Monday, May 3, 2010

Bikes Outside: The Town Bicycle

If you don't lock it up, everyone's gonna take it for a ride.

This Schwinn was left, apparently unlocked, in the randomly asphalted rectangle (part of the Pave the Planet initiative?) on the corner of Capitol Avenue and Putnam Street. Nobody was loitering in the vicinity, so I did not have the opportunity to ask what was going on with the strange seat height-to-handlebar height ratio. I will assume that the handlebars are used to balance cargo, more than to steer the bicycle.

3 comments:

Karma said...

Ive never seen one of those bullmoose bars in the wild. Pretty cool.

Brendan said...

I have one of those on my diamond back. Integrated stems & handlebars are the wave of the future.

The stop for the brake cable is in between the two stem arms. Adjusting the handlebar height messes with the brakes. My 'nago runs the brake cable through the stem, too. I'm not sure why people think thought that was a good idea.

Anonymous said...

Even at the upper extreme of its ajustment, the stem would not permit of a suitable handlebar-to-seat height ratio. Methinks this to be a product of tall rider, short bicycle, no desire to install longer stem/stem extender. I have a too-small Raleigh M42 which is like this.

Using the stem as a housing stop for the front brake cable saves a part, thereby simplifying, lightening, and cheapening. The stem is far more rigid than almost any separate stop, improving brake action. Disadvantage, as previously mentioned, is inseparability of brake and stem height adjustment. In some cases, in order to raise the stem, I've had to install a new, longer front brake inner wire.

Drew