Wednesday, January 21, 2015

frugal living 6


FRUGAL LIVING 6

TRANSPORTATION

Part 2

I wear my slacks to twenty degrees, then place a pair of exercise/warm-up pants over those.  At about ten degrees it is time to replace those with a pair of heavy wool pants.  You might be better off with long underwear bottoms ( also, if your area is wet and cold, your requirements might differ.  Everyone is going to be different.  Some of you will be fine just warming the torso, others just get cold hands, etc.  ).  Below freezing I wear a wool sweater under my jacket ( if you are sensitive to wool, wear cotton underneath it ) and under twenty I wear two sweaters.  My head is covered by layers of cotton caps, one in the 40’s, two in the 30’s and below, with a wool cap over them.  At 20 and below I wear a ski mask under all of them.  My hands are very sensitive and above freezing I wear wool gloves inserts with a leather mitten over those.  Under freezing I wear heavier insulated mittens rather than a leather shell.  At ten degrees I get out the Artic heavy duty extreme cold mittens ( don’t wear inserts with those, or your hands sweat ).  All told, even with back up items, the whole get up only costs about the same as one pair of Sorrel boots from a higher end retail establishment.  Less than the cost of the bike.  If you are in a wet climate, you would probably also need some kind of studded tire, which I’m sure is not cheap on a bike.  Not that a set for the car isn’t more expensive, so it really is a moot point.

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When I first started seriously riding a bike ( after having had to move to a metro area from smaller pedestrian friendly towns ), LED lights had just started coming out.  Almost no one had heard of them.  At the bike shop you could get a bike lamp in LED for $30 or so.  They were weak and a the batteries good for around twenty hours if not less.  But at the time, even that was great compared to incandescing bulb lamps which had far less performance.  Nowadays, LED’s are everywhere, even in Dollar Stores, and the performance in power and longevity are far better.  You can have your bike lit up like a Christmas tree and only spend a few bucks a month in disposable batteries.  Along with a VERY bright reflective vest, you are far safer on a bike than ever before.  Yes, some areas are nearly impossible to ride a bike in, but not all that many.  One good thing the Yuppie Scum have done is petition across the land for better bicycle accommodations. 

Continued on the same subject next Frugal Living article.

END

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10 comments:

  1. Oh hairless one, you probably already wrote an article on the ideal bike but would you remind a forgetful minion what is your bike recommendation for frugal mobility ?

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    Replies
    1. I got a 29" Beach Cruiser. But while the 29" tires fit my stature better, they are a less than conventional size. As James says, the 26" is a better choice providing that you are not a giant.

      My 29" bike is very hard to pedal, to the point of being impractical for any sort of hill country or extended range. And I'm probably going to have to take it in, or figure out how to change the sprocket myself? I suspect that the Chinese engineers used the same exact gear ratio for the 29" bike as they did the 26" bike, leaving the larger tire size out of the overall gear inches equation?

      Aside from this, I do like the bike. I got the 29" Genesis Onyx Cruiser. It's actually cheaper at Walmart than at Amazon, and shipping was fast and free.

      http://www.walmart.com/ip/Genesis-Onyx-29-Cruiser-Bicycle/16203481

      Below is the 26" version. It's only a $100.00 for this model.

      http://www.walmart.com/ip/26-Kent-La-Jolla-Cruiser-Men-s-Bike-Black-Orange/17206784

      Delete
    2. Just remember the lower price Wal-Mart have total crap chain/tire/tube.

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    3. I haven't had any problems yet James, and am still on my first set of tires/tubes and chain. But I do not ride anywhere near as much as do you, so good information for someone looking for a more regular transportation vehicle. Right off, I added some of those puncture proof barrier strips that go between the inner tire wall and tubes to circumvent the thorns.

      One thing that I learned from reading the reviews on these less expensive Chinese bikes, is they are often shipped with little, and in some cases, no lubricant in the bearings! When I went through my bike after just getting it, sure enough, it was lacking grease in some of the bearings to the point of premature failure. Anyone getting one of these bikes should plan on checking the crank, wheel, and steering fork bearings before riding it.

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    4. I forgot to add that warning. Thanks for reminding me.

      Delete
  2. Drywall screws in airfree bike tires makes
    safer riding in winter.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And, you can ram any offending pedestrians, back up and roll over their leg with those studs.

      Delete
  3. I switched to Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable batteries a couple years ago and never looked back, nor intend to, unless something better comes along. I get em on amazon, (4) AA for about $9. Check em out, you can thank me later.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have the same basic type, around a buck each, 1k recharges. Bought from a battery specialty mail order.

      Delete

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