Helmet light

[johnridley]

This morning I moved the Cateye 3-LED white light up to my helmet. Big improvement. Not so much for use as a headlight, but I can now see stuff; the computer, the bottle cage, etc. Also I can see stuff off to the side of the road a bit better.

I also dropped the bar down a couple of inches. The lower profile is working OK for me, no arm or wrist trouble, so I'll stick with it for a while. The LBS had set it at minimum insertion and tipped the stem all the way up. Don't know why, except maybe they though I'd like to sit fully upright (I had been looking at semi-recumbents before). This lower posture is just as comfortable for me, plus with the bar lower I can get into a better tuck when pushing a headwind or going downhill.

The general opinion on bikeforums is that my spokes are probably popping because they got overstressed when I was running with a bent wheel this spring. Most recommend a rebuild with all new spokes. I think I'll wait until midwinter; I'll want to rip the wheel down then anyway and relube all the nipples so they don't rust solid. If any spokes start popping before then I may do it early.

They also said that if anything, the spokes are probably UNDER tensioned if they're popping on the left side. But they're at the same tension as the front wheel, so probably it's just damaged spokes.

Comments

[ex-erikvolso370.livejournal.com]

Your front sees much less load than the rear, so it can survive with less tension. If the spokes on the drive side are at the same tension as the fronts, it means they're too loose -- they should be noticibly tighter than anything else on the wheel.

You could always put another half turn into each spoke, which will increase the overall tension, but not alter the shape of the wheel.

You bought a comfort bike -- which is why the LBS set it up high. Standard rules. Comfort, run the bars up. Touring, less high, but still high. Street, low. Racers, low as they can get.