthouse

Ballarat Station from Reids

All sorts of vehicles.....

Self portrait next to lake Wendouree

 The Lake Wendouree cycle classic is held every year in February and I have been in it 4 or 5 times, riding a recumbent each time.  Its a charity ride for a Ballarat Cancer research institute, the ride fee is not expensive, the road is very flat and scenic, there is good coffee and food and a general carnival atmosphere about the ride and in short, there is not a lot that is disagreeable.

John Reynoldson started running the recumbent team a few years ago and when that lapsed, nobody took up the idea for a while.  But this year I jumped in and registered a team, "Steve's Slowpokes".  During last year OzHpv held a couple of race meetings in Geelong (see here and here) and it turned out that most of the Slowpokes had been at those meetings or were the friends or relatives of attendees (Mike B, Mike R, Paul R, Ross S., Pete S. Jon P.  .  Paul R provided bikes and trikes from his personal flotilla for those who didn't have recumbents.)  The rest of the group were old hands and had been at the Wendouree ride before (John R. , Ray L.) or I met through a Vichpv ride. (Douglas T.).  As for the ride itself, the recumbent team went very well and we were rarely if ever passed by other cyclists.  Wait till tomorrow when the results come in!

    Here is a post about a previous ride and there are several more photos, ride profiles and comments at this site.

Stop Press, results are in, Steve's Slowpokes 38 laps, next closest teams Flash'n'Dash and Golden Dragons 32 laps each. Full results and more photos here

Regards

Steve Nurse

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Wooden Bike Mk2 Part 3

Douglas Tuck on his Performer Highracer at the Vichpv ride.  These bikes cost not much over $1000 these days.  Douglas rode in the Wendouree Cycle Challenge a week or so later.

New Bamboo Frame on my current bike tailbox.  Beer Carrying should be a bit less traumatic now.

Progress on the wooden bike.

Tailbox / Seat / Storage Assembly
Hi

For the last week or so I have been quite busy, out and around the joint, riding on Saturday and Sunday last week, fixing my current bike and building stuff for my new bike. 

The bikes I build usually have a large tailbox which are aerodynamic, add storage and make the bike more visible by day and night.  For their application, see here.  Lately my tailbox has sagged a bit under load.  When this happens, the corflute can rub on the back wheel so its not very good.  So I've spent a bit of time repairing it and making an inner frame for it from bamboo.  Its held together by glue and table ties and I've knotched some of the bamboo to make the ends of the frame cross pieces sit right.  Sofar, so good.  But no heavy duty beer carrying yet!  More reports later. 

On the new bike story, well the picture tells the story!  Will report more soon.

Over the past few weeks I have been organising a recumbent team for the lake Wendouree Cycle Challenge.  It was run today, I will report more later.  But in summary, Steve Slowpokes did quite well, we were possibly the fastest bikes and trikes on the course.

Regards

Steve Nurse


Saturday, February 2, 2013

Folding Bike Poetry

Hi

Now normally this blog is devoted to bicycles with occasional meanderings about shopping for junk or surfing.  But now my blog is expanding into culture - the arts - poetry.  No, don't worry, I not going to go out and watch a ballet and then review it or anything like that.  I have just had the words of Grit Laskin's verse "The Photographers" (as sung by Pete Seeger on his circles and seasons album) going through my head and decided that the lyrics could be converted to a discussion of folding bicycles.

The Folding Bikes (by Steve Nurse With Apologies to Grit Laskin & Pete Seeger)

Well early on a Saturday, rolling  through the wood
I came upon a lady who by the wayside stood
And what, pray tell, would such a lass as you be doing here?
I've come to ride my folding bike, said she as I drew near

Said I to her, I do declare, this is a fateful day
For I have come on folding bike, the same as you did say
Then I took out my Dawes Kingpin and placed it in her hand
She said that's quite a bicycle, you have at your command

My bike had so delighted her, she could no more delay
She let me see her pannier bag, wherein her accessories lay
I'm sure, she said, you have most everything that can be bought
Just let me stretch my hinge right out before I'm hot to trot

I let her pump my tyre right up, she let inhibitions down
and soon we had forgot about the wheels a going round
We rode under the moonlight, we rode the whole night long
We rode as dawn was breaking and still were going strong

This lady had experience with folders, yes, indeed
And I thought her rythmic pedalling the best I'd ever seed
Although she seemed to tire not as on and on we went
I said I'll have to stop now, my glycogen is spent

She said I've had Stridas, Bickertons and Bromptons
Moulton, Panasonic, likewise a Malvern Star
Viscount, Vairas, Birdy, Mifa and the rest
But now I've seen your Dawes King Pin, and surely it's the best

(End)

And while we are on poetry (which I usually skip over whenever I encouner it, here are a few more examples.


This was going to appear in my cycling book but never made the cut.  About not being a helicopter parent:

"You've learnt to read, you can swim and ride a bike
Now geroura the house
You little tyke"

And this ode to the simplictity of the Mifa Bicycle  from the German website http://www.klapprad.de/files/worldwide.htm
 "Ein bisschen Rohr, ein bisschen Draht, fertig ist das MIFA-Rad !"  or
"A bit of wire a bit of pipe, the Mifa bike is finished"