Thursday, November 20, 2014

"Mo-Ped" update


Hey everyone,

I have been working on getting the motor running, but I ran into a little problem.  One of the Piston rings broken, and because of that the motor doesn't have enough pressure inside the engine to constantly idle or run.  I am currently waiting for the part to come in, but the part is being ordered from China and it should be at my door step around Thanksgiving.  I'm hoping that it comes sooner so I can get it running sooner.  The bicycle that I am installing the motor onto is a Genisis Onyx 29er Black Cruiser bike that I bought from Walmart for a little over $165.00.  The motor is meant for 26" wheels, but I think that it should work for the 29" rims.  It just means that I will be going a few miles an hour slower then on a 26" rimed bike.



This is what my "mo-ped" I call it, will end up looking like, I will post pictures of it when I get it all put together and running.  Until then I will be waiting for the part, but I will be trying to add some informational posts for Winter biking, and some of the things you'll need to do so if you choose to or are brave enough.  I have had people come up to me and tell me that I'm crazy and others that give kudos to me for doing it.  This will be my fifth winter that I will be enduring on a bicycle.


Keep on Biking....

Friday, November 7, 2014

Half bicycle, half motorcycle??

Lately I have been working on a project.  I have been working assembling a motor onto a bicycle.  You can buy motor kits online for anywhere between $80.00 to $150.00, depending on where you buy it from and if it's new or used.  I bought mine off of Ebay for $86.80.  It's an 80cc motor kit, they come with all the parts needed to turn your bicycle into a DIY motorcycle.  I have my motor on a old Denault three speed bicycle and it wasn't a good turn out.  It worked for about three days, and the spokes In the rear wheel started popping left and right, and also the frame width between chain stays wasn't wide enough.  The chain started ratting away at the frame and made the entire bike unsafe to ride...  I set the bike aside for now, but I am going to be buying a new bicycle tomorrow thatI know can handle the stress of having a motor attached to it.  I will also be having pictures and descriptions to go along with everything.

Keep on biking...

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Proper Derailleur Maintenance

rear_derailleur.jpg
Few of us really appreciate how hardworking and integral the rear derailleur is until it stops functioning perfectly. Then you’re stuck with, at best, an imprecise and clattery ride. So the next time you climb with little—well, a little less—effort, give a nod to this marvel of engineering. Here’s how it works—plus tips to keep it running like new.

1. The upper area on the derailleur is the b-knuckle.

2. On Shimano and SRAM derailleurs, the b-tension adjuster fine-tunes the height of the guide pulley. On Campagnolo derailleurs, the adjustment is done via a screw near the p-knuckle.

3. To adjust cable tension, use the barrel adjuster.

4. The guide pulley keeps the chain in line as it moves from cog to cog during shifts.

5. The idler pulley helps hold tension on the chain regardless of gear choice.

6. The mounting bolt connects the derailleur to the frame.

7. The parallelogram linkage lets the chain move left and right and up and down the cassette while remaining parallel to the cogs.

8. High and low limit stops are usually found near the b-knuckle but sometimes on the front of the parallelogram. The low limit (often marked L) prevents shifts into the spokes; the high limit (marked H) prevents the chain from dropping off the smallest cog.

9. The p-knuckle holds both the guide pulley and a spring that keeps tension on the cage to hold the chain taut. Shimano’s XTR Shadow Plus (for mountain bikes) has a switch that increases spring tension and activates a friction stabilizer to keep the chain from bouncing in rough terrain.

10. The cable bolt pinches the shift cable in place. On most derailleurs, when the shift lever pulls on the cable, the derailleur moves up the cassette to a lower gear. The exception: Shimano’s low-normal derailleurs, on which it does the opposite.

11. The cage keeps the chain in line between the pulleys.

Clean and Adjust
For the best performance, position the guide pulley (4) roughly 6 to 7mm away from the cogs. If your chain skips when you shift to a lower gear, give the barrel adjuster (3) a half-turn counterclockwise (Tip: Think L for lower and for left turn). A higher gear? Try a halfturn clockwise. After cleaning, add a few drops of lube to the pivot points (there are eight) of the parallelogram linkage (7), cycle through a few shifts, then wipe off any excess lube. When you clean your chain, clear the muck from the inner and outer surfaces of both pulleys (4 & 5)—it collects at the base of their teeth.

Article From "Bicycling.com"

Other Related Articles and Pages:
-http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Bicycles/Maintenance_and_Repair/Derailleurs/Rear_Derailleur_Adjustment
-http://www.wikihow.com/Adjust-a-Rear-Bicycle-Derailleur

Friday, March 7, 2014

hey biking community...

I am still around, I have just been in the process of moving and getting my life in order lately,  now with spring coming up, I have some good posts that I am working on...

Keep on Biking...

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Shifting gears bike shop is closed

We are closed for a couple weeks, we are currently remodeling.  I will post when we are reopened.

Thanks,

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

New years day bike ride

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone, welp here in Bemidji, MN we had our new years day bike ride.  Not as many people came out this year as last year, i think the temp scared people away.  It was -11 degrees out.  I was one of them that rode, i lead the ride most of the way.  We started at the Cabin Coffeehouse Café 

and went down to our waterfront, 
then to the Sanford event centre.
The ride was 7 miles long, i only went for 5 because my toes got really cold...  Two of the riders; Natalie and Shaun went all the way around Lake Bemidji, ( thats 17.6 miles long).  We ended at the Cabin Café with hot chocolate/coffee and chocolate chip cookies, yum!  We also had on display, the new Nice Ride bicycle that will be introduced to Bemidji in Early to mid April, 2014.  
Although it will be neon orange and have a basket on the front.  

Well i hope you all have a good new year, and lets bike our way into 2014...

Keep on Biking in the cold...