Thanks for lifting this post out of the past. Just an update: I still love love love my Quickbeam although I have another one from this original post - a 60cm which fits me better. Running 39x16 and can still make it around town.
Happy holidays, folks! Esteban On Monday, December 8, 2008 at 8:27:54 PM UTC-8, charlie wrote: > > I haven't a Quickbeam..........yet....... but I do own a two speed > conversion bike using the White Industries 16-19 and 36x39 dual chain > rings. I get a 50 and 65 inch gear set up this way using 27" wheels > and so far its been good for most terrain within 20 miles of me > depending on the direction. Being 50 years old and 255 lbs. I try to > avoid climbing steep grades in these gears but I do alright. What I > have noticed is that the rhythm of the ride changes using a > deraileurless bike and that's okay by me. I like coasting down hills > and spinning comfortably between 13-18 mph on the flats. > I did some preliminary testing with my geared bike and most of the > time I found myself in a mid 60 inch gear for relatively flat > sections. I wanted a lower gear for steeper grades, head winds and > when I am tired so I elected to go with the setup I have now. When I > get a QB frame I will set it up with a 16-18 and a 22 tooth on the > flip side with stock rings. This gives 39, 48,60 & 68 inch gearing. > Perfectly suitable for my type of relaxed riding. I am not racing and > to me, if I can average 10-15 mph I am happy enough. > I like the idea of not having to think about shifting and I use my > bikes to go places, not just for riding around. I am lately using more > normal clothing (jeans and wool shirts etc.) for the winter and I am > riding with a more relaxed pace. I don't seem to go a whole lot slower > (maybe 1-2 mph) but I don't sweat so badly either and I can ride a lot > farther when I don't use up the 'rocket fuel' so fast. > > On Dec 7, 6:55 pm, Esteban <proto...@gmail.com> wrote: > > I did about 50 miles on the Quickbeam today up the San Diego coast - > > from near Downtown to Encinitas. I usually take it a little slower on > > my Protovelo, set up with Albatross bars, B66, etc. I rode the same > > ride last weekend with my brother and he took my (now sold) Kogswell > > P58, and really kicked some butt. He's very fast, and there are > > usually racing (or racing-dressed) riders on this ride. I got the > > idea to take the Quickbeam (set up with Noodles) and ride it pretty > > hard for the coast ride today. The Q usually serves as my "getter" > > with a Wald basket and has seen 30-35 mile fun rides, but mostly 10-20 > > mile errand/transportation trips. > > > > It was wonderful the whole time. I've gotten better at spinning as > > well as coasting - and I was passed on some of the big downhills. But > > I passed the same riders on the uphills. I charged up Torrey Pines > > road without too much trouble. I was exhausted when I got home, but > > thrilled with the simplicity and fun of the day. Never went down to > > my smaller chainwheel, but if I went up into Torrey Pines State Park, > > that would have been the call. > > > > I just wanted to say how great the stock gearing is on the bike. When > > I first got it, I was frustrated about having to spin so much on flats > > and coast downhill. Now I really appreciate it, especially because > > 40x18 gets me up almost any hill, including those on this ride, and > > even up Potrero Hill in San Francisco. Actually, mid-grade ascents > > seem *easier* on the Quickbeam. I can't explain that. 40x18 also > > seems to be a great touring set-up. Its fun to learn to love things > > that you might initially shun. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
