CitroJim's AX, C3 Picasso, Cycling and Running Tales

[CitroJim]

I put a new auxiliary belt and tensioner on Robyn's car, looked for the broken spring again but no sign of it as far as I could see..

However, Robyn found her MoT was due yesterday so popped it in her local garage for a test. It failed

Yes, on that broken spring

As time was against us, the garage did the job and charged £160 for that and the MoT which I felt was OK...

I'm just happy the car passed on everything else although Robyn has said there's some advisories...

It was Dad's 92nd birthday on Friday so I went to see him yesterday laden with goodies, mostly of the cooked and baked variety! Atrocious weather but the Activa simply purred through all of it and dismissed it... It was a lovely day and a lovely drive...

I called in to see Alasdair (Stickyfinger) on my way home and was delighted with a small present he had for me... One of these:



I'm delighted with it. Sadly the picture does not do full justice to it...

Went out for a 20 mile bike ride today as it was dry and sunny. Largely to undo the damage all that sitting around driving did yesterday... Most of the ride was into a very strong headwind and therefore an excellent workout! Very much enjoyed and I still maintained a good average pace... Nice too to ride my best bike for a change...

Here's the ride on Strava

[superloopy]

I want one !!

Or even two at a push

[Hell Razor5543]

Jim, with your engineering skills I may have come up with a way to get some exercise on the bike when the weather is too bad (and a way to charge up some batteries). Build a frame capable of holding a bicycle safely secure when you are sitting on it, and with a couple of heavy duty rollers for the back wheel (not unlike the rollers used for testing car brakes during MoTs), but with an alternator (or two) attached. Hook up the batteries, get on the bike, start pedalling, and (maybe) at the end you have got batteries with a full charge!

[CitroJim]

Jim, with your engineering skills I may have come up with a way to get some exercise on the bike when the weather is too bad (and a way to charge up some batteries).

That's a good idea James Maybe I can modify my Turbo Trainer to do this bit in all honesty the weather has to be pretty bad to keep me off my bike... So far this year I've only lost one day to the weather commuting to work by bike and that day was not really that bad...

The other problem is I like to be out and about; cycling on a Turbo can be very boring unless you have Zwift and that demands a very expensive Turbo Trainer that has communications. In fact one of the original reasons I got back into cycling was boredom from riding my static exercise bike... I know every millimetre of mu conservatory from long hours in the saddle of that thing...

Maybe I'd be better off making a generator to charge up my bike lights from the static bike, which still gets used nearly every morning, and then at least it's doing something useful..

Maybe I could charge my phone and laptop from it too...

James you've given me food for thought!

[myglaren]

Jim, with your engineering skills I may have come up with a way to get some exercise on the bike when the weather is too bad (and a way to charge up some batteries). Build a frame capable of holding a bicycle safely secure when you are sitting on it, and with a couple of heavy duty rollers for the back wheel (not unlike the rollers used for testing car brakes during MoTs), but with an alternator (or two) attached. Hook up the batteries, get on the bike, start pedalling, and (maybe) at the end you have got batteries with a full charge!

Patented in "Soylent Green"
Watch from 4' 35"



Second occasion I have had to mention that today although the other was under tragic circumstances.

[KP]

The best thing Jim is probably some cheap roller generators like bikes used to have but dumping into a super capacitor or two and that way you can use the juice as quickly or slowly as you want as the self drain on them is enough for some people to be using sets as car batteries

[CitroJim]

the self drain on them is enough for some people to be using sets as car batteries

Good gracious Are these the same as the Barryboys use on their mega car stereos?

[KP]

Maybe something similar but they run about 6 of them all linked up and a few find there is just enough juice to crank a small petrol after a week of sitting doing nothing... Not bad I reckon and a lot less weight as well so good for cars where you want to balance the front and rear more

[KP]

Just up your street Jim

[CitroJim]

Thanks Will, interesting...

[Stickyfinger]

Being a "wire-thicko".....where is the advantage in this set-up ?

[CitroJim]

I've been away for a bit but back now... I'm going to make no attempt to catch-up with what's been happening on here but I'm sure I'll soon get back into the swing of things...

No news of any significance to report from this end...

[Zelandeth]

Being a "wire-thicko".....where is the advantage in this set-up ?

Off the top of my head (and admittedly not having watched the video!) I imagine the biggest advantage would be a weight saving for the equivalent capacity. I've been toying with the idea of replacing the 36Ah lead-acid battery in the Sinclar C5 with lithium polymer batteries - you can get about 60Ah worth in the base of the boot, weighing less than half what the lead acid one does, giving a real world range of 50 odd miles then. The downside? 60Ah of LiPo batteries? £600 odd please (plus the dedicated charger etc)...There's a reason I haven't done too much thinking about it!

[KP]

Forget LiPo, just go the super cap route as the standard charger can be used then and even more weight saved

[CitroJim]

Delighted to have passed my 4th Kyu Karate Grading today I now wear a purple/white stripe belt. The next is brown...

Passing this grading is a big milestone. Exactly two years from my first (10th Kyu) grading... In another two years I could be a black belt...