Crane bike comes in handy again!

[CPG]

I got my crane stuck in the mud at a jobsite, and after a bit of fooling around, just making things worse, I told the crew on the jobsite I was going to leave it there overnight, and in the morning maybe it'd be froze up enough to just drive out . It wasn't, but that's another story. The contractor immediately offered to give me a ride (clear across town, about 8.2 miles) back to my crane yard, where my car was parked. I told him I would ride my bike, no problem. He looked over the crane and said "what bike?" Less than a minute later I squirted off at 25 MPH, without pedaling (just to show off, I slowed to my usual 18 and also started pedaling), this was the first time in several months, due to winter, that I used the crane bike in this fashion: an unplanned emergency. Not to mention lunch and coffee runs. https://youtu.be/LMMhTUvn93E

With two other bikes, both tweaked BBSHD equipped, when I ride the crane bike I am always impressed with the 02, it's a bit quieter, and of all my bikes if I ever had to 100% pedal it to get somewhere, it'd be my choice, as it seems to have the least drag.

[Retrorockit]

Do you have a quick release on the handle bars? Or some other method of removing them.

[AZguy]

The front fender on mine snaps to the bottom of the steering stem and comes off in literally a second... the rear is under the rear rack and doesn't protrude past it and although it would come off easy there's no reason to do so, won't buy anything with the rear rack on

[Retrorockit]

I suspect it's a little wetter here than in AZ. My XC bike has the snap on fenders you describe. But my E bike has the fenders mounted tight down over the tires and that requires metal fender stays. Maybe I'll put some fold out highway pegs on it to get my feet out of the wake from the bottom of the tires too. That way I can just throttle along through the standing water without my boots filling up.

[AZguy]

Definitely dry out here (it is a desert!) but I don't ride in the rain regardless... the fenders are for crossing puddles, creeks and especially mud...

[Retrorockit]

No mud clearance for me. just keep the water inside the fenders as much as possible.

[CPG]

Do you have a quick release on the handle bars? Or some other method of removing them.

The handle bars fold, a spring loaded sleeve is pulled back to allow folding, then it snaps back into place and they are solid again. They work real well, at least for a street bike. It's the last thing I do before stuffing it in it's storage box, and take a second or two is all.

[Retrorockit]

I'm doing a folding bike conversion right now. any idea where I could get that setup?

[ncmired]

I'd like to see it as well. I'm trying out a quick release 90 degree turn stem on my take two Neutrino (which allows for any bar style), but I've also searched here and there for folding bars.

I also use the MKS quick release pedals.

[AZguy]

If you carry a wrench for the pedals they come off/on very quickly... those mks pedals do look sort of cool

[ncmired]

Hey AZGuy! Yep, got the pedal wrenches, but I don't want low wrench skill peeps I loan my bikes to muck 'em up.

"Left threaded? What?"

[AZguy]

True that! =]

[Retrorockit]

Almost nothing comes off of my bike with normal tools. Headset,skewers, suspension seatpost all have a coded key / wrench to remove them.
Keeps people from "borrowing" my stuff.

[CPG]

I don't recall the brand of either the pedals or the handlebars, but I do remember that when I was googling around trying to find folding handlebars, nothing came up, at first. Then a few weeks later, found them and ordered!

What I really like is the speed the bike deploys at (less then 60 seconds, including opening it's storage compartment and unsecuring it) this makes it so much more practical and satisfying to use than if it took a few minutes. Plus it just makes it look a lot cooler.....like the Montague e bike I carry in my plane, less than 3 minutes after landing, I'm riding off. It takes a bit more securing or it'd be faster....

[Retrorockit]

I found a Satori folding stem. Turns 90* either side depending where you start it. It's like a 1 1/4 stem with a locking QR lever, over a 1 1/8" to 1 1/4" adapter stub. It's built like a normal stem with a QR lever replacing a single pinch bolt. I wish my folding bike had the locking button on it's QR lever.

https://www.amazon.com/Satori-Bicycle-Handlebar-Quick-Turning/dp/B08QZ1CLK1/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3JF6ROURFCSY&keywords=Satori+folding+stem&qid=1649614659&sprefix=satori+folding+stem%2Caps%2C116&sr=8-2

[ncmired]

I've got one of those - works nice. It is slightly taller then a regular stem so you need to lose some spacers.

[CPG]

I am really liking the new 8 speed Shimano IGH on the crane bike. A bit of a PITA to get set up, mostly a learning curve on what parts I needed, but with about 100 miles of town riding it has solved the one bad thing about the crane bike, it's old wonky chain line. Perfectly straight now, in any gear, damn Rohloffs have spoiled me for that. No where near the spread of the 14 speed Rohloff, but plenty for streets, even streets with hills, just not steep rough trails.

[Mike_V]

The crane bike is a great innovation and your video shows why.
What brake is on your hub?
I think those have been made with coaster, drum, roller and no brake(?)

[Retrorockit]

Paxtana posted this folding stem. It folds at the front instead of at the fork tube making the bike even thinner than the Satori version. Price is $CAD.

https://www.revelo.ca/products/buy-thinstem

I also started a thread that may interest you. Tannus Tire Liners in the DIY forum. Of course the first thing I did was prove you can still get a flat with these!
https://electricbike.com/forum/forum...us-tire-liners
I'm still carrying pump, CO2, patch kit and spare tube. Probably not ideal for an aircraft situation.

I can't think of a better way to get a flat than riding around muddy construction sites. Dry rubber is hard to cut, but when it's wet things go right through it.

I like the solution of carrying a spare motor crane with you to fix a bicycle flat. You could just suspend the airplane from it too, with the bike inside ;)

[CPG]

I have the disc brake model hub, but had to buy a new Shimano disc to fit the hub as I recall, as it was different hole spacing from my old disc.

I used to ride an old beater of a Goldwing motorcycle, and my boom truck at the time also had a wireless remote control. I could sit down on the bike while up on the truck flatbed, and than fly myself off to a gentle touchdown, unhook but leave the rigging on the bike and ride off. Coming back (from lunch usually) I'd just ride under the boom, re-hook the rigging (which I secured while riding) start the truck with the remote, and fly myself back up to the bed, took no time at all and was great fun. One time I had a guy up on a 2 story roof that I needed to talk to before I left, so I just rode/flew the bike up there without even thinking of it, but he was a bit surprised when he turned around. I couldn't believe the number of people who asked "how did you get that heavy Goldwing up there?" This was all before ebikes, and my current crane has less bed (but more crane) so the crane ebike I now use is a perfect solution.

[Mike_V]

That's clever and I can picture it now:
"That him, two legs up on Evel Knievel, A Flying Goldwing"

[Retrorockit]

Solves the construction site flat tire problem too.

[stts]

waste of time