Bicycle ,, Where do you put it?
 

I'm sure some of you cruising sailors carry a bicycle of some sort on your
boat ,, you do, right?

Where do you keep it? Do you break it down and stow it that way?

I think a bicyle and a sailboat are about the two best things in the whole
wide world; period.

Bicycle ,, Where do you put it?
 

"Thomas Wentworth" wrote:

I'm sure some of you cruising sailors carry a bicycle of some sort on your
boat ,, you do, right?

Where do you keep it? Do you break it down and stow it that way?

Yes - Bob got a folding bike for his birthday and it came with a bag
to stow it in folded. The first year I tried to ride it, but it is
just too big for me and can't be adjusted down. The second year he
had a regular bike, but it just got terribly rusty. He got a folding
bike for me second hand for about $25 and fixed it up and sewed a bag
for it too. We stowed them back by the dinghy (center cockpit boat).
They can actually be taken ashore in a dingy unless you have a kayak
or something.

It is still a pain to get them on and off the boat.

I think a bicyle and a sailboat are about the two best things in the whole
wide world; period.



grandma Rosalie

S/V RosalieAnn, Leonardtown, MD
CSY 44 WO #156
http://home.mindspring.com/~gmbeasley/id1.html

Bicycle ,, Where do you put it?
 

"Thomas Wentworth" wrote in
news:ODnTf.212$kB1.154@trndny07:

I think a bicyle and a sailboat are about the two best things in the
whole wide world; period.


A rideable bike is pretty bulky to store on a boat. Besides, if you've
been to sea, you've gotten plenty of exercise in muscles you didn't know
you had, so you deserve a little RnR in port. So, I got this one because
it was better'n Cap'n Geoffrey's scooter and its wider tires don't drop
in the gaps his do on the crappy docks.

http://www.largoscooters.com/bladezxtrse.html
I got mine for $299 on sale at Dick's Sporting Goods last year.

It'll run 16mph for 8 miles, lots further if you drive slower at bike
speed. The only noise is the tires on the road and a little from the
chain drive. BladeZ' are very nicely made units.

To store it, you pull the pin holding the seat on and pull the seat post
out of the scooter. (It's fun to ride around standing up without the
seat, too.) Then, you pull back on that release handle under the
steering and the whole front end pivots to horizontal with the front
wheel going up and the steering coming flat against the motor housing
making it as flat as it can get. The steering locks in the down position
so you can use the steering stick as a carrying handle. Now flat, it
fits in a locker or alongside the engine. If you set heavy stuff on top
of it, unlike the bike, it won't crush it. Just be careful of the
exposed control cables.

The batteries are in a little bag with carrying handle under the deck
with a plug so you can swap a dead one for a hot one, but the charger
only works plugged into the XLR microphone jack under the steering.
Battery status is a 3-color LED next to the main power
switch...green=good, yellow=goin' down, red=I'm gonna shut it off in 5
more minutes. The computer won't let you deep cycle and ruin the battery
pack. Throttle power is very smooth as it uses pulse-width-modulation
technology. When you squeeze the disk brake handle, there's a switch
that closes to turn the PM motor into a dynamic brake, recharging the
batteries going downhill.

Great fun to ride, especially when the boat is a mile down a big marina's
dockage from the parking lot! Get a chain lock to secure it to something
as it is easily picked up and stolen.

Bicycle ,, Where do you put it?
 

In article ,
Rosalie B. wrote:

"Thomas Wentworth" wrote:

I'm sure some of you cruising sailors carry a bicycle of some sort on your
boat ,, you do, right?

Where do you keep it? Do you break it down and stow it that way?

Yes - Bob got a folding bike for his birthday and it came with a bag
to stow it in folded. The first year I tried to ride it, but it is
just too big for me and can't be adjusted down. The second year he
had a regular bike, but it just got terribly rusty. He got a folding
bike for me second hand for about $25 and fixed it up and sewed a bag
for it too. We stowed them back by the dinghy (center cockpit boat).
They can actually be taken ashore in a dingy unless you have a kayak
or something.

It is still a pain to get them on and off the boat.

I think a bicyle and a sailboat are about the two best things in the whole
wide world; period.



grandma Rosalie

S/V RosalieAnn, Leonardtown, MD
CSY 44 WO #156
http://home.mindspring.com/~gmbeasley/id1.html

My brother and his wife cruise off the NE coast each summer on his
J/34C. They used to have folding bikes and decided their regular road
bikes were more comfortable and worked better and they sacrificed one QB
and some bungie cords. With wheels off, most road bikes (or cross bikes)
fit in larger boats.

h

--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?

Bicycle ,, Where do you put it?
 

Larry wrote:
snip

http://www.largoscooters.com/bladezxtrse.html
I got mine for $299 on sale at Dick's Sporting Goods last year.

It'll run 16mph for 8 miles, lots further if you drive slower at bike
speed. The only noise is the tires on the road and a little from the
chain drive. BladeZ' are very nicely made units.

snip
Great fun to ride, especially when the boat is a mile down a big marina's
dockage from the parking lot! Get a chain lock to secure it to something
as it is easily picked up and stolen.


I'd probably pay money to see you cruising along on that toy!

Bicycle ,, Where do you put it?
 

Larry wrote:
"Thomas Wentworth" wrote in
news:ODnTf.212$kB1.154@trndny07:


I think a bicyle and a sailboat are about the two best things in the
whole wide world; period.



A rideable bike is pretty bulky to store on a boat. Besides, if you've
been to sea, you've gotten plenty of exercise in muscles you didn't know
you had, so you deserve a little RnR in port. So, I got this one because
it was better'n Cap'n Geoffrey's scooter and its wider tires don't drop
in the gaps his do on the crappy docks.

http://www.largoscooters.com/bladezxtrse.html
I got mine for $299 on sale at Dick's Sporting Goods last year.

It'll run 16mph for 8 miles, lots further if you drive slower at bike
speed. The only noise is the tires on the road and a little from the
chain drive. BladeZ' are very nicely made units.
snip

I've seen kids around here riding these things. They go amazingly fast
and quite a long distance between recharges. Other people may think its
a little funny to see an adult on a scooter, but I think you've got a
winner for that 2 mile to the grocery store and back. Looks like it
folds up pretty compact also.

Interesting solution.

Don W.

Bicycle ,, Where do you put it?
 

On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 01:33:34 +0000, Thomas Wentworth wrote:

I'm sure some of you cruising sailors carry a bicycle of some sort on your
boat ,, you do, right?

Where do you keep it? Do you break it down and stow it that way?

I think a bicyle and a sailboat are about the two best things in the whole
wide world; period.

I agree!

For utility and general recreational use, Dahons and Montagues are
probably best for most boaters. They fold in seconds, and fit
into a bag to keep things from catching on them.

www.dahon.com

http://www.msblsports.com/montaguebicycle.html

A more serious road cyclist may prefer something like the Ritchey
Breakaway, or an S&S-coupled frame. Either of these fits in an
airline-legal (not oversized) suitcase, but takes 10-15 minutes to
assemble or break down.

http://ritcheylogic.com/web/Ritchey~...ain/20789.html

http://www.sandsmachine.com/

With the wheels off, most bikes can be stuffed into an unused berth or
something. However, a folding bike in a bag or case is much easier for
most folks to drag out and put away, and keeps dirt from the chain and
tires from smudging your boat's interior.

Matt O.

Bicycle ,, Where do you put it?
 

Larry ,,, no thanks on the battery powered motor scooter.. I'm an all
natural kind a guy. Sails .. wind. Bicycle ... peddle.

I think what I might do is store part of the bicycle on deck and the rest
below. I can bag the front wheel easy enough.
The seat can be taken off with a quick release.

I did see a picture the other day of a boat that had two mountain bicycles
tied to the mast. Problem is rust. In the ocean environment, those
bicycles will rust out in a few days.

As for getting the bicycles on and off; probably use the main sail halyard
with the winch. Off load into the dinghy.

======================---------000000098888888888888888888888888888888888888

"Larry" wrote in message
...
"Thomas Wentworth" wrote in
news:ODnTf.212$kB1.154@trndny07:

I think a bicyle and a sailboat are about the two best things in the
whole wide world; period.


A rideable bike is pretty bulky to store on a boat. Besides, if you've
been to sea, you've gotten plenty of exercise in muscles you didn't know
you had, so you deserve a little RnR in port. So, I got this one because
it was better'n Cap'n Geoffrey's scooter and its wider tires don't drop
in the gaps his do on the crappy docks.

http://www.largoscooters.com/bladezxtrse.html
I got mine for $299 on sale at Dick's Sporting Goods last year.

It'll run 16mph for 8 miles, lots further if you drive slower at bike
speed. The only noise is the tires on the road and a little from the
chain drive. BladeZ' are very nicely made units.

To store it, you pull the pin holding the seat on and pull the seat post
out of the scooter. (It's fun to ride around standing up without the
seat, too.) Then, you pull back on that release handle under the
steering and the whole front end pivots to horizontal with the front
wheel going up and the steering coming flat against the motor housing
making it as flat as it can get. The steering locks in the down position
so you can use the steering stick as a carrying handle. Now flat, it
fits in a locker or alongside the engine. If you set heavy stuff on top
of it, unlike the bike, it won't crush it. Just be careful of the
exposed control cables.

The batteries are in a little bag with carrying handle under the deck
with a plug so you can swap a dead one for a hot one, but the charger
only works plugged into the XLR microphone jack under the steering.
Battery status is a 3-color LED next to the main power
switch...green=good, yellow=goin' down, red=I'm gonna shut it off in 5
more minutes. The computer won't let you deep cycle and ruin the battery
pack. Throttle power is very smooth as it uses pulse-width-modulation
technology. When you squeeze the disk brake handle, there's a switch
that closes to turn the PM motor into a dynamic brake, recharging the
batteries going downhill.

Great fun to ride, especially when the boat is a mile down a big marina's
dockage from the parking lot! Get a chain lock to secure it to something
as it is easily picked up and stolen.

Bicycle ,, Where do you put it?
 

Practical Sailor has had some reviews of folding bikes recently. The
articles and the letters written in response warrant a look.

http://www.practical-sailor.com/

Bicycle ,, Where do you put it?
 

Dave wrote:

On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 04:23:36 GMT, Rosalie B.
said:

We stowed them back by the dinghy

That is to say, on deck in their bags?

Yes - lashed to the stern stanchions. Ours is a center cockpit boat
so they were on deck.

We had a compressed gas bottle box (for scuba bottles etc) back there
anyway, and also a radar arch with a solar panel and the dinghy davits
had another solar panel

http://home.mindspring.com/~gmbeasle...res/RA2001.JPG
grandma Rosalie

S/V RosalieAnn, Leonardtown, MD
CSY 44 WO #156
http://home.mindspring.com/~gmbeasley/id1.html

Bicycle ,, Where do you put it?
 

Don White wrote in news:ojzTf.46388$VV4.727493
@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca:

I'd probably pay money to see you cruising along on that toy!



Stop by! I rode it to the barber shop this morning before the rain drizzle
started. I have a fair amount of places to ride it from home in its 8-10
mile range.

I have two 36AH gelcells under my workbench that have been looking for a
home. They are quite flat and a little wider than the scooter's deck.
That's 3 times the capacity of the 12AH AGM's that's in it, now. I might
try to experiment with them in series for 24V this spring. I'm always
worried I've traveled too far and might run out of power before making it
home. I've come in with the light yellow with no load a few times. 16 mph
on this thing is like riding a Corvette on the interstate. I'm more than
willing to lose a little speed to gain a little range....(c;

Sure beats those old fogie electric chairs they want $8000 for because some
idiot insurance company or Medicare pays for it.....

After all....I'm "only" 60!

Bicycle ,, Where do you put it?
 

"Thomas Wentworth" wrote in news:dLATf.2717$yo1.2410
@trndny09:

Off load into the dinghy.


Hope you sail or row that dinghy. Don't let us catch you buzzing around
with an (gasp) outboard!

Bicycle ,, Where do you put it?
 

Nope,, no outboard ,,, small sail and big oars...

But,,, I'm not against outboards. I do love cycling and it is great
exercise.



==================
"Larry" wrote in message
...
"Thomas Wentworth" wrote in news:dLATf.2717$yo1.2410
@trndny09:

Off load into the dinghy.


Hope you sail or row that dinghy. Don't let us catch you buzzing around
with an (gasp) outboard!

Bicycle ,, Where do you put it?
 

On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 21:56:52 -0500, Larry wrote:

I have two 36AH gelcells under my workbench that have been looking for a
home. They are quite flat and a little wider than the scooter's deck.
That's 3 times the capacity of the 12AH AGM's that's in it, now.

So where will you find room for the PC, ham rig and antenna?

Bicycle ,, Where do you put it?
 

Wayne.B wrote in
:

So where will you find room for the PC, ham rig and antenna?



Cellphone!

Bicycle ,, Where do you put it?
 

Years ago I spotted a guy singlehandling his sailboat, coming out of Steinhache
making his way south down the West coast of Florida. We found out later he
would do a hop, jump on his bike and peddle back to pick up his van. He lashed
his bike to the bow pulpit, but I'm sure he washed off that Gulf salt water when
he made port. Kind of crude, but it worked for him.

Sherwin D.

Thomas Wentworth wrote:

Nope,, no outboard ,,, small sail and big oars...

But,,, I'm not against outboards. I do love cycling and it is great
exercise.

==================
"Larry" wrote in message
...
"Thomas Wentworth" wrote in news:dLATf.2717$yo1.2410
@trndny09:

Off load into the dinghy.


Hope you sail or row that dinghy. Don't let us catch you buzzing around
with an (gasp) outboard!

Bicycle ,, Where do you put it?
 

Thomas Wentworth wrote:
I'm sure some of you cruising sailors carry a bicycle of some sort on
your boat ,, you do, right?

Where do you keep it? Do you break it down and stow it that way?

I think a bicyle and a sailboat are about the two best things in the
whole wide world; period.

I sailed for years with 2, sometimes 3, top grade racing bikes. They were
stored in fully-zipped waterproof fitted bags, which I made (being in the
rag trade made this easy-peasy). If the wind and spray looked like getting
nasty, we whipped out the front wheels and stored them down below.

We rode around just about every island in the West of Scotland over a period
of aound 10 years, and I will say if you've got the notion, do it! Whilst
other sailors would anchor off, go ashore and get smashed in the nearest
bar, we enjoyed some pretty killing exercise on beautiful, completely empty
roads (are you old enough to remember that?).

Sure, it's difficult getting them ashore, even with a powered Avon, but when
they said it couldn't be done , we did it! Go for it, you will enjoy your
sailing like never before.


Dennis.