Yeah I’ll stick to not fitting shit brakes for no good reason

🙄

(Applause)

I fitted a Nexus 7 rear hub roller brake to my sister in law’s trundle to work utility bike. Perfect for her needs, just needs rework once a year when she has “had a go” at removing the rear wheel…. Usually find all manner of random carnage in cable, gear and torque arm adjustment 🙂

I presume Mike Burrows just couldn’t combine the hub dynamo with his single sided stub axle / drum brake setup – hence the dislike. And old Sturmey dynohubs were never great.

I use a Nexave brake as a drag brake on a roadie tandem. It doesn’t do much to stop 150kg all up weight, it just reduces overheating of the 2 rim brakes. A disk brake has more initial bite and doesn’t spit out scalding grease when abused. The Nexave deos keep working though, a disk ultiamately boils its fluid or fades to nothing.

^

Seem to remember Sheldon Brown not recommending (low end?) roller brakes for tandems and cargo bikes + hills/drag as it gives diminishing returns as it wrecks the brake

*edit

No Rollerbrake is suitable for use as a drag brake on a cargo bike or tandem. Serious overheating will require replacement of the brake.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/rollerbrakes.html

Worth checking the article re maintenance. I suspect my front brake was already wrecked by not oiling in a timely fashion 😳. Time to replace. Thankfully inexpensive.

Bike arrived yesterday. Some setup issues around mudguards and disk brake rub but did the first shopping errand on it today to pick up fresh bread and some lunchbox stuff kids.
I will post more info on it when I get more time.
First ever bike with a tray, first with a kickstand and the first time I’ve had bolts on the axles since the 80’s I think. Will have to get used to carrying a spanner around again lol.
The tray is the killer feature for me. No special bags this trip, just ran into Morrisons, grabbed bread etc. Checkout, loaded into a bag for life, out the shop, dropped onto the tray and off. Perfect.

Yep the front box on my bike gets used far more often than the bags out the back. As you say. Nip in throw it in the box

Pizza/beer/fish and chips all go well in the box as well 🙂

Need a box/rack in my life.

Loving the front tray love. Even if you are all weirdos attaching them to the steery bit not the fixed bit 🙂

I’ve found all manner of fold flat boxes for mine. Wondering if 600x400x200 is getting a bit wide / greedy?….

Ok can anyone answer me this.

On the inside of the right hand fork leg there are two boss mounts. One near the top and one near the bottom. What on earth would they be for?

Great news OP, sounds like you’re going to enjoy it a lot!

On the inside of the right hand fork leg there are two boss mounts

These? I see three though?

I have them on my Longitude (although on either side) – they’re for cargo accessories such as cages to carry stuff-sacs, bottles, whatever.

https://bikepacking.com/index/cargo-cages-anything-bags/

Need a box/rack in my life.

Me too, I miss the old basket for small trips/loads. It does indeed beat panniers/rucksack etc for convenience. Thinking when I get Ilse (The Battleship) resprayed and rebuilt I could opt for additional tray as per the delivery version. It would carry the Big Bulky Things easily (xmas trees, replacement microwave ovens etc) and also do the tip/recycling runs. Another regular car-trip hopefully baleeted. Figured out that I could also feasibly carry my entire en plein air painting workshop including 10-15 18×24 student canvases.

1st commute this morning.
Next killer feature, changing gear with the Nexus hub while stood at traffic lights (I now wish all my bikes could do this).

These? I see three though?

No, they are on the INSIDE of the fork leg, and only on the right hand leg.

my Urban Arrow had roller brakes. They were shocking, and i seem to recall there was a warning in the shimano manual that warned that they were only suitable for bikes of something like 100kg including the rider, which didnt leave much slack on a normal bike, let alone a 50kg-dry cargo bike.
I think they are legally on thin ice speccing them at all.

It was ok, as long as you planned your slowing well in advance, and didnt take routes that involved hills, but i had a few ruddy sketchy moments where stamping on the brakes as hard as i could wasnt doing enough to stop me just rolling into the back of a car, so decided to get some disk brake tabs welded on the fork.

problem then was, with no load in the front it didnt have much grip so it was very easy to lock the slick front wheel into a slide.

Solved that by getting a super tacky BMX knobbly (Schwalbe jumping jack).

Then i sold it.
Doh.

No, they are on the INSIDE of the fork leg, and only on the right hand leg.

Apologies, wasn’t paying attention, and it’s bugging me now! 😂

Maybe internal cable-routing for a dynohub/front light?

^ Enjoyed that 👍🏼 EAV are doing a great thing in a number of ways. Locally-grown flaxseed composite material is an inspired/inspiring move 🌱

OP, any news how are you getting on with the Brixton?

@p7eaven
Bike is still doing regular duties. Car has gone (been replaced by a camper that is just used for camping not running around).
Started off carrying commute kit (laptop, lunch etc) in the front basket but found I couldn’t get groceries on way home so commute kit is now on the rear rack via a Decathlon laptop pannier (brilliant bit of kit, recommended). That leaves the front cage empty for groceries/beer/parcels etc.
Also doing a weekly fruit and veg run on it, which we love as we get better quality stuff and no longer buy supermarket fruit and veg with all its unnecessary packaging.
Lots of other one off trips to stores, vaccination centres, parks etc. Anything within the city limits really.
Last and not least, When its my turn (only normally once a week) I do the school run on the bike with a tag along hooked up on the back. No parking issues, little trailwagger gets some exercise and learns about sustainable transport in the process.

Still looking for a cheep ish electric bike to get the wife involved if anyone has any recommendations? Needs to be step thru with baskets.

Not cheap but I was close to buying an electric Orbea Katu. Unconventual looks but I’m a total convert sice going to the whole Minivelo side of things.

@trailwagger – Sounds great, are you enjoying not using the car?

Still looking for a cheep ish electric bike to get the wife involved if anyone has any recommendations? Needs to be step thru with baskets

something like?

Gazelle are good bikes, sometimes see them used at fair prices

Sounds great, are you enjoying not using the car?

Yes, and im finding that even moderate length journeys/chores are quicker, simpler and easier by bike. Only car journeys are lugging large loads, or carrying multiple kids.

I”ve been following this with interest. I think a leccy cargo bike would do us nicely to replace our car for 90% of jobs – we’ve gone down to 1 car anyway recently and minimise using it as much as possible.

I think an Xtracycle might be a good option for me and my box of spares, but it seems they’ve stopped making the conversion kits.

Does anyone know of anything similar?

Like this? 😉

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/393452592921?hash=item5b9b9a1f19:g:zikAAOSwy~9g9d7C

Yep, watching that with interest! Is it yours?

Nope just a fortuitous check.

that electric gazelle is a cracking value everyday bike