Paul- Sorry for the delay! It's a Soma Demi Porteur rack purchased on sale from Analog Cycles. https://www.somafab.com/archives/product/demi-porteur-rack
I appreciate it's 10kg / 22lb weight limit for grocery-getting. It works well on the platypus with a wald 317 zip tied on. On Thursday, June 30, 2022 at 9:22:27 AM UTC-6 Paul Clifton wrote: > Hey Christian, > Awesome bike and a really nice ride! What rack is that on the front? Is is > the M18? It looks bigger. I'd like something similar for a basket on my > Gus, but haven't found the perfect thing just yet. > > Paul in AR > > On Wednesday, June 29, 2022 at 1:58:06 PM UTC-5 bei...@gmail.com wrote: > >> Hello to all my Platypus People! >> >> As I mentioned in my original new-to-me PlatyPose post, when I first saw >> the all-black Platypus build from Crust, I was *inspired. *Then I >> happened upon Heather in NC’s post of her Pumpkin Platy with Continental >> Kings and *knew *step 1 for the mermaid platy would be all-black tires. >> As I bought it with grocery’s and future-baby-hauling in mind, I did want >> something that would roll reasonably on asphalt, but definitely something >> more robust than the original Shikoros, so 50mm Maxxis Ramblers it was. >> >> Today I though of Leah P.’s tire-change story and flat fiasco followed by >> Adam Leibow of Calling in Sick Magazine and his article, “A Mechanics Guide >> to Romance” and was inspired. With my neighbors tools and advice, I >> de-fendered and un-Shikoro’d the platypus before adding the Ramblers. >> >> That done, I set out today in a sear-sucker plaid short sleave, andiamos >> beneath my regular shorts, and bedrock sandals- Bike Bedecked with a >> Simworks Bag and all! >> >> I picked up some spare chain links at University Bicycles here in >> Boulder, the last item I needed for my repair kit, and then set off North >> along the foothills and Wonderland Lake Trail. I took a gamble on some new >> miles on “Hogback Ridge” which was every bit as mountain bike-worthy as the >> name suggests. >> >> Despite many a foot-down, steps walked, and pedal strikes on sizeable >> rocks, it was a blast picking my way up and down the Ridge, then under the >> 2 lane highway that connects Boulder with Lyons, and onto some single and >> double track in Boulder Valley Ranch north of town sandwiched between 36 >> and the Boulder Reservoir. It was a trail I’d only ever done on my much >> shorter, 650b x 47mm setup Kona Rove gravel bike. That handled fine, but >> it’s not nearly as fun feeling or “planted” as the Platypus, with which I >> felt I could totally surf through the corners and really lean back on some >> steeper sections without feeling like I was going to endo. >> >> The 50mm tires did great despite some close-rim strikes, the long chain >> stays smoothed out frequent bumps on the trails, and the upright position >> made me feel much safer shakily pointing my platypus down a few rock-strewn >> hills. Plus, being able to jump off *forwards* when stuck climbing was a >> huge bonus. >> >> Alas, I realized I had a flattening rear tire almost as soon as I >> re-found the asphalt and was winding my way through a residential >> neighborhood. Stopping to confirm the fact, my heart sank when I realized >> that the chain links were *not* the last tool I needed for my repair >> kit. I’d forgotten to put my hand pump and/or C02 cartridges back in the >> saddle bag. It’s great to *know *how to fix a flat and patch a tube, but >> it’s no use if you don’t have any way of getting air into it… >> >> Rather than attempting to inflate the presta valve like a balloon, I >> decided my best bet was to press onwards as the air level dwindled and see >> if anyone was in their driveway to ask about using a pump. Wouldn’t you >> know, at about 5:30 in the afternoon it just so happened that one of the >> first houses I passed featured a man who looked to be in his 60’s in his >> driveway who responded to my query with a cheerful affirmation. >> >> I spent about 10minutes or so changing the flat. As I returned the pump, >> I noticed a beautiful metallic-tangerine Schwinn Mixte in the garage (think >> Bleriot or Romulus Riv blue, but in a tangerine/mandarin color). >> >> “What a beautiful bike!” I complimented, “Reminds me a bit of mine!” as I >> gestured down the steep drive to my Platypus at the bottom. >> >> “Oh, thanks, yeah it’s my wife’s. She’s had it *since college! *We >> almost sold it at a tag sale, but when someone told us how valuable it was, >> we decided to keep it,” he replied. Turns out, instead of the $100 they >> were selling it for, they think it could be worth 200 or 300 dollars. >> >> Feeling slightly uncomfortable about the price comparison of our two >> mixtes, but inspired by the Schwinn’s beauty I said, “Really? It’s a >> gorgeous bike. What size is it?” >> >> “It’s a woman’s bike,” he said. “I don’t really know.” >> >> Realizing that delivering a Riv-style sermon about the practicality of a >> lower top tube would almost surely push me beyond the extent of my welcome >> with this man who’d just lent me his pump, I for some reason began >> justifying why I was on a mixte, and that maybe I could acquire that >> Schwinn in its excellent condition so that *my *wife could match me. >> Retreating back down the drive, I mounted my steel mermaid steed and forgot >> the whole affair immediately because of the glorious feeling of ascending >> on freshly pumped tires after almost having to call for a ride home. >> >> That is, until 5 minutes later when I realized, again, that my rear tire >> was going flat… >> >> This time, luckily still in the neighborhood, I happened upon a >> delightful Dutch man who just happened to also be inflating *his *tires >> in his garage. Not only did he let me borrow his pump, but when I realized >> that my second tube *also *had a hole in it, he offered me one of the >> many tubes from his own road-tube collection, and looked in vain for a >> spare hand pump that he was going to gift me, but to no avail. >> >> Either way, saved a second time by a good Samaritan, this time one who >> didn’t indirectly call my bike a woman's bike (being Dutch I assume he was >> used to the sight of a man on a mixte), I was happily back on my way, and >> braved one more stretch of double-track trails before finding the road >> home. >> >> I’m buying a pump for the platy ASAP and very seriously considering >> tubeless for the 50mm tires despite the mixed reviews of running Atlas rims >> tubeless… >> >> The compliments from strangers and passersby on the Platypus have not >> stopped, by the way. Today it was three! >> >> >> *UPDATE: *The first picture below is from a ride the next day when I >> opened the garage door to yet another flat! A final patching of the tube >> and re-inflating, and the tires held for the whole ride, including a .5 >> mile stretch on a 12.5% grade up a sandy hill! The bike climbs like nothing >> I've ever ridden... >> [image: IMG_2866.jpg] >> [image: image6.jpeg]IMG_2866.jpg[image: image3.jpeg][image: >> image2.jpeg][image: >> image0.jpeg] >> >> - Christian in Boulder >> >> On Wednesday, November 3, 2021 at 8:28:27 AM UTC-6 Doug H. wrote: >> >>> Your "precious" looks marvelous. >>> Doug >>> >>> On Tuesday, November 2, 2021 at 10:04:39 PM UTC-4 Bicycle Belle Ding >>> Ding! wrote: >>> >>>> One bike to rule them all. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Nov 1, 2021, at 5:33 AM, Johnny Alien <johnny....@gmail.com> wrote: >>>> >>>> I think the 650B Ultradynamicos only come in one width. 48 >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Monday, November 1, 2021 at 5:18:28 AM UTC-4 Garth wrote: >>>> >>>>> >>>>> Ultradynamico has many 650B and 700c 42mm tires in stock for anyone >>>>> looking for an alternative to the usual suspects. The Cava with it's fine >>>>> file tread would be just fine for the road, >>>>> >>>>> https://ultradynamico.com/pages/shop >>>>> On Sunday, October 31, 2021 at 5:15:30 PM UTC-4 Patrick Moore wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Here you go: >>>>>> https://www.renehersecycles.com/shop/components/tires/700c/700cx44-snoqualmie-pass/ >>>>>> >>>>>> They do have one very big defect: they can cost $96 apiece, tho' the >>>>>> budget Standard casing costs $74. Still, as someone who has used 2 >>>>>> models >>>>>> of RH ELs (tho' not the Snoqualmie Pass), I can heartily confirm that RH >>>>>> tires are worth the $$. >>>>>> >>>>>> On Oct 19, 2021, at 6:54 AM, Tom Wyland <tomw...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>>>> "... I would have been happy finding any folding tires in 42-44 width, >>>>>> but >>>>>> it's tough out there." >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>> >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the >>>> Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >>>> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit >>>> https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/5Qe4GAOJReQ/unsubscribe >>>> . >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to >>>> rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com. >>>> >>>> To view this discussion on the web visit >>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/c70f080f-1598-497b-872f-9dfc98f55c49n%40googlegroups.com >>>> >>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/c70f080f-1598-497b-872f-9dfc98f55c49n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>> . >>>> >>>> -- 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 view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/c35cca8c-a8fa-40b9-a6ad-f1723ea1c12fn%40googlegroups.com.
