MBB lowracer

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   Never tried it Russ, the demonic voices in my head are saying "hope i have a video camera on you when you try an emergency stop"  .
I think you've worked out all the reasons why not to use it, but i can't actually see the reason why you want to?

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Yanto Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group Joined: 11 July 2005 Status: Offline Points: 1521	Post Options Post Reply Quote Yanto Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 31 January 2016 at 7:16am
	Never tried it Russ, the demonic voices in my head are saying "hope i have a video camera on you when you try an emergency stop" . I think you've worked out all the reasons why not to use it, but i can't actually see the reason why you want to?

AlanGoodman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Club Chairman Joined: 04 March 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 8036	Post Options Post Reply Quote AlanGoodman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 31 January 2016 at 7:21am
	My concern would be that it would be very easy to accidentally apply the brake. Luckily I'm not fast enough to be slipstreaming behind you though. :o)


BarneyH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List BHPC Member Joined: 02 May 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 439	Post Options Post Reply Quote BarneyH Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 31 January 2016 at 11:28am
	Russ In a panic situation your brain will revert to norm and look for a lever (where it expects to find one) so good luck on teaching the brain to use a gear shift as a brake device. I learnt this knowledge first hand whilst trying to ride a rat racer which had brakes in different places to what my brain thought was normal - it honestly didn't hurt that much! Barney

GeoffBird Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List BHPC Member Joined: 20 September 2005 Status: Offline Points: 2396	Post Options Post Reply Quote GeoffBird Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 31 January 2016 at 11:37am
	Early bicycles and tricycles had a brake operated by a twist-grip. Not sure what this proves...
	Right Time - Right Place - Wrong Speed

Adrian Setter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List BHPC Member Joined: 04 March 2005 Status: Offline Points: 1606	Post Options Post Reply Quote Adrian Setter Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 31 January 2016 at 6:24pm
	At least one of Mike Burrows's Ratracer series was thus equipped, at least for a period. I think it was the one that immediately succeed the VLR, so probably circa 2009. I know because I rode a couple of laps ( not racing) around Curborough. The twist mechanism had been modified so that there was no ratchet. All I can say is that it didn't seem to improve the braking. It was hard to tell because those later Ratracers do not really do braking at all. I wouldn't worry about the tensile strength of the cable or the strength of the components of the twist grip: I can't see anyone twisting a grip hard enough to break them, in good condition, whether actuating a brake or a gear mech. Gear cable outer is mechanically 'better' than brake outer because it compresses less. The compression in brake outer is sometimes said to be a good thing because it gives some modulation to the brakes. With your proposal I expect it would make little difference but you can run a gear inner in a brake outer if you want. Just don't do it to operate a gear mechanism and expect good indexing.
	Challenge Hurricane - MicWic Delta (Front half) - Burrows Ratracer

russellbridge Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List BHPC Member Joined: 21 October 2013 Location: Manchester Status: Offline Points: 843	Post Options Post Reply Quote russellbridge Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 31 January 2016 at 6:43pm
	Many thanks all - I'll give it a bash and see how it performs... It does give a very clean look to the bars which has got to make me faster :) Russ Edited by russellbridge - 31 January 2016 at 6:44pm

russellbridge Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List BHPC Member Joined: 21 October 2013 Location: Manchester Status: Offline Points: 843	Post Options Post Reply Quote russellbridge Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 February 2016 at 8:09pm
	A few more photos showing the bottom bit of the fairing now in place - just needs a run of duct tape around the join. I can pump the tyre up through the hole where my head goes, so I should only have to remove the lower half of the fairing if I get a p*ncture... Still waiting for it to stop raining so that I can take it for test ride...I'm gonna be building an ark next... It looks quite tall, but hopefully it's just 'compact'. I'll take a photo in the daylight and do an overlay against the Nocom and a Ratracer. ps I've gone for a standard brake lever until I get used to the bike, but I've got a spare 'Rocket' gripshift to test as a brake actuator if I'm feeling brave... Edited by russellbridge - 22 February 2016 at 11:06am

Karl Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Visitor (new) Joined: 11 June 2013 Location: Preston Status: Offline Points: 189	Post Options Post Reply Quote Karl Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 22 February 2016 at 10:20am
	Russ, Looking good :-) I've got a couple of twist shifters you can kill if you need spares... remind me before the next meet and I'll bring them along.... in spangly yellow as well so you wont miss them Karl

russellbridge Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List BHPC Member Joined: 21 October 2013 Location: Manchester Status: Offline Points: 843	Post Options Post Reply Quote russellbridge Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 28 February 2016 at 9:13pm
	Some almost finished photos below, and a video hopefully, if I can work out how to embed it: It feels quite twitchy as if it wants to spit me off, mostly around the corners. Having said that, it is a few weeks since I last rode it, and I got more stable for the hour I was at the track. Unfortunately I won't be at Hillingdon as I'm doing the Tour of Flanders - Hillingdon would have been a great place to test it against the Nocom. Lancaster is going to be a proper baptism of fire - very fast corners that require constant pedalling and a steady tiller. Neither of which I appear to be able to do on this yet... :) ps in case you can't tell from my ruddy complexion and natty attire, it was bl00dy cold! Many thanks to Ms B for patiently taking photos and putting up with correx sheets littering the house... Edited by russellbridge - 28 February 2016 at 9:23pm

Karl Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Visitor (new) Joined: 11 June 2013 Location: Preston Status: Offline Points: 189	Post Options Post Reply Quote Karl Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 28 February 2016 at 9:33pm
	Looking mighty fast Russ.. or at least the potential to be a contender. Been toying with swapping to two wheels for a while.. you might be just the nudge I need. There again its just a collection of tubes in a rough shape of a low racer at the minuet... We'll see :-)