The Happy Time Attitude
This is a perfect example of the Happy Time Bike with a cheap bone shaking Chinese engine on it. This cheap frame set is not made for a power assist engine. This bikes frame is so poor that simply pedaling one is dangerous!
This is a picture of the problems that I have with your culture and this industries obvious void of character! Pardon my rudeness but as a cyclist this bicycle is so poor in quality that the notion of a motor on it to power it over 30 miles per hour is just ludicrous in the extreme.
This is what Augie means when he speaks of the Happy Time Attitude and I agree.
With the rack mounted systems it is less dangerous than on one of these with a mid frame mount. These cheap frames were not designed nor intended to have a powerful motor attached to them! Especially one that can cause a lot of vibration on the critical frame structure.
However some of the rack mounted systems such as the roller drive and GEBE ring system seem to be gentle on the bicycle as long as one power assists.
I think that folks that want a Happy Time motorcycle set up need to first find a very strong preferably steel very stout frame set for this type of application. Department store bikes simply do not fit the bill they were never intended to be motorized. Simply put the average Walmart bike customer might ride his bike once a month at best and that's what these frames are designed for. Its simply a price point for a bicycle.
Happy Times to all in this new year...
Kevin
posted by KMB at
12:36 AM
5 Comments:
Engine vibration is not the issue with the box store bikes, it is the bearings, bakes and rims that are insufficient. Frame failures occur at the upper seat stays, which is caused by inferior welds and alloys failing from road irregularities stressing the frame members at the higher speeds of motorized bicycling.
Because of this, it would be no better to use your rack mounted GEBE than any other method of motorizing as it is the speed over terrain and weight resulting in failures, it even could be worse due to the additional stress on the flimsy seat stays, the proven weak point.
Box store bicycles ARE hazardous to motorize, don't let your bias blind you to the truth in this as well.
ah-ha! perhaps this is why the powers-that-be have limited what we can legally (and safely) strap to a basic bicycle for on-road use.
but, while basic-bicycles are becoming increasingly more shabbily constructed, small engines are becoming more powerful.
here's food for thought: since we ARE still talking about safety and bicycles, what's to stop those legislators from realizing that the 50cc limit IS archaic? this could backfire for some of you. and maybe, just maybe, if the MBgods bless us with compromise instead of complete banishment, we'll find ourselves facing a universal 35cc ceiling someday. me and my GEBE are ready, how about you and yours?
in oregon, maybe other places, this 35cc limit is already in play...and that makes ALL HT's illegal for on-road use in those areas. i'd be cool if i were you, and riding an HT under those circumstances. but all of us know the majority of you are not being cool at all.
yup, this issue is surely one of attitude...since the public isn't capable of discerning the differences in MBstyle, only MBattitude, ALL of us could eventually be held accountable based on our **collective image!**
and i gotta say again, imo our collective-image doesn't look good and is getting worse all the time.
Augie,
Is it now 35 cc in Oregon?
Both GEBE's Tanaka 33 and the Robin/Subaru would be under if this is the case.
I think that the 50 cc or under restriction is very reasonable. But in Portland in particular the "bike snob" culture is firmly entrenched and motorizing a bike to a lot of these folks is anathema to say the least. These folks also hold a lot of influence with state legislators so as I have been trying to do its a good idea to show local cyclists that these bikes are safe and that I am very very law abiding. This is working for me well at least in Wisconsin. Its a good thing to that I have never ever seen a Happy Time motored bike anywhere on any of my rides!
Kevin
Anon,
Though I do not think that any department store bike should be motorized what about that whole list of testamonials over on GEBE's site with many on these cheap bikes with no frame failures? Its my opinion that GEBE's system is gentle on the bike frame if you pedal assist.
Yet on your forum I have read about quite a few frame failures on your forum site and you have banned many for exposing/complaining about such failures.
My bias is based on some fact. You however reside in a world of fantasy.
Kevin
Your off base on the motorized skyliner. While you have right to your opinion, maligning my bike build is poor sportsmanship because it is from an uninformed position.
I built that bike 5-6 years ago and GUESS WHAT? It is still on the road without ANY ISSUES OR FAILURES.
It has several thousand miles on it without any problem. It has a very well built steel frame construction and the bike has been put thru hell because it is mostly ridden as a trail bike when I go camping in the Colorado mountains. It has gone over a 12,126 foot pass many times (38 mile round trip each time).
Other than an occasional chain replacement and flat tire, its been a reliable and SAFE bike build.
I would refrain from commenting on someone's build without knowing what you are talking about.
You can buy a safe and reliable frame from a big box store. Your comments reflect bike snobbery that is prevalent in Colorado...
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home