Cannondale: ³It's a better quality, nicer weld, with more patents.²

Dane Buson

ZBicyclist <ZBicyclist@excite.com> wrote:
> Mike Jacoubowsky wrote: [stuff I snipped, but which was pretty good]
>
> I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Mongoose here, which is another
> Pacific/Dorel brand. They've tried to sell at both ends of the
> market with the same brand, which is confusing -- and I wouldn't
> guess works well at the high end of the spectrum.

Semi-OT: The most mind blowing thing I saw this week.

A mongoose with a Rohloff hub. I just sat and stared for a minute. I
do know the fellow who owns it. He makes his own bikes (welding) and
specializes in cargo bikes/trailers and odd bikes. Next time I'm near
and have a camera handy I'll take a snap.

--
Dane Buson - sigdane@unixbigots.org
"How should I know if it works? That's what beta testers are for. I only
coded it."
(Attributed to Linus Torvalds, somewhere in a posting)

Chalo

On Jun 3, 4:54 pm, Dane Buson <d...@unseen.edu> wrote:
>
> Semi-OT: The most mind blowing thing I saw this week.
>
> A mongoose with a Rohloff hub. I just sat and stared for a minute. I
> do know the fellow who owns it. He makes his own bikes (welding) and
> specializes in cargo bikes/trailers and odd bikes. Next time I'm near
> and have a camera handy I'll take a snap.

I know Colin. I gave him that '85 Mongoose ATB frame & fork, in
fact. It was just one of way too many things that I was going to have
to carry back to Austin from Seattle if I kept it. The lucky bastard
also got my two buckets of assorted nuts and bolts, which I have
missed many times since then.

Back in the mid-'80s, Mongeese were real bikes. They were welded, but
that was just a matter of their BMX racing lineage rather than a sign
of being cheap and cruddy. They were very fashionable, and even sort
of expensive (like all MTBs at the time). I do love the implied
subversion of putting a Rohloff on a 'goose, though.

Chalo

Dane Buson

Chalo <chalo.colina@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Jun 3, 4:54 pm, Dane Buson <d...@unseen.edu> wrote:
>>
>> Semi-OT: The most mind blowing thing I saw this week.
>>
>> A mongoose with a Rohloff hub. I just sat and stared for a minute. I
>> do know the fellow who owns it. He makes his own bikes (welding) and
>> specializes in cargo bikes/trailers and odd bikes. Next time I'm near
>> and have a camera handy I'll take a snap.
>
> I know Colin. I gave him that '85 Mongoose ATB frame & fork, in
> fact. It was just one of way too many things that I was going to have
> to carry back to Austin from Seattle if I kept it. The lucky bastard
> also got my two buckets of assorted nuts and bolts, which I have
> missed many times since then.

The value of a bin of random bolts/nuts/strange shaped scraps of metal
is not to be underestimated. Old parts that make their way to the
recycling bucket tend to get any interesting parts stripped off and
thrown into a bin in my workshop.

I chit-chatted with Colin Saturday at 2020 cycle while I was picking up
a used Freeradical and accessories for a side project. I see him
semi-infrequently around town and at various biking social functions.

> Back in the mid-'80s, Mongeese were real bikes. They were welded, but
> that was just a matter of their BMX racing lineage rather than a sign
> of being cheap and cruddy. They were very fashionable, and even sort
> of expensive (like all MTBs at the time). I do love the implied
> subversion of putting a Rohloff on a 'goose, though.

I do know that not all on them are junk. But still, as you mentioned,
definitely a subversive choice. Speaking of expensive bike parts, I
got buy-in on the concept of electric assist for the Extracycle from the
spouse...well, until I told her the pricetag for the StokeMonkey. [1]

It was the experience of watching me pedal us home from Madrona beach
(all four of us on one bike) that got the conversation started. It
wasn't really that bad (slow on the uphill part of course), but it would
have been nicer if it was cooler.

[1] Though I'm thinking next spring, when my work hands out bonuses
might be a good time to purchase. It's not as if they're selling any at
the moment anyway.

--
Dane Buson - n0n6t0p8@unixbigots.org
"A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any other
invention in human history, with the possible exception of
handguns and tequila." - Mitch Radcliffe

Zoot Katz

On Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:16:57 -0700, Dane Buson <dane@unseen.edu>
wrote, in part:

>Speaking of expensive bike parts, I
>got buy-in on the concept of electric assist for the Extracycle from the
>spouse...well, until I told her the pricetag for the StokeMonkey. [1]
>
>It was the experience of watching me pedal us home from Madrona beach
>(all four of us on one bike) that got the conversation started. It
>wasn't really that bad (slow on the uphill part of course), but it would
>have been nicer if it was cooler.
>
>[1] Though I'm thinking next spring, when my work hands out bonuses
>might be a good time to purchase. It's not as if they're selling any at
>the moment anyway.

This weekend saw car-free streets in six different Vancouver
neighbourhoods. I got to test a Stokemonkey as well as a few other
buzz bike conversions. The tadpole cargo trike with two front hub
motors was surprisingly agile when loaded. Unloaded the handling
wasn't so nice but not as tricky as the sociable tandem ridden solo.

There's now a Crystalyte 5304 rear hub motor with my name on it while
Justin awaits a supply of controllers to match it. The new shipment
of batteries is in town but still undergoing their quality control
testing. My Xtracycle should be rolling on the dark side by mid July
or early August.

http://ebikes.ca/store/
--
zk

Dane Buson

Zoot Katz <zootkatz@operamail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:16:57 -0700, Dane Buson <dane@unseen.edu>
> wrote, in part:
>
>>[1] Though I'm thinking next spring, when my work hands out bonuses
>>might be a good time to purchase. It's not as if they're selling any at
>>the moment anyway.
>
> This weekend saw car-free streets in six different Vancouver
> neighbourhoods. I got to test a Stokemonkey as well as a few other
> buzz bike conversions. The tadpole cargo trike with two front hub
> motors was surprisingly agile when loaded. Unloaded the handling
> wasn't so nice but not as tricky as the sociable tandem ridden solo.

I never even though about trying to ride one of those solo. It
sounds...interesting.

> There's now a Crystalyte 5304 rear hub motor with my name on it while
> Justin awaits a supply of controllers to match it. The new shipment
> of batteries is in town but still undergoing their quality control
> testing. My Xtracycle should be rolling on the dark side by mid July
> or early August.
>
> http://ebikes.ca/store/

Nifty. I still like the StokeMonkey a little better, mainly I suppose
because I'm attached to my current wheelset. Speaking of which, I can't
find any US suppliers of the Gusset Jury hub. I wanted to build up
another wheel with that and I'm not having any luck. I'll probably have
to concede defeat and get a 48h Spin Doctor hub instead.

--
Dane Buson - n0n6t0p8@unixbigots.org
"Are you sure you're not an encyclopedia salesman?"
"No, Ma'am. Just a burglar, come to ransack the flat."
-- Monty Python

Chalo

Dane Buson wrote:
>
> Speaking of which, I can't
> find any US suppliers of the Gusset Jury hub. I wanted to build up
> another wheel with that and I'm not having any luck. I'll probably have
> to concede defeat and get a 48h Spin Doctor hub instead.

A Woodman Bill Extreme will do the same job as the Gusset hub, if it
fits the project budget.

I had the misfortune to crunch up the cassette body of a 48h DiaTech
tandem disc hub, just as DiaTech USA was no longer answering its
calls. It's gone now, with no forwarding address. Rats!

Chalo

Dane Buson

Chalo <chalo.colina@gmail.com> wrote:
> Dane Buson wrote:
>>
>> Speaking of which, I can't
>> find any US suppliers of the Gusset Jury hub. I wanted to build up
>> another wheel with that and I'm not having any luck. I'll probably have
>> to concede defeat and get a 48h Spin Doctor hub instead.
>
> A Woodman Bill Extreme will do the same job as the Gusset hub, if it
> fits the project budget.

Well it might, but the only place I see one (Unreal Cycles) only stocks
the 36h version. I found a place that has the Spin Doctor for $58, so I
think I'll just pick that up. I already have a rim for it, I just need
to pick up some spokes.

> I had the misfortune to crunch up the cassette body of a 48h DiaTech
> tandem disc hub, just as DiaTech USA was no longer answering its
> calls. It's gone now, with no forwarding address. Rats!

Ugh. I was going to buy those, but the availability was going south
about the same time I was looking.

--
Dane Buson - n0n6t0p8@unixbigots.org
"Middle age: when the broad mind and the narrow waist trade places."
- the black rose from r.b.misc