1,500 mile commentary - December 3, 2017 - The ROX Rocks Aspen

November 11, 2017

1,500 mile commentary - December 3, 2017

I have had no further issues with shimmy. I am very conscious of using the front brake first, alternating with the back brake, but never together. I'd estimate I use the front brake 80% of the time. That's a strange habit to get into. Even though I haven't been a DF rider in years, I did learn not to apply the front brake first!

correction! - 5/12/2018 - After my experience descending 5,000 feet from the top of Grand Mesa, I wrote guru Marty again concerning a vibration through the handlebars and seat when using the front brake. Marty quickly clarified that he did not recommend using only the front brake, he uses 80% front/20% rear at the same time. I just spent six months learning a bad habit I get to unlearn.

I am also conscious of not taking one hand off of the bars at any significant speed. I don't want to invite a wobble that would turn into something scary. Ask me in another 5,000 miles if I'm more relaxed. At the moment I'm paying attention to any sudden moves.

In January, 2018 a man on the recumbent list, BROL, had similar issues to mine. Reading through the thread was comforting to me. It was a relief to hear I wasn't alone.

Edit - 3/30/2018 - While reading an Amazon review on the Schwalbe Marathon Racer (my preferred tire), I ran across mention of the tire not being round and it causing a vibration through the handlebars that smoothed out over a couple of thousand miles. I wrote my bicycle guru buddy, Marty, and asked if he had heard such a thing. Yes, indeed, Marty had. Hmmm - I had paid no attention to the tires during the trouble period of my break in. I wonder if that might have been a contributing factor? I will never know.

Fit continues to be good. That was relatively painless, thank goodness. I had expected my knees to be cranky about the higher pedaling position. Nope. I have noticed that I have zero issue with hot foot on the P-38. I would expect that circulation wouldn't be as good with the feet up higher, but maybe it is actually better because the feet and the hips are on the same level? Hot foot isn't a huge issue for me, but if I'm mashing up a long climb, i typically have a small problem. Nothing so far on this bike. That's a plus.

I am a long time Rotor Crank user. At the time I started using them, I had quite a few knee issues. Rotors 'slip' through the dead spots in your pedal stroke, helping with speed and knee issues. Rotors are no longer made. Now you can buy lighter weight Q Rings. During the build process, Tim and I exchanged emails discussing the fact that triple cranksets are a disappearing breed. Looking for a triple Q Ring crankset is futile. Tim did find a mountain bike set, but the gearing was far too low for my needs. I ended up going with just a 23 tooth Q ring for climbs. That's when I'm most likely to mash instead of spin.

I have not made any gear/accessory changes. This set up is what I"m going to use for the Arizona tour the end of the month. Then I'll make evaluations.

I'm still wildly infatuated with the P-38. I've ridden the Stratus only once since buying the P-38. I had imagined alternating bikes, just for fun. But I have zero desire to ride anything else. I surprise myself.

I decided to add a water bottle cage on the boom. I had asked for an extra set of braze ons there at Marty's advice. I am not a mechanic, but I can install a cage. Or can I? It seems the holes are spaced just a bit too far apart. I tried both a cage and a T-Cycles holder. Neither one would fit. How do you like them apples?

I finally got around to sending Tim/Lightning a photo of the exact spacing on the bosses. Ooops. Someone wasn't paying attention when building my bike. Tim offered to machine an aluminum plate so I could install a holder. Update - Tim sent me, free of charge, both a water bottle cage and a T Cycles holder drilled out to fit this spacing. Unfortunately, the braze ons are placed too far back on the tube and a holder mounted here hits the headset.

I have made no gear/accessory changes in the last 500 miles. I did receive a new (free) rear rack from Tim at Lightning. Here I am, complaining about how this rack is curved and panniers won't fit - but I won't install the new rack because it's too heavy. Really, really too heavy.

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