Wide Rim Weight Reduction Experiment. For Acceleration Improvement. by Brian Miller, citizen scientist. CONCLUSION: Worthwhile. For the environment of paved city street riding, improved deceleration, acceleration, and steering speed are rather beneficial; lighter rim is better. ABSTRACT: An unusually wide bicycle rim is needed for a high performance urban bicycle project. To improve [more…]
Here is how the Maximum Roadster has been developing. Ceramic bottom bracket is a noticeable improvement. I got it by accident while testing many crank configurations for another bike. I ended up using the inexpensive crank, with high end chainrings, and top of the line bearings. Practical. Great tires, and that skinny Stans front rim. [more…]
The project started out to be as a Scorcher. Like those late 1800s simple, direct, bikes the scorcher guys rode. But really, I need multispeed shifting and brakes here on the street, also I need to learn about disc brakes. Plus I need to learn more about larger 700c wheels. So, big [more…]
I found a murdered-out 1 year old high end Specialized hybrid for sale. Frame was great, chipped and gunked like a retired delivery bike, but straight. The bike came with a rigid fork, and a smaller 26”, wide mountain bike wheel, with high end tire and rotor, but no brake. 2015 Specialized Crosstrail Sport [more…]
This has been the best iteration of this bicycle design. I have ridden this frame a lot, mucho trial-and-error with component advances. The result became: Light, compact, and nimble, yet hard; intended for broken big city streets. Acceleration among traffic being a top priority for componentry harmony.
This bicycle design worked out very well. Used it nearly every day. Get supplies, beer, lumber… Rigged for theft prevention security, and ease of use; it quickly adjusts so the wife can take it when she needs to get something.
The latest in fixed gear urban riding performance of the day. Aluminum aero frame with steel plate fork ends. Easton carbon fiber seatpost. Carbon fiber handlebars with suede bar tape. Selle Italia Trans Am saddle. Cane Creek headset, Specialized tires, and more! The experiment here was to keep the entire machine, but especially to keep [more…]
Check out this great old Giant Cadex 3 frame. The tubes have a variety of weave patterns. Detailed engineering for a new path; carbon fiber was very new and exotic. Then I sought and found a Specialized Future Shock FSX carbon fiber fork. This one is from 1994 with titanium hardware. It is a great [more…]
Sand Dragster bicycle – Beach Cruiser by Brian Miller A class of riding improved through rigorous testing at the beach. With some friends and people I didn’t know, I had rented a island beach house for the summer. I wanted more than just the everyday beach frolic, drugs, and sex; so I started a project. [more…]
From my experience of building a high handlebar chopper, I learned the value of giant rear tire / skinny front tire. The problem, I discovered, is that the eye perceives the skinny tire as having a smaller diameter, compared to the fat tire. Optical illusion, and not the way I want it. I could visualize [more…]
