National Homebrew Club Ireland

General Discussions => Chit Chat => Topic started by: Eoin on November 30, 2012, 10:44:20 AM

Title: Any cyclists?
Post by: Eoin on November 30, 2012, 10:44:20 AM
If any of you commute on your bicycle like me and you're tired of motorists trying to kill you on a daily if not hourly basis, try out one of these.

(http://www.hpvelotechnik.com/images/produkte/airzound3_komplett.jpg)

I just took delivery of it in the office and not realising that the thing comes charged, you normally pump it up to 80PSI by way of the schrader valve on it, I pushed the button and it went off, prompting the whole office to look around at me.
I went to security to apologise in case anyone complained about the very loud noise.

Deadly piece of kit and I have no doubt now that people will hear me coming..with my really massive horn....the joke is not getting old strangely enough.
Title: Re: Any cyclists?
Post by: Ciderhead on November 30, 2012, 12:04:44 PM
I could have some fun with that as a mini fermentor? ;D
Title: Re: Any cyclists?
Post by: Shanna on November 30, 2012, 12:19:41 PM
Hi Ciderhead,

I cycle to work everyday so I know what you mean. How big is it physically and how do you secure it to the bike?

Also where does one get one?

Declan
Title: Re: Any cyclists?
Post by: Shanna on November 30, 2012, 12:23:08 PM
Hi Eoin,

I cycle to work everyday so I know what you mean. How big is it physically and how do you secure it to the bike?

Also where does one get one?

Declan
Title: Re: Any cyclists?
Post by: Padraic on November 30, 2012, 01:05:29 PM
QuoteI could have some fun with that as a mini fermentor? ;D

;D I thought it was a blow off tube of some sort when I saw the picture first!
Title: Re: Any cyclists?
Post by: Eoin on November 30, 2012, 01:29:15 PM
Hi Declan, it fits in the bottle cage on the bike, that said I have only one bottle cage so on my bike I've used the supplied velcro attachments to put it on the top of the crossbar. It's about the size of a standard water bottle and then the horn is not so large and fits just the same as a bicycle bell would.
I went out to take some photos of it since you asked.


(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v384/Blub2k/bike/airzound1.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v384/Blub2k/bike/airzound2.jpg)

Now remember I can still add a bike cage to the seat post and put my water bottle there and then move the airzound bottle to the front cage, this is what I will possibly do, but they do provide a velcro piece that you attach to the frame and then use the cable ties to attach to the bike.

I got mine on ebay, just search for airzound, it was delivered in a few days.

I also have my ice spiker tyres on there, they were a great investment too, unfortunately I took a fall on the first day of frost this year, so two days ago, and I'm not in good shape at the moment and am quite sore and bruised, but once the spikers are on that's not happening again.
Title: Re: Any cyclists?
Post by: Eoin on November 30, 2012, 01:50:52 PM
I think my next purchase will be a helmet cam, or the invisible helmet even.

http://www.hovding.com/

Title: Re: Any cyclists?
Post by: Spud395 on November 30, 2012, 02:20:22 PM
How do the studded tyres work on wet roads?

I would have thought that wouldn't be ideal.

Mostly I cycle off road, work dictates I drive but I do love all things 2 wheeled 
Title: Re: Any cyclists?
Post by: Eoin on November 30, 2012, 02:26:19 PM
QuoteHow do the studded tyres work on wet roads?

I would have thought that wouldn't be ideal.

Mostly I cycle off road, work dictates I drive but I do love all things 2 wheeled 


The studded tyres are excellent, the grip is amazing, if you consider that they are on a hybrid and that they add so much resistance that you cycle slower, over the normal light tread commuter tyres I use in any case. I've skidded using them on concrete before with a brake lockup, but then I do have disk brakes and normal tyres would skid in the same circumstances, I find them really excellent. They also leave a nice scrape on concrete :)
The grip on ice is unparalleled and I would have no hesitation cycling with them on an ice rink.
Title: Re: Any cyclists?
Post by: Shanna on December 01, 2012, 10:04:59 AM
Hi Eoin,

I would wonder whether the ice tyres would become too much of a drag for the odd day that it is icy? Unless of course we have the kind of winter from three years ago where we have snow & ice from November to January.

Declan
Title: Re: Any cyclists?
Post by: Eoin on December 01, 2012, 12:43:09 PM
QuoteHi Eoin,

I would wonder whether the ice tyres would become too much of a drag for the odd day that it is icy? Unless of course we have the kind of winter from three years ago where we have snow & ice from November to January.

Declan


Well I only cycle 10k a day in total, so I don't have a long cycle, but having taken a bad fall on the ice the other day, I'm cool with taking a chance on them now that the ice has started. I'd rather the icreased traction than another fall to be honest, I was very lucky I didn't break something the other day already. Last year I used them all Winter also.
Title: Re: Any cyclists?
Post by: Spud395 on December 05, 2012, 09:26:31 PM
Just ordered up a christmas pressy for the bike.
Complete new drivetrain, fresh rubber and a new bar and stem!

Remember folks bicycles are people too and need to feel loved at christmas  :o
Title: Re: Any cyclists?
Post by: Eoin on December 06, 2012, 10:27:31 AM
Yep bikes need loving too.

Update on that big horn I have, wahey, basically I cycle a lot on cycle paths, so pedestrians are my main problem. It works...they jump out of the way like they were stung by a bee when they hear this thing. I'd heartily recommend it to anyone who needs a bit of extra safety on the roads, cars are a bit freaked out by the noisy bike too, keeps me a lot safer on the bike and has already paid for itself.
Title: Re: Any cyclists?
Post by: newToBrew on December 06, 2012, 11:48:32 AM
I bought an electric bike @ this time last year on the bike to work scheme - (I know it was this time last year as I had been looking into them for ages and figured the scheme would be dropped in the last budget )

Thing was the bees knees, put a kids seat on the cross bar brought the little dude to School on the way to work, everything was hunky dory until some Kn$%^ers came over the wall @ a month or two ago and liberated it from the Shed   ( yeah I had spent @ a year saying I better buy a padlock for the shed...)
Anyway - the muppets never spotted the charger in the Shed and its the kinda bike (a wisper brand)  that uses a specific charger - can only buy them from registered dealers, between the jigs and the reels of it I got half of it back @ 2 weeks later, B$%trds  stuck it up on a fence in the local shopping area in the middle of the day.
( I had launched a campaign of posters and contacted  community members & what not to get it back ) - these guys were taklng down the posters & I was putting them back up, so they eventually gave up the ghost 

They used an angle grinder to rub off all the branding in a poor  attempt to disguise the bike, and chopped of the carrier & saddle bags  with it too  - went into the tire with the grinder I reckon coz all that was left was the back rim, they even chopped off the bloody pedals on me.
not exactly criminal masterminds - I think they  only thought as far as selling it within the imediate local area and when they realised they couldn't they mangled it on me.
funny thing is they left all the parts of the bike that make it electric  pretty much intact, the battery the motor ect, if they had any sense they could have stripped all this and put it on another bike
Anyway - needless to say  _ now have a padlock on the Shed

Shed was full of my brewing equipment too, power tools and loads of stuff - I'd call them fools but I guess I was the bigger fool for not padlocking it in the first place.
After Crimbo has passed I guess I'll buy a cheap bike and strip it for parts and try to repair it,





   
Title: Re: Any cyclists?
Post by: DEMPSEY on December 06, 2012, 11:52:51 AM
Can you bikey's do us and ye a favour,PUT A BIG FLASHING LIGHT ON THE HANDLE BARS. I dont want to kill you. :-* :-*
Title: Re: Any cyclists?
Post by: Eoin on December 06, 2012, 11:54:46 AM
QuoteI bought an electric bike @ this time last year on the bike to work scheme - (I know it was this time last year as I had been looking into them for ages and figured the scheme would be dropped in the last budget )

Thing was the bees knees, put a kids seat on the cross bar brought the little dude to School on the way to work, everything was hunky dory until some Kn$%^ers came over the wall @ a month or two ago and liberated it from the Shed   ( yeah I had spent @ a year saying I better buy a padlock for the shed...)
Anyway - the muppets never spotted the charger in the Shed and its the kinda bike (a wisper brand)  that uses a specific charger - can only buy them from registered dealers, between the jigs and the reels of it I got half of it back @ 2 weeks later, B$%trds  stuck it up on a fence in the local shopping area in the middle of the day.
( I had launched a campaign of posters and contacted  community members & what not to get it back ) - these guys were taklng down the posters & I was putting them back up, so they eventually gave up the ghost 

They used an angle grinder to rub off all the branding in a poor  attempt to disguise the bike, and chopped of the carrier & saddle bags  with it too  - went into the tire with the grinder I reckon coz all that was left was the back rim, they even chopped off the bloody pedals on me.
not exactly criminal masterminds - I think they  only thought as far as selling it within the imediate local area and when they realised they couldn't they mangled it on me.
funny thing is they left all the parts of the bike that make it electric  pretty much intact, the battery the motor ect, if they had any sense they could have stripped all this and put it on another bike
Anyway - needless to say  _ now have a padlock on the Shed

Shed was full of my brewing equipment too, power tools and loads of stuff - I'd call them fools but I guess I was the bigger fool for not padlocking it in the first place.
After Crimbo has passed I guess I'll buy a cheap bike and strip it for parts and try to repair it,





   

Swines, you'd think they'd have left it when they realised it was useless to them. You can only hope they get their come-uppance some day.

Bikes are a target for thieves, I lost three of them while living in the city centre, and each time I'd buy a cheap replacement knowing that it was going to be stolen very shortly. Buying replacements from a bike hire company in Marino, they were selling off their ex-rental stock cheap and the bikes were pretty much bomb proof.

My present bike could not be locked up in town, it'd never last.
Title: Re: Any cyclists?
Post by: newToBrew on December 06, 2012, 01:26:55 PM
yeah - don't think they fully understood what they had gotten their hands on really, now that I am whingin @ it

Because of how the grinded off the branding form various parts of teh frame - one of the thingsa I am consiidering is a re- spray - (DIY of course !)

I'm guessing the following step are whats needed,
1.  remove current paint work 
2. Paint with some kinda primer
3. Paint it with the actual paint

Any One any experience with this ?
what would be the best (& cheapest ) way to remove the current paint job ?
Title: Re: Any cyclists?
Post by: Spud395 on December 06, 2012, 05:30:32 PM
You'd be supprised how much work is involved in doing a proper job. Some times it works out better/cheaper to get a pro to do the job.
A few of the lads I ride with got proper re-sprays.

There's a local place where they will remove paint and powder coat a bike frame for 80 quid I think, a really super/durable tough coat, or you could always go for the rat bike rattle can look  ;)
Title: Re: Any cyclists?
Post by: newToBrew on December 06, 2012, 06:42:25 PM
thats not a bad price alright - i'll need to do something with it feckers tore into the frame so if I don't it'll end up rusting - wont be doin anything this side of christmas anyway - but might as well start on the research
Title: Re: Any cyclists?
Post by: Spud395 on December 06, 2012, 08:59:31 PM
Yeah and the work is good too.

Powder coat is the job, it's tough as hell