Tough hills?.. Get lost?.. Share it here!

[flecc]

Lots of bikes have either forward stem extensions and/or straight bars John, so you could be ok with either. The standard Twist bars are one of the best around though, so I'd be inclined to go for a longer handlebar stem forward extension to retain the bar quality.

Like you, I find the straighter I can get my leg on the downstroke, the more effective, and thats generally true anyway. Low seat, bent leg cycling is very ineffective. On my bikes I can only get toe tips to the ground when stopped to give a straight enough leg action when pedalling. With an adverse camber I have to get off the saddle or look for kerbstones.
.

 

[JohnInStockie]

I'd be inclined to go for a longer handlebar stem forward extension to retain the bar quality.

Flecc, can you suggest any (off-hand). If not, any tips on what I should be looking for sizewise?

Thanks

John

 

[flecc]

I just checked my Twist and if you have the same stem, it's already a 3" extension, quite long, and with vertical rotation adjustment. You could get lower by rotating that down further perhaps, but if not, there's two possibilities. One is a longer extension, but that usually loses the rotation element so might not be helpful. Sizes to watch out for there are the 1" stem diameter and the handlebar diameter at the clamping point which I haven't checked.

The alternative is to use a seatpost with a rearward extension. These tubes rise, then turn back three inches or so, allowing the saddle to be moved rearward a bit. For those you need the clamp on tube type saddle mount of course, but these can be added to any existing saddle if you haven't already got that.

I can't really recommend either of these specifically, as there's so many types, and it depends on both which you choose to do and the availability.
.

 

[JohnInStockie]

Thanks Flecc, yes although I'd done a 14 mile run this morning, I counldnt remember, so I went out to check and as you say, its already 3" which is the longest I can find on Wiggle.

Did find something else though, another puncture!!!

 

[flecc]

You must have some special long sharp objects round there John. Although I've had many punctures in this area, I've never had one in a Marathon Plus tyre.

Most of mine were glass shards, and the MPs seem to protect well against those. I've also got loads of thorns on the lanes around here, but I take special care to avoid those on the road, riding as far out as I can get away with in the vulnerable hedgerow areas.

Is it thorns that are your trouble?

(btw: I've answered your epicyclic hub query in the "Lightest, Fastest, Climbs" thread.)

 

[coops]

Hmmm, I think I'll wait and see (dont like counting chickens)

Quite! It seems challenging enough to make much progress even with the efforts I am making! Still quite early days though, and I look forward to making some more upgrades: probably M+ tyres, 2nd NiMH battery & pannier to carry it, comfort grips & throttle mod, a megarange 11 or 12-34 freewheel & Acera rear mech to accompany the 40T chainwheel (gear range of ~33-102") and lastly rear V-brakes .

Others will know much more about button cell D batteries, John: all I can think of is to suggest you check their "C" rating i.e. the maximum current rating, which may not be so crucial for your Twist's motor, though at 24V & peak power of ~390W (?) it could peak at around 15A, similar to some ezee bikes?

My experience of seat height for almost full leg extension on downstroke is as flecc described: on toe-tips when stopping, but most effective for good efficient pedalling (a very useful tip I picked up some years back ). I actually used to think my MTB frame too big because of this tip-toeing when stopped, but now the handlebar "reach" seems rather cramped compared to the Torq!

Are you setting up your bars for an "aero tuck" position as you zoom around then John just make sure your brakes are ok! .

Sorry to hear of your continued bad luck with punctures and I'm also curious to know what's causing them all as I'm planning to switch to m+ even though so far (touch wood!) I've had no flats in ~450miles on Manchester roads on stock Kendas...

Stuart.

 

[flecc]

I've had no flats in ~450miles on Manchester roads on stock Kendas...

Stuart.

I also had no punctures in the Kendas on either Torq or Quando, so their puncture resistant claim seems ok, but others in here have had plenty in them, so difficult to be definite.
.

 

[JohnInStockie]

The puncture was another shard of metal (thats the third) at about 9mm long and about .5mm thick. Neither end pointed or flattened so not a nail, and just the right size to be almost invisible in the M+ tyres where it buries itself into the tyre ready to stike when you take the bike out by providing a long slow puncture.

I dont understand what or where these shards are from, as there are no engineering works near me. Really annoying. It seems like the M+ are fine except against metal.

Is it a time for Slime or Kevlar tape? Any tips?

John

 

[flecc]

I'm not sure how well slime would work with the MPs, and it's never worked for me. Kevlar tape sounds good for that problem.

That metal shard problem is odd. Almost as if an anti-cycling nut is at work. It might be an idea to report it to your council's roads department, preferably with a shard sample. Maybe they'd know something or look into it.
.

 

[Ian]

Steel Shards & Proffitex Batteries

John, your metal shards could be remnants of a cut steel cable, as if someone has cut 9mm off a cable somewhere on your route, the cut end would unwind and scatter shards around.

As for your Proffitex batteries, I have 2 incorporated into a pack and they work fine. Most universal chargers will not cut off or give any indication when the battery is fully charged, even one that is designed to cut out is unlikely to do so on a battery of considerably larger capacity than it was designed for, the small charging current being insufficient to cause the temperature increase that the charger detects. Beware though, the small current is enough to overcharge and ruin the cells as I have found to my cost in the past. Most NiMh manufacturers strongly advise against extended trickle charging.